Seeking reputable mattress companies in the Seattle/Tacoma area

Hi Pheonix, I am looking for some reputable mattress companies in the Seattle/Tacoma area. I am interested in purchasing a memory foam mattress or a latex mattress. I haven’t had an opportunity to try many latex mattresses, but I have tried several memory foam mattresses and so far I have a slight preference to the memory foam.

I prefer a pillowy-soft mattress. I like to feel like I am sleeping on a giant marshmallow (hence my username). However virtually everyone in the mattress industry I have spoken to insist that I need a firmer mattress, due to my obesity. I understand that my weight will cause me to break down a mattress faster, and I am ok with that. I would rather have a super comfortable, super soft mattres for 5-6 years, then have to sleep on a firm mattress that I hate for 20. I think it is also important to note that I am a side-sleeper.

I tried a few mass-produced mattresses in a local showroom, one was the Serta icomfort Epic mattress, which felt absolutely perfect to me, however the specs are not up to par. I contacted Serta directly and here are the specs I was given:

Per your inquiry I have gathered the below information:
Foam Core (icomfort) 1.5 lb density, 30 lb ILD
Cool Action Gel Foam 4 lb density, 9.5 lb ILD
Support Foam 1.5 lbs/cu. ft.
Cool Twist Foam Density = 2.5 lbs. per cu. ft. ILD range = 9-12 lbs

Another mattress I tried was the Simmons Beautyrest Comforpedic called “Balanced Days”. (Depending on the retail outlet, this mattress is also referred to as the “Nourishing Comfort”). Comfort-wise, that mattress was a close second. I have contacted Simmons to get the specs on this particular mattress but haven’t recieved a response from them yet.

I recently purchased a mattress from Bed in a Box, which I am returning. It was advertised as a soft mattress but it was much too firm for me. The model I purchased was the “Natural Silk Elegance”. I am very hesitant about buying a mattress online again due to this experience.

I would appreciate any recommendations or suggestions you may have. Thank you.

Hi marshmallow,

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Seattle/Tacoma area are listed in post #2 here.

[quote]I tried a few mass-produced mattresses in a local showroom, one was the Serta icomfort Epic mattress, which felt absolutely perfect to me, however the specs are not up to par. I contacted Serta directly and here are the specs I was given:

Per your inquiry I have gathered the below information:
Foam Core (icomfort) 1.5 lb density, 30 lb ILD
Cool Action Gel Foam 4 lb density, 9.5 lb ILD
Support Foam 1.5 lbs/cu. ft.
Cool Twist Foam Density = 2.5 lbs. per cu. ft. ILD range = 9-12 lbs[/quote]

You did well to get the specs you did but they aren’t complete and as you mentioned the ones you did find out aren’t good. The specs you would need for me to make any meaningful comments about the mattress are in this article.

You can see the materials in the iComfort Epic here and they don’t match the information you provided. You would need to know the thickness and the density of each individual layer. The support core is not generally the weak link of a mattress but it’s lower density than you would normally find in a mattress in this budget range. The support foam is also in a lower density range than I would be comfortable with unless it’s only “around an inch or so”. 2.5 lb memory foam (the cool twist) is a very low quality material even though it’s not mentioned as one of the layers in the Epic. You can see some of the density guidelines I would suggest using in post #4 here.

This is another mattress I would avoid (including the 5 major brands) and you will likely end up spending a large amount of time tracking down foam specs that may still be incomplete or will only verify what you already know … that they are lower quality than they should be in their price range.

If you haven’t read it already … I would start with the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Phoenix

Thank you for the prompt and informative reply. Greatly appreciate the information. I am fairly new here. I have been exploring the site but for some reason missed your previous post #2 regarding reputable mattress companies in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Sorry you had to answer the same question twice.

The specs I gave you regarding the Epic mattress were copied and pasted from the email response that I got directly from Serta. Seems they don’t know much about their own mattresses. Not a good sign.

I am very excited that there are numerous reputable mattress companies in my area. I think trying out a mattress in person is the best way to find an ideal fit. Looking forward to checking out several of your recommendations in the near future.

Thanks again for your help. I consider you to have the equivalent of a PhD in mattress expertise, whereas I only have my AA. There is so much to learn it is overwhelming.

Oh, and my name is Cindy by the way. If you choose to respond again you may address me as such if you wish. Thank you!

Hi marshmallow (Cindy),

No problem … I link to local lists all the time for the members. The forum search defaults to “a year ago” and many of the forum lists were originally posted more than a year ago and don’t come up unless you change the search default to “any date” (although I edit them as new information comes to light).

I’m also looking forward to your feedback when you’ve had a chance to visit some of them.

Thanks Cindy … I normally reply with a members username so I can search for all my replies to a specific member when it’s necessary but I’ll add the Cindy in brackets to “personalize” the replies :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, I finally had a chance to visit a couple of mattress stores today, so I wanted to give you an update. I called several stores prior to visiting and was able to eliminate a few off of my shopping list based on our phone conversations. A few stores just simply didn’t have what I was looking for. I visited The Sleep Store today. Very small store with a limited selection. I wasn’t there for very long and unfortunately I wasn’t able to find anything suitable within my price range. I also visited The 6 Day Mattress Store. Very knowledgeable, friendly, kind people. It was reassuring to me that my salesperson was also a large sized person, because I knew he would understand some of my weight issues with regards to mattresses. I discovered, much to my surprise, that I absolutely HATE the feel of latex. I know its durability is unmatched, but what good is durability when I’m uncomfortable? The latex was too springy and bouncy, I felt like I was lying on a trampoline. Not my cup of tea. I tried different firmnesses but they all had that trampoline-like feel. I’m sure if I forced myself, I could get used to it, but I’d rather choose a mattress that I don’t have to force myself to get used to. The 6 Day Mattress Store carries several Serta iComfort models. Much to my shock and surprise, they stated that they felt the Serta iComfort series were quality beds made with quality “top notch” materials. I absolutely love the feel of the Serta iComfort Epic so I think I am just going to go ahead and get that one. I didn’t make my purchase at The 6 Day Mattress Store because they don’t have financing options that suit my needs. I was also going to visit Bedrooms and More today until I found out that they only carry latex and innerspring mattresses. Since I don’t like latex and I am trying to avoid an innerspring mattress at all costs since I am so overweight, a visit there seemed pointless.

I haven’t purchased my Serta iComfort mattress yet, so if you feel the need to try and stop me, now would be the time, lol.

Anyway I’m sorry it took me to long to get back to you with an update. I hope the information I have provided has been helpful to you.

Hi marshmallow,

I’m glad you had the chance to test some latex mattresses because it’s certainly true that not everyone prefers them. If you tested Talalay latex then it may still be worth testing Dunlop which will be less springy.

Some of the Serta iComfort mattresses use good quality materials but some have some lower quality materials in the mix and none of them are particularly good value IMO so I certainly wouldn’t agree with his assessment and it’s not a mattress I would personally consider. Outside of testing a mattress for PPP … the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase would be making sure that you know the quality of all the layers in a mattress so you can know whether there are any weak links in the mattress and make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses. The information you need is in this article and if you list all the layers and specs in the forum I’d be happy to make some comments about the quality of the materials.

I would NEVER make a blind purchase of a mattress where you don’t know the quality of the materials and if a salesperson says that a mattress uses good quality materials and can’t provide you with the information listed in the article I linked that can validate what they are saying then that means that they also have no idea of the quality of the mattress either and are just “selling” you a story.

There are certainly some innerspring mattresses that can be very suitable for higher weights and it may also be worth considering testing Dunlop latex to see how you feel about it as well (it’s certainly different from Talalay).

Phoenix

Thanks for your feedback. I got off of the phone with Richard at Bedrooms and More not too long ago. I am going to visit their store and see what they have to offer. I haven’t tried the Dunlop latex, so before I completely write off latex, I think I should give that type a try. Thank you for that suggestion.

I will be paying them a visit next week and will be sure to follow up with you. I will also be visiting Mattress Depot. They carry Easy Rest brand and from what I have gathered on several of the forums here is that they are considered an acceptable mattress company.

Thanks again for your help.

Hi marshmallow,

You may be surprised at the differences between Talalay and Dunlop or even at the differences between different latex mattress designs.

They use Chinese foams but they are CertiPur certified and use good quality materials. Easy rest has always been helpful and transparent when I’ve talked with them as well.

I’m looking forward to your feedback after your latest visits.

Phoenix

Do visit many stores, try as many as you can. In Seattle “Soaring Heart” has wonderful latex mattresses and toppers. They will help you with topper choice as well.

“Bedrooms and More”, a good stop, and they carry the only organic latex from 45th St Bedding. When I tried them, there were a very limited number of items on the floor to test - but they would order anything. hmmm

“It’s Bedtime” in Silverdale carries Latex Bliss, they also carry 45th St. I found each of those Bliss models to be very different and close to memory foam in feel. One was very soft, another firm, and so on.

My experience with latex mattresses is that a topper is needed - the comfort layer is an individual and personal way that you add either latex, wool, foal, or whatever to the mattress. A solid slab of latex is nowhere close to comfortable, to me.

So I’m a bit confused by Phoenix comment about Dunlop vs Talalay - I find the Dunlop to be very springy and the Talalay to be more pillow like.

Hi SallyS,

I think your suggestion to try lots of mattresses is a good one because there is such a wide variety of different mattresses in each category. One “latex” mattress can be very different from the next.

45th Street Bedding doesn’t normally use GOLS certified organic Dunlop in their mattresses but they do have an alternative supplier that has GOLS certified latex available but they consider it to be somewhat of a downgrade compared to their 100% natural Dunlop in terms of feel and performance.

Most latex mattresses don’t have just a solid slab of latex and the same materials that you can use as a topper can be used inside the mattress itself. Whether a latex mattress needs a topper or works perfectly by itself would really depend on the specific design of the mattress and of course on how well it matches the specific needs and preferences of the person themselves.

This may be because you were comparing softer Talalay to firmer Dunlop so the comparison wasn’t “apples to apples”. The firmness of the latex and the specific design of the mattress would make a difference in how it feels and responds to pressure and movement. You can see an example of what I mean and how Dunlop compares to Talalay in an equivalent firmness level in terms of "springiness (resilience) in the video in post #7 here.

Phoenix

Hi SallyS, I tried several Latex Bliss models at The 6 Day Mattress store. Hated the feel of them. As mentioned in my previous post I felt like I was lying on a trampoline. Unfortunately Soaring Heart’s offerings are way out of my price range. The only reason I would be able to afford the Serta iComfort mattress is because of the 4 year, interest free financing. Out of pocket I can only afford $1,000 to $1,500 max. I live in Federal Way. I contacted Its Bedtime in Silverdale and they do not deliver to my area, so that is not an option. However I am grateful for your response and suggestions, thank you.

Hi Pheonix, I am still mattress hunting. It is so tempting to get the Serta iComfort Epic model as I loved the feel of it in the store. I tried contacting Serta again to get more information about the density of their foam layers. It has been over 2 weeks since I contacted them and still no response.

I’m still exploring other options. Do you know anything about the bariatric mattresses that www.absolutecomfortonsale.com sells? I am nearing 400 lbs and they offer 2 different foam mattresses for heavier people. One for persons up to 300lbs and one for persons up to 400lbs. I have been in contact with one of their salespeople, Terri, who doesn’t seem very knowledgeable. I asked if their foam was Certipur certified and she didn’t even know what that meant. I explained to her that I like a super soft bed and they can custom make a bed to your specifications. They said they could make a mattress for me that is a little bit of an alteration from their standard “Comfort Max 400” bed. It would have a 6 inch base of HR poly foam with a 24-45 ILD, and a 4 inch topper of 12-14 ILD of Dunlop latex. Still waiting to hear back from her regarding the densities of the foam.

I am very, very, very hesitant to buy another mattress online, however their prices are very reasonable, so I am reconsidering. Another concern I have is that since the mattress will be custom made, it is not returnable and I would have no recourse if I didn’t like the feel of it.

I also contacted Easy Rest, and they said their Bella Pedic model is their softest model. It is very reasonably priced as well. However no one in my area carries that mattress, so I can’t try it out. I also would have no recourse if I purchased that mattress online and didn’t like the feel of it.

I am like the princess and the pea. I laid on about 15 beds before finding the perfect “feel” with the Serta iComfort Epic. That is why I’m so hesitant to buy online. However the local mom and pop stores prices are quite high, and their financing options (if any) are limited. The only reason I would be able to afford the Serta iComfort Epic is because I qualified for their 4 year, interest-free financing. Out of pocket I could never afford it. Max out of pocket expense for me would be around $1,500, so that limits my options.

So I am not sure what to do at this point. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi marshmallow,

It’s quite likely that you won’t get the information you need since Serta usually doesn’t provide it. It’s also the retailer that should be providing you with this information about any mattress they sell. I certainly wouldn’t consider any mattress where you can’t find out the quality/durability of the materials … especially with your higher weight.

Post #3 here and the posts it links to has more information that may be helpful for those in higher weight ranges. It will be particularly important to make sure that all the materials in any mattress you are considering are very durable. I would also keep in mind that what you “need” and what you may “want” may not be the same and you may be looking for mattresses that are too soft for your body type. I would make sure that you do some careful and objective testing so that you have “just enough” pressure relief in your most pressure prone position so your risk of alignment issues is less. I would also keep in mind that you can make a mattress that is too firm softer by adding a topper but it’s much more difficult to make a mattress that is too soft any firmer because it would normally involve removing and replacing the foam layers that are too soft.

You can see my thoughts about them in post #2 here.

I agree that she probably doesn’t know a great deal about the mattresses since the ILD range of the polyfoam is probably wrong and the mattress description says the mattress uses Talalay not Dunlop. A polyfoam layer doesn’t come in that wide a range of ILD’s in a single layer and if it really is Dunlop then the listed ILD of the Dunlop is most likely lower than it really is. If it’s Talalay and it really is 12 - 14 ILD then I would be very hesitant in considering latex that was that soft at your weight. In any case when you are considering an online purchase that you can’t test in person and you aren’t completely confident that a mattress will be a good match for you in terms of PPP based on your conversations with them then the return or exchange options you have after a purchase would become a more important part of most people’s personal value equation.

I would probably avoid the softest model with any manufacturer and once again when you can’t test a mattress in person and you aren’t confident that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP then the return or exchange options you have after a purchase would become much more important.

If you are considering purchasing a mattress online then there are many good online choices that have much better return and exchange options that are linked in the tutorial post so I’m not sure why you are considering those that don’t unless you are completely confident that they would work well for you.

The best advice I have would be to follow all the steps in the tutorial post one by one and you may need to either visit some of the other stores in the Seattle list or talk to some of the online manufacturers that are linked there if there is nothing of interest locally (although you have more options available to you locally that you haven’t mentioned). I would also make sure you talk with each store you plan to visit before you go there to make sure that they have some good options available that you are interested in testing and that are in your budget range.

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, thanks for your prompt and detailed response. I contacted Serta again today and was able to get information on the densities of the foam layers in the iComfort Epic Directions mattress. Based on the numbers, it seems like the mattress probably wouldn’t hold up very well for me over time, due to my weight. I do not know if their foam is open cell or if it is Certipur certified. They don’t advertise this, so I’m assuming its not. Here are the different densities of the layers, from the bottom up:

6 inch foam support core: 1.5 lb density

1/4th inch pods gel activated support (each pod is about 1/4th inch in thickness): 1.2 lb density for each pod

1 inch foam that the pods are encased in: 5.6 lb density

2 inch cool action dual effects gel foam: 4.25 lb density

1.5 inch cool action energy foam 2.8lb density

1 inch pillow soft foam: 1.2 lb density

2 inch evercool gfx foam 4.4 lb density

Total height: about 13.5 inches

Anyway, I wanted to post this information as it was very hard to come by and has taken me multiple attempts of contacting Serta both by phone and email to finally get this information. I am hoping it may be of some help to anyone who is considering purchasing this particular mattress.

Hi marshmallow,

Thanks for finding out the specs and posting them to the forum … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

The specs you listed actually aren’t all that bad and there is really only 1" of “low quality” 1.2 lb foam in the comfort layers which is inside the guidelines I would normally use.

The top 2" are 4.4 lb memory foam which is a medium density/quality foam.

The 1.5 lb polyfoam in the support core is a little lower than I would like to see in a mattress in this price range but it has over 7" of foam above it so it wouldn’t be likely to be a weak link in the mattress.

I don’t think that this mattress would hold up well under your weight but for those that are in a more average weight range it would be a suitable choice in terms of durability.

I think the biggest issue with this mattress would be it’s relative “value” since it’s in a much higher budget range than other mattresses that use similar quality/density materials.

Thanks again for sharing the specs.

Phoenix

Your welcome. Glad I could be of some help. I heard back from Absolute Comfort on Sale regarding the Comfort Max 400 that they offered to design for me. The thing that I find appealing about it is that they can customize the base layer. Maybe I haven’t done enough looking, but it seems like most companies don’t do that. Seems like most mattress companies usually only customize the top comfort layers. Here is the response I got from Terri at Absolute Comfort on Sale:

Sorry, I did not clarify that the range of poly foam was not in a single layer. Simply we have the option to choose the poly foam pieces (glued together) with ranges of 24, 36 or 45 ILD.
The head of our production department thought since you want a very soft mattress you might choose a combination of 4" 45 ILD with a 2" 24 ILD on top of that for the 6" total poly foam core base. Then the 4" dunlop latex soft topper (12-14 ILD) will be removable when you want to replace at a latter date, by simply unzipping the cover. He uses dunlop latex for durability and to support higher weight ranges.

Hi marshmallow,

There are a number of local or online manufacturers that will customize the base layers in their component mattresses but it’s more common with latex base or transition layers than a polyfoam base layer. There are also many that allow you to exchange your layers as well after a purchase (sometimes just the comfort layer and sometimes any of the layers) so you can fine tune either the comfort or support (or both) of the mattress based on your actual experience. Some of them also have a good return policy if none of the configurations they offer works well for you because with more challenging circumstances or weights “theory” may not agree with your actual experience in terms of PPP. A list of many of the better component latex or latex hybrid options I’m aware of that are members here is linked in the tutorial post.

Just for reference as well … the Comfort Max 400 is described as having a 5" polyfoam support core with 5" of Talalay latex on top of that but the description you were given was a 6" + 4" design with Dunlop latex instead of Talalay.

I would want to clarify the construction and as I mentioned it’s unlikely that the Dunlop layer is in the 12 - 14 ILD range and I would ask about the density of the Dunlop as well.

Based on the type and quality of the materials it would certainly be worth considering as a possibility for one of your final choices depending on your confidence that it would be a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are important to you (including any exchange or return options that are available).

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for all of your help. I am no longer considering the Comfort Max 400, due to the no return policy and also due to the fact that the company who sells it is not endorsed/recommended by Mattress Underground. I am going to stick strictly to mattress companies/manufacturers that are recommended by this site.

I know I said I didn’t want to order a mattress online again, however I am reconsidering that option. As long as the company has a liberal return policy and is recommended/endorsed by your site, I feel it is worth the risk of ordering online.

I spoke with Jordan at Select a Bed. Wow. So impressed. One of the most knowledgeable, kind, informative, and curteous salespeople I have ever dealt with regarding mattresses. So I am considering ordering from them. It is just a matter of getting a low-interest or no-interest credit card to cover most of the purchase since they don’t offer financing.

I am also considering Novosbed as they are very reasonably priced.

Anyway, I will keep you posed on my mattress purchase! Is there any way I can donate to the Mattress Underground? I can’t donate much but I want to donate something as I feel the valuable advice I have recieved is worth paying for. Again, thank you.

Hi marshmallow,

That makes sense to me and if I was in similar shoes and was uncertain about my choice then even though the quality of the materials was good and the price was reasonable (which are both the case) I would also make the options I had after a purchase a more important part of my “personal value equation”.

That also makes sense to me and there are certainly some very good options listed in the online lists that are linked in the tutorial post that do have good return policies.

Yes … while they are not a member of this site, they are knowledgeable about what they sell and are helpful on the phone which is why I included them in the list of the better memory foam options in the tutorial post.

Novosbed is also not a member of this site but they are another option that I think highly of and they have a great return policy which is why I also included them in the memory foam list.

Of course both of these are memory foam mattresses and are quite different from the latex mattress you were considering previously. In general terms … latex will be a more durable choice than memory foam but it also has a different “feel” and response compared to latex. There is more about the pros and cons of latex and memory foam in post #2 here but in the end the choice between them is a preference choice. If you do choose memory foam then I would tend to focus on higher density memory foam (5 lbs and higher) because it will be more durable with higher weight ranges than lower density options. The tutorial post also includes a link to the members here that sell latex mattresses online that have a wide range of options, designs, and budget ranges and a range of return and exchange options as well.

While a donation is never required or expected … a small donation and more importantly the thoughts behind them are always appreciated. There is a “somewhat hidden” link under the services section of the main menu which has a paypal donation button.

Thanks for the kind words and your questions and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing.

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix, just wanted to give you an update. It has been a difficult decision, but I think I am going to get the Harmony by Novosbed. It is supposed to feel like the iComfort Savant mattress. I have actually had an opportunity to lie on the Savant mattress, and I liked it. Comfort-wise, I would say it is a close second to the Epic Directions mattress.

I spoke with Andrew at Sleep Warehouse as well. Wonderful company and wonderful product.

My ideal choice probably would have been the Tri-Pedic Diamond mattress from Select a Bed. However I wasn’t able to get the credit line needed to make that purchase.

The only reason I’m choosing Novosbed over a mattress from Sleep Warehouse is the air-flow feature. I tend to sleep hot so some type of additional cooling measure appealed to me.

I know it is considered a big “no no” for a person of my weight to buy a memory foam mattress that is less than a 5lb density. However, I don’t like the feel of memory foam that is a higher density. It is very slow responding and much more heat sensitive. I prefer a faster responding foam and something that will not give me the feeling of sinking in quicksand. I tried out a few Tempurpedic mattresses and I absolutely hated them. I sunk down into a hole which made it very difficult to roll over. I did not get that feeling with other big name memory foam mattresses that I tried. I’m guessing thats because Tempurpedic uses a higher density memory foam than most other big name memory foam mattresses.

I understand that a memory foam mattress with a lower density foam will probably not last me very long. I am ok with that. Comfort is more important to me than longevity. Buying a new $1,000 mattress every 5 years works out to less than $20 a month if you break down the cost. That is a price I am very willing to pay in order to be comfortable.

I haven’t made my purchase yet. I am waiting to get my new low interest credit card in the mail first.

Will keep you posted. Fingers crossed that my internet purchase will work out better for me this time around.