Seeking reputable mattress companies in the Seattle/Tacoma area

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
21

Hi marshmallow,

The Tempurpedic 5 lb memory foam is slower reacting than many other 5 lb memory foams and gel memory foams or gel memory foams and there are different “versions” of memory foam made by different manufacturers in the same density (see post #9 here and post #8 here) but in very general terms 4 lb memory foam will tend to be softer and faster reacting than 5 lb memory foams).

As long as you know the tradeoffs involved then you would be making an “informed” purchase which is always the most important part of good research … and if you’re happy then so am I. As you know I think highly of Novosbed and they are a good quality/value choice.

So congratulations on your new mattress … and I’m looking forward to your feedback once you complete your purchase and have had a chance to sleep on it for a bit :slight_smile:

Phoenix

22

Hi Phoenix, how are you? Just wanted to update you on the Novosbed mattress. I’ve been sleeping on it for about a month and it is still uncomfortable. It feels as hard as a rock to me. Unless it softens up dramatically, I’m going to have to return it. At this point, I feel like I am out of risk free online options. Brooklyn Bedding is risk free and so is Select Foam, however I have spoken with both of those companies and they said their mattresses are designed to feel exactly like Tempurpedic, and I strongly dislike the feel of Tempurpedic. The local mom and pop stores have quality mattresses that would probably suit my needs, but their prices are high and they have limited, if any, financing options. As I said I feel like I am out of risk free online options so I am now trying to decide if I should get the Serta I Comfort Epic Directions mattress or if I should go with an el cheapo mattress given that I will probably have to replace the mattress frequently because of my weight. Regarding the el cheapo mattress, I am considering one of the Dynasty brand mattresses sold on Amazon. They use a 4 lb memory foam on top and a 2.0 lb high density base. They are also certi-pur certified.

23

I also wanted to add that I spoke with Jackie at Restava on two separate occasions and was left feeling very frustrated. She told me I need a latex bed, when I explained that I didn’t care for the feel of latex, she recommended a memory foam bed that would be too tall for me. I have an adjustable base that is on the lowest setting. Any mattress thicker than 13 inches will make the bed too tall, and require me to use some type of step stool to get in and out of bed. The bed she recommended was 15 inches tall. She said that was their softest bed and she didn’t have any other recommendations. I explained that I didn’t like the feel of Tempurpedic because the foam was slow responding. I asked her if they used a faster responding memory foam, and she said that “all memory foam is the same”. I then explained that that wasn’t my experience, and that when I laid on top of the Serta I Comfort, that it responded more quickly and that I didn’t experience a sinking feeling. She then said, “I’ve never heard of that before, because all memory foam is the same.” Anyway, very frustrating conversion. Not to be rude but it seemed like she didn’t know very much about memory foam. They may be risk free as well, but given my experience with them so far, I don’t think they would be an option.

24

Hi marshmallow,

Thanks for the updates … and I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out for you.

IMO … the risks involved in buying the Serta iComfort Epic Directions would be much higher than most of the other options you have remaining (including some of the remaining online options) … especially in your weight range. Based on the relatively high retail price of the Epic … you have many options remaining that are in between an “el cheapo” and the much higher price (and less durable materials) of the Epic that would be much better choices.

I would also be aware that the “feel” of a mattress is different from the pressure relief of a mattress which in turn is different from the support/alignment of a mattress and you may find that some of the online options you have remaining may be similar to the Tempurpedics in terms of pressure relief and support but have a different “feel” because they use memory foams that are faster responding and are more more similar to the iComfort gel models than the Tempurpedic models. It would be well worth a more detailed conversation that addressed “feel” with them before deciding to exclude them.

I would also encourage you to do some additional local shopping because you certainly have additional options available in the area that use higher quality materials and are in a lower budget range than the iComfort Epic Directions and your circumstances and criteria may make local shopping less risky than an online choice.

I also would be very cautious with any of the Dynasty mattresses and they would also be a very high risk choice at your weight. You can read more about them and some of the higher risk involved in buying an imported Chinese memory foam mattress in post #4 here and the other posts it links to.

If you do choose to go in that direction (lower budget online options) … then some of the lower budget options that may be worth considering are listed in post #4 here.

Of course as long as you are making a purchase with your “eyes wide open” and you know the risks involved in any purchase you make then only you can decide if the higher risks involved in the purchases you are considering are worth it to you and which mattress is “best for you” depends on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. IMO though … buying the Serta or a Dynasty would be among the worse options you have in terms of quality, value, and durability and you have many better options available.

Phoenix

25

Hi Phoenix, thanks so much for your advice and for steering me in the right direction. Your help has been invaluable to me. I checked out the posts you recommended. I am now trying to decide weather or not to go with Dreamfoam’s Ultimate Dreams memory foam mattress or My Luxury Mattresses Elegant mattress. The Elegant mattress is nearly double the cost of Dreamfoam’s, and I’m wondering if it’s worth it. My only reservation about the Elegant mattress is that they have a layer of 1.8 lb foam (I can’t remember if it’s memory foam or poly). I guess the best thing to do at this point would be to call both companies and have an in depth discussion with them, especially regarding the mattress “feel”. I will keep you posted. I agree that shopping locally would be a good idea except I have spoken over the phone with nearly every local company you recommended and they all suggested mattresses at a price point that I cannot afford. The only reason I could afford the I Comfort Epic is because of the 4 year interest free financing.

26

Hi marshmallow,

Post #13 here has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase that can help you decide whether any mattress purchase is “worth it” to you.

I think this would be a very good idea. I would also keep in mind that between support/alignment, comfort/pressure relief, and your more subjective preferences of “feel” that the “feel” is by far the least important because you can only “feel” a mattress when you are awake and the two main functions of a mattress (posture/alignment and pressure relief) are both much more important parts of the quality of your sleep when you are asleep. Some of the “feel” of a mattress can also be changed relatively easily with various mattress pads or toppers.

With your weight most knowledgeable manufacturers or retailers would normally recommend a more costly mattress because it would likely use higher cost but better quality and more durable materials that would be more suitable for your body type. If your budget is more restricted and you have no alternative ways to finance a mattress outside of in store financing (which isn’t actually “free” but is part of the purchase price) then I would be clear when you talk with them on the phone that you are looking for the “most suitable, highest quality, and most durable mattress available” inside your budget range and make it clear that you understand that none of them are likely to be as durable as a mattress that was in a higher budget range but that this was a tradeoff that you understood and were willing to make. This way they would be better able to tell you whether they carried any mattress that would “fit” your criteria with the understanding that you were comfortable with the durability tradeoff. After these types of conversations then you could decide whether to visit them based on your conversations. In effect you are doing the same thing with the Epic (choosing a mattress that is less durable and isn’t as likely to last you very long) except you are financing it and it’s in a much higher budget range relative to the quality of the materials and where the length of your financing may very well be longer than the useful life of the mattress.

Phoenix

27

Hi Everyone, although the Restava mattress may be good, their fulfillment is TERRIBLE and they charge your credit card immediately and then pass you off to a “white glove” delivery service (in our case Non Stop Delivery in Tampa) that postponed delivery repeatedly and NEVER SHOWED UP THE THIRD TIME.

I would urge everyone to shop elsewhere as Restava has yet to return a call or email regarding this matter.

28

Hi bjlowell,

I’m sorry to hear about your experience with Restava and your delivery issues are certainly unfortunate.

While the problems with your delivery company are beyond Restava’s direct control because they involve another company that they have no control over … they certainly should be able to follow up on your behalf and help resolve any delivery issues so it’s important that their customers are able to reach them easily when there are situations like yours or that they return emails and phone calls in a timely manner.

I don’t know what is happening with the difficulties you have had in having them return your calls or emails but I certainly understand your frustration and there are also a few others that have had similar experiences as well. I’ve switched your post into a different topic where these and some other issues concerning Restava are currently being discussed so that others that are considering Restava will be able to read them as well.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences … even though they weren’t the best. I hope you have the chance to let us know what happens once you are able to connect with them and resolve your situation.

Phoenix

29

Thank you for your response, but our issues are no where close to being resolved at this point.

Restava has contracted with a third-party for delivery and accepted money ($200) directly from us, e.g. Non Stop Delivery did not accept any funds for this transaction directly from us. We had no option to select a reputable delivery service, so they lock you into this situation–and then provide no support when things “go south.”

From a transaction perspective, we were charged immediately for the product, although it took several weeks to even get a delivery date scheduled and that was after we had to repeatedly call the delivery company because the link in the email Restava sent us did not work (when we called Restava we were advised to just wait a day and check the link again.)

We have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (I noticed there are unresolved claim against Restava) and have turned this matter over to our attorney. We will let you know when this is resolved… but given this company’s lackadaisical approach to customer service, it could be a while.

Cheers.

30

PS, this was a curious response. It appears that mattress suppliers may have paid subscriptions to this site which contradicts the notion of an unbiased site for consumers.

31

Hi bjlowell,

I’m not quite sure what you mean by “curious” since I hope my reply has made clear that I understand your disappointment and share your concerns. This was part of the reason that I switched your post to this topic so that others could see that your concerns are shared by others and are not unique to you.

As to any “biases” that exist on the site, this is a question that I encourage about any source of information on the internet and has been asked on many occasions by other members as well or by others that have “challenged” the neutrality of the information provided here. I think that questioning the credibility or accuracy of any information that is involved in any major purchase is always a good idea.

The two articles on the front page of the site talk about my “biases” and the reasons for them but in a nutshell my biases are towards manufacturers and retailers that are knowledgeable, experienced, and transparent and provide better quality, value, and service to their customers regardless of their membership here.

There are currently 37 business members of this site who have been invited and agreed to become members, paid a membership fee, have agreed to provide a discount or a bonus to consumers that are members of the forum that purchase a mattress from them, and who pay referral fees on mattresses that the members here purchase from them. You can see the membership list here and the page you linked shows what they agreed to and the referral fees they pay when they became members of the site. These are the members who share the goals, ideals, and values of the site and support the time and effort it takes (about 12 - 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for over 3 years) to do the research, provide the information, answer questions, and run the site so that people can benefit from the information that is provided here. It goes without saying that any project of this size and scope wouldn’t be possible without a source of income (no matter how much of a “labor of love” it may be) and in some ways the source of income is very similar to the BBB which is also a private business which depends on subscriptions to support the site and the services it provides.

The difference is that membership here is by invitation only because there is no advertising allowed and to become a member they need to meet certain criteria. The business membership here also represents only a small percentage of the mattress purchases that the forum members here have made as a result of the information on this site because I “point to value” wherever I see it regardless of their membership here in the hundreds of local forum lists throughout the forum that identify the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in almost every area of the US and Canada. Over time some of the better manufacturers or retailers that are currently included in the local lists will hopefully be added to the membership as well. The site started with 8 members and has slowly grown over the years but I have turned away many more requests for membership that didn’t meet the criteria (including some of the largest retailers in the industry) than I have invited to become members.

The goal of the site has always been to provide information about “how” to choose a mattress that provides the tools and information that will make the quality and value of a purchase self evident so that each person has the knowledge and information to be able to assess the quality, value, and suitability of a mattress purchase for themselves based on their own unique criteria regardless of what anyone else may prefer or recommend. It’s the difference between helping the members here know “how” to choose vs telling them “what” to choose based on preferences or criteria that may not be relevant to them (or the difference between giving someone a fish or teaching them how to fish). There is more about how and why the members here are invited to become members in this article and in post #5 here and post #2 here and in post #2 here.

Post #4 here and post #404 here has more about the history of the site and how and why it came into existence.

This article has more about the values, goals, and ideals of the site.

As you can see … membership here is a form of recognition of what already exists and while the members here are “among” the best in the country there are certainly many other sources of great quality, value, and service throughout the industry that has always been included in the information that the site provides in the hundreds or even thousands of forum lists and replies throughout the forum (many of which may also be invited/choose to become members here over time as well).

In the end … I am happy for any of the members here to use the help and information that is provided here in any way they find helpful or beneficial and I encourage every consumer to decide for themselves on the accuracy, relevance, objectivity, or bias of any site they use to help them in their research and the purchase choices they make.

Phoenix

32

Tarpon, no sagging on the ivory so far

33

So, almost August!

It’s been 2 months since I tried to get information from Restava, and 1.5 months since Pheonix made his first attempts.

For me, I feel like I have to resort to the simplest explanation. They have something to hide, and no answer is better than either lying or telling the truth.

I have no problems to report in my 1.5 months of using their mattress (including what i felt was a good purchase experience), but that is somewhat irrelevant. The main purpose of this site (at least IMO) is identifying quality mattresses that will hold up for years. Comfort can be fleeting, and it will be a long time before it will really be apparent if this mattress is worth the money compared to all the other great options I had.

I feel like this is a giant unknown. The construction information (on the tag) at a minimum had minor discrepancies with their advertised construction. It could just be minor, or much much worse, but who knows… Months of asking has not helped…

My question is why exactly is this company recommended, and will it stay as so? My research shows only a couple second hand posts that mention construction. How did they exactly get to be respected enough to be a member? And with such poor communication that currently exists, doesn’t that defy the notion that they are “transparent”, which seems to be a big part of being a member?

Even if they were verified at some point, companies change, who is to know they did not change materials to save a buck? They certainly have done nothing to gain confidence…

I will be honest, I regret my purchase and wish I went with one of the 2 other options I was considering. Simple as that.

34

Hi SoCalSleeping,

I completely agree with your sentiments and it is taking much longer than it should for them to be able to provide the information about the issues that have been raised in this thread that a consumer would need to make an informed choice.

I sent them another email yesterday after talking with them on July 11th when they told me they would get back to me “quickly” with the information I needed to clarify the issues in this topic.

Their foam densities have changed since they were first included as a member and it seems that their level of communication has changed as well since this certainly isn’t typical of my experiences with them when they first became a member. I should also mention that the changes that have been made may not be “insignificant” because it seems clear that at least one change has been from 2.5 lb polyfoam in their base layer to 1.5 lb polyfoam. While this may not affect durability for some people … it would certainly have an effect on durability for others … especially if they are in a higher weight range. It would also affect a customer’s ability to make meaningful comparisons between mattresses.

While they are still listed as a member here … for the moment they are NOT recommended and I would encourage the members here to wait with any purchase from Restava until the issues that have been brought up in this topic have been clarified which is why I added a caution to their listings here and here (which are the two lists that are linked in the tutorial post) that links to this topic.

I don’t take inviting a member to become a member of this site lightly and in the same way I don’t take removing a member lightly either and this wouldn’t be a “quick” decision when there are so few great choices in the industry as a whole but I am certainly not happy with their lack of communication or some of the issues and possible discrepancies that this topic has brought to light and if this continues much longer then I would certainly need to take the next step up from a “caution” and reassess their membership.

Phoenix

35

Well it’s refreshing to hear others frustrated regarding Restava’s customer service and lack of transparency. I am currently waiting to order a mattress from them until we hear more. Most likely, we’ll be moving on from them.

Back to the drawing board for the 3rd time, but good things come to those wait.'im really just looking for a med-firm memory foam bed that will be durable for years. I like the rhapsody a lot after testing it, so at least I have a baseline:

Thank you everyone for your continued support in this frustrating decision making process lol

36

It’s kind of comical/sad to think that I probably will not have any resolution to these questions within the 90 day “return” window, if ever.

Has their customer service just imploded, and they won’t even answer the phone? I have not even bothered since Pheonix has had no luck.

37

Hi SoCalSleeping,

I did talk with their customer service yesterday and told them that I had been trying to reach Sophie and Mike (who is the one from the factory that was supposed to find out the answers to the issues in this topic) and they said they would pass on my message to call me to both of them. I still haven’t heard back from either one.

While I try and stretch as much as possible to give people the benefit of the doubt … I have to say that this is becoming more than frustrating.

I left a voicemail with one of the owners of the licensee factory that makes their mattresses today so hopefully he will have some insights about the changes they have made and more importantly why the communication has been so poor.

Phoenix

38

Hi All,

I finally talked with Mike a few minutes ago and he told me that their specs are still not finalized and that they would be finalized by Sept 15th. I also shared my frustration about the lack of communication and he also apologized about the long delays although I don’t feel good about what basically boils down to “all businesses have their challenges from time to time” as the reason. He also gave me his contact information so that I could reach him directly in the future since my previous contact was “non responsive”.

Once the details are finalized at the factory he will let me know the density they are using in all their layers but it’s clear that they are lower than the 4 and 5 lb memory foam that they were using and that the base layers will be lower as well.

I would hold off on any purchase there until the new specs are finalized and I will update this topic as soon as I know what they are.

Phoenix

39

Hi Pheonix. Long time no post, lol. Sorry about that. Well I have some bad news. I purchased the Serta iComfort Epic Directions mattress and it felt COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than the one I laid on in the showroom, and the one I laid on in the showroom was brand new and had not been broken in yet. Still loved the feel of the one in the showroom. Anyway, my mattress felt like a completely different bed. Super uncomfortable and unsupportive. Tossed and turned constantly. Bought it from US Mattress so I couldn’t return it. So I exchanged it for a different mattress, a Simmons Beautyrest. Feels a little better, but I am still uncomfortable and toss and turn all night. Turning over in bed is a major undertaking. It takes me about 20-30 seconds to completely turn over. Its exausting. You mentioned that I might need a firmer bed and I think you are right. I originally purchased a Bed-in-the-Box bed and I returned it because it felt too firm. But even though it felt too firm, there were some major pluses about that mattress. 1) It was super easy to turn over, I could turn over with minimal effort and within about 5 seconds. 2) I could sleep in the same position for a long period of time without feeling the need to turn over. I think you are right: I need to get a mattress that I NEED as opposed to a mattress that I WANT. Now I’m 3k in the hole. Can’t make another exchange with US Mattress as they only allow 1 comfort exchange. So I am back at square one. Thinking of repurchasing the “too firm feeling” Bed-in-a-Box mattress because that one fared the best out of all of the mattresses I’ve tried. I haven’t ever had this much of a problem finding a comfortable mattress before. When I was 300lbs I tried a mattress at the store, bought it, and it was the most comfortable mattress of my life for about 5 years. However since that time I have gained another 100lbs and I guess that extra 100lbs is making a big difference regarding being able to find a mattress that feels comfortable to me. I have made healthy eating and lifestyle changes and am loosing weight, but it is a slow process and it will be a long time before I shrink down considerably. Anyway, I wanted to update you on my situation. Sorry it wasn’t good news. I really wish I had an extra 5k lying around and could afford to go to one of the local brick and mortar stores in my area that you recommended. Thats about the going price for a quality mattress made of quality materials for a person of my size.

40

Hi marshmallow,

I’m sorry to hear about your experience … but I appreciate the update.

Depending on how you tested the mattress in a showroom (besides just testing for subjective “comort”) … a mattress can feel different when you sleep on it over the course of the night than it did in a showroom. Memory foam can also be affected by temperature and humidity so if the temperature in your room is different from the temperature in a showroom this can make a difference as well. Some of the other things that can affect how a memory foam mattress feels compared to a mattress in a showroom are listed in post #2 here. If you have gained 100 lbs then this would also have a significant effect on how a mattress feels and performs in terms of PPP as well and the quality and firmness of the materials that you would need in your mattress.

As you probably know, I wouldn’t consider any of the mattresses you you mentioned in your post (either the Serta, the Simmons, or the BIAB) because none of them use high enough quality materials that would be suitable for your weight. Even if they were “perfect” when they were new the risk that they would soften and break down much too quickly with your weight would be much too high.

If you are comfortable with an online purchase then there are many mattresses available to you that use much higher quality and more durable materials that would be a much more suitable choice. There would also be more suitable choices available to you locally that are also much less than 5k (or even half of this) as well.

Phoenix