Select foam and original mattress

My wife and I are looking at mattresses. Being out of touch on prices, I wasn’t expecting to pay as much as we will need to. We were looking at the imattress g2 due to price and the sales pitch. Then I did some research and am definitely having second thoughts. Now we are going to stores to compare the Tempurpedic Rhapsody and Cloud Supreme. We are leaning toward a Select Foam model once we determine the style we prefer. Do you have any information on the Original Mattress Factory as we are in south central MN and don’t seem to have great local options? Any other that’s or recommendations on Select Foam or other local options?

Hi Gdhl8,

As you’ve probably read … I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to buy a mattress where you can’t find out the quality details of all the layers in the mattress. I think blind purchases that are forced on consumers are probably the leading cause of the confusion and frustration that is involved in mattress shopping.

I think that they make good quality and value mattresses and they are transparent about what they put in their mattresses as well. I include them in every local list of better options or possibilities whenever they have an store in the area. They make two latex mattresses, a memory foam mattress, and a range of innerspring mattresses that all use good quality materials and construction in their budget range.

If you let me know your zip or city I’d be happy to let you know of any possibilities in your area that I’m aware of (or can find with some research if it isn’t already in one of the forum lists). Regions are too large an area for me to look at. I’m not sure how far away you are but post #2 here has the better options in the South Central Minnesota / Minneapolis area I’m aware of.

As you probably know I think highly of the quality of the materials that Select Foam uses in their mattresses and on the care they have taken to match them to the Tempurpedic line in both the design and quality of the layering and in the feel of the mattresses. Some of the other online memory foam options that I would consider to be good value are listed in post #12 here.

Phoenix

Thanks for the quick reply. Zip code is 56001.

Hi Gdhl8,

The closest link to some of the better options I’m aware of in the Mankato area is in the Minneapolis thread I linked earlier but the closest of them is a little over 60 miles away. While it’s not very likely that you will find better quality/value any closer to you, when I have a chance later tonight or tomorrow I’ll take a look in the Mankato area to see if I can see anything there that may be worth including in your research as well.

Phoenix

If you can buy locally, I would recommend that. It’s always better to actually feel what you are gong to be laying on. Some of the online descriptions are not entirely accurate. We purchased a mattress from selectfoam (Regalis) and they compared it to the Rhapsody, but it feels WAY more firm than that. They were great before the sale, but I can’t speak highly of their after the sale service. If I could do it all over again, I would buy locally. Just my 2 cents.

Hi Rockindaddy,

While I certainly agree with you about the value and lower risk of a local purchase or at least local testing of different materials before making an online purchase … in all fairness there is more to this story. A new mattress will always feel firmer than a floor model that has already broken in and your comments would apply to any new mattress to differing degrees. I would be somewhat concerned if a new memory foam mattress didn’t feel firmer when it was new because this can be an indication that it will quickly become too soft. A mattress that uses higher density and higher quality foams such as those that are in the Regalis or the Tempurpedic Rhapsody can often take 90 days to soften to its longer term “feel”. Confusing comfort with quality or not taking into account that all mattresses have an initial break in period and that any new mattress purchase also involves an adjustment period (see post #2 here and post #2 here) is one of the most common mistakes that consumers can make. It’s also one of the reasons that that online reviews that are mostly about the “comfort” of a mattress can be so misleading because one person’s soft can be another person’s firm (see post #4 here).

Phoenix

“one person’s soft can be another person’s firm”

I couldn’t agree with you more on this. We’ve had the Regalis for 5 months now and it is still hard as a rock. I weigh 200 lbs and I barely sink in. I’m not trying to say the product is bad, I’m just saying it’s a lot of money to spend without trying it first. I know they have a liberal return policy, but even that is a real hassle to go through even if they do respond to you. (Which was a struggle for me)

Hi Rockindaddy,

If you go to the Temperpedic review site for the Rhapsody and also to viewpoints here you will find many people who are experiencing the same thing as you are (and some who experience the opposite and say it gets too soft). They had tried the Rhapsody in the showroom and then ordered it but are now finding (in one case a year later) that it is much firmer than they expected. I’m sharing this to give you a sense that your experience may have been the same had you purchased the Rhapsody itself.

A few things that may be worth considering…

  • The temperature of your room (which can make a big difference in some cases)

  • Any layers above the mattress that could be contributing to the firmness or the ability of the foam to warm up (such as your sheets and mattress protector or any mattress pad you may be using)

  • Walking on the mattress to help it soften more quickly (which is one of the most common suggestions with Tempurpedic as well for those who are experiencing the same things as you are).

  • You can remove the fire sock which will soften up the mattress by about 15% - 20%.

  • If it’s necessary you can also add a softer topper which they will sell at a discounted price.

  • While you are past the time frame for this … they also offer a free return for those where no other solution solves the issue.

Normally I would also suggest time to adjust and for the initial break in period of any mattress (which for most people is all it takes to solve similar issues) but you are past what would be a normal adjustment or breaking period (which can be 90 days or so but is usually under 30 days).

I have also never had an instance where I’ve called them (which is always the most effective way to deal with any mattress manufacturer) and they either didn’t answer or return my call promptly.

Hopefully this will give you some insights into what may be happening and some ways that you can resolve it.

Phoenix

Hi Gdhl8,

I had the chance to spend a few hours looking in the Mankato, MN area and talking to some of the retailers there and I have to say there are not a lot of choices there I would consider but there are a few. The better possibilities I’m aware of (out of almost 20 retailers that I looked at and/or talked to in the surrounding area) and the brands they carry I would consider (subject to knowing all the layers inside the mattress) are …

http://www.bedpostfurniture.com/mattresses/ Mankato, MN. Carries Symbol, Therapedic. Knowledgeable and helpful and has some of the largest latex selection in the area (Therapedic). Well worth talking to and has decades of experience in the industry and good knowledge about mattress materials.

http://mankatomattressman.com/ Mankato, MN. I talked with Justin here who is the owner and he carries Corsicana (low end promotional only), Englander (including latex) and Restonic (including their Tempagel mattresses) and understands the importance of educating his customers about the materials in his mattresses. He is focused on providing good quality and value and building his reputation in the area and would be well worth a visit.

http://www.thefurnituremart.com/locations Medford, Shakopee, and others in MN. Restonic (typically carries gel and latex).

http://www.3daymattress.com/ Owatonna, Austin, MN. Restonic, Symbol, Spring Air, Anatomic Global, Ecosleep. No latex (because of the area) but does have gel memory foam and is knowledgeable and open about his mattresses.

So outside of Minneapolis these are the options I would consider within about 50 miles of you. The Minneapolis / Rochester, MN list has more options and is in post #2 here for those in the area that are willing to travel farther.

Phoenix

I certainly appreciate you taking the time to look into this. We will investigate further.