For starters, this website has been extremely helpful in my quest for the ‘perfect’ mattress. We have settled on the Tempurpedic Rhapsody as our bed and after reading this forum, called Select Foam and are seriously considering the Regalis HD. It’s their bed that compares most closely to the Rhapsody but is significantly less expensive. The main questions I had about the Select Foam were:
Gel-infused, Soy Select-HD Foam vs Tempur - Soy select sounds great in comparison to Petroleum based foam for both ‘off gassing’ and in the manufacturing process. But how would it be in terms of longevity? Will the bed stay comfortable for as long as a similar Tempurpedic? I am reading that most of these beds stay ‘good’ for about ten years - can I expect that with Soy as well?
Channel Air Flow System vs Eggcrate Airflow System - what is the big difference here?
Gel Swirled vs Gel Infused - again, what is the big difference here?
Lifetime warranty vs 25 year warranty - is that really a big deal? Our 12 year old Tempurpedic is just no longer comfortable but it doesn’t meet any of the Tempurpedic criteria for a return. Is around 10 years about the most I can expect these beds to ‘last’?
Certi Pur - is it a gimmick or real and any reason that Select Foam isn’t on the list? I know Tempurpedic isn’t either but just wondering…
Soy based foams have replaced a small percentage of the polyols in the foam (one of the two main chemicals used to make polyfoam and memory foam) with a chemical that is synthesized from soy oil but it is still primarily polyurethane or memory foam (see post #2 here). When you are comparing regular polyfoam or memory foam with their plant based or gel counterparts then density would still be the most important factor in their relative durability so a 7 lb memory foam, a 7 lb soy based memory foam, or a 7 lb gel memory from would all be roughly comparable to each other in terms of durability. There are also other factors involved in durability and the useful lifetime of a mattress that you can read about in post #4 here.
Once you are past the initial break in and adjustment period it would certainly be a reasonable expectation that a memory foam (or soy based memory foam or gel memory foam) mattress will a density of 5 lbs or higher would maintain it’s properties and have a useful lifetime of 10 or more years in most cases.
It depends on the specifics of the construction and on the type and quality of the surface modifications and on the type and amount of the foams above them but in most cases both of these would be secondary to some of the other cooling factors discussed in post #2 here. You can also read more about “cooling down” memory foam in post #6 here.
You can read more about gel and gel materials in post #2 here and some general information about the different types of gel memory foam in post #2 here.
Warranties only cover defects in a material not foam softening and the gradual loss of comfort and support that leads to the need to replace a mattress so warranties have almost nothing to do with the useful life of a mattress. Defects in materials tend to show up early in the life of a material so beyond about 5 years or so I would put more faith in knowing the quality of the materials in the mattress than I would in a mattress warranty. Long warranties are more about marketing and consumer perception than anything else. There is more in post #174 here about warranties.
No it’s not a gimmick and it can provide some kind of assurance that the foams in a mattress are relatively “safe”. The criteria I use for memory foam mattresses (see here) are that the foam is either manufactured in North America or they are CertiPur certified which can help eliminate some of the worst of the imported foam materials. CertiPur certainly isn’t perfect and is industry sponsored but it’s at least a step in the right direction.
There are two levels of CertiPur certification. One is the foam manufacturer itself* and the other is the mattress manufacturer*mattress manufacturer that buys the foam from the foam manufacturer. As long as a foam is either Certipur Certified or made in North America I would have no issue with it’s relative safety compared to similar types of foam materials. Some mattress manufacturers don’t feel the large amount it takes to pay for certification is justified when they already use foams made in North America or that are CertiPur certified.
I can’t answer your technical questions, but I can tell you I ordered a Cirrus Luxe from Select Foam in July and have been very satisfied. The service, mattress and adjustable frame were everything that was promised. I give Select Foam a big thumbs up.