So what mattress did you end up buying? I am having the same problem, tired of sleeping in a pot hole.
chicago
Hi Anonymous,
This thread may help you and includes some feedback about My Green Mattress which is one of the manufacturing members of the site and offers some of the best quality and value mattresses in the country including several latex options.
Sleeping in a pothole is almost always the result of low quality (density) soft polyfoam in a mattress which is why it’s important to know what is in all the layers inside a mattress so you can tell where the weak link of the mattress is and have a much better idea of how long it will last. Local factory direct manufacturers tend to use much higher quality materials and construction methods so the “sleeping in a pothole” symptoms that are so common in the national brands are far less likely to happen if they even happen at all.
Phoenix
Phoenix, what are your thoughts on the icomfort renewal refined? My girl has her heart set on it and by laying on it in the store for about a half hour to an hour i thought it felt comfortable as well. The problem is i am doing research on memory foam beds and am coming across a ton of information. I read on one site that is you weigh 200+lbs that you need more than 4"s in the comfort layer is there any truth to that? Also i need to add my girl doesn’t like ANY of the tempurpedic beds she claims that they are too firm for her. Thanks.
Hi Immortal216,
The Renewal Refined is one of the iComforts I haven’t personally tested so my comments are limited to an analysis of the design, materials and and value rather than the “comfort” or “feel”. I also haven’t done a “summary” of the complete iComfort lineup so I’ll do that here as well. I may even put your post and this reply into the main iComfort thread if that’s OK with you.
I should start by saying that I agree that when someone is over 200 lbs, then there is a greater risk of premature softening and breakdown of any material but this is especially true with memory foam under the equivalent of 5 lb density and low to mid grade polyfoam when they are used in the upper layers (comfort layers) of a mattress.
The top layer of the Refined is 5 lb KoolComfort breathable memory foam which is a faster reacting good quality memory foam.
The next layer is the Cool Action gel memory foam. This is 4 lb density but the polymer density (the density of the actual memory foam before they add the gel beads) is less than this. The ILD is @10.5 which means it would be a fairly soft memory foam but would the gel beads would allow it to become firmer faster with deeper compression and it would have the durability of a sub 4 lb or “lower quality” memory foam (adding particles to foam lowers it’s durability). The beads act to reduce heat through convection (rather than evaporation) so they would not be as effective in the second layer of the mattress but the top layer is a more breathable foam to make up for this. There are also better ways to use gel IMO as an additive to other types of foam than using beads or particles which lower the durability of the foam they’re added to.
NOTE: The initial information in this post and my calculations led me to believe that the Cool Action memory foam was 5 lb but it appears that I was being generous and it is actually a 4 lb memory foam which means the polymer density of the memory foam before they add the gel would be even less. since polymer density determines durability and particles added to a foam can reduce durability … this would likely be a lower durability memory foam.
The next layer is 1.5" of Cool Action gel energy foam which is probably their name for Talalay latex. This is a good quality material and very durable.
Under this is 1" of support foam which appears to be a very firm 1.3 lb polyfoam which is low quality/density polyfoam that would be more appropriate for a much lower cost mattresses. This acts as a firming layer between the softer upper layers and the support core and would give the mattress a slightly firmer feel.
Finally on the bottom is the 6" support core which is apparently 1.5 lb polyfoam which is low quality for a higher budget mattress and is typically found in the support cores of “budget” mattresses.
In essence you have a mattresses which uses a range of low to high quality materials which falls in the softer but not the softest part of the iComfort lineup in terms of feel.
The upper memory foam layers are rather thick at 4.75" but the beads in the gel foam would slightly reduce the amount of sinking over other 4 lb foams and would make it feel firmer with less sinking in than other memory foams.
Overall … I would say this would be among the better iComfort models for those who want layers of memory foam this thick (which can be risky) and are confident that it won’t create issues with spinal alignment for their weight, body shape, and sleeping positions. It would be less risky than the Revolution (now Savant) or the Prodigy which use the same layer thickness of memory foam on top of the mattress but combine that with materials which would allow for more sinking in and greater risk of misalignment of the spine.
To give you a sense of how the iComfort lineup works from the lowest price model up to the highest priced model and some comments on how each would generically compare to other similar mattresses …
All of the lineup shares the same 2.75" of “Cool Action” gel memory foam with the same Comfortlast 6" polyfoam support core (which has firmer polyfoam on the outside to make the edges firmer.
The Insight just has the gel memory foam over the support core. It would be most comparable to a basic memory foam mattress with about 3" of sub 4 lb breathable memory foam over a lower quality base foam and should be compared to these in terms of quality/durability. It would feel “firmer” than most 4 lb memory foams though because of the gelbeads) but shouldn’t be compared to these in terms of value/durability.
The Genius has an additional 2" of support foam (very firm) in between the gel memory foam and the support core. This is a polyfoam which is lower density than the support core and also firmer than the core so for many people it would give the mattress a little firmer feel although depending on weight some people may rate it as feeling softer than the Insight. This would depend on how much of the firmer layer someone feels. This also means that it is adding a material in the upper layers that is less durable (the polyfoam). This would be comparable to a mattress that had a basic 3" of sub 4 lb memory foam and a lower quality support core and then had a layer of polyfoam in between to act as a firming layer and create a firmer feel than the support core alone.
The top models all have an additional 2" of KoolComfort 5 lb breathable memory foam in addition to the 2 “basic” layers (2.75" of CoolAction gel memory foam and the 6" ComfortLast support core) that all the models share.
The Revolution (now Savant) has 1" inch of softer polyfoam (what they call comfort foam) above the gel memory foam and then adds the KoolComfort above this so the softer polyfoam is sandwiched in between. They don’t list this layer in the description on the Serta site although it’s clear it’s there from the thickness of the mattress. The comfort foam would likely be a softer and a similar density polyfoam as the “support foam” in the Genius meaning it would be slightly less durable but would give a softer feeling to the mattress (more soft foam to sink into). The softer comfort foam and the soft additional layer of memory foam makes this one of the softest models of the lineup in most people’s perception. This would be most comparable to many multilayered memory foam mattresses which use a combination of softer and firmer memory foam and add some extra soft polyfoam underneath to make it all softer yet. IMO … the extra soft polyfoam is a negative rather than a positive but it creates a feel that people who don’t really know how to buy a suitable mattress and go by “showroom feel” alone tend to buy a lot (just like they buy a lot of pillowtops which are soft and plush in the showroom but quickly break down as the foam softens more quickly than it should and can lead to back alignment issues for some from too much soft foam on top).
The Prodigy is the same as the Revolution (now Savant) except they add 1" of slow recovery latex … a higher quality material … to the comfort layers. Because the slow recovery latex also feels soft … some people may perceive this model as being softer even than the Revolution because the comfort materials are even thicker but for most it’s the other way around because the slow recovery latex would feel firmer and would also isolate the gel foam below it a little more making it firmer as well. The lowest quality material in this model besides the gel memory foam in terms of density and durability would be the low density polyfoam comfort layer (also not listed on the Serta site). There would also be a risk here of too much soft foam in the top of the mattress and the alignment and possible back issues that can come from this.
Goodnight Refined: has exactly the same layering as the Genius except there is another inch of gel memory foam under the top 2.75" layer and above the 1.3 lb firm support foam. This would also be among the firmest of the lineup. It’s also rather remarkable to see the huge jump in price from the Genius with only an extra inch of gel memory foam.
The Renewal Refined has the same top 2 layers as the other top 3 models but they add 1.5" of “gel energy foam” under the memory foam layers and then an inch of the 1.3 lb firm support foam under this and all of this is above the 1.5 lb polyfoam core. The Gel energy foam appears to be Talalay latex (higher quality) with gel added and latex has a higher compression modulus (which allows a softer foam to get firmer faster) so is also more supportive. This would in the softer side of the lineup because of the extra layer of memory foam and the “gel energy foam”. It would be more comparable to a mattress that used 2 layers of memory foam and then a layer of latex under the memory foam to add a “soft but supportive” feel to the memory foam.
Wellbeing Refined: is the same as the Renewal refined except the layers are in a different order and there is an extra inch of gel memory foam. It has the 2" layer of 5 lb KoolComfort memory foam on top with an inch of the Gel memory foam under that with 1.5" of Talalay latex with gel under that and then the regular 2.75" layer of gel memory foam under that over the 6" 1.5 lb polyfoam support core. The top 2 layers (3") are also in a separate pillowtop construction to make it a bit softer yet. Once again… an extra inch of the gel memory foam equals a huge jump in price.
The goal of the iComforts seems to have been to create a “showroom feel” that people would buy but there is less emphasis on the quality of materials that are used to create this feel. While they have certainly been successful in this … and they are one of the best selling mattresses in North America … they certainly would not have the durability or value of mattesses that used higher quality materials to get to the same feel and sell for lower prices (usually sold by smaller manufacturers).
ADDED: According to a Serta rep (see post #12 here) the specs of the iComfort foams are as follows …
Support foam is 1.3 lbs. density and 52.5 lbs. IFD (very firm)
Cool Gel Foam layer 2 inches 4.1 lbs. 10.5 IFD
Core layer 6 inches 1.51 and 33 lbs. IFD
Assuming this information is correct … the polyfoam (support foam and core layer) is low quality and is usually seen only in the lowest price ranges not in mattresses at this price. The gel memory foam is in a “mid range” density. these are not the quality of materials that should be in mattresses in this price range.
So overall … the iComforts individually and as a lineup have done well to target the range of “feels” that people like and there is a wide variety of these feels to suit most consumers. What they’ve “missed” … is using the quality of materials that would make this feel longer lasting. While they are priced below some other mainstream mattresses that have similar feels … they get there at the expense of durability and promote a “showroom feel”. They compete well with other mainstream brands which are now rushing to come out with their own versions of gel materials because of their popularity. Some of these competitors are now using gel foams that use more durable applications of the gel and there are also more smaller manufacturers who are also coming out with their own gel mattresses which are far better value than any of the mainstream brands.
So a quick summary of the iComfort lineup?
A good range of different feels that cater to the perceptions of a large majority of consumers who tend to buy a mattress more subjectively than objectively and using materials to get there that are “mixed” in quality from very low to high. The gel memory foam itself would be on the lower end of the memory foam durability scale. They compare fairly well to their “direct” national brand competitors that would likely be on the same showroom floor but all of these would be fairly poor value. They have some models that are better or worse depending on the amount of lower quality materials in the particular model. They also use more lower quality or “questionable” materials than many other mattresses made by smaller regional, national, and especially local manufacturers who are now making mattresses with similar feels using higher quality materials at lower prices … meaning better value.
Phoenix
Wow that’s a lot to take in lol I have no problem with you using my question to post on other threads. So what I gathered from the response is the Icomfort is not really a good value and local manufacturer tend to build their beds with higher quality materials. but, if you were going to buy an icomfort the renewal refined would be the one to buy? and how long would you project the renewal to last someone over 200lbs? My fiance still wants to go through with the purchase of the icomfort because of the 120day in home trial saying that if we don’t like it we can always send it back (after paying the $149 of course.) I have 2 more questions for you since you are the master of the mattress lol what are your thoughts on the plush beds botanical bliss 9" all natural latex bed? and i know you did a section on pillows but i still wanna know you thoughts on the icomfort pillow (the serta 2 in 1 scrunch pillow) i laid on that thing for awhile and loved it i am a side sleeper and from my understanding side sleepers tend to like higher pillows Thank You very much.
Hi Immortal216,
You have it exactly right. My preferences in the line would be the Insight (firmer but no extra lower quality foam besides the gel memory foam itself which would be the weak link), the Prodigy (uses mostly higher quality materials but there is a real risk that there is too much soft material for most people for best alignment) and the Renewal refined (which uses more “supportive” materials in the thicker upper layers so the risk is less and it would tend to have better alignment/support along with the pressure relief). It’s still pretty thick on top though. So these models are the “better ones” in the line IMO and may have “relatively” better value than other options in the stores that sell them but none of them have good value compared to the choices I personally would tend to make.
This is not really possible to tell because there are so many variables including weight, body shape, how much someone moves on their mattress, and the degree of softening it would take to put you out of your range of tolerance. For example … if someone was on a mattress that was on the edge of being too soft for good alignment (their hips were sinking in just a little too far but not “over the edge” enough to really create symptoms) … then the initial softening that happens with memory foam and polyfoam over the first 90 days or so could make the mattress too soft and cause backache even though the foams would not be worn out.
I would tend to avoid 4 lb foams with weights over 200 lbs because they tend to not stand up. The good news with this is that the gel memory foam is under the 5 lb memory foam (which would take up more of the initial compression) and there is also some good quality foam below it (to help take up some of the load) so it may last a little longer than if it was on the very top.
Perhaps the biggest unknown of all at this point is the real life durability of gel foams as a group that have gel particles added to them. While the polymer density of the gel memory foam is @ 4 lbs which will usually last a few years less than the fairly typical 10 - 12 years of higher quality 5 lb and higher memory foam (with a wide range on both sides depending on the person), there is a chance that adding gel particulates will make the gel foams even less durable than a “typical” 4 lb foam and they are too new on the market to know for sure. The warranty has a .75" exclusion which tells me that they expect the durability in terms of loss of height will likely be good (which is what the warranty covers) … this doesn’t cover the durability in terms of softening though which can make a mattress unsuitable for sleeping on long before the foam breaks down enough to start losing height without any weight on the mattress and warranties don’t cover this.
If you have a 120 day trial … then at least the initial softening period would be over and this would be followed with a much more gradual softening over a longer time.
They are good quality but not the best value. There are several comments around the forum about Plushbeds (that a forum search will bring up) but in post #11 here their spam of this forum gave me a chance to do a direct comparison with one of our manufacturing members. The comparison was with the 8" mattress and the difference would be more with their higher cost models.
They would certainly be a “better than average” choice but not as good as many local manufacturers (where you would also get the cance to actually test the mattress) or some of the manufacturing members of the site who sell online.
Pillows are a much more subjective and preference/feel based choice than even a mattress (as long as it’s generally suitable for your sleeping position and keeps your head and neck in alignment and supported). I haven’t tried the icomfort pillow but because it can be scrunched (because of the memory foam clusters) it would be suitable for someone who slept in a wide range of positions and needed a very flat pillow for stomach sleeping and thicker for side. The clusters may tend to get a little thin for side sleeping over the course of the night but of course they can be scrunched up again if that happens. Beyond that I would think that some may or may not be comfortable with the feel of memory foam clusters and that part would be a much more personal choice.
On a personal level … the trillow memory foam pillow my DH Is sleeping on is one of the nicest memory foams I’ve tried and both of us like it a lot. She uses it with the outer layer removed to make it a little thinner while I use it (the few times I get to) with the layer added in.
Phoenix
As always thank you very much for the information im going to go to the original mattress factory today and try out their latex and memory foam bed with my fiance. all the insight is much appreciated.
Hi Immortal216,
When you are at OMF, I would suggest you try their latex mattresses on a firm foundation (such as their adjustable bed) not just on the “active” box springs as it can make a difference in how they feel.
Their new memory foam model is also well worth testing. It uses higher quality materials (in both the comfort layers and the support core) than the iComfort and has much better value.
I’m not sure what city you are in but there may also be other factory direct manufacturers with some very good options for you to try and like OMF they typically have very good quality and value.
Phoenix
I am in Cleveland, Ohio
Hi Immortal216,
I think post #2 here may help you a bit (although you’ve already discovered OMF) 
Once you’ve tested the mattresses at OMF, then a couple of phone calls asking if the others have anything which is similar to any mattress you liked at OMF (who will give you the exact specs of their mattresses) will help you decide if the two that are further away are worth the drive. Just make sure that you ask the most important question … “Can you tell me the specifics of each layer in the mattress?” and “how much is it in ___ size?” so that you can make sure that what you are considering doesn’t include layers that aren’t disclosed and that the value is in a comparable range. If you actually go there and you want to know for certain that there is no unknown polyfoam in a mattress you are considering, then looking at the law tag will also tell you whether there are any polyfoam layers (listed by percentage weight not thickness or the order of the layering) that you may not be told about.
Hope this helps
Phoenix
Can you recommend any manufacturers in the Atlanta area? I find myself comparing different brands from Sams, Costco, te Macys/Memoryworks but many of the “brands” I cannot find a place to go lie on one.
Hi wave,
The most important part of mattress shopping is to pay little attention to brands and to look at the materials in every mattress you are considering. Most of the brands you are considering don’t list the type and quality of the materials in their mattress and without this … you can end up buying a “cheap” mattress that can end up being very expensive.
Most of these online outlets have little knowledge or the materials in their mattresses which means that what they don’t know … you will need to know which involves a lot more research to avoid a mattress that “sounds good” but can easily end up being a poor choice because of low quality materials that won’t last.
There is a list of guidelines here that can help you avoid most of the traps and pitfalls of mattress shopping and will help you put your energy into outlets (mostly factory direct manufacturers or smaller outlets that carry alternative or local brands) that have the skills and knowledge to help you make the best selection at better prices that are usually available at the larger outlets that sell major brands with “unknown” materials inside them.
Online shopping can be great if there is not a lot of local quality and value available but only if you can find out the exact construction of the mattress you are looking at and the outlet has a good refund policy or exchange policy to make up for any mistakes. Either they or you also need to have the knowledge and skills to know exactly what type of mattress would best fit your needs and preferences.
You have some very good choices available to you and it’s unlikely that online shopping would be your best option though. Post #2 here includes some of the better choices in the Atlanta area.
Hope this helps.
Phoenix
Thanks for the quick response! My wife and I sleep on an 8" Tempurpedic (back from the days of only being 2 options - the 8" & 10"). We love the mattress yet have no idea what is in it regardless of all the searching. The mattress we are searching for is for a full size for our 3 year old daughter who is transitioning from a crib converted bed.
I have read extensively on this and other sites regarding the types of beds, the materials used etc and although I know this isn’t quite your cup of tea, we’ve decided up to now that we like the feel of the memory foam and tend to like to like the mattresses with a 3lb or 4lb layer - we found the 5lb a bit rigid and given it’s for a child and occasional adult, we’re not sure its necessary. Do you have any particular thoughts on the specs/quality of a mattress for a younger one who will likely not exceed 120lbs until after 18? (given family history)…
What I’ve struggled with is that certain brands (i.e. the Memoryworks @ Macys) are poor quality and clearly overpriced. We’ve looked into Ikea in detail with the help of your post and a detailed report at another mattress site and have ruled them out. While I had hoped to like the latex, it just seemed too firm but that seems very specific to the mattress @ ikea. I have had trouble finding latex affordable but am looking.
We had narrowed into Aerus/Foamex (Sams Club/Amazon), Night Therapy (Sams), Novaform (Costco/Amazon), and Spa Sensations (Walmart). This may change as I look in more detail and particularly thanks for the reference to the atlanta mfg cos.
I clearly have more research to do but am trying to follow your process, gauge what we we like, and make a decision before my wife kills me. If you have any particular thoughts for sub $500 range, kids mattress, based on my wife liking the feel of the 8" memoryworks (yes I know…) mattress, I’d appreciate it. Otherwise I’m pursuing the path but may be forced into a decision soon before she kills me.
Thanks again for all the help!
Hi wave,
I personally would tend to avoid memory foam with a younger child whose immune system is still developing. This is because even though it may be regarded as “safe” for a child (if it meets the CertiPur or Oeko-Tex or other standards) … I still don’t believe it is a good idea to take the chance of exposing a child to the ingredients in all memory foams until they are much older (see post #2 here).
In addition to this … children spend more time on a mattress, have a much more flexible spine that is less curvy than an adult, and they need to be better supported than an adult by the surface layers. They also do better with more freedom of movement than even more responsive memory foam can provide. Finally … the microclimate of a memory foam mattress is not as breathable and temperature controlling as other more breathable materials and I believe that children need every advantage we can give them while they are sleeping, growing, and developing. This is in addition to any fire retardency materials that may be added to memory foam or a mattress.
So while I understand the desire to give a child a more soft and cushy mattress … it is not a good idea IMO to use memory foam until they are much older. I would focus on more natural materials that provide more of what she really needs, even over what she may prefer, and which has much less risk over the longer term. Kids often prefer things that are not their best choices … and I really would focus on healthier materials and construction.
In a full size mattress … I would suggest that if you possibly can that you consider a slightly higher budget that would make it possible to go with either a more natural material like a single 6" core of Dunlop latex with a wool quilted ticking or an innerspring with natural fibers or latex. If this is not possible … then at least a higher quality polyfoam mattress or polyfoam/innerspring mattress would be more suitable than memory foam (although the polyfoam still isn’t as healthy as more natural alternatives and comes with the risk of additives that wouldn’t be in more natural materials).
If you are OK with a twin size … then something like this may be ideal.
Products - IKEA is a little over your budget but would also make a good full size choice. Something like this may work as well but is also over your budget in full size.
Mattresses that are similar to these may be available from some of the manufacturers on the Atlanta list and even for a child’s bed they would be good sources to talk with over the phone.
Some polyfoam/latex hybrid choices that would be worth considering include …
https://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=APCUWEOU23BHI
A futon that used healthy materials would also be a good choice and post #2 here includes some good options that use the same materials as a “non futon” mattress except in thinner layers and may be worth considering.
Google searches on terms like “healthy child’s mattress” will bring up a lot of choices but it will take some research to find something that is both healthy and inside your budget range in a full size as higher quality materials like wool, cotton, and latex can be more expensive.
But the first place I would look is the local manufacturers on the list.
Hope this helps … and as I come across more options in your price range I will add them here.
Phoenix
This is an enormous help and you’ve changed my mind outright. We’ll be searching locally for a latex mattress and if unable to find one that meets the budget, we’ll revert to an innerspring. I expect we’ll simply expand the budget as needed - a full size mattress is necessary because we are inheriting a bedroom set so we save a bit there, we spend a bit more on the mattress. C’est la vie.
I had already looked at innerspring/poly combos at the original mattress factory (regional chain) and liked what I saw there but I will review the other local providers and find one that makes sense. Will report back on the experience, mattress feel, etc.
Thank you.
Hi Wave,
I’m happy to hear this … it’s a subject I feel fairly strongly about
One of the advantages too of a good 6" latex core is that it is incredible durable and as a child get older and larger into adolescence and the teenage years … it is a great base for a topper to add any additional comfort as needed for a chaging body shape. A good innerspring with natural fibers has a similar benefit.
One more to add which is the Pure Echo collection made by one of our manufacturing members …
Phoenix
We just bought an IComfort and love it but it is brand new and wearout is a factor seeing as I watch tv in bed and sweat at night when I sleep. How does this compare to a Tempurepedic with respect to wearing out?
How long have you had the Tempurepedic and do you find there has been any degradation in the foam?
Hi ruthsm,
I believe that the tempurpedics would be more durable than the iComfort lineup which uses gel beads infused in their memory foam. There’s more about comparisons between the two in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Hey Phoenix,
I am 5’10" and 160 lbs. I sleep on my side and I have lower back pain while sleeping. I went to the showroom and laid on a few mattresses and I was looking for a medium firm bed. I came across the icomfort savant but that was way to plush and I didn’t like the feeling of sinking in. Next to it i found the genius which i found more accommodating to my body. Would you recommend this bed or the insight for my body specs. thanks!