I am in the market for a mattress, but I wasn’t sure how best to find some advice. I’m a graduate student, so money is a little bit tight, but I’m hoping to find a solution that will finally get me a good night’s sleep after studying all day. Last year, based on some light reading in the forums, I purchased a 3" 5lb memory foam topper from Brooklyn Bedding to go on top of an airbed because I was temporarily living in the university apartments and wanted a portable solution that would be easy to move out.
Now that I’ve found a more permanent residence, I’m looking to retire the airbed to the closet. I’m torn between purchasing a completely assembled foam mattress from the likes of retailers such as http://memoryfoamandmore.com/memory-foam-mattresses/ or retaining my Brooklyn Bedding 3" topper and combining it with appropriate support layer(s).
Ideally, I want a mattress solution that will last me through the rest of my academic career (~ 8-9 years). I’m not sure if buying a mattress ONCE from a trusted vendor would be cheaper over the long run compared to buying multiple mattresses over 8-9 years from questionable vendors.
I weigh 120 lbs and mostly sleep on my back and occasionally sleep on my side. I’ve tried several Tempur-Pedic mattresses at a local mattress store this past weekend, and I didn’t like the Soft (1 on 1-10 scale), and the Firm (10 on 1-10 scale) was a little too firm. I think I most preferred the Tempur-Pedic “7”.
… so I have a bunch of questions that I was hoping you could help me with:
Have you heard anything about the retailer “Memory Foam and More” http://memoryfoamandmore.com/memory-foam-mattresses/? They have a lot of positive feedback on eBay (here), but that doesn’t reflect the long-term durability of their product or the knowledge of their customers. I could get a complete mattress from them for around the same price as buying polyfoam support layers from FoamByMail.
Should I continue to use my 3" Brooklyn Bedding topper? I was considering purchasing 5" LUX-HQ for the bottom and 2" HD36-HQ for the middle from FBM if I went this route.
Do you have any comments on whether my “foam stack” would match my sleeping habits and weight?
I know you feel strongly AGAINST FBM, especially with their latex products. What about their LUX-HQ and HD36-HQ polyfoam? Can you recommend any alternative affordable retailer from which I can purchase polyfoam?
This past summer, I had rolled up my Brooklyn Bedding 3" 5lb memory foam topper and used a couple of bungee cords (here) to keep it rolled up enough to partially fit into some large trash bags (30 gallon). I stored the topper this way for 2 months in a climate-controlled storage locker. Do you know if I’ve damaged the memory foam much?
I apologize for my long message and naivete. I really appreciate any comments and information. Thank you so much!
The first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial 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. Most of your questions will be answered there but I’ll cover some of the highlights in this reply.
This would depend entirely on the quality of the materials inside your mattress and on how well it matched your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). Some mattresses may last you months and some may last you decades depending on the quality of the materials in a specific mattress. In general terms though … I would look at a budget range that allowed you to choose the best quality/value mattress that you can comfortably afford. There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here. there is also more about the many variables that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
I can certainly understand that it can be tempting to use the topper you have and build your own DIY mattress but I would read OPTION 3 in post #15 here first just to make sure you have realistic expectations of success and the trial and error that may be involved. If you have a spirit of adventure and the process itself and what you learn along the way is more important than any cost savings (that you may or may not realize depending on how successfully you choose the rest of your layers and if any of them need to be replaced) then it could certainly be a worthwhile challenge to take on.
There are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved to choose a mattress based on a formula, specs (either yours or a mattress), or “theory at a distance” so when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable way to make a successful online choice is to talk with a knowledgeable and experienced manufacturer or retailer on the phone who has your best interests at heart (and isn’t just interested in selling you anything they can) and has the knowledge and experience to help “talk you through” which of the options they have available has the best chance of being the most suitable choice for you in terms of PPP (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I don’t have any specific information about them but I would be very cautious with any ebay provider that is selling “cheap” Chinese memory foam mattresses and is part of what I call the “race to the bottom” (see post #6 here). I would pay little attention to mattress reviews in general (see post #13 here) which will tell you little to nothing about the quality of a mattress or whether a mattress will be suitable for you but I would pay even less attention to ebay reviews which are only about whether a transaction completed successfully.
If you are making an online mattress purchase I would make sure you have a more detailed conversation with them first so you can answer several questions that are important parts of any online purchase.
1: How confident are you that the mattress will be a good match for you in terms of PPP and that you will sleep well on it?
If it turns out that the mattress isn’t suitable for you what options do you have to exchange or return it … and what are the costs involved?
Are there any weak links in the mattress and does the mattress meet the guidelines in post #4 here about the quality of the materials. In the case of Chinese or other Asian foams are they CertiPur certified?
Who manufactures the mattress and does it have a legitimate manufacturer’s warranty?
Are you confident that you are buying a new mattress and not a comfort exchange or warranty return or even worse a used mattress?
How does the mattress compare to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
When you have answered these questions then you will be in a good position to make meaningful comparisons between your final choices (see post #2 here).
This would depend on whether you were comfortable with the DIY process.
I personally wouldn’t deal with FBM at all. You can read about the reasons why in this post and this post and this post (about their polyfoam and sources) and this post (presumably from a past employee).
Again … there are too many unknowns, variables, and preferences involved to predict this based on “theory at a distance” and the only ways to predict this would be either your own personal testing or a more detailed conversation with a reliable online retailer or manufacturer that was experienced in “matching” their specific mattresses “as a whole” to different body types and sleeping styles (see this post that I linked earlier).
You can see my earlier comments about FBM. If I was buying polyfoam I would either deal with a local foam shop or with some of the online suppliers that are listed in post #4 here.
If you’ve unrolled it and there are no impressions then I would guess that it’s most likely fine.
The tutorial post includes links to the better online manufacturers and retailers I’m aware of and post #4 here also includes some of the manufacturers that make lower budget memory foam and polyfoam mattresses that would be well worth considering if you are in a very low budget range.
Thanks for your help and taking the time to reply to my message. Can you recommend any local foam vendors in the Washington DC area (zip code 20002)? Thanks.
I don’t normally keep records of raw foam suppliers outside of the ones that show up in my mattress research so some google searching will probably bring up some others as well.
Hi iveal, those prices at the ebay vendor you mentioned look really low (scary low). Even looking for a lower cost mattress and pricing out foam for a diy build, I’m not sure I could have found the poly foam alone for the price of their mattresses. In all honesty, I think if going that route I’d want to be comfortable taking a gamble and not in a position where I’d miss the couple hundred dollars in the event it didn’t turn out (then there’s the disposal aspect, what do you do with a mattress in your area).
Aside from any quality concerns with FBM, some of the issue I noticed is lack of options. They have 36 and 50 ild poly foams (aside from their super soft) and not much in between. Hard to tell what those would feel like to you, I would consider 36 on the firmer side of medium and 50 to be quite firm (subjective to me of course). Tempur may use other firmness levels that fall between those ranges to achieve their feel, so duplicating (or coming close) may be a real challenge.
As for cost/value and longevity, you’d probably be better off buying once from a quality vendor. You mentioned 8-9yrs left in your academic studies as the target time frame and that’s more or less the acceptable life of a ‘permanent’ mattress, not a temporary solution. Different from getting through 2-4yrs of school. I can relate to budget restraints, and it’s hard to consider paying more up front if the funds just aren’t there. Especially since nothing is 100% guaranteed. I don’t know what size you were considering, but even twin or full size from that ebay vendor run $160-200. Not expecting much life from those low prices, even getting a year or two out of them (if that), you may be looking at $800-1000 over 8-9yrs - at those prices (not factoring what replacements will cost 5yrs from now). Granted there are some mattresses costing much more than that which don’t seem to last some people longer than 1-3yrs. Taking into account multiple mattress disposals also.
Options like a dreamfoam 12 in 1 from amazon twin/full are only slightly more than that ebay vendor at $295/389 respectively, or $407 for a queen. Not sure what size topper you have already, the 12 in 1 is an all poly foam but good quality. (you mentioned being in the dorm, so thinking it may be a twin xl or full size topper). Likely to last much longer than the ebay mattress you mentioned, with warranty. Able to change comfort layers at home, may very well be compatible with your current mem foam topper.
Another all poly foam option might be the tuft & needle which has an in home trial. They’re also listed on the member’s list here under “The Underground - Our membership” link. I believe they tend to be on the medium-firm range (since you mentioned a “7” for the tempur). They have 5" and 10" mattresses, twin xl ranges from $250-350, full ranges $350-450 and queen runs $400-500. Being a member here you’re eligible for 6.5% off those prices and I believe the in home trial is extended to 60 days instead of 30 days. They also carry a 7yr warranty (I didn’t see a warranty period for the ebay mattress you noted).
Replacing a low cost mattress several times can quickly add up considering the time left you have in school. Repeatedly replacing a ‘cheap’ mattress can very well reach the same as investing in a better quality mattress which would not only last longer but very well may provide more comfort in the process. Even an inexpensive mattress up front with plans to upgrade when funds allow may work, but again even a really inexpensive option is going to be a couple hundred dollars - on top of the cost of an upgrade, when that money might be better spent on a better quality mattress up front. IE, $200 now, $500-600 later and you’re still looking at ~$800 combined. Much of it has to do with your personal situation and limitations, not everyone has the means to jump into an $800+ mattress so even if there would be cost savings, in the long run it still has to be feasible for the here and now. I just personally would look at a lesser expensive option as purely temporary or needing to be replaced sooner than later and not as a solution for the rest of your schooling years. Even if that’s your only option for the time being - looking at it realistically. (aka, don’t be disappointed if a $200 mem foam mattress doesn’t endure more than a year or two at best). Not trying to tell you what you should absolutely do, but hopefully having more real expectations and considerations of short vs long term suitability will avoid or limit potential for buyer’s remorse. Hope this helps you in your decisions.
I looked at your budget suggestion of DreamFoam, and I was wondering if you had any information on the construction of their “DreamFoam Bedding Ultimate Dreams 9-Inch Crazy Euro Top mattress” sold on Amazon? I had read that DreamFoam mattresses are manufactured by Brooklyn Bedding, so perhaps their mattress specs can be trusted and are made available. I have only gone through some of the customer reviews for that particular mattress, and I am concerned that “Medium Firm” might be too soft.
Brass, I appreciate your help. My existing Brooklyn Bedding topper is a queen size, which makes pricing out a matching polyfoam base for it a bit on the expensive side, unfortunately.
I just stumbled upon DreamFoam’s own website, but they only show latex, memory foam, and innerspring mattresses. I’m not sure if the Amazon DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams “High Density Foam Mattress” corresponds to any of the products on their website though.
Hi iveal, there used to be a product page for the crazy quilt but the dreamfoam website is constantly updating. Now there appears to be a link straight from the home page, beneath the large front page image and just above “Compare Our Mattresses” - there are three image/links, one for the 13" gel memory foam, one for the ultimate dreams latex and one for the crazy quilt. If I recall correctly, the crazy quilt uses 1.5-1.8 lb density poly foam (lower end of hd poly foam) and the 12 in 1 uses 2lb density poly foam (higher end hd poly foam, more durable). There are also different crazy quilt models, a 7", 9" euro top and 11" pillow top version (amazon mistakenly has it listed as 15" thick, it’s not). You may want to try emailing dreamfoam to double check, or you might be able to go to brooklynbedding.com and talk to one of their staff via live chat just to verify those things. I don’t know how soft or firm their mattresses are, but everyone is going to have a different idea of firm or soft. (What might be too firm for me may be considered too soft by another person and there’s no way to tell how it’ll feel to you). Another thing to consider and you may want to double check with them also, but usually in different types of the same mattress, a euro or pillow top will feel softer. Pillow tops have a ‘fold’ creating a sewn on topper type construction and a ‘euro top’ is similar except there’s no fold - the side of the mattress is even and boxy along the built in ‘topper’ portion of the construction. If I had to guess, the 7" would be a tad firmer than either the euro or pillow top.
I don’t know if the tuft and needle options are out of your price range, but they lean more toward a firmer approach. Not quite a futon, but somewhat similar more so than other mattresses. There’s relatively low risk there since being a member here offers you a 60 day trial to test it out and if it’s not right for you, it can be returned. They also use around 2 lb density poly foam like the dreamfoam 12 in 1. I don’t believe there’s any cost in returning the T&N. As far as the crazy quilt, I’m not sure if it’s able to be returned or not.
They would be a much better source of information than I am about the specifics of the materials in any of their mattresses. I would guess that the foam density would be 1.5 lbs but I would always confirm specs with the manufacturer.
Brooklyn Bedding and Dreamfoam are sister companies with common ownership (see post #3 here). They are both members of this site which means that I believe they compete well with the best in the industry and they are both fully transparent about the materials they use in their mattresses. They both use American made materials and components and they are both CertiPur certified* as well.
As brass mentioned … their website only shows some of the mattresses that they have available on their Amazon site (Amazon has the complete selection of their products).