PART 2 of 3
NOTE: The list below includes some of the “simplified choice” mattresses that are sold online by our Trusted Members has a brief description & comments about mattresses in this category. To skip to non-member listings see post #3 ~ PART 3 of 3 here ) where I will include some of my thoughts about where this new category of mattresses (and to some degree the industry) may be headed
For those of you that are considering online choices the optional online step in the Mattress Shopping Tutorial also includes several other links to lists of online manufacturers or retailers that sell more than one mattress (which means that they aren’t in this category) that would also be well worth considering.
There are many people that have asked questions on the forum about which of these mattresses is firmer or softer but firmness and softness isn’t as simple as just measuring the amount a fixed weight sinks into a mattress and because they use different combinations of materials that have a different “feel” and respond differently to different weight ranges this can also translate into a different perception of softness and firmness as well.
As I mentioned in the previous post most of these mattresses that have a single firmness choice will be in a medium firmness range or slightly firmer (which is the single widest part of the bell curve that is suitable for the largest percentage of people) and the default choice for the ones that have more than one firmness choice will also be in the medium to medium/firm range and then the other firmness choices will be a little firmer or a little softer. While they are all offer a mattress in the middle of the firmness range that would be fairly similar in terms of actual firmness, different combinations of materials and components in the mattress can also interact with different body types and sleeping positions and perceptions in different ways and the specific properties of the materials and components in each of them can also affect the perception of firmness and softness in each of them in different ways for different people and will affect the more subjective “feel” and performance of each mattress as well in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences)
I would also keep in mind that the only reliable way to know which mattress would feel softer or firmer for you (regardless of whether it would feel softer or firmer for someone else) compared to some of the others will be based on your personal experience or side by side testing but when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation (either with a phone call or with their online chat system) with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
Just to help you compare them based on the properties of the materials … latex is a more resilient material that has more “bounce” and resilience … memory foam is a slower response material that has very low resilience or “bounce” … and the newer high performance polyfoam layers that are used in many of these mattresses can be formulated to have some of the properties of latex or some of the properties of memory foam depending on the specific formulation of the high performance polyfoam itself (they will tell you the properties of their specific materials when you talk or chat with them). If the materials are a high quality and durable version of the foam that they are using and are suitable for your weight range (see the foam quality guidelines here) then the choice between them will be based more on your personal preferences rather than being a better/worse choice. The comments about each mattress also include some information about the weight ranges that each one would be suitable for which can give you some idea of the overall durability of each of them relative to the others.
There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you ask (and hopefully answer) the most important questions when you are purchasing a mattress and make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
SIMPLIFIED CHOICE MATTRESS PRODUCT COMPARISON
(aka Disruptors, Universal Comfort Mattresses, Once Choice Fits All mattresses, Bed in a Box mattresses, Millennial Mattresses)
Materials & Construction:
Cover: Zippered stretch knit polyester top cover and polyester/polypropylene side panels.
Comfort Layers: 1.5" Continuous pour synthetic Dunlop latex, 2" 4 lb density gel memory foam.
Support Layers: 7.5"2.0 lb polyfoam
Fire Retardant: Unspecified
Firmness Choices:
Single firmness
Note: Upon request this line can be customized before purchase to suit consumer needs and preferences
Trial Period & Refund:
101 days. Cost to return for a refund is unspecified.
Queen Price:
$895.00
The Mattress Underground Trusted Member?
YES.
For more details see GhostBed’s Trusted Member profile page
TMU discount 10% in addition to the ongoing GhostBed own website discounts or promotions for TMU consumer members. (Please check [url= https://mattressunderground.com/the-underground/our-trusted-members.html]our Trusted Members Listing here[/url] for their most up to date coupon discounts and codes).
Comments:
Factory Direct Manufacturer.
Ghostbed is made by Nature’s Sleep (.com, not .ca which is a very different company). GhostBed has the same ownership as Nature’s Sleep that used to make mattresses in their oversees factory and importing them into the US for many years but GhostBed mattresses have been entirely made in the US with American materials. There are also some historical comments about GhostBed in this topic. These are all good quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress relative to more average weight ranges but I would add a slight caution if you are in a higher weight range (more than the lower 200’s or so) where I would minimize the use of 4 lb memory foam in the comfort layers of a mattress. [hr]
Love & Sleep Mattress ~ Nest Bedding
Materials & Construction:
Cover: Cotton stretch-knit with phase change material
Comfort Layers: Medium – 3" 2.8 lb. Energex polyfoam, 1" 2.0 lb convoluted polyfoam. Luxury Firm – 2" 2.8 lb Energex polyfoam.
Support Layers: Medium – 6" 1.8 lb polyfoam. Luxury Firm – 8" 1.8 lb. polyfoam.
Fire Retardant: Non chemical. Inherent rayon/silica fire barrier
Firmness Choices:
Medium, Luxury Firm
Trial Period & Refund:
100 days free return and refund
Queen Price:
$599.00
The Mattress Underground Member?
YES.
For more details see Nest Bedding’s Trusted Member profile page
TMU discount 5% for the forum members here is “UNDERGROUND5”. (Please check [url= https://mattressunderground.com/the-underground/our-trusted-members.html]our Trusted Members Listing here[/url] for their most up to date coupon discounts and codes).
Comments:
Factory direct manufacturer. Caution for higher weight ranges.
The Love & Sleep mattress is made by Brooklyn Bedding, a part owner of Nest Bedding. They have two firmness choices (medium, and luxury firm) so they will cover a wider range of the bell curve that would be suitable for different people than a single firmness choice. The Energex is hole-punched for breathability and is a high quality and high-performance polyfoam that has some of the properties of memory foam without the temperature sensitivity and slow response. There are no lower quality materials or weak links in this mattress for those that are in more average weight ranges although I would add a caution for those that are in higher weight ranges (200s or higher because of the 1.8 lb polyfoam core).
[hr]
Luma Sleep ~ Luma Sleep Latex Hybrid Slumber System
Materials & Construction:
Cover: Natural Tencel, removable and washable.
Comfort Layers: Topper: 3" Blended Talalay latex (ILDs 19/28/36 for Plush/Medium-Firm/Firm). Luma Mattress: 1.5" Blended Talalay latex (ILDs 19/28/36 for Plush/Medium-Firm/Firm).
Support Layers: Quantum Edge Bolsa steel perimeter pocketed coil spring unit (Combi-Zone is available for an upcharge), 1" 1.8 lb polyfoam base.
Fire Retardant: Non chemical, inherent woven rayon/silica layer.
Firmness Choices:
Plush, Medium-Firm, Firm (Latex in Luma Mattress and 3" topper are both customizable).
Trial Period & Refund:
100 days free return and refund. Interchangeable 3" Talalay Latex Comfort Layer has free exchange within first year when purchased as part of the Luma Hybrid Slumber System.
Queen Price:
$1595.00 Luma Latex Hybrid Slumber System. $995.00 Luma Mattress alone.
Cover: Natural Tencel, removable and washable.
Comfort Layers: Topper: 3" Blended Talalay latex (ILDs 19/28/36 for Plush/Medium-Firm/Firm).
Support Layers: Luma Mattress: 2" Blended Talalay latex 28 ILD, 6" Blended Dunlop 32 ILD.
Fire Retardant: Non chemical, inherent woven rayon/silica layer.
Firmness Choices:
Plush, Medium-Firm, Firm (Latex in 3" Interchangeable Comfort Layer topper is customizable).
Trial Period & Refund:
100 days free return and refund. Interchangeable 3" Talalay Latex Comfort Layer has free exchange within first year when purchased as part of the Luma All-Latex Slumber System.
Queen Price:
$1995.00