We did our research here, we tried out a bunch of mattresses. Per Phoenix’ advice, we ensured we hit three stores, with at least one appearing on the approved list. We wound up, due to searching for bed frames, hitting about six. We also found some real slime… two chains selling used mattresses without disclaiming it.
What we discovered quickly is that my wife, who long ago was severely injured including broken back, is pained by latex but coddled by memory foam. But while we could get close to what we wanted locally, latex has taken over so we wound up with a Brooklyn Bedding Cool Luxe in King.
Why we didn’t buy local
We intended to buy local. I always try to support the local guys. But it wasn’t optimal…
a. Too much latex, not enough memory foam.
b. Skanky sales people - savvy, mattress depot, mattress discounters all had either lying sales people or used mattresses masquerading as not used.
c. For the cost, there should be an advantage. And they mostly only had big brands. (Four Day Mattress, a good local place, does have some stranger brands.)
Things the local stores could have done to get my sale:
- Emphasize advantages - Delivery, unrolling, unpacking, haul-away are a big deal. That’s a lot of effort.
- Emphasize disadvantages of mail order: not just lack of mailing but lack of mattress foundations.
- Stop pushing latex when we’ve already figured out it’s not our choice.
So after lots of research I ordered a Cool Luxe King from Brooklyn Bedding. Some notes on Buying from Brooklyn:
- You can’t try it first.
- No real Mattress Underground discount, because for Memorial Day (when we happened to be shopping) and Independence Day, and probably even Arbor Day and Secretaries Day, they have better sales than the discount. They aren’t stackable.
- Brooklyn Mattress is named after the founder’s daughter, not after a city. It’s in Arizon, but apparently doing business as Dreamfoam Mattress based on my FedEx billing.
- American Express is processed by PayPal.
- The mattress is short. Seriously. It isn’t 80x78, closer to 78 x 75. That’s a bit annoying.
- They don’t sell foundations. Few mail order places do. You get a rolled up mattress.
- My wife is sleeping wonderfully, best in the several decades since the injuries, and I’m doing okay too. (And we aren’t sleeping ‘hot’, but we had a foam topper before. This is cooler than that was.)
- The pretty cover is just a zippered mattress sized pillow case. Not at all like a spring mattress with the quilted cover integral.
- We didn’t notice any off-gassing or odors.
- Their sale included shredded pillows, our choice of latex or memory foam. Except that they sent latex even though we specified memory foam.
- But the unboxing experience, well…
Improvements for mail order:
a. There was no paper - none - in the box. Include unrolling instructions. The natural unroll came out upside down. Even thier website lacked this detail.
b. These puppies are heavy. Maybe add packing straps to the box for easier carrying
c. There was no paper - none - in the box. It would be nice to have a sense of how long it really needs to inflate, and the downside if you sleep on it too soon. i.e. no permanent damage. Even their faq didn’t cover this.
d. All mattress websites should sell roll-up foundations as options. I built one using furring and ribbon, but that may be beyond the typical apartment dweller or less handy consumer.
My Summary:
The mattress is good. We’re happy with it. Being a bit undersized is noticeable on our bed; a few inches too much shows in the headboard and footboard fit and the escaping of pillows/blankets. And do realize that even though it’s half the price of the Tempur they compare to, it’s still $2200. But the wife has never slept so well before, so we’d do it again. Asking them to get the pillows right next time. B)
Hi SeattleTony,
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and feedback. It’s strange that you didn’t come across more memory foam options in the Seattle area because I know that many of the sources on the list carry it.
A few comments …
I would call and ask about this because if your measurements are accurate then this would appear to me to be out of spec.
They sell a frame foundation here and they also provide some foundation suggestions here for those that would prefer to buy a foundation online rather than locally. There are also many foundation sources in the foundation thread here.
This is part of the design of the mattress you purchased. An unquilted stretch cover is the most common memory foam design and is meant to allow the memory foam below to respond more to heat and compression.
I don’t know of any roll up foundation although there are many foldable or KD (knock down) foundations which are either folded or shipped unassembled and then assembled at home so they can be shipped through UPS rather than truck freight which is very costly (including several of the foundation links they suggest on their site). Many online manufacturers either sell a foundation or suggest sources that can be shipped by courier to save the expense of truck freight.
If you talk to them about the mattress size then they would probably also correct the error in the pillows.
I’m glad you are happy overall and I appreciate your feedback and thoughts although there are a couple of things I would follow up with if I was in your shoes.
Phoenix
My measurements are accurate, but there’s no point calling. The big downside of mail order is the pain of a return. If it was local, delivery guys could come out and do a swap (hoisting the rather heavy mattress), plus the mail order places have a special machine to squeeze the mattress into a box.
In other words, since there’s no reasonable recourse, why call?
Their foundation-frame isn’t compatible with a typical bed, and certainly not with our wrought-iron bed with integrated head and foot boards. It can handle normal foundations/box springs, but not a stand-alone frame. But I didn’t consider this an issue… just something people should think about before mail ordering. It was easy enough to build one.
[quote=“Phoenix”]
This is part of the design of the mattress you purchased. An unquilted stretch cover is the most common memory foam design and is meant to allow the memory foam below to respond more to heat and compression.
[/quote]I wasn’t clear on the why of it, but did recognize it as normal for a foam mattress after I saw it. I just hadn’t thought about it until it arrived.
Perhaps, but it’s not worth returning the ones they sent. It would require a big box. The pain point of mail order.
These aren’t big problems. My wife has never slept better, so I’m happy. They’re just things others should consider.
BTW, thank you for the site. Many of the locals know of you.
Hi Seattle Tony,
I would tend to call just out of curiosity if nothing else and if there is an issue they may even appreciate the chance to resolve it. They may also be interested in knowing just to help prevent the same thing from happening to others even if there is nothing that needs to be done for your particular situation.
I know them well enough to know that they are always looking for ways to improve what they do and your feedback may help them.
I’m glad to hear it 
Phoenix
Hello Seattle Tony,
I was happy to read you like the Mattress if not completely thrilled with every aspect of your purchase… I have the Queen size and immediately went to measure it. I am pleased to say mine is exactly 80 x 60.
Thanks for adding thoughts to this Forum. The more viewpoints the better.
Jeff
Seattle Tony-
I am rather confused by your posting but appreciate the information.
First in my experience buying local invariably ends up with a higher price, worse customer service, and an inferior product. That being said experiences are subjective and just because I had one experience does not mean there is any bearing on your experiences.
The key point is mattress size and your refusal to contact the vendor. If I receive a product that is not what I ordered then the first thing I will do is contact the vendor. Mattress size being different than standard is the equivalent of not receiving what I order. If the vendor does not provide satisfaction my next call is to my credit card to dispute the charge.
I do not understand why there would be any hesitation to stand up for what you ordered. Yes it may be a PITA but it is much less of one that driving to a local store and dealing with their nonsense.
This has nothing to do with Brooklyn Bedding in particular as I have no dog in this fight. Nor do I care as to the providence of the name of a vendor. If you have been to Brooklyn you will realize that besides Peter Lugers there is nothing to brag about. Mercedes Benz is named after a daughter does that make the car less than you thought it was?
Brooklyn Bedding is on my short list. If I order from them and the mattress is not the correct size (such as your experience) the first thing I am going to do is contact them. You have to give the vendor a chance to make it right. If they don’t/will not make it right my next step is 1) file a dispute on the credit card and 2) post my experience on the interwebs. I do not understand a complaint that this is too much trouble. To me this is much less trouble than driving to a local store, speaking with the sales person, being told to wait, then speaking to a sales manager, and then who knows what.
Good luck in getting everything straightened out. A mattress is too expensive of a purchase to just accept things the way they are.
Hi Seattle Tony,
I just re-read your post after the subsequent replies and for some reason I missed that the “specs” you mentioned for a standard king size mattress are not quite right.
A standard king size is actually 76 x 80 so the width would be within tolerance although it is still short in terms of length.
I should also mention for the sake of others who read this that when you measure a mattress the most accurate way is to put a straight edge vertically on each end or side and them measure the distance between the two straight edges so you are measuring the mattress at it’s widest or longest dimensions because the mattress ticking or tape edge can pull in the edges and make the mattress appear to be narrower or shorter than it really is if you measure along the top surface.
I also asked them about this when I talked with them last and they told me that they hadn’t had any customers mention anything about their mattress being out of spec so if your mattress is an anomaly then it certainly isn’t the norm.
Phoenix