I have begun the search for a new mattress. Hooray!.. Oh, wait…how do I compare? There are seemingly endless options and the more I read and research the more overwhelmed I become. I walked down to the local Sears and laid on all four of their Sealy mattresses and they are all better than what I have currently own. As I laid I remembered something, there is a federal law that mandates the use of fire retardant chemicals on all mattresses sold in the US. I swiftly sprung up and nearly sprung for a purchase but I thought there may be better options.
Much of what I’ve begun to read since that test run at Sears has laid much caution and hesitance in any future purchase. I am hoping the more I read (mostly on this site) I’ll define a clear thought process for myself about purchasing the best mattress for myself. From what I have read thus far, here, and around the WWW, I think a latex or mostly latex mattress will be best for me. I’d like to stay away from chemical fire retardants although I know silica may be the most benign/non-harmful of what is currently used. I have an inclination for all things natural mostly out of a desire to keep potentially harmful chemicals out and off of my body.
Wool is an alternative to chemical fire retardants but I’ve read they are also sprayed with some chemicals. Is this true?
Does anyone here know of good places to shop for mattresses in southeastern Iowa? I’ll be out tomorrow continuing the search.
Hopefully you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones. I’m glad you found us in time to avoid the mattresses at Sears.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value.
Wool can pass the fire regulations without the addition of any chemicals so no it wouldn’t normally be true.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Cedar Rapids area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked) are listed in post #4 here.
Thank you for the information. I am aware of Earthborn in Fairfield. I have to schedule an appointment with them but will do so soon. I’ll give an update later on to hopefully assist others in my area.
I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback and finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any questions I can help with that you may have along the way.