Hello all. I came across this forum while doing research into buying a new mattress.
I am pretty lost as to a specific brand or mattress, however I will go ahead and post the requirements and hopefuly the more knowledgeable people here can point me in the right direction.
Must be made in the USA of 100% US, Canadian or European materials. ABSOLUTELY NO Chinese materials. Preferably all verifiably made in USA. That would likely take care of the VOC outgassing, allergy and toxicity concerns that cheap foam mattresses often cause.
I have spondylolisthesis and I’m trying to avoid spinal fusion. So far, I’ve rehabilitated myself and defied the doctors, but my decade old Sealy Island Breeze mattress is REALLY hurting my progress and my spine. So I need something supportive that promotes correct spinal curvature, since my spine is essentially broken at the bottom and goes flat but not excessively hard. I tend to sleep on my side or back. I move around a bit.
I would prefer a foam mattress that never needs to be flipped, and doesnt require a box spring.
Something under $3,000 for the mattress itself(queen sized) would be preferable.
I would be very cautious about brand shopping in general because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and most manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Many manufacturers make a wide range of mattresses that can vary from lower quality and less durable materials to higher quality and more durable materials in a wide range of prices. The name of the manufacturer on the label or the price of the mattress won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
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 “comfort” and PPP 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 (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
I’m not sure you are clear between the difference between a box spring and a foundation. A box spring has springs inside it that flex under the mattress and there are very few one sided mattresses today that use them as a support system and in many cases they will invalidate a mattress warranty. Most mattresses in the industry today need a steel or wooden bedframe with a foundation that has minimal to no flex (vs a box spring that flexes) or a platform bed which also has little to no flex under the mattress. There are many in the industry that mix up the terminology between box springs and foundations even though they are very different products.
Any foam mattress with a polyfoam support core will generally do best with a firm, flat, and evenly supportive support surface underneath it that has minimal to no flex under the mattress and for larger sizes with at least one center support beam that has good support to the floor to prevent any sagging in the middle of the mattress. The components (either a bedframe and foundation or a platform bed) need to be strong and durable enough to support the weight of the mattress and the people sleeping on it without some of the parts bending, sagging, shifting, or breaking with extended use. The support surface under the mattress (which may be slats or a steel or wire grid) should have enough surface area to prevent the mattress from sagging through any gaps or spaces in the support surface over time but still allow some airflow under the mattress. If a foundation has a slatted surface then I would suggest that the gaps between any slats are no more than about 5" (with 1 x 3 slats) although less than 4" would be better yet.
There is more information about the different support systems (bedframes and foundations or platform beds) that are generally suitable for different types of mattresses and some examples of each of them in post #1 here.
Your budget is certainly enough to purchase a great quality mattress.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
If you are looking at online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be worth considering.
Thank you for the information. I will try to get my terminology correct. I didnt know the difference between a foundation and a box spring and now i do.
In reading your other posts, id have to say im not really the Princess and the Pea with respect to mattresses. My primary concern is honestly buying something made with 100% USA, Canada or European sourced materials. The psychological irritation from unknown materials will likely bother me more than a mattress thats slightly “imperfectly” suited to my comfort.
Plus, nothing could be worse than what i sleep on now. Its got the Grand Canyon in the middle of it and now that i’ve “fixed” my low back issues, the pain i wake up with is in my neck mostly.
I dont like the idea of theory at a distance either, but i will buy something without laying on it if its my best option in terms of quality and materials.
I live in the Orlando area, so anything around central Florida is fine. Theres an “Original Mattress Factory” down the road. Im going to harass them about their materials when theyre open, but it doesnt look like they make the kind of mattress i think i want. I bought my current ancient mattress from Bloomingdales, but i have been reading about how horrible the new versions of Sertas are, outgassing and made in China foam etc.
I came across this site, but have no idea about their quality or reputation yet.
Subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you wish to deal with is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Orlando, FL area are listed in post #2 here.
One of the lists in the tutorial that I mentioned in my last reply is the online memory foam list and you can see my comments about Selectabed there. A forum search on Selectabed (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.