*Chronic Insomnia (Prescription meds don’t help - Ive tried a few in my days)
*Hypersomnia
*Sleep Apnea (have yet to get a CPAP - need full face due to nasal inflammation every night)
*Delayed sleep syndrome (basically, im nocturnal)
*Turret syndrome (makes me move constantly against my will - not a direct sleep issue, i know, but it contributes to my issues)
*OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder - Everything must be perfect or i don’t feel right)
*Allergies (I never had this issue until surgeons removed my tonsils and adenoids to try and get rid of my sleep apnea. It did not work, but it did succeed in giving me bad allergies. End result, i have to spit mucus every few minutes. Very disruptive to my sleep.)
*It takes around 1 to 4 hours every night before i can fall asleep. Hence my favorite words, “Going to bed and going to sleep are 2 different things”. So far, there is almost no exception to this issue.
OK, i think that’s all of them.
So, I’m looking for a good mattress to help me sleep. I NEED something good. I was looking into Kluft, but sadly their price is higher than i want to pay. So instead i was looking into the Stearns and Foster Golden Elegance. I have heard many things about this mattress, however, all the opinions are of older models that do not relate to the one im looking into. Just to be clear, here is a link
However, I can not find anywhere that has this mattress in their show room for me to try. I live in Illinois USA. Sealy’s site has a list of “retailers”, none of which actually have it in stock to try out. They can only order it. I need to try this mattress before buying it (obviously). But until i can find somewhere that has it for me to try,
Does anyone have this mattress? any if they do, how is it?
While the Golden Elegance is the top of the line Stearns & Foster … I would read these guidelines before I considered it.
As you can see here … that’s a lot of money to be sleeping directly on top of 3" of polyfoam which is a lower quality material and doesn’t belong in a “top of the line” mattress at this price.
Thanks for the info Phoenix. I took a look at both links and will keep that in mind. Its hard to find a mattress around here that doesnt have a pillow top. And i didnt realize that the one i was considering had polyfoam in the top layers. Thats disappointing. I was expecting better from something like this. But, that’s why im here.
and looking at the stears and foster web site, it says that its 3 inches of Natural Latex, which according to the article is different than Polyfoam. It also says that its a rather good choice for a comfort layer.
It has both (you can see the layering in the previous link). It does have 3" of latex but it is underneath 3" of polyfoam so you would be sleeping directly on a lower quality material which would be the “weak link” of this mattress. The 1" of hypersoft foam and the 2" of HD supersoft foam are both types of polyfoam. If there was only an inch or so in the quilting layer then the softening of the polyfoam would have little effect but with the top layers containing 3" of polyfoam … the softening of this less durable material would have a much more significant effect on the feel and performance of the mattress. You would be feeling more of the “feel” of polyfoam than you would of latex and much of the benefit of latex would be lost.
This type of construction where a mattress contains some good quality materials but they are mixed in with lower quality materials (that become the weak link of the mattress) and where the prices charged are equivalent to or higher than a mattress that contains all premium materials (rather than just some) is fairly typical of major brands. There are all latex mattresses for example that contain only latex (which is more costly than either innersprings or polyfoam) with wool quilting that are significantly less than the Stearns & Foster even though they use higher quality materials and don’t have the “weak link” of using lower quality and less durable materials in the upper layers.
Ah, yes i see now. I forgot to click that link. Thanks for pointing that out.
That being said, its got me thinking -
What specific material should that mattress be using in those layers instead of the polyfoam? Because I might be able to custom order a mattress that is similar to this one, but uses a different meterial than the polyfoam in that area. But that begs the question - would it be worth it to do that?
This also leads me to a much more important question. For $4000, what mattress line should i be looking at? I have read a decent bit of all the things in Post #1, and have a decent idea of what not to have, but i dont know what brands to start with. There are so many.
I know i liked the Hotel Collection by Aireloom Queen Mattress Set, Vitagenic Ultra Plush Luxetop
The most effective method of finding the best quality and value mattress for you is in this post. This will link you to the basic information you need about mattress materials and construction so you can ask better and more informed questions when you are mattress shopping and perhaps more importantly help you connect with the better factory direct manufacturers and sleep shops that are in your area (or online). It will also give you a reference point so you can tell who is giving you factual information and who is just passing along the latest marketing story.
Who you work with when you choose (or design) a mattress can be one of the most important parts of buying a great mattress. Randomly testing mattresses made by major brands or sold in mass market outlets will waste a lot of time but none of these will generally have the quality or value of a factory direct manufacturer or smaller independent manufacturers that are sold at better sleep shops. There are many choices where you can custom build a mattress of many types (and many of the members here and other across the country do just that) but their knowledge, experience, and ability to give you good guidance is an important part of how likely you are to end up with the best possible choice.
Some preliminary research, choosing who you work with, and eliminating your worst choices are good steps to take before you even begin to test mattresses.
There is no mattress or “formula” that is right for everyone and since each person is unique, the mattress that is best for you is the one that provides you with the best PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences), uses the highest quality materials available in your budget range, and best fits your “value equation”. There is much more about this in the overviews and in post #2 here.
$4000 is more than you will need to buy an absolutely amazing mattress and I usually suggest that once you are over $3000 (queen mattress only or the equivalent in King) that you begin to ask why you are looking at mattresses in this price range. While there may be reasons that are important to you … I would hope that you know specifically why you are choosing a mattress in this budget range when there are so many exceptional quality and even custom mattresses available for less.
I would put Aireloom (made by Kluft yes) in the “major brand” or “low value” category that would be one of the choices I would eliminate right off the bat in most cases. I would include Macy’s in the list of retailers that I would eliminate as well. The mattress you linked has 3" of cheap polyfoam in the upper layers along with some “high loft fibers” that will compress and more polyfoam a little lower down. I certainly wouldn’t consider this as a good quality/value option at the prices they charge. This thread may be of some interest regarding Aireloom.
So I would spend some time reading through the links in the post I referenced and then choose some better local manufacturers or sleep shops to work with and then begin looking at mattresses with a little different perspective and knowledge about what really makes a good quality and value mattress
I guess I want to have a mattress custom made exactly the way i want it. But how does one know exactly what materials to chose if its custom made? Cant really try out a mattress that hasn’t been assembled yet. Or can you?
I looked at the list of members who sell mattresses, but none are really anywhere near me.
I only want to use the best materials. Something that will last long, but feel good too. Those 2 things dont normally find themselves in the same product.
However, if im going to have a mattress custom made from scratch i have no real limit to what i can use other than money.
I like the idea of Microcoils because of their durability, but i read that its more of a mid range comfort option? Im wondering if there is a microcoil system that is luxurious and durable. Is there such thing as a individually pocketed microcoil system that lays under latex?
ya know what, im guna start a new thread specifically for the idea of a custom luxury bed. I’ve got some ideas.
The list of the better choices that are near you are in posts #2 and 4 here and it includes one of our members My Green Mattress / Quality Sleep Shop which makes some of the best quality and value mattresses in the country. A forum search on mygreenmattress and on qualitysleep (you can just click these) will bring up more information and feedback about them.
It seems nice. I think i might go and try it out. How would you say it compares to the S&F in terms of materials? Obviously comfort is a personal thing.
They both have good quality innersprings but the other layers and materials in the Everlast Natural are higher quality than the Golden Elegance and of course it is much better value (higher quality materials at a lower price). In terms of value there is really no comparison between the mattresses at Quality Sleep and the major brands you will typically find at mass market outlets and chain stores. One (S&F) is among the worst quality/value in the country and the other (Quality Sleep) is among the best.
I went to the store and i was impressed. We talked for almost 2 hours about materials, designs, and customization. We decided on mixing parts from 1 mattress and using it in another, and they even offered to replace the polyfoam in certain parts with talalay latex at no extra charge.
In fact, they are going to let me Beta test their new Microcoil system. I had asked them what they thought about microcoils and told me if i was interested, they were going to experiment with them, and i just got a call today saying that they were going to get them and i can try it with no obligation to purchase. To be honest, im quite honored.
Their microcoils come from the same place that Kluft gets their coils. I cant wait to see how it feels. I also want to see what they think of my concept for a microcoil eurotop
1" Talalay Latex in plush
1/2" Horse hair (for insulation and to wick away moisture, helping reduce the exposure of water or other bodily fluids to the metal coils as rust prevention)
1 and 1/2" Mincrocoils (double tempered) coated with Vulcan oil (the stuff helps prevent rust) I figure since the coils are so close to the body, it would be wise to help prevent rust in any practical means.
I have much more specific details, but thats the concept im going at.
For the horse hair, correct me if im wrong, but is this how they work?
The horse hair is actually hallow on a very small scale. Being hallow, they can allow moisture to be trapped inside the hair fibers instead of seeping to the layers below. They then get rid of the moisture by gentle evaporation over time. All while allowing air to flow between the fibers to allow for breathability.
Is this correct?
I have some ideas i would like to ask them about, and i would like to be as well informed as i can be.
Well it certainly seems you were in the right place at the right time. I’d feel fortunate to be one of their mattress testers as well and they are great people to work with.
I have also tested various microcoil matttresses and I like the feel of them and they are also a durable component.
The mattress you are thinking about/designing is similar to some of the Berkeley Ergonomic models (in the sense of a layer of latex over the microcoils) but they use wool in the quilting rather than horsehair underneath the microcoils (the cotton wicks the moisture and the wool can store it in the center of the fiber similar to the horsehair).
Both wool and horsehair have a similar ability to store moisture inside the fiber (which keeps the outside of the fiber dry) and then allow it to evaporate more gradually which is a big part of why it regulates humidity and moisture (and temperature) so effectively. Wool for example can store up to 30% or so of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. Horsehair is more resilient and “springy” than wool and more expensive and is often used in higher end mattresses (such as VI Springs or Hastens which are both “super premium” brands).
Perhaps you are on the edge of a new career in mattress design. I should warn you it can be somewhat addictive
Thanks! Iv been getting really passionate about this stuff. I have been suffering all my life with sleeping issues, so mattress design really means a lot to me personally.
