Hi, I’m new here and first want to thank the webmaster for a great site from what I’ve seen. Started hunting for a new mattress yesterday and went to a Sleepy’s near me on Long Island, NY. Being completely ignorant initially, I was open to lying on everything and just letting my body tell me what I needed. I was predisposed to thinking I liked a firm, standard coil version, but was blown away by the Grand Bed. My top 3 picks were all temperpedic foam, but the Grand bed was the clear winner. I naturally was shocked by the $9000 tag, so went home and began my quest to duplicate this bed at a much lower price, which led me to this forum. My question is whether it’s worth it to pursue other dealers to find an even more comfortable mattress (I’m thinking very doubtful seeing how many I tried at Sleepy’s and how much more I liked the Grand Bed), whether the Select Foam Grandis is really just as good, and finally am I missing something or is this really the pinnacle of mattresses “for me”…ie. do they off gas horribly, not last, lose their shape/comfort when attempting to protect the foam from staining w/ a cover, haven’t tried latex is it worth it, etc… I have read most of what Phoenix has written and it is extremely helpful. I am 6’5" 250# and my wife is 5’4" 120# and she loves the Grand Bed too. I am also trying to eliminate a 2 yr old mystery hip pain that comes and goes that may be linked to my 15 y.o. coil matress that is sagging, but still feels pretty decent. The salesman said that I seem to like the feeling of sleeping “on top” of the mattress and not “in” it. Thx!
Markus
Hi zman1,
I’m glad you found us before you pulled the trigger. While the GrandBed uses high quality/density materials … it is outrageously priced compared to other mattresses that use the same quality of materials in similar designs and are significantly lower priced.
The first place I would start your research is post #1 here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice. It will also help you avoid the worst ones in terms of quality and value and hopefully help you stay out of the big chain stores as well.
I would certainly broaden your search either locally or online yes. The Grandis uses the same quality of materials as the Grandbed or better and is a close approximation of the Grandbed for most people. I would also make sure you are testing a mattress for more than just “comfort” alone because comfort is only the initial feel of a mattress and testing more specifically for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) will be a much more effective way to tell the suitability of a mattress when you sleep on it for the long term. The “showroom feel” of a mattress is not the best way to choose a mattress and in many cases your odds of making the most suitable choice is less than random chance alone (see this study). There is also no reason to spend $9000 on a mattress IMO no matter what your body type or sleeping positions unless how you feel “about” the mattress is more important than how you feel “on” the mattress. For most people who prefer to sleep more “on” a mattress than “in” a mattress … memory foam is also not the best choice because you will sink in more deeply as the memory foam warms up and softens with time over the course of the night.
Most new mattresses will off gas to some degree and this is more common with memory foam than other materials but if they are made in North America or are CertiPur certified then this is usually temporary and goes away fairly rapidly (usually in the first few days or weeks although there are some exceptions). Of course different people will be more or less sensitive to this than others and some people who prefer more natural materials would avoid memory foam or polyfoam of any kind completely but for the large majority of people … offgassing isn’t a significant issue with North American memory foam or CertiPur certified memory foam.
Phoenix
PS: Most salespeople in most chain stores like Sleepy’s will tell you anything they think you want to hear as a way of “making the sale” and for the most part know little about the mattresses they are selling.
Thx Phoenix, I consider myself to be pretty observant so I’m hoping the feel I got in the showroom translates to the bedroom. I too was a little confused by the salesmans observation that I prefer sleeping “on top of the bed” when I chose all memory foam beds?? The pressure relief and support I felt on the grandbed seemed great, but I’m going to return and see that all my body curves are filled in. I am also checking out the Ravelli by Restava as a cheaper alternative. They compare it to the grandbed, but it’s constructed differently. They use a “Rize” adjustable frame also, which I can’t seem to find many reviews on. The one thing that would push me to them would be the excellent BBB rating (A-) and slightly lower price than selectfoam (C rating). The gamble would be whether it’s feel is the same, worse or better than the grandbed.
In your opinion do you consider the pricier mattresses of these companies on the whole offer a true upgrade on durability and the three P’s (for most poeple) than their other models or is it more gimick and initial showroom feel to lure in the “get what you pay for” set?
I must say I’m amazed by your profound thoroughness and dedication to the subject!
Hi zman1,
The Select Foam is more of a “match” based on design, foam density, and feel while the Restava would be more of an “equivalent” in terms of softness / firmness and feel but not a match in design or foam density (see post #9 here about matching one mattress to another).
The Rize is made by Mantua Manufacturing (who also makes bedframes) and is interesting and somewhat unique because the top 2 models in the lineup have the ability to lower the foot of the adjustable to a lounging position and the top model also has 5 adjustable sections instead of just 4. You can see a video of the Rize Relaxer and the Rize Contemporary here. Other than that they have features that are similar to other adjustable bed brands and models and I would compare them feature by feature based on which features vs price are most important to you. The remote on the Relaxer looks exactly like the remote on the Reverie Deluxe so I don’t know if Reverie is involved in its manufacturing.
The single biggest factor in the durability or memory foam and polyfoam is foam density but there are also other variables involved in durability and the useful life of a mattress which you can read in post #4 here. All other factors being equal … higher foam densities trandlate into greater durability and longevity.
Foam quality, durability and PPP are not connected at all however. A mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it and any quality or density of foam can be made in soft or firm versions. You can’t “feel” the quality or durability of a foam. Even the cheapest foams and components can feel the same as higher quality materials in a showroom … and for a while after that … they just don’t maintain their “feel” and performance for as long. Foam softening that is common with low quality/density materials and the loss of comfort and/or support that goes with it is the reason most mattresses need to be replaced and this isn’t covered by a warranty.
If you are dealing with the same mattress manufacturer and seller the “value” of their mattresses will generally be fairly consistent across their entire lineup and budget range (higher priced mattresses will contain more costly materials) but when you are comparing different manufacturers or retailers then “value” can vary widely and it’s often the case that you can get much less than you pay for … particularly if they are major brands such as Tempurpedic.
Phoenix