Hi Soreshoulder,
IMO ⌠the real issue with the iComfort is not the foundation (thatâs easy to âfixâ with a different choice) but with the value of the mattresses they and all other major brands are selling to consumers. None of the major brands would be in business for very long if they began to disclose the quality and accurate specs of the materials that they were using in every layer of their mattress and consumers as a whole both knew about and were able to make meaningful comparisons with the many other options that are available from smaller manufacturers across the country.
In your first post you asked âŚ
Unfortunately in most cases you canât. Not only that but in many cases they wonât even tell you even more important information such as the density of the foams they use in each layer (which directly relates to quality and durability while ILD relates to softness/firmness and any quality of foam can be made softer and firmer).
If they did disclose the information that is really needed to determine the value and quality of any mattress and what its weak link might be (the part that wears out the fastest) ⌠they just wouldnât be able to compete with the smaller manufacturers who sell much higher quality mattresses at lower prices and do business based on local reputation and word of mouth rather than advertising stories ⌠most of which are misleading at best. The irony is that they have access to the same suppliers and materials as the major brands ⌠they just use higher quality, better construction methods, and sell them at lower prices all year long without any need to negotiate or haggle to get their best price.
There is no other important product that I know of (including cars) where consumers are willing to pay such a large amount on such a blind purchase with so little even basic knowledge and make their purchase based on advertising stories alone.
In the case of the iComfort insight ⌠you basically have a mattress with 2 3/4 inches of a 4 lb gel memory foam with particles of gel impregnated inside it which are not a part of the memory foam polymer structure (meaning the risk is good that like all particulate additives it may break down the structure of the base memory foam faster) and this is over a support foam that is 1.5 lbs which is lower quality and normally found in less expensive mattresses. For many it may feel great in the showroom ⌠but so will many other mattresses and do you really know how long an unknown foam like this will last? Is a very basic memory foam mattress like this really worth what you are paying for it? Have you compared it to other memory foam mattresses that use either the same or better quality materials? Most people that go into a chain store have no reference point with which to tell whether what they are being told about the âbenefitsâ of gel memory foam are true or what the claims are based on. What they are being told is all about perception, differentiation, and profit margin.
I have to admit that Serta has done a great job of marketing this mattress and raising awareness about gel materials in general (which have been in the market for some time) and this is clearly their strong point. They really did hit a home run with their marketing but unfortunately consumers are the âother teamâ. Many other manufacturers including many smaller manufacturers across the country are now also coming out with different versions of gel materials and combinations (including various methods of including it in memory foam) and some of these are almost certainly better than the type of gel application used by Serta. They will also likely sell for a lower price ⌠but consumers in their advertising induced confusion will probably continue buying a lower quality mattress at a higher price just because the major retailers carry them and like the profit margin they provide.
Almost all high quality memory foam mattresses have a .75 warranty but even this is mostly meaningless because long after a memory foam or even polyfoam is too soft to sleep on it still wonât usually have an impression deep enough to be covered by a warranty. Warranties are primarily a sales tool used as a closing technique and/or to alter consumer perceptions of quality rather than a legitimate protection against the most common failures of most mattresses.
The closest factory direct manufacturers along with some of the retail options and possibilities in the area that I would consider (assuming they are willing and able to provide you with the details of what is in their mattresses) are listed in post #6 here.
It may well be worth a few calls to see what they offer that may âcompeteâ with the iComfort in terms of value and your own comfort.
Overall though if you do decide to go with memory foam or the iComfort you are wise to only consider relatively thinner layers of memory foam because of your back issues. Memory foam is a non supportive material (which is why itâs never used in the support layers) and thicker layers can aggravate back issues caused by poor alignment in many cases. It may also be worth testing other latex mattresses at these local manufacturers just to make sure how you feel about it mainly because Sleep Options isnât really what I would call a latex mattress (it has some Dunlop layers).
There are always online options if your local choices are more limited but at least you have a couple of options for comparison that are within a reasonable driving distance or at least worth a phone call before you âpull the triggerâ in the next 24 hours or so :).
Phoenix
