The Serta iComfort mattress ... what's the buzz

[phoenix]

Hi k_bed,

Seems like sort of scare campaign is running here, so I decide to make some comments to balance it out.

If you call a campaign for transparency in the industry a “scare campaign” then so be it but my definition is certainly different :).

Either way though … I certainly intend to continue with helping to educate people about how to tell quality from marketing stories … and there is a great deal of support both from consumers and from many retailers and manufacturers who are sincerely tired of the deceptive practices, claims, and marketing that are so endemic in the industry and the overall direction of the “dominant players” in the industry itself.

First of all info about iComfort Prodigy mattress construction is either incorrect or obsolete. I was able to remove the cover by simple unzipping it and see how its actually built:

1st layer from the top - cool comfort memory foam with gel (blue one)
2nd layer from the top - latex
3rd layer from the top - some generic foam
4th layer from the top - springs with some foam on edges

This is actually not correct. You can see the layering of the Prodigy in post #11 here which is confirmed on the Serta website here (click on more info under Prodigy). The only difference is that I’ve added the quality specs of each layer which Serta doesn’t include (for obvious reasons). None of the iComfort models have any innersprings in them (you are confusing the iComfort with the iSeries).

Secondly I tested the mattress and few more in the shop at the time for quite a few hours, more than 4 actually. Trying to sleep on the back and on the side. This mattress, after all that testing, felt almost the best. Others tested where few Tempurs (slightly better, but much more expensive), other top iComfort mattress (without springs, cannot remember the name, similar, nuance differences), all sort of top gel mattress including honey-comb layer (ok, but mostly hot). Again, from all of the testing at the time iComfort Prodigy felt very reasonable, cool to lay on and being priced ok, not cheap but not 3-5k as some Tempurs.

I don’t think that anyone would deny that the iComfort (or other low quality or low value mattresses) can feel great in a showroom. If you’d read a lot of the information on the site you would know that you can’t “feel” quality and that even low quality materials (like some of those used in the Serta iComfort series) can feel great in a showroom. They just don’t last as long as higher quality materials and the loss of comfort and support is not covered by a warranty. At least the Prodigy has good quality memory foam in the top layer and good quality slow recovery latex in the next layer down before you get to the gel memory foam and the lower quality support layers.

Of course none of this takes into account that there are many mattresses that use the same or higher quality materials that can feel and perform in a very similar way, will last longer, and are much lower in cost and better value. If you are happy with the quality of the materials in your mattress then so be it … but that doesn’t mean that others need to settle for the same.

• I had some experience with better and worse spring mattresses with all sort of pillow tops. Most of them will break after 2-3 years and has to be disregarded. This one on the other hand, assuming that warranty is so deceiving as being suggested here, simply can be unzipped, top layer replace, then zipped back and all like new.

If you are buying mainstream mattresses with “weak links” of low quality materials in the comfort layers then this of course would be true. This doesn’t mean though that every manufacturer uses materials that will break down this quickly. You are also correct that a zip cover can be an easy way to do mattress surgery and replace layers that break down too quickly but it would be nice if they were higher quality and value in the first place. Many manufacturers make mattresses where the layers can be exchanged or even split from side to side inside a zip cover and this is becoming a more popular option. Why pay this kind of money though for materials though that are lower quality (or overpriced) compared to many other options that are available for those who know where to look. Warranties also have exclusions which protect the manufacturer and they don’t cover foam softening and the loss of comfort and support which is the main reason people need to replace a mattress. While it’s great to be able to replace the top layer … this isn’t a warranty exchange. You can see more thoughts about warranties in post #174 here.

Overall you are confusing how you feel on the mattress with quality (like many of the reviews on the internet) and the two are completely independent. Quality is all about how long the features of the mattress you like will last. A piece of furniture made from particle board and covered with veneer can perform the same functions as real wood … it just won’t last as long and nobody would willingly pay real wood prices for particle board (at least I hope they wouldn’t)

It’s great that you found a mattress that you like … but the fact remains that the materials inside it don’t justify the price you paid. If you had other alternatives that used much longer lasting materials and sold for much better prices … would you really still buy the iComfort knowing that the materials inside it just don’t measure up to meaningful comparisons with better mattresses made by smaller independent or local local manufacturers.

Do you really believe that knowing what is inside a mattress you buy and the quality of the materials is a “scare campaign”. Would you really rather the mainstream mattress industry maintains the lack of disclosure about the quality of materials and the marketing practices they use. Is it possible that you are just justifying a mattress purchase that was made before you knew how to tell the difference between better and worse quality materials (like particle board and wood)?.

Thanks for your comments but I think that they are not based on any factual information about either mattresses or the industry and rather than adding “balance” they lead more in the direction of maintaining the status quo and an ongoing trend towards lower quality, higher prices, and misleading information that has gone on for long enough.

Phoenix