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

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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532

HI Phoenix,

Thank you for your reply.

Well, my husband and I have slowly been enjoying our own personal ‘lie in.’ We’ve started to visit a number of the places you listed on your site - thank you for that, by the way! And thanks to your extensive tutorial on support layers, comfort layers etc., I understand one heck of a lot more than I did before even though my head is still spinning.

But what do you do when you get to a location and find you like the beds. But you also find them a bit too soft and the individual won’t give more information as to construction? Went to Flexus and met a charming gentleman who was not the owner. He readily told me the inches in each layer (two latex mattresses and 1 innerspring with latex), but when I asked about latex density and for information about the innersprings, I was told they didn’t give out that information.

I’m trying to educate myself and figure out what possible variation would make my cranky back happier. How in the heck am I going to be able to compare and understand what the heck I want?

I intend to try to reach the owner on Monday, but…?

HOWEVER, I was able to mention the words Dunlop and Talalay with confidence. Yippee!!

We also visited Melvin Custom last week and had a delightful visit. But I’d REALLY have to know what I want in density and construction before going again. But their card has been tucked into my wallet for future reference just in case since my husband is really ‘getting into this’…he’s wondering if we should tear down the iComfort Genius and ‘reconstruct.’

Uh…probably not the best idea in the world. But it might be better than the other one he’s got. It goes something like:

  1. F[nd another bed I like, place it on platform base and add sheets.
  2. Take iComfort, strip off sheets.
  3. Take a BIG can of black spray paint and write words on mattress to allow the world to have some sense of how we feel about this bed.
  4. Place inscribed mattress in back of truck, take it to a major on-ramp on our busy 101 freeway.
  5. Superglue and chain it to a large metal light pole.
    In this position, it would allow several thousand consumers ‘delightful’ reading material as they’re waiting in line, inching their way up to the on-ramp. He wants to make sure we choose a ‘2 cars per green’ on-ramp, to maximize exposure to the ‘message.’
533

Hi CalGal,

Latex density is not a “quality spec” and has nothing to do with the quality of the material. Density is a quality spec that is relevant with polyfoam and memory foam. Your body and careful and objective testing will tell you whether a mattress design is suitable for your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). If a mattress is too soft (either in the comfort layers or the support layers) and compromises your alignment then I would look at a mattress where your alignment is better and the layers are firmer.

I would be surprised if they didn’t give you basic information about their innersprings (such as the type of spring they use and some of the basic specs). If you talk with Henry the owner they will probably provide you with this information although it won’t be nearly as meaningful in terms of PPP as your own personal testing.

The most effective approach is to use your testing for deciding on which mattress provides the best PPP rather than “comfort specs” and then make sure that all the layers are good quality (based on "quality specs) so that you are confident your mattress doesn’t have any “weak links” in its construction in terms of durability and you can make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses.

Again … I would keep in mind that when you are testing a mattress locally that density is only important to know when you are looking at memory foam or polyfoam because the density of these types of foam is the single biggest factor in it’s quality and durability. With latex the type and blend of the latex is the most important information that differentiates one type of latex from another and the density of latex is more closely connected to its softness/firmness.

That’s too funny

I hope you share some pictures with the forum :slight_smile:

Phoenix

534

Hi again, Phoenix! As I’m typing this I’m happily stretched out on my new, beautiful, comfortable latex mattress, and my back loves it!!!

I adore it so much so, that I’m dragging people I know in - especially if they’ve got back issues - to come and spend some time flat on their backs on my bed so they can also experience ‘a slice of heaven.’

I really can’t express to you just what a change my sleep patterns have undergone since my mattress arrived about a week-and-a-half ago. It’s a joy to sleep through the night without waking up in pain every few hours. I’m still rehabbing the back, but I think I’m going to have an easier time of it now.

I went back and worked with Henry at Flexus. He took the time and trouble of putting up with my enormous amount of questions. He also spent I can’t tell you just how much time to change both the support and the comfort layers time-and-time-again in different combinations until we found one that was perfect.

Thank you so VERY, VERY much!

535

Hi CalGal,

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with Flexus.

It seems that it took some doing but you were fortunate to be working with someone that was willing to go above and beyond to help you find your perfect mattress and it’s great to see that you were so successful.

I’m thrilled that the site could help you and of course most of all … congratulations on your new mattress.

Phoenix

PS: I switched your post to a new thread so it would be easier to find for others who were considering visiting Henry and Flexus.

536

Hello Phoenix,

I was reading older post here where you were positive with the Europa model from IBC. Corsicana bought up IBC and now have a model my rep claims is the same as the previous one by IBC. Here is the specs Europa - The Ultimate Gel-Microcoil Hybrid Mattress

It features a quad micro coil system in the middle with the gel foam layer at the top. I was wondering if you had any information on the current model.

537

Hi ekoretz,

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place I would start your research is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice.

While it’s true that SleepInc (owned by the same owner as Corsicana) purchased most of the IBC assets after their bankruptcy (see here) … this doesn’t mean that their mattresses will be the same outside of recycling the name and it’s always a good idea to make sure you do some careful and objective testing for PPP to make sure that the mattress is a good “match” for your body type and sleeping positions and to make sure you know the specifics of all the layers in the mattress so you can make sure there are no obvious weak links in the mattress. This would apply equally to when the mattresses in the IBC Europa line were available and when you are purchasing a mattress now. The brand name or the name of the model makes little difference because a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it regardless of the manufacturer’s name on the cover and knowing the quality of all the layers and components so you can identify any weak links in the mattress and make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses is an important part of any informed purchase.

The IBC Europa line had many mattresses including several versions of the Intrigue model which included two 3.5" microcoils and some 5 lb memory foam (see here as an example) vs the Corsicana Europa which has one 3.5" microcoil over a polyfoam base layer and with a 1" layer of memory foam and a 2" layer of polyfoam on top of it. The listing doesn’t include the quality/density of the polyfoam base layer or the polyfoam and gel memory foam layers on top of the microcoil (which are especially important in terms of the durability of the mattress) and I would want to know this before considering it. While the microcoil is a good quality component if the memory foam or polyfoam on top of it are lower density then they would be the weak link of the mattress and I would avoid it unless you can confirm the quality of the layers. I would use 4 lb density or higher as a minimum guideline for the gel memory foam and 1.8 lb density as a minimum guideline for the polyfoam. If only the 1" of gel memory foam is below the guidelines then it wouldn’t be as big an issue in terms of durability if the polyfoam was good quality/density.

Phoenix

538

Wow, great thread, glad I found it. My Wife and I are shopping for a new mattress and were reading that the Icomfort or the 10" gel serta mattress was a good bet. I guess it pays to research. We did try the Original Mattress Factory and their Latex offering actually wasn’t as comfy as their memory foam option.

Plus they use the cheap poly foam on top. The only place around me (Mentor, Ohio 44060) that sells what I’m finding to be good latex mattresses is naturalbedco but I’m reading that they are priced on the high side. My Wife will not allow me to buy without trying them out, so buying through the mail, sight unseen is not an option.
ADMIN NOTE:Retired Website | Archived Footprint: naturalbedco.com/

Any opinion on the Original Mattress Factory? Thanks again.

Steve

539

Hi desmoface,

You’ve probably seen this but some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Cleveland area are listed in post #2 here.

You can read more about Naturalbedco in post #3 here. They used to sell their own mattresses which had some very good value along with Savvy Rest which were more costly but I’m not sure if their own mattresses are still available (the page that listed them seems to be gone).

They also make some good quality and value mattresses including their new Serenity latex hybrid mattress. You can see some of my comments about it in post #3 here. The polyfoam they use in the support core is also a good quality material and it’s also two sided (see post #3 here).

Phoenix

540

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks for the advice. I’m going to stop up to Metro Home and check out the paramount latex models.

Steve

541

I love that I found this website! I did a lot of reading, but like someone above said, not all 36 pages. :blink: I would really appreciate your opinion on my question because you seem to know your stuff. I know your opinion of big chain mattress stores, but hear me out. We went into our local Mattress Firm today because we have been thinking about getting a memory foam mattress for quite some time. I have a herniated disc and other joint /arthritis issues, so my 10 year old Springair pillow top mattress isn’t cutting the mustard anymore. We’ve looked around before, but never bought anything because of high prices and ignorance on the subject. I saw a video online today about the cooling gel and how it can degrade over time, so the I comforts are out. They had all 3 models of their Yu Me mattresses on clearance today. The “softest” model was the most expensive, at $2000.00. The firm felt too firm for me, but the medium level felt just right. (like Goldilocks!) My main question is this : do you think $1800.00 is a reasonable price for the Yu Me (it is virtually impossible to find any reviews for this product!) AND, would you get a floor model? The medium firmness one felt, to me, like it would last longer, plus, it’s the only model with a Talalay layer in the middle. Plus, considering the original price on these mattresses, $1800.00 seems like such a good buy. It’s also temperature controlled on each side. Thanks in advance for your help!

542

Hi mm1968,

A mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials and components inside it so without knowing the specific quality of all the layers in the YuME mattress (especially the upper layers) so I could identify any weak links in the mattress or make meaningful comparisons to other mattresses there is really no way to make any meaningful comments about it. I personally wouldn’t consider it at $1800 or even half the price unless I know the quality of all the layers and materials in the mattress. Would you consider a mattress where the odds were high that foam softening can lead to the loss of comfort and support and the need to replace the mattress in just a very few years when foam softening isn’t covered by warranty? The risk would be much too high for me.

While a floor model may be good value and the reduced price may be well worth giving up the warranty with a mattress that you know has no weak links and uses all good quality and durable materials … I wouldn’t consider it for a mattress that was a blind purchase or that used lower quality materials unless it was for a guest bedroom or temporary use where quality and durability wasn’t a significant factor in the purchase.

Phoenix

543

Hi Phoenix,

I have stumbled upon this great website and decided to register as a member. My wife and I have been spending the past week trying to find the right mattress. We are looking to upgrade to a King from a Queen. The reason I posted in this topic is that the mattress that we seem to like the best so far is the IComfort Genius. I have read several of the posts on this topic and I see that the IComfort is over priced and over rated. We do feel we want a memory foam mattress and like the feel of the Genius and also looked at the Sealy Optimum Radiance. I sleep on my stomach and my wife on her side and I also have back issues along with arthritis in both knees. We live in Illinois about 45 minutes south of Chicago. We have become so overwhelmed Do you have any suggestions as to where we should turn? I know it has been mentioned to look at factory direct manufacturers. Do you have any suggestions that you might be. Able to recommend. Thank you very much!

544

Hi Dandsking,

In case you haven’t read it yet … the first place I would start is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and avoid the worse ones.

Post #2 and #4 here include the better options I’m aware of in the Chicago area and if I was in reasonable driving distance I would make sure to include Quality Sleep / My Green Mattress which are one of the members here and compete well with the best in the industry in terms of the quality and value of the mattresses they make.

Phoenix

545

This is all very useful information! I have been trolling your mattress forum for an hour or so looking for information to solve our issue. We just purchased an icomfort genius and after trying it out for two nights, my ribcage and hip hurt and I toss and turn all night. I am a thin person and I don’t feel like it conforms to my body much at all. It’s as hard to sleep on as the ground when camping. I did hear from some sources that there is a “break-in” period with this mattress and notice that you mention it in several posts, but why can’t I get a consistent story about this from Serta? I called them and they said on the phone and on their website that this particular foam doesn’t require a break-in period. But then the guy on the phone backtracked and said to try walking on it to soften it up. Isn’t this a breaking in of some kind? The one we tried in the store did not feel this hard or we wouldn’t have purchased it. Mattress purchasing is so complicated! thanks!

546

Hi kiquali,

The Genius is rated as the firmest of the iComfort mattresses and would typically be too firm for most side sleepers who need more cushioning under their pressure points. I think that you may have chosen a mattress that isn’t suitable for your body type and sleeping position so the first suggestion I would make if it’s possible would be to choose a mattress that is more suitable for your body type and sleeping position.

All foam materials will break in and soften to different degrees in the initial weeks or months of use and this will be followed by a more gradual softening over longer periods of time and then by the breakdown of the material itself (see post #4 here).

A bigger issue though with the iComfort Genius though is its construction. The layers include …

2.75" of 4 lb gel memory foam
2" of 1.3 lb polyfoam (this is a very firm foam that is part of why the mattress is so firm)
6" of 1.5 lb polyfoam support layer.

Serta rates this as a 3 which is the firmest mattress in the iComfort line (although some people “feel” that the insight is firmer) but a big part of the firmness comes from the very firm but low quality 2" layer of polyfoam under the memory foam. Because this is very low quality/density material it will soften and break down relatively quickly (compared to higher density/quality polyfoam) so if a mattress has been in a store for a long time it will feel softer than a new mattress and a consumer will receive a new mattress that feels much firmer.

On the other hand if the floor model is fairly new then the new mattress that a consumer receives will feel close to the same but over time it will soften and break down relatively quickly and can develop “virtual impressions” or soft spots that aren’t visible and aren’t covered by warranty.

The problem with foam softening of a deeper layer like this is that the softening will happen unevenly and will be more under the heavier areas of the body so it can lead to the loss of support under the pelvis and alignment issues (such as lower back discomfort and pain) and it may not soften enough under the lighter parts of the body that need more pressure relief (such as the shoulders for side sleepers).

The use of lower quality materials that will soften or break down more rapidly is one of the biggest issues with the major brands and the reason I suggest that they all be avoided (along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the quality of the materials inside it).

Mainly because “marketing stories” are what sells mattresses and the larger manufacturers don’t have any real interest in providing more meaningful information about the quality of their materials to consumers. In most cases the smaller manufacturers who are more directly accountable to their customers and who “want” their customers to be able to make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses are the ones that will “educate” their customers and provide meaningful information about their mattresses that allow their customers to make more informed choices. You can read more about this in this article and in post #12 here.

To get to your main question though … if you can’t exchange the mattress for another one that has softer and more pressure relieving comfort layers and hopefully better quality materials (or get a refund and start all over again looking for a more suitable and better quality/value mattress) … then a topper can be a good choice for a mattress that needs thicker or softer comfort layer and additional pressure relief as long as the mattress is still in good condition and doesn’t already have any soft spots or impressions in the sleeping surface.

If you do decide to go in this direction then the topper guidelines in post #3 here and the posts it links to can help you decide which thickness and type of topper may be most suitable for you.

Phoenix

547

Hi All,

We have interesting deal on a queen size iComfort Genius 11 inch Memory Foam mattress. From what I’ve read in this forum, it sounds Serta mattresses are considered overpriced given the construction.

In this case I’m deciding whether or not to buy a Macy’s floor model (they are selling off all their 2013 beds). They are selling the mattress and the adjustable bed for $650.

What do you think? Does this make the deal worthwhile? Or is the iComfort Genius worth avoiding at all costs?

548

Hi CDub,

You can read a little more about the Genius in post #542 here.

As you can see it has a weak link which is the 2" of low quality polyfoam underneath the top layer of gel particle memory foam.

If the mattress you tested has been broken in then a new Genius will likely be firmer than the one you tested and if the mattress you tested was new then the mattress you buy will be similar but likely soften under the heavier parts of your body fairly quickly and these “virtual impressions” aren’t covered by a warranty.

I personally wouldn’t buy a mattress with an obvious weak link even in your budget range when there are good quality options available to you in the same budget range that don’t have a weak link. No matter what you pay for a mattress … if it loses its comfort and/or support in a relatively short period of time and you you need to buy a new mattress (or need to “tolerate” the old one and pay the price of pain, discomfort, or lower quality of sleep) then even with the discount it would have little value to you.

Having said all that … and assuming that you have done some careful and objective testing on the Genius using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post and it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP (at least for now) … if the price you mentioned includes an electric adjustable bed then it may be worth considering for the adjustable bed alone (depending on the size you are looking at and which adjustable bed is included in the price).

Phoenix

549

Phoenix,

I wish I had found this site and your posts before I bought a mattress. Your posts are excellent. Having said that, I just purchased a icomfort genius for $1700. After reading your posts it would appear that I have made a giant mistake.

However I was wondering if you could advise me on how to make this mattress last. I am already considering putting a high quality memory foam, latex, or some type of topper. Do you have a suggestion for what type of topper I could look at preferably one that is high density/quality like you recommend but also is cooler?

When we were at the store I made the calculation that we would like something on the firmer side however the Savant felt perfect. I figured it wouldn’t feel perfect for long and after reading your posts you confirmed my suspicion. That being said I was wondering if you think that by obtaining the proper mattress topper we could not only increase the longevity of the bed but also make it feel like the savant?

I would like to just return the mattress and get something else however it is too late for that now and the store I am working with only sells Serta products, so to return a crappy mattress for another crappy mattress doesn’t sound good. Besides you can only exchange for something of equal or more value (these mattress salesman really work you over). We would have just bought the mattresses at costco had we known.

thanks,
Tony

550

Hi Reb_enfilade,

Any topper can increase the useful life of a mattress underneath it to varying degrees (depending on the specifics of the mattress and the topper) because it will take up some of the compression forces that are the main cause for foam softening and breakdown in the upper layers of a mattress. Since a topper will generally soften or break down faster than the mattress underneath it … a topper also has the advantage that you can replace it without having to replace the entire mattress.

More important than making the mattress last longer though is making sure that a mattress/topper combination is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) because there is little point in having a long lasting sleeping system if you can’t sleep well on it. The main reason to choose a topper would be to add additional pressure relief and comfort to a mattress that is otherwise too firm and any additional longevity would be a side effect of the process.

There is more about trying to “match” one mattress to another one in post #9 here but the Genius and the Savant are two completely different mattress designs with different combinations of materials so you won’t be able to “match” the Genius to the Savant unless you were to remove the top layers in the Genius (the layers over the support core which are the same in both) and replace them with the same type and thickness of materials in the Savant which of course isn’t possible.

Rather than trying to “match” another mattress … I would focus on choosing a topper that in combination with your mattress has the best chance of providing you with the additional softness and pressure relief that you need and I would use the information in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to to help you use your actual sleeping experience on the Genius to help you decide on how much additional softness, thickness, and pressure relief you need so that your sleeping system will be a good match for you in terms of PPP. Because there are so many variables involved and because the only way to know for certain that a mattress/topper combination will work well for you is based on your actual sleeping experience, it can sometimes take some trial and error to choose a topper that is the best match for a specific mattress and person so the return and exchange policy for a topper purchase may also be an important part of your choice so that if the topper you choose doesn’t work as well as you hoped it would you still have the option to exchange it for another one.

If you seem to prefer the feel of sleeping on memory foam (based on the mattress you purchased) … then it would make sense to purchase a memory foam topper so that your sleeping surface has the “feel” that you prefer and it may also be worth considering a gel memory foam which will tend to have a faster response than most non gel memory foams.

Phoenix

551

Phoenix thank you for the response and good information. I think that we are in need of the 2 inch foam as we still like it firm etc. In the post I was not able to find anything about temperature. Based on the mattress toppers mentioned in the “Foam Factory…#4” post I was wondering which option sleeps the coolest:

  1. Latex
  2. Shredded Latex
  3. Polyfoam
  4. Memory Foam
  5. Gel Foam
  6. column gel

What out of these options is the top three coolest? Is there a particular brand that is known for making a good cooler mattress topper?

I admire that in the one post that lady was able to get a refund. I am not sure if that is possible as the sales lady said to us when we bought it no refunds… exchanges only. So we bought the firmest icomfort mattress. But it sounds like the layer that is responsible for the firmness is going to give out quickly due to its lack of density. Sad!! Serta really needs to work on quality. They are big company and have the money to do so. There is no excuse for this.

thanks,
-Tony