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

phoenix, we just visited Jamestown mattress. Can you give us your opinion on the Strata?

Hi rymas,

I’m not exactly sure what you are asking. I think very highly of Jamestown and the quality and value of all the mattresses they build in each budget range. You could buy any mattress they sell and it would be better quality and value than a similar priced mattress in most other outlets or chain stores. A manufacturer tends to have similar value across their entire line although the quality or materials goes up with the prices.

It uses 1.5 and 1.8 lb polyfoam and 4 lb memory foam which would be better quality materials than many other mattresses in a similar budget range elsewhere (and sometimes better than mattresses in a much higher range) but not the same quality/durability as higher priced mattresses they sell. I personally would tend to avoid polyfoam except in base layers and thinner comfort or quilting layers and prefer specialty foams like latex but I also realize that this can put a mattress outside of many peoples budget and then it’s important to find the best quality you can inside your budget range. I also don’t know the price of the mattress so I can’t really speak to any specifics of “value” without this as well.

If you are asking if it may be suitable for your needs and preferences, they would probably be the best ones to ask because they can see how you respond to the mattress in person and in real time while my thoughts would be more “theory at a distance” which is far less accurate. I’d be happy to share my thoughts about this though but I would need to know the details of your experience on the mattress in the specific terms of pressure relief, posture and alignment, and your preferences and how the mattress “matched” your needs and preferences in each area.

I hope this answered your question but if not … then if you can make your question more specific I’d be happy to give you my thoughts.

Phoenix

Phoenix,

This thread has been really helpful and I wish I would have come across it two weeks ago.

My girlfriend and I purchased the icomfort two weeks ago. We got the kingsize and got the middle version in regards to firmness. We have now slept on it for a week and we just don’t see what all the high remarks are for from other review sites. This is what lead me to this site. Ive been reading reviews because i am not overly impressed and came across this helpful thread.

I toss and turn a lot and the idea of a bed conforming to my body sounded great. After reading this, I now want to return this set especially if I overpaid on it (1699.00). My concern is I can not get a refund so I will probably have to swap it out. I bought it at rooms to go. Would you have any recommendations on any other mattress set that rooms to go carries?

Hi Colby,

There are two general groups of “specs” that are an important part of mattress shopping. The first is quality and value specs and they have to do with the quality and durability of the materials in a mattress and amount of more costly materials that justifies higher prices. The law tag only lists the category of materials by percentage of weight but it says nothing about the quality of the materials used. For example … polyurethane foam can be really poor quality or very high quality but it will only say polyurethane foam (just like a wood product could be particle board or more expensive hardwood). Memory foam (viscoelastic foam) is the same and has many different types and quality levels. This means that a consumer is at the mercy of the willingness of the mattress manufacturer or retailer to disclose the quality of the materials they use. This unfortunately is sometimes difficult or impossible with the major brands (and others as well) or the larger mass market retail outlets. Consumers who buy thes brands or from these outlets will usually buy a mattress that they have no idea of the quality and durability of the materials inside the mattress and will tend to believe the marketing stories that are “attached” to the mattress.

The second type of specs could be loosely called “comfort specs” and these have to do more with the suitability of a mattress for each particular person. These are the types of specs such as foam ILD (softness firmness levels) that have more to do with the pressure relief and support of a mattress and are not nearly as important because these qualities can be tested for in a store and personal testing is more accurate in this case than material specs.

In general (and there are exceptions) … smaller local or regional manufacturers will tend to use higher quality materials in their mattresses at similar price points than major brands and will also tend to be more open about the materials they use. The retailer may still not be willing or able to disclose these (because it would take away from their marketing stories that they use to sell mattresses) but in some cases the information is available if a consumer either “pushes” or phones the manufacturer of the mattress directly. It can be very frustrating to jump through all the hoops that it sometimes takes to find out the kind of basic information that should be readily available or to spend the hours of online research into conflicting information and claims to find accurate and meaningful information. Most consumers just “give up” (or don’t even know how to determine quality in the first place) and just buy a mattress based on the marketing information and are left with a feeling that they still really don’t know what to believe or have any meaningful information about what they bought. The mattress industry has often been “unfavorably” compared to the used car industry.

In the case of Rooms to go … they sell mostly mainstream brands (such as Simmons, Sealy, which also owns Stearns and Foster, Serta, and Tempurpedic) which all either don’t easily disclose some or all of the “quality specs” of their mattresses or if they do to some degree (like Tempurpedic) the specs make it fairly obvious that the mattress has poor value compared to other mattresses with similar quality materials. They try to offset this with marketing programs and techniques that attempt to convince consumers that “their version” of a particular material is better than other versions with the same “quality specs”. Because they were really the only game in town with memory foam for so long … they have been quite successful and many consumers believe this even though for many years now high quality alternatives that are equivalent have been available. Until recently, their marketing has been a model for “loyalty marketing” regardless of the facts behind the claims.

There is one “kind of” exception at Rooms to go and this is Carolina Mattress Guild. They are a mid sized wholesale manufacturer that tends to use higher quaity materials in therir mattresses compared to larger alternative brands in each budget range. While it would still be difficult to find out all the “quality specs” of their mattresses because both manufacturers and especially retailers are not geared towards providing “real” information and are dependent on marketing information to sell mattresses … at least the odds are much better and in your favor that at comparable price points their mattresses will have better quality and value than the other brands they carry.
ADMIN NOTE:Retired Website | Archived Footprint:carolinamattressguild.com/

The models that they list online are here but you would still need to test the mattresses to find out which are most suitable for you in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences). Just because a mattress is higher quality or has a higher price doesn’t mean that it is a suitable construction type (comfort specs) for a particular indivdual. Even the highest priced version though is less than the iComfort (insight?) that you purchased which is the “bottom” of the iComfort line.
ADMIN NOTE:Retired Website | Archived Footprint:roomstogo.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=searchResults&refineType=1&sub_attr_name=Specialty%20Brand&refineValue=Carolina&refine=1&history=22rjxorx%7CsubCategoryName%7EBedding%5Ecategory%7E22%5EcategoryName%7Ecategory%5Froot%5EprodPage%7E12%5Epage%7ESEARCH%252BNAV%5Ewebsite%7ERTG%5Eprice%5Fregion%7EPRICE%5FFL%5EREGION%7EFL%40hrrcjsoi%7Ccanned%5Fresults%5Ftrigger%7E%2528attribute%5Fvalue%5Fnested%253Dcategory%5Froot%253D%2528%2Bcategory%5Fx3D%5FBedding%2529%2528%2Bcategory%5Froot%2529%2528%2B%5Fx32%5F2%2529%2529%2528attribute%5Fvalue%5Fstring%253Dsiteid%253D%2528%2Bsiteid%5Fx3D%5FRTG%2529%2528%2Bsiteid%2529%2528%2BRTG%2529%2529%2528attribute%5Fvalue%5Fstring%253DREGION%253D%2528%2BREGION%5Fx3D%5FFL%2529%2528%2BREGION%2529%2528%2BFL%2529%2529&ViewAll

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I’m back after questing around for a mattress. I got a hold of the factory in Conover, NC that produces mattresses for The Rocky Mountain Mattress Company, the factory itself was closed all last week for the July 4th holiday. So I was anticipating a drive up to Conover, which is about an hour and a bit from my house, but lo-and-behold Todd, the sales rep for the factory, said they have mattress for sale at Lake Mattress in Mooresville, which isn’t too far from where I work. So I quested up there yesterday and found some interesting items.

So the first set I liked were the same mattresses, just the covers are different. It’s the Supreme Original, shown here:

ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: lakemattress.biz/memoryfoammattress.html

One had a .25" bamboo cover, and another had a .75" quilted Cool Max Cover. Both have a 3" 4lb memory foam layer up top with 1.5" of Air Flow foam and then a 5" flexpoly base foam. I did ask the nice sales lady about 4 and 5 lb foam and she said that since they make all their mattresses, then yes indeed I could upgrade that 4lb memory foam layer to a more dense 5lb layer for a small upcharge, which I would most definitely do. Both were very comfortable and the price was right too, around 960$ for the mattress and foundation.

Next, was the Supreme Rhapsona, which is listed on the link above, again another total memory foam mattress. This one has the .25" bamboo cover, then 5 inches of memory foam (2" of 4lb and 3" of 5lb, which again I would get upgraded to all 5lb foam), and then 7" of the flexpoly base foam. About 1520 for the set. This was really comfortable with all that memory foam and since you are right next to the memory foam, it did have that “sinking-in” feeling which I totallly like.

And finally, the Comfort Lux, which is shown here:

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It has a 1.5" bamboo layer, then 2" of 4lb memory foam and 2" of 5lb memory foam, which of course I would upgrade. Then it has 6" of Talalay latex 40IFD, which makes this bed a hybrid. I really like this one, probably because of the 1.5" bamboo layer it was even softer than the Rhapsona. But I do worry that the 1.5" layer would compress over time and I wouldn’t get good value with this mattress. This was of course the most expensive at 1839 for the set.

Any thoughts and/or opinions on these options? Any feedback would be most welcomed. I’m personally leaning towards the Rhapsona, I feel it’s a good middle value mattress (esp with the 5" of 5lb memory foam) that should last a while.

Hey Phoenix again,

BTW I did try one of their all-latex mattresses and WOW it was SPRINGY! I think it was the Natural Luxury Mattress shown here:

WAY too springy I got on it and literally almost bounced off of it. So that was out!

I also tried the gel-comfort mattresses, one of them here on this page:

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Not sure which one, but the one I did try was way to firm it felt like a brick underneath me. Not good.

So it’s either a memory foam (5lb) or hybrid bed for me!

Thanks!
Mike

Hi mikey,

I can see you are not a fan of more resilient foams :slight_smile:

The page lists quite a range of “comfort levels” so this may be that you just tried one of the firmer versions.

That sounds like a good choice as long as the 5 lb memory foam is not as firm as the gel foam. The feel and firmness of a memory foam mattress will have partly to do with the type of 5 lb memory foam used and also the layering of the mattress and what is either above or below the memory foam.

At least you know that you like “slower recovery” materials which is a good step.

Phoenix

New here so maybe have missed something already. Am shopping for a new mattress. I find the memory foam ones are too HOT and your skin almost feels like it is burning. I have heard that Latex is cool, is this really true. I called a mattress store this morning and he told me there is a new thing out Gel Memory Foam and it is not hot. I looked online and find that it is somewhat better but some still have trouble with it being warm! I live in Alberta Canada so maybe you can’t help me but wondering where the best place to buy a Latex foam mattress is and is that the best to buy?? Some say you shoud buy a flipable mattress. This same salesman this morning told me you can’t buy that kind of mattress any more but I don’t believe him?? Also seem pillow top and euro top break down and shift. HELP just too many out there. Any help would be welcome it seems that mattresses are way overpriced but maybe I am wrong.

Hi mopeede,

there are basically three types of foam used in mattresses which are memory foam (gel foam is a type of memory foam), polyurethane foam, and latex. Of the three, memory foam is the warmest, polyurethane is next, and latex is the coolest of the foams.

There are many variations in each type of foam but memory foam by it’s nature will be warmer because the cells are more densely packed and with less resilient foams that “absorb” more energy and don’t “bounce back” like more resilient foams … mechanical energy is turned to some degree into heat energy. Some of the newer generation memory foams and gel memory foam are “less warm” but still not as breathable or cool as most polyfoam or latex.

There are also many factors besides just the foams used that can influence sleeping temperature and some of them are mentioned in post #2 here. Some of the ways that are being used to cool down memory foam are discussed in Post #6 here.

So to some degree has tried to sell you a bill of goods. Gel memory foam is a step in a better direction but is only one piece of the puzzle and there is more hype than substance in the stories that are attached to it. Flippable mattresses are also widely available but not generally in the chain stores or with major brands who tend to use less expensive materials and sell them at higher prices. The reason that pillowtops and eurotops often break down is because of the use of lower density/quality polyfoam in the upper layers. If a pillowtop or eurotop had latex or higher quality foam … they wouldn’t have these common issues to nearly the same degree.

If you read the overviews in the “mattresses” section of the site it will give you some basic information that will help you ask better questions and also help you know when someone is “educating” you or “selling” you.

There is a longer article here about the pros and cons of latex and it is one of the highest quality mattress materials available but each person has their own unique needs and preferences so there is no “should and shouldn’t” in terms of materials . … only preferences

I would suggest first reading this article which will help you avoid most of the worst choices and hopefully keep you away from major brands and chain stores and other mass market outlets where you will tend to hear these types of “stories”.

There are some good choices in Alberta and if you are in Edmonton post #136 here may help and if you are in Calgary … then post #2 here may help. two of our manufacturing members are there and like all the members here carry great quality and value mattresses and would be the first place I would visit.

If you are somewhere else in Alberta … let me know.

Phoenix

Wow Phoenix thanks so much for your help! Is there anything in Red Deer Alberta. I will study what you have written and read all the other things you mentioned then may have further questions. Thanks so much for your help and taking so much time. So appreciate it.

Hi mopeede,

Your best value is likely to be in Calgary but I did take a look around Red Deer to see what I could find that may have some better possibilities.

Here is a short list with some of the brands they carry that may be worth including in your research. Keep in mind though that brands mean nothing and the only way to really know the quality/value of a mattress you are considering is if an outlet is able and willing to tell you what is inside the mattress (or it is available on the internet). This should be easy to find out but it can sometimes feel like pulling teeth.

https://www.mattressmattress.com/ Carries Pure latex bliss (high quality talalay latex mattresses that will likely be quite pricey but are well worth testing), Sovn (made by an Edmonton wholesale manufacturer called Araam), and Springwall (an older Canadian manufacturer that sometimes has better quality/value).

They appear to have some Natura latex and latex hybrids (which are high quality mattresses but normally overpriced) at some very good prices. These may be returns or liquidation items and not have a factory warranty but they would be very good value if they are new. Natura recently went bankrupt and was bought out by Spring Air/Sommex so they may be clearing old models.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: mikesmattress.ca/mattress-specials.html

If I come across any more I’ll add them to this list.

Phoenix

Hi this one was on Mikesmattress.ca/mattress-specials Do I understand that the core then is made of both the 6 inch plant based foam then on top of that the 5 inch of talalay latex. Where does the 2.3 lbs. of wool come is that the comfort part? Is this a flipable mattress? Also is this pricing good for what they are offering? Also in your opinion is foam better than pocket coil mattress? Are they both good with helping to not feel the movement of the other person.
Also does this include the whole mattress or do you have to buy a base yet to? Wow so much to learn!

Regular $ 2220.00
   Sale $ 1299.99

5" Talalay Latex Aloe Vera ticking

6" Plant based foam 2.3 lbs of wool

Natural cotton fire barrier

Hi mopeede,

These types of questions are normally better asked of the retailer themselves (and I’ve talked with Mike’s mattress and they seem to be ethical and willing to share the specs of their mattresses to the degree that their manufacturers make possible) because they have the spec sheets provided by the manufacturer. In this case though the general description they list on the site says 5" of talalay and 6" of polyfoam (with a small portion of the polyfoam polyols being plant based) but I don’t have any more information than that although the Natura site shows a little more information and a google search on Natura harmony will probably bring up more yet but the easiest way is to talk with the retailer.

In general … Natura tends to make high quality mattresses but they are also normally significantly overpriced. They just recently went bankrupt though and were bought out by spring Air so they (and others) are clearing out their remaining stock and floor models and will likely decide after that if they plan to continue carrying them. At their normal prices I would consider them to be good quality but poor value. At these prices I would consider the value to be good as well.

You can read about the different materials used in comfort layers and support layers of a mattress in the overviews in the mattresses section of the site. As you will see … talalay latex is one of the highest quality materials that is used in a mattress. There is even more information in the more detailed parts of the section and in the pros and cons of latex article here. Wool is also a costly and high quality material used in quilting and has many benefits in terms of both being durable and very breathable and temperature regulating.

Plant based foam is polyfoam but in a suitable density (1.8 or higher) is perfectly suitable for use in the support layers of a mattress (Tempurpedic for example and most other memory foam mattresses use HD polyfoam in their support layers) and while I don’t know the density of the foam that Natura used … It is almost certainly above 1.8 lbs or HD polyfoam because I know that Natura tended towards higher quality materials.

The choice between good quality polyfoam and a good quality pocket coil would be personal preference.

In general yes but this would also depend on the layers that are above it as well. It’s important to personally test for these types of preferences though rather than going by words on a page. Some people are more sensitive than others to various degrees of motion separation and only your own personal testing will tell you if it’s motion isolating enough for you.

The site doesn’t say so you would need to ask them.

Overall though … if it meets your needs and preferences (and this requires personal testing) … this would be good value IMO.

Phoenix

Thanks so much I will keep digging, starting to feel like I am learning. So appreciate your time and help.

I am back, had a phone call and some e mails from mattress maker in Calgary He said he can make me a mattress of high density foam 2 lb Polyurethane core 30/40/50/ compression P 2040. He did some for a hotel and wrapped it in cotton felt and canvas One like that would cost approx. $895 with tax and delivery. He said that that is good for not feeling movement transfer. My question is that a good mattress? Would the cotton felt and canvas be good for the comfort layer or would it be hot. Also I do not sleep in one position mostly on sides and back so have trouble with shoulder pain and hip pain. Don’t have any idea if this is a good mattress or not. He didn’t seem to think that a latex top would be needed and would also add to price. Any advice or help I would appreciate it.

Hi mopeede,

The materials are good quality (2 lb foam is a higher quality HD foam but not as high quality as HR foam and cotton is also a breathable and durable material although it will become firmer as it compresses). It would also be fairly good for motion transfer but I don’t know how it would be for pressure relief and alignment for you because the only way to know this for sure would be either personally testing the mattress or by using the expertise of the manufacturer who knows how all their customers with different body types and sleeping styles have “interacted” with this specific mattress. On the face of it, it would seem to be on the firm side.

There are two members of the site in Calgary and I would consider taking to them before making a decision. In particular … Sleep Boutique (formerly Labbe Bedding) uses some very high quality polyfoam in their mattresses up to 2.8 lbs.

Phoenix

Thanks so much for your help will try and connect with the others too. I wondered if it would be kind of hard.

Hi I am back! We went to Mike Mattress superstore in Red Deer the one you gave me the link too. Kind of crazy but things I was asking him he didn’t know, had been in the business at another store and now on his own I believe for at least 20 years. Didn’t seem to know about the density etc. of the foam but called up the guy, but today a holiday the guy was going to let him know. We did try different mattresses there but did settle on the Natura Harmony one Here are the specs.
Quilt:

Aloe Vera ticking
-Stimulates healthy skin rejuvenation and provides an antimicrobial sleep surface
2.3 lbs Pure NaturaWool™
-Reduces tossing and turning from temperature fluctuations
-Improves circulation by buffering pressure points
Natural cotton fire barrier
-Meets and exceeds all Canadian & US flammability standards
1" Plant-based foam
-Enhances cushioning comfort while supplementing support
1" Convoluted Talalay latex (blended) On the paper there it said 1 inch Convoluted Dunlop Latex soft
-Enhances contouring, supple support

Core:

2" Talalay latex soft
-Absorbs motion transfer so couples can sleep together undisturbed

2" Talalay latex medium
-Reduced exposure to dust-mites and other allergens
5 inch plant based foam. (he did not know what this was so will get the call tomorrow from the guy he buys from telling him)-Provides cushioning support across the whole mattress surface
It did feel very nice and much better than others that were firmer. I don’t think it will be too cushy as do want some for hips and shoulders. Anyway here is the scoop:
On his add online he had it for sale at $1299.99 on the bed there it was listed for $2220.00 When he heard that I had seen it online on his site he said he would give it to me for that but had to go and make sure what he had listed it for. I asked questions, checked other mattresses, had to listen to all his words and finally said what is the best you can do for us. Came back and said he would give it to us for $1049. Mind you this is the mattress AND the base. I said we also needed the metal bed frame. All Queen size. He told me what that would be and I said would he take $1050 for all, he couldn’t do that so I said ok would give him $1075 for the mattress, foundation and bed frame. with tax added total was $1,128.75. We agreed and that is what we paid! We came home with it and I have been checking online and price wise I think we got a good deal. What do you think? Hey don’t be afraid to said what you really think. This has been an incredible learning experience. The only thing was we did buy today but felt that is what we should do. Another thing we did have our utility trailer with us as had to take care of other business. I know you suggested not buying it the same day. We do not live in the city. Anyway with the specs. what do you think? Just curious and again don’t be afraid to give your true opinions!

Hi mopeede,

There are not many people who would accuse me of not saying what I really think … even if it can (and sometimes does) get me into “trouble” :slight_smile:

As I mentioned in post #351 of this thread … the mattress you bought uses all high quality materials and normally sells for significantly more than what you paid (probably at least double as you can see here). The Natura site I linked earlier says the convoluted latex is Talalay and other sites say it’s Dunlop but the difference is really not significant because they are both high quality materials. The 1" of polyfoam on top (the “plant based foam which has only a small part of plant based ingredients) is within the range of acceptable for a quilting layer and the 5” polyfoam support core (more “plant based” foam that also has a small percentage of the chemicals in the foam that comes from plants) is also likely at least 1.8 lbs and probably higher in the range of 2 lbs or so which means that it is a good material for a support core. It also uses more than average amounts of wool in the quilting layer which is an expensive material and will make the mattress very breathable and will help regulate sleeping temperature.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: slumberpros.com/natura-latex-harmony-11-inch-latex-mattress/

All in all … you bought a high quality mattress at a much lower price than normal and if you tested it for pressure relief and support and it “fit” your needs and preferences … then there is no doubt that the value is great and probably among the best values available anywhere in your area.

You did well IMO … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi phoenix,

Thank you for this thread, first time posting. I am cancelling my order for the Icomfort Insight as soon as I get off of work. I have been going back and forth, but after reading this I now know I need something better than that mattress. I am a 5’10 250lb stomach sleeper for your reference, so from my readings it would seem like I need 4-5inches of high density memory foam for someone my size. Seem Correct?

I am in Central Massachusetts, are there any good outlets in this area (01602) that you would recommend? I’d like to stay away from the bigbox retailers after reading your site.

Thanks for all your help, I truly appreciate it.

-Adam