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

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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501

Greetings-

My wife and I just started shopping for a replacement mattress (queen size). She typically has a stiff/sore back recently and we were looking for a memory foam mattress this time around. My mother-in-law has a tempurpedic in the spare room we use from time to time (when visiting) and have been fairly comfortable on it. In some preliminary mattress shopping today, we saw the iComfort (Savant) and were liking it in the store.

I decided to look for reviews and found your site. In reading around here a little tonight you recommend checking out local manufacturers. We might like to do that to round out our education a bit. Where would you recommend in the Sacramento, CA area?

Also, just for kicks, which of the memory foam matresses by a “major manufacturer” would you most highly recommend if for some reason (availability, shop location, price, etc.) the “local places” are not an option? I haven’t read all the pages here, maybe you have addressed this already?

Thanks!

502

Hi Warhawk71,

Some of the better options or possibilities in the Sacramento area are listed in post #5 here.

A mattress is only as good as the materials that are inside it and all the major manufacturers don’t disclose this or when they do (or you can track them down through other means) it becomes very clear that the materials are lower quality than the mattresses made by the better independent manufacturers. Post #1 here and the information it links to has the steps that I would use to find a mattress that is not only suitable for your body type and sleeping positions but has the best possible quality and value based on the materials that are in it. One of the links that is in this post goes to this article with some mattress shopping guidelines and guideline #1 in this article is …

1. Avoid buying a mattress made by any of the major national brands such as Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Tempurpedic. While they are not all “bad” mattresses and some may even be good quality, … none of them have good value when compared to similar mattresses made by smaller independent manufacturers. NONE

Hope that helps.

Phoenix

503

Thanks for the pointers on where to go in the Sacramento area. We will check one or two out and go from there!

In seeing a post or two in other threads about cost ($4,000+ I think was mentioned, etc.), I was concerned about some of these “local” bed manufacturers being, shall we say, non-competitive in the pricing area. But just looking at the European Sleep Design pricing online (as a starter), that does not appear to be the case. Hopefully we can find something that we like at a reasonable cost.

Thanks again, and we will see if we can find something in one of your recommended stores to meet our needs!

Ron

504

Hi Warhawk71,

I’m not sure which threads you’ve been reading but it’s usually the other way around and a $4000 mattress (at least that I would suggest considering) would be quite rare and would have to have something about it (and only then in king size) that was very special. If you compare better local or independent manufacturer with mainstream brands the cost, value, and quality in any kind of apples to apples comparison with a major brand is significantly better in every budget range from the lowest to the highest.

Phoenix

505

SleepWell stopped carrying Natura products Mid 2011. I know because I came in the store looking for one. The cloud was eliminated from the store line-up long before. They don’t do labeling in store anyway, Natura labels the beds on the footer, so the accusation of mislabeling a mattress is suspect. The Natura line was replaced Pure Latex Bliss, which I bought and love. Lastly, the Cloud was a better mattress then the Crown, so they screwed you with an upgrade…huh?

506

Hi MattressExpert,

They were still listed on their site till at least June of 2012 and the post I think you are referring to was posted in Jan 2012 so it seems they were carrying them for a little longer than you seem to think. I do understand that websites are not always up to date but it would also be unusual that they are that far behind and are still listing a mattress that they haven’t carried for over a year.

As to the Natura Cloud Being a “better” mattress than the Natura Crown … the Crown contains 4.3 lbs of wool and 10" of latex with 2" of Coir on the bottom. The Cloud contains 2.3 lbs of wool, 6" of latex, and 7" of polyfoam. The Natura website pricing for the Crown (queen mattress only) is $2952 and for the Cloud (queen mattress only) is $2340.

If you still believe that the Cloud is a “better” mattress than the Crown then we have very different definitions of “better”.

I’m glad to see they are carrying the PLB though along with OMI, Anatomic global, and Technogel and I’ve changed their listing to reflect what they are currently carrying.

Thanks for letting us know that their lineup has changed.

Phoenix

507

[quote=“topspinner” post=5088]I thought I would share my experience and ask for advice if anyone can help. After trying out the Serta I comfort Genius in the store and loving it, I bought it about 6 months ago. For about four months it was great, and then I noticed that where I slept the foam was starting to break down, there wasn’t a valley but it felt “squishy” and noticed that I awoke in the morning with one of my butt cheeks being numb. About two weeks ago I woke with very bad back pain ( have had a bad back for awhile), and couldn’t even straighten up and could barely walk.

It appears that the foam is breaking down and is not providing good support. Fortunately I have a high quality memory foam mattress topper that I put on top of the mattress and my pain has slowly gone away. The I serta mattress is still the same height as when I bought it, so I can’t return under warranty, but the foam has broken down and it is not what I bought. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.[/quote]

Just as a followup to this post, maybe it will be helpful to someone who already made the the mistake of getting the icomfort bed. I have had the bed for 1.5 years now and after putting the high quality memory foam topper on the bed, my back and hip pain have totally disappeared, I wake in the morning feeling good and rested. It just doesn’t seem right to spend that much for a bed and then have to spend another $250 for the topper.

508

Hi topspinner,

I’m glad to see you’ve found a solution that works well for you :slight_smile:

The good news too is that the topper will slow down the breakdown of the foam layers below it and can easily be replaced when it softens or degrades without having to replace the whole mattress.

Thanks for the update!

Phoenix

509

Hi! I’m new here, but I’ve read a bunch of the reviews posted on this thread. I’m looking to buy a new mattress, and as with many people on here, the allure of the Serta icomfort mattress is pretty overwhelming, but after reading these threads I’ve realized there are many other options out there. Phoenix, I was hoping you could steer me in the direction of local mattress manufacturers in Chicago. Thank you!

510

Hi ckozy,

I certainly can.

The Chicago list is in post #2 and #4 here and one of the members of this site which has some of the best quality and value mattresses in the country is right at the top of it. They would likely be the first and probably the last place I would visit if I was in Chicagoland. :slight_smile:

Phoenix

511

Thanks for the heads-up. Have been researching mattresses and shops and have been tempted by some “S” models at local big box stores. Will be heading to Quality Sleep Shop this weekend to check out their mattresses.

512

Hi lwondo,

I have a feeling you will be quite impressed and Tim and his staff to a great job educating and helping their customers.

I’m looking forward to your feedback after you visit them :slight_smile:

Phoenix

513

Hi Phoenix,
I’m new here too and I have been trying to sort through this wealth of information and I am impressed by your knowledge and honesty.
My husband and I are looking to purchase a new mattress. We live near Ottawa/Kingston Ontario, Canada. We bought a traditional spring mattress from Sealy about 7 years ago and it is already toast. I am starting to have a lot of back trouble and headaches. We are both heavy people.
I have been looking at the Novosbeds and I found a post on here from about a year and a half ago where you said you wouldn’t recommend them b/c they probably use Chinese foam. I haven’t found anything more recent and I am wondering if this is still the case ( I have read other positive comments about the transparency of Novosbed).
We also went to Sleep Country and tried the Serta foam bed “Directions” with the latex and gel layers, which is apparently only available at Sleep Country. Sounds like you’re not a fan of Serta though either.
We liked the Tempurpedics but our budget is around $2000-2500CAD…
We are thinking that foam will be better for my back, but my husband sleeps hot…otherwise I don’t care what type, as long as the quality is decent and supportive.
Still combing through your site for answers but feeling overwhelmed. What would you recommend for a pair of chunky Ontarians looking for a good mattress? LOL
Thanks

514

Hi Phoenix,

Ok so I read all of your mattress buying guidelines and they are soooo helpful!
I went back to the Novosbed website and they now are sporting the CertiPur-US seal and the BBB logo as well. Does this change your opinion of Novosbed? Everything else feels good about them but I trust your opinion and I’m desperately seeking approval!! :lol: :blush:

515

Hi SleepyD,

Yes … Novosbed changed their suppliers (see post #7 here) and that along with my conversations with Sam Prochazka (who is one of the founders) since that time where he was very transparent and knowledgeable about their mattresses and open about their company and some of their past “mistakes” and what they learned from them resulted in them being included in the list of some of the better online memory foam sources in post #12 here.

They are also registered as a member of the forum and have provided some helpful advice to some of the forum members here.

Phoenix

516

[quote=“Phoenix” post=1226]

https://www.mattressmattress.com/ Retail outlet in Edmonton that carries Pure latex Bliss (blended Talalay), and Sova (and some other alternative brands which that may have better than average value).

Phoenix[/quote]

Thanks for the updated info Phoenix!

I believe MattressMattress has different owners (like a franchise) - and my experience at two different locations was like apples and oranges. The woman I spoke to at the Sherwood Park location was very open and not pushy at all, even though they work on commission. Several weeks later I stopped at the one on St. Albert Trail to remind myself what they had, and the guy there was pushy, answered questions with what sounded like memorized answers (that often made no sense), and was even a bit creepy - he stood and watched me the whole time I laid on a mattress.

517

Hi jwind55,

That’s not so unusual in my experience when there are either franchises or many retail locations for a manufacturer or retailer. I would usually tend to call first to see what kind of knowledge, service, and information I am likely to receive before visiting any retailer or manufacturer because as you mentioned I have seen a big difference between the knowledge and service at different locations of multi store retailers or manufacturers.

Phoenix

518

Hi Phoenix,

I have read several pages in this topic, but not all 35 :ohmy: , so I may have missed the answers to my questions/thoughts below.

We are researching to replace our iComfort Prodigy, which is bothering both of us after 11 months. Thankfully, the big retail store we got it from offers an exchange before 365 days are up, and supposedly a refund of any price difference (or you pay if your new choice is more $). We are hoping to just get a new mattress for our daughter and a refund of the rest. We’ll see how that goes.

(FYI for others out there who are still considering the iComfort line: the Prodigy has a thin layer of “slow recovery foam” that is supposed to give it a little more support/less sinking in than the Savant, which we found to be too soft. But I think I sink through the 2" or so of memory foam above this slow recovery layer and make enough contact with that to cause pain in my hip. However it is not soft enough for my shoulder to sink in & that hurts as well (arthritis issues there). And I can’t sleep for long on my back because of the softness and lumbar disc issues. I thought my body pain issues were mostly me and not the mattress until my DH began feeling sore in the a.m. Now we’re sure the mattress is not good for either of us. The newer models just seem to have “new & improved” gel foam layers, but I’ll bet they’re no better and they are higher priced.)

So now I’m investigating latex and have found 2 all-latex mattresses in the appointment-only showroom at Land and Sky/Natural Bed Store, one partial latex at Denver Mattress (the iChoice), and am considering visiting Midwest Bedding in Omaha–in spite of their one-page, not much info, musical website.

The two at Land and Sky were OK. The Heaven & Earth has an independent 2-3" latex pillow topper with a quilted wool fire-barrier, and was OK, but didn’t really support my waist/lumbar well, and we don’t want a pillow topper. The Rainforest felt better, more supportive, but could have been a little softer for my shoulders. The sales rep seemed quite knowledgeable, though I couldn’t get ILD’s revealed, but they can customize the mattress layers and also both sides if requested. The H&E was quite pricey–just shy of $5000! The Rainforest was $2800, but the sales rep told me that the basic mattresses were the same, just the pillow topper added to the H&E, and that some customers who bought the R years ago are now adding the pillow topper for comfort to it. I can’t quite swallow that this pillow topper would be over $2000 though. They use all organic materials and natural Dunlop latex.

In the topic “Denver Mattress iChoice and Jamison” where the iChoice was being asked about, you said you thought it had good quality layers, but that the inability to choose different comfort layers for the included 3" talalay topper was disappointing. That was the only mattress/piece I have found so far that relieves the pressure points in both my hips & shoulder, but they don’t sell that topper separately and it doesn’t seem that the whole set is worth $2400, esp. since it includes a couple layers of polyfoam-even if they are good quality. Were you ever able to find out the ILD for that very soft, slightly bouncy topper? They did return my call today but ‘didn’t have that information’ for me either; surprise, surprise.

So today I spoke with Mark from Midwest Bedding who said they have solid core (one firmness layer) Talalay latex mattresses, a variety of comfort levels can be achieved with different materials & firmnesses. In post #21 of the current topic, Joe P said he was going to Midwest Bedding in Omaha, then in post #29 he said he went to Midwest Mattress and spoke to Mark, and chose a bed there. These two do not appear to be the same company, do you think he confused the names? The mattress he mentions is in the price range I was told by Mark that Midwest Bedding has. Joe P does not appear to have responded with how his mattress selection went :frowning: I hope no news is good news…

Do you have any feedback about Midwest Bedding? I’d really rather buy local than online and do need to be able to try what I’m going to buy.

Thanks for reading & thanks so very much for all this great info and help. I wish there was some way to expose the major mattress brands and get the info about what’s really important out to the “masses”. But every major news network likely has ties to a major brand mattress manufacturer. :dry:

519

Hi LastchanceNE,

You can see the layers and my comments about most of the iComfort line in post #11 here (including the layer that aren’t listed on the Serta site). The “slow recovery layer” in the Prodigy (besides the memory foams) is slow recovery latex which can feel firmer than slow recovery memory foams. Both of these would normally be considered to be “soft” mattresses and on the softer side of the comfort scale but the Savant would feel softer for most people.

Don’t forget that pain in the AM most often (but not always) relates to alignment issues and a mattress that is too soft. Hip pain can also be related to comfort layers that are too thick and soft and side sleeping where the hips can become hyperextended and stretch the joints and ligaments.

Comfort/pressure relief is mostly about what you feel when you go to sleep at night.
Alignment/support is mostly about what you feel when you wake up in the morning (with or without back pain or discomfort)
Durability is all about how quickly the foam softens and what you will feel in a year or two down the road.

Both of these mattresses have fairly thick comfort layers and would be more risky for alignment than for pressure relief (although each person is unique).

I’m a little unclear about whether you are exchanging a mattress and only have the options available in the store you purchased from of if you are starting all over again (or both).

In any case … if you are looking for a new mattress then you’ve probably seen this (based on what you are looking at) but the better options and possibilities I’m aware of (depending on the specific mattress you are looking at) in the Omaha area are in post #2 here.

ILD’s are a comfort spec and have nothing to do with quality so they are often not disclosed in a local store. With Dunlop, ILD is not exact anyway and ILD is only one of the factors that determines the softness or firmness of a foam. With local testing it’s much better to test carefully and objectively and let your body tell you what is soft of firm enough in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) than ILD numbers which in some cases have little meaning.

No … I have made several phone calls but nobody I have talked with has known and the ones that said they’d call me back haven’t.

I don’t know whether he confused the names but Midwest Bedding is not the same company as Midwest Mattress which is one of the members here and is in the Des Moines region. Based on his posts and on the fact that he mentioned Restonic I would think it was Midwest Mattress but I don’t know for certain.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: midwestbedding.net/

Other than the fact that they are a local manufacturer so the odds are higher that they will be knowledgeable and transparent about their mattresses and the materials they use and have better quality/value … I haven’t had any conversations with them no. I tried to call them as I was writing this but they were closed so as time permits and I am able to reach them I’ll give them a call to see if they can provide more information about their mattresses but in the meantime based on “odds” and on your comments it would be well worth including them in your research.

One day at a time and one person at a time it will happen … at least if I have anything to say or do about it :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your ongoing feedback and of course any questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix

520

Thanks, Phoenix,

Your reminders about the diff between pressure relief & alignment (p.m. vs a.m. feel) make a lot of sense in our case.

I guess it’s both, since we have to exchange, and I am hoping to exchange our Prodigy for a suitable and much less expensive mattress for our DD (am reading the forum topics on mattresses for kids-she’s 12) AND get a refund of the price difference, which I then would use to help purchase a good mattress elsewhere for myself and my DH, since we didn’t find a good replacement for ours at the original mattress retailer–Nebraska Furniture Mart. (Does that clear things up? It still sounds muddy as I re-read.)

And I guess if they won’t honor their agreement to an exchange with a large refund, and require us somehow to buy a set closer in price to our Prodigy, we will have to pick the best value supportive mattress we can find there and look for a topper for a comfort layer (am also looking at those relevant forum discussions). And all by the end of the month :ohmy:

I have visited all the stores you’ve suggested for the Omaha area with the exception of Midwest Bedding. I also checked on the Pure Bliss Latex retail outlet locator & the only locations within 100 miles don’t seem to carry them (one is an Amish furn store & the other seems to be a web-hosting site…?). Please do let me know if you have any further impressions of Midwest Bedding.

I keep thinking about that iChoice at Denver Mattress, though, and how wonderful the topper felt for my pressure points…and it’s about the same price that our refund would be. Just not sure about the support piece (the actual mattress set), its durability, or the value (have read a lot of what you have to say about that).

A trip to the KC or Des Moines areas isn’t completely out of the question, but would rather avoid that if possible.

Thanks!