After receiving my icomfort Genius I slept upon it for three nights without any topper. I found that it wasnt too bad except that I felt like it was arching my lower back and that there was this large hump in my back. I have been using a latex mattress before this so maybe I just cant get used to the memory foam.
Anyway after a few nights of poor sleep an a sore lower back I put the Brooklyn Bedding 2" memory foam, 5lb density topper on the genius. This was too soft and actually emphasized the hump in the arch of my lower back as well.
I was pretty worried at this point as I am into this bed and topper for $1850. So after sleeping on my old latex mattress for a couple nights I realized I just like the feel of latex alot more. Its more like you sleep atop latex rather than in it like memory foam. I then ponied up another $240 for a 20 ILD 2" piece of latex from SleepOnLatex. I figured the 20 ILD would feel most like my old mattress. I was very relieved to find that it did in fact!
So my sleeping arrangement is: 6-8" of Icomfort Genius, a 2" piece of 5lb Density memory foam, and topped with a 2" piece of 20 ILD latex. I am very happy to say that it feels great!!
I felt between the toppers and the icomfort genius to see if I was even making an impression on the genius below the two toppers and it does not seem that I am. I weight 150 lbsā¦ The genius is essentially providing just a firm and flat support layer under my four inches of quality mattress toppers. Talk about an expensive support layer!!!
Anyway, had I known I would have never bought a memory foam bed or Serta again unless they change from their usage of poor quality materials to better ones. I am hoping with my current arrangement to get 5-6 years out of the bed. But we will see if the Serta icomfort Genius gives way before then and I end up sleeping in a hammock like bed as a result
This all being said I think the latex mattress is the way to go. Latex material is durable and lasts for a long time. It also feels great. It is that feeling of being on a mattress that I like too.
For whatever reason, the Serta iComfort appears to have more firmness unpredictability than the average memory foam mattress. At least 10% of iComfort owners report that the mattress they received has significantly different firmness (both firmer and softer) than the one they tried in a showroom. Most owners reporting this issue say they get used to the firmness eventually, while some do not and, as a result, return the mattress.
Hey Phoenix,
Thereās a local store that has there floor model Serta Iseries Mattress Stature 11 Queen Set on sale for $1099 which it says is Regular Price: $2,199 Sale Price: $1,699.
Iām looking at driving an hour away to the Brick which would have different comparable options (but with potential shipping fees).
Over the phone they had little suggestions as to what would be comparable or better for under $1000CAN
You seem to suggest staying away from this name brand, but living in small town, I donāt know what mattress to look for or where else to start.
Iāve been doing past research and read a lot on your site today and understand appreciate a lot of your wisdom. Iād love your suggestions on my current scenario.
To be honest, me and my wife canāt tell much difference between mattresses we prefer in general since theyāre all nicer than what we currently have, so itās hard to be specific on preferred ācomfortā
My wife is under 30 BMI & Iām over it.
We both seem to prefer medium(plush) to firm
Weāre looking for a queen bed.
Around the $1000CAN or $750US range
Iād be willing to spend more than $1000CAN if itās worth it to help with alignment and durability, but it seems to be said that there should be solid options within the $800-$1000 range.
Iām looking for durability/longevity and especially alignment/comfort for my wife who has a sore body at times (ie. like Fibromylgia)
Iāve read a lot of comments discussing personal remedies here https://www.amazon.com/forum/health/Tx1M9HG3H03NNEB
and many talk about getting an extra topper on top of their mattress and it seems like innerspring might have a great sense of durability in that range (so I think Iām leaning toward innersping/coil over a foam mattress like Temperapedic)
Can you tell me what you would do in this scenario? Even though youāve discouraged this brand, is this a relatively good deal for the price or where else would you look and start for my specific circumstances.
Main specifics for sure under $2000, preferably under $1000 (but willing to go over if itās worth it), best queen for durability and alignment options for a sore sensitive body in New Brunswick (US exchange rate appox $750US = $1000CAN)
.
Thanks.
Your questions amount to me essentially choosing what mattress might be best for you, which unfortunately isnāt possible to do with any accuracy via an online forum, as there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula to predict a style or specification for any individual that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here), because the first āruleā of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress. But hopefully I can provide you some guidance about how to go about selecting a mattress and evaluate materials, and also address a few of your other questions.
The first thing I would have you do is read the mattress shopping tutorial here. Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youāve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best āmatchā for you, and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you, including the price as well as the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for.
Outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences, which is the most important part of āvalueā), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you canāt see or āfeelā and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
In its simplest form ā¦ choosing the ābest possibleā mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then ā¦
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP ā¦ and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or āfine tuneā the mattress and any costs involved if you canāt test a mattress in person or arenāt confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Comparing your finalists for āvalueā based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
I suggest avoiding any product where you canāt find out the complete details of the componentry, as thatās the only reliable way to determine if there are any weak links in the mattress. It is true that the major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay, which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you arenāt able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).
Regarding purchasing a floor model, that would come down to your own personal value equation. Do mind a product that may have been on the floor for quite some time? Do you mind something that may have had quite a bit of traffic on it, especially in a large retail store like the Brick? Is the mattress warranty important to you (most floor models are offered without a warranty)? I would ignore the āregularā price listed and just look at the final price youāre paying, and then compare and consider that to other finalists you may be considering.
A higher BMI can present special challenges and generally requires firmer materials (in the support layers especially). This could be firmer latex or innersprings (the type of support component would be a personal preference and in the right design either could be suitable) or even a zoned construction. The same overall guidelines apply with higher weights though that PPP along with using high quality durable materials that will maintain their feel and performance for longer periods of time are the way to make the best choices. Heavier people in general will need firmer and thicker comfort layers and firmer support layers than those who are lighter and because no materials will last as long with much higher weights the quality and durability of the materials and components is even more important than normal. I wouldnāt ārule outā any types of mattress and base your choices on your own personal testing. Post #3 here has more information and suggestions about heavier weights that is worth reading.
I read through that forum and had to stop after three pages :dry: , as there was just too much inaccurate and misleading information presented there as to make what is offered more harmful than helpful. Unfortunately, that site is a good example of why peopleās opinions and "reviewsā of certain products are the least reliable way to choose a mattress and predictor of the applicability of a product for your own particular needs, regardless of how well-intentioned the people are leaving the feedback.
There is no specific material or component or type of mattress that is āgood for fibromyalgiaā in general because each person is unique, and a mattress that works well for one person with a specific condition such as fibromyalgia may be completely unsuitable for someone else with the same conditions to sleep on. In very general terms ā¦ softer and more pressure relieving materials that provide a more ārelaxedā sleeping surface will tend to work better than firmer materials because for most people with fibromyalgia a softer more pressure relieving sleeping surface is a more important priority.
Materials such as wool or other types of natural or synthetic fibers or fiberbeds, shredded latex, very soft latex, or softer memory foam are all materials that have worked well for some people with fibromyalgia but no specific material will work well for all people with fibromyalgia. A forum search on fibromyalgia (you can just click the link) will also bring up more comments and feedback from others that are in similar circumstances that may be helpful (but it will also confirm that there isnāt a single ābestā combination of materials that will work for everyone with fibromyalgia).
I would tend to avoid buying a firmer mattress and then adding a separate topper afterwards unless there is no other reasonable alternative or unless you have a chance to do some careful and objective testing on the specific combination in person using the testing guidelines in the mattress shopping tutorial. Deciding on a topper that would be a good match for both you and the mattress (the specifics of the mattress can make a significant difference in which topper would work best for you) can be almost as challenging as buying a new mattress in the first place. You can read some more of my thoughts about buying a mattress/topper combination that you canāt test in person in post #2 here.
Your largest selection will be online, and there is a list of online mattress sources for Canadians in post #21 here. If you want to provide your postal code I can see if I am aware of any better brick and mortar options near where you live.
When you canāt test a mattress in person and decide to shop online, then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help ātalk you throughā the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and āfeelā of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best āmatchā for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the āaveragesā of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about āmatchingā their specific mattress designs, options, and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
I know this is a rather long answer, but hopefully Iāve given you enough to get a go start with your search.
This is really helpful for us as we continue to look and possibly buy this weekend and even helped me as we talked with a sales rep last night. Thanks for the time you took to respond!
Iām so happy that the information here was useful to you and that you were already able to apply it in your search. Iāll be interested in learning about your progress.
So after seven years with the iSeries iSeries Enjoyment, Iām moving and seeking another bed. For once, the Serta was all it was said to be, just as firm today as it was seven years ago. No noticeable breakdown and zero wear on the top fabric. However, Iām older and heavier, and as a side sleeper, Iām moving on from FIRM. Iām not sure what model they replaced it with, but if you like longevity and FIRM, itās a good bet.
