Thoughts on “Eco” Foam Beds

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this apparent newer type of memory foam? I understand the real environmental pluses of this foam are minimal at best. My real interest is in something less affected by ambient temperature and cooler sleeping (I would sleep hot in an ice bath). Specifically looking at the PureFit and PureRelax Shop Mattresses - Relax The Back mattresses from Relax the Back. I am disgusted buy the prices but at this point I would pay 20k dollars for a night’s sleep without pain and numbness. As a note, in theory I am a fan of latex, however, after a visit to a local manufacture I have to say I am profoundly underwhelmed with the comfort and unimpressed with the ‘generic’/homemade kind of blah fit and finish – thus the reason for even visiting the Relax the Back store.
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Thanks for any insight!
/kdspuck

Hello KDSPUCK,

The Relax the back Pure Fit are made by a company called Anatomic Global which is a subsidiary of Foamex/FXI which makes Aerus, Sensus, and other foams made by a process called VPF which I believe produces some very high quality foam. Anatomic Global produces the EcoSeries of mattresses. The description on Relax the Back implies quite clearly that they are using Aerus memory foam (more breathable than many other memory foams) but doesn’t say the density of the foam they use or the layer thicknesses however and IMO the mattresses there appear to be overpriced compared to other mattresses that use the same foams.
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Polyfoam and memory foam (which is basically polyfoam with additional chemicals added to make it less elastic and more viscous) are both made from 2 primary ingredients. These are an Isocyanate and a polyol. The isocyanate is most commonly TDI and less commonly MDI. Both the polyols and the isocyanate are petroleum derived. In the new so called “green” generation of both polyfoam and memory foam … some of the polyols have been replaced with plant based polyols from soy, linseed, palm, sunflower, castor oils and others. The percentage that is replaced is usually quite small (under 20%) however there are a few foam manufacturers … primarily in Europe … who are replacing up to 50% of the petro based polyols with plant based polyols. Assuming an approximate 1:1 ratio of polyols to isocyanates (just to make the math easier), this would mean that with 50% polyol replacement … about 25% of the foam would be “plant based”. With about 20% polyol replacement … then about 10% of the foam would be plant based. It’s a small step in the right direction but only a small step. In other words … most of the “eco” claims for polyfoam are mostly “greenwashing”. They are still polyfoam or memory foam which are made from chemicals with just a little bit of highly processed plant oils in them. At the current state of techology … 50% polyol replacement is about as high as is possible while keeping the desirable qualities of the foam. Anatomic Global is replacing about 30% of the polyols (about 15% of the foam would be plant oils) which is higher than the norm. This article is also well worth reading.

There are a wide range of different firmness levels and layering combinations available in latex which can result in almost any feel and combination of comfort and support that is needed from very very soft to very very firm and everything in between. The different types of latex (Dunlop and Talalay) can also make a significant difference as well as the finish, quilting, and ticking of the mattress.

As a whole … the best value in a mattress will be at a local factory direct manufacturer but not all local manufacturers have the same value or quality. They will range from small “mom and pop” outlets to multi-million dollar businesses and everything in between. Many of them produce exceptionally high quality and value mattresses (a higher percentage than any other mattress source) but I have also encountered some who are more like most major manufacturers where profit and sales and “stories” overwhelm service and value. While these are always disappointing to me, they are less common in the factory direct manufacturing “group”. I call them “money machines” vs “mattress people”.

I’d certainly be interested in your experiences and where you went if you are comfortable sharing this as this type of feedback is always valuable. I’d also be happy to let you know of any local manufacturers I am aware of near you (unless they are already listed in another thread and you know already) and any knowledge I may have of them based on either feedback or conversations I have had with them.

A few online outlets that may be a good reference point to compare with Relax the Back memory foam options are in post #12 here.

Feel free with any further questions or comments along the way :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Phoenix -

Thank you so much for the information!

We live in Tucson, AZ – from what I’ve found the local vendor list is very short, but any suggestions would be appreciated. In the next two weeks a trip to Phoenix is in order with plans to look into SleepEZ and AZ Premium Mattress - both seem to be very well regarded (this site and others).

I believe latex will be the best option. My better-half is skeptical – our current mattress is an almost 15 year old Select Comfort than never quite lived up to the promise. Just have to get everyone over the feeling that latex is somehow gimmicky and that buying direct from a local manufacture isn’t down-market vs a “money machine”.

So any guidance for the Phoenix/Tucson market would be great.

Thank you so much for your help.
/kdspuck

Hi KSPUCK,

Arizona is one of the most competitive areas in all of the US as there are several great value manufacturers that are located there.

Three of these are members of this site that I have come to know and trust through many conversations. While they may not have fancy showrooms … they use quality materials in their mattress, actually have a factory behind them, and have exceptional value. They all compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency. …

https://www.mattresses.net/ Phoenix. Ken (the owner) and Greg here are both very knowledgeable and Helpful.

https://www.sleepez.com/ Tempe. Shawn (the owner) and the other staff here are also very knowledgeable and helpful here.

Both of these manufacturers specialize in customized latex mattresses which have various combinations of layering options but also have other types of mattresses as well that are available locally that are not shown on their websites or shipped across the country. They have many years of experience in the industry and offer some very high quality and value customized mattresses and for those that are fortunate enough to live locally they have a local showroom/factory where their local customers can test their mattresses.

Those that live in Phoenix are fortunate to have quite a few manufacturing members of the site available locally and to be able to try in person what most people have to purchase online.

I have also talked with or know about several other manufacturers in the area that may also be worth considering.

Brooklyn Bedding a company based in Phoenix. They sell a “simplified choice” mattress site and make latex hybrid, memory foam, and other mattresses through their Dreamfoam sister site. They have a factory showroom in Phoenix where you can test their mattresses locally as long as you make an appointment first and a mall store in Gilbert where you can test a few of their most popular mattresses. They also own R&S bedding which is a line of retail stores mainly in the Phoenix and Tucson areas (and a couple in the Salt Lake City area as well) which sells mattresses which include a range of latex, memory foam, and pocket coil mattresses which are the ones I would focus on if you go here (and not the Serta mattresses they also carry).

https://www.tuftandneedle.com/ They make a 10" polyfoam mattress that uses good quality materials (1.8 lb polyfoam base layer and a high performance 2.9 lb polyfoam comfort layer) and is a good quality and value choice in its budget range. They are normally only available online but for those in the area you can call them to make an appointment at their local Phoenix 2nd floor showroom where you can test their mattress in person.

http://www.latexpedic.com/ Factory direct manufacturer in Phoenix. They make a line of two sided latex mattresses and a two sided pocket coil/latex hybrid that are good quality/value.

a1mattressinc.com/ or http://www.organicsleepsystems.com/ in Tucson. I talked with the niece of the owner here (who is not in the store a lot). She said she would pass on a message for him to call me after I tried several times but this didn’t happen. They manufacture their own mattresses including latex but also have what she called their “bring in mattress line” made by Natura which are good quality and have a wide variety of models of latex and latex hybrids but are quite expensive and don’t have the same value as their own brand or other factory direct manufacturers.
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https://www.mattressfactoryinc.com/ Factory direct manufacturer in Phoenix. Have been making mattresses for about 20 years and make innersprings, latex, and memory foam including Talalay. Primarily sells to retail stores but also has a showroom and will sell factory direct.

https://www.manta.com/c/mm3vnck/springpedic-mattress-factory Manufacturer in Tucson. I have talked with Jesus here and they make mostly low budget promotional mattresses. They will also make a memory foam mattress with 5.5 lb memory foam and while they mostly sell lower cost mattresses to local retail outlets … they do have a showroom and sill sell direct. No latex. Mainly of interest to those who are looking for mattresses in a very low budget range.

https://www.manta.com/c/mm82m2j/desert- Factory direct manufacturer in Glendale. Has been around for a long time and has gotten smaller as he gets older but won’t give up on his values. Uses higher quality polyfoam than mainstream manufacturers such as 1.5 and 1.8 polyfoam and even HR in his bases. Good value for lower budget innerspring mattresses.

http://qualitybeddinginc.com/index.html Manufacturer in Phoenix, AZ, They make mainly innerspring/polyfoam mattresses although a few of them include a small amount of latex and one of them has a microcoil comfort layer as well. I haven’t talked with them and I don’t know the quality of the polyfoam they are using or if they will provide this information to their customers.

arizonaorganicmattresses.com - This website is for sale! - arizonaorganicmattresses Resources and Information. Phoenix, AZ. They sell OMI (Organicpedic) and Savvy Rest latex mattresses which are both high quality mattresses that use high quality materials (including organic latex) but they are also in a more premium price range than other similar latex mattresses that are available in the area so I would make some careful value comparisons if you visit them.

https://www.sherwoodbedding.com/ They are a regional wholesale manufacturer based in Phoenix who manufactures mostly innerspring with memory foam or latex mattresses. They only sell through retail outlets in several states but the closest ones to you are in Phoenix. They have “better than average” value but are not in the same value range as the factory direct manufacturers that are close to you.

Hopefully this will help … even though most of the manufacturing is happening in Phoenix.

Phoenix

PS: Just to clarify as well since my online name is the same as the city where several members and non members are manufacturing mattresses and several members have asked me … my name is from the mythical firebird “Phoenix” and is an online name I have used for many years long before The Mattress Underground. It always seemed strange to me that it also happens to be a city where there is a lot of good value mattress manufacturing :).

Thank you for this info. My wife and I will be looking for a new mattress today.

She’s a side/back sleeper (5’ 1", 95lbs)

I’m a belly sleeper (6’ 1", 245 lbs)

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!

Hi NEWTOPHX,

I think with the weight differential between you that a side to side split may be very beneficial. This article and the links inside it should help you avoid most of the traps and pitfalls of mattress shopping give you a general idea of what to look for and the types of materials and layering that would make good choices for you. It will also (hopefully) head you in the direction of local factory direct manufacturers or sleep shops who have the knowledge and experience to fit a mattress to your needs and sleeping positions. A good outlet that you can trust will save you many hours of research.

If you are considering memory foam … I would certainly avoid anything under 5 lb density as they will tend to soften and break down sooner with heavier weights.

If you’re in either Phoenix or Tucson then the links in this thread would be where I would focus my attention. If you’re in another city … I’d be happy to take a look and see if I know of any factory direct manufacturers or outlets that are near you.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix!

Thank you for all of the great information! I really appreciate all the hard work that you have put into such an informative site.

After purchasing a bad mattress from one of the “S” brands, I have stumbled upon your site looking for help.

I am fortunate enough to live in the Phoenix area and have found this post on the manufacture/retailers in the area. The post is a bit out-dated and was wondering if there are any other companies that you recommend that have not already been mentioned. jamattress.com and comfortpedicinc.com no longer exist. I plan on visiting several of the ones listed, but wanted to know if there are any others that I need to add.

Thank you,
Melissa

Hi Melseplo,

I normally keep all the forum lists up to date as new information comes to light and I had last updated the Phoenix list last month but I appreciate the heads up that there are some additional updates that are still needed for the Phoenix list. None of these changes affect any of the recommendations because you are still fortunate to have 4 of the members of this site available to you locally and these are still the manufacturers that I would recommend.

I talked with Jim at JA Mattress and he lost his furniture store and he told me they are no longer manufacturing mattresses that people can test in a showroom for the moment since he no longer has a showroom. They are still selling liquidation mattresses here (although the store is closed so he would need to bring them to a customer’s home) but he said he would call me if he obtained a new showroom and started to manufacture again but for the moment I have removed them from the list.
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ComfortPedic is now https://www.mattressfactoryinc.com/ so I’ve changed the URL for them as well.

I also added arizonaorganicmattresses.com - This website is for sale! - arizonaorganicmattresses Resources and Information. because they carry OMI (Organicpedic) and Savvy Rest mattresses which are both high quality latex mattresses and many of them use organic latex but they are also in a more premium price range than many other similar mattresses that are available in the area.

I’ve also added Quality Bedding to the list as a “possibility” and they make primarily innerspring/polyfoam mattresses (some with a very small amount of latex and one with a microcoil) but I haven’t talked with them and I don’t know the quality of the polyfoam they are using or if they will provide this information to their customers.

That brings the list up to date as far as the information I’m aware of … and thanks again for the heads up that the list still needed some additional updates.

Phoenix

Thank you Phoenix! Appreciate your help!

Melissa

Planning to check out a local R & S (outlet for Brooklyn Bedding)…They carry Stearns Foster, Spring Air, Serta, do I only focus on Brooklyn Bedding mattresses?? Thank you, again!!

Hi Mrsbitterchef,

I would avoid all the major brands along with any mattress that either uses low quality materials or where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the store that carries them.

Their Brooklyn Bedding mattresses would be well worth considering.

Phoenix

I purchased the Brooklyn Bedding Liberty Eurotop with 6 inches of latex & 6 inches of foam…kind of feels soft and probably should have gone with the lower profile 5 inch foundation…it is really high.

Hi Mrsbitterchef,

You certainly made a great quality/value choice … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’m not sure what their exchange policy is for foundations but if they have a lower profile foundation available it may be worth checking to see if you can exchange it for a lower profile version.

I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix