Hi Phoenix,
I have been on your web site and I found it to be very helpful.
I am have trying to find a very soft mattress. I have been to the local mattress stores and chains and found that 99 percent of the mattress are med to med firm. I even tried the Temper Cloud Supreme and that was to firm for me. I was told to stay away from Sealy and Simmons lines because they are firmer mattresses this year. I have found this to be true. I am 50 years old, side sleeper, 110 pounds, 5"2 and when I lay on my side I can feel pressure points on my hips with the beds that I have tried.
2006 I have slept on a Sealy Posturepedic Preferred series Ultra Plush. I LOVED IT! I tried to find this mattress again and could not.
I want to spend 700 to 1700 for the bed.
I was told that I don’t need a very strong support system because I am small and would lay on the mattress rather then laying into the mattress.
I was going to look at the Sherwood and Kingsdown lines. I felt the Sherwood Kendall pillow top and it seem ok. The store said it was a med to firm bed but to me is seems softer then that, maybe because I am laying on it rather then into it ? They also advised against it because it was a (Fully Foam Encased 460 Double Offset Verti-Coil Support System) and they said it would not give me a lot of support over the next few years.
I was wondering is it because it is a cheap mattress $700.00 and will not last? or because the sales man who prefer to sell me a more expensive bed.
I was also going to look into the Serta I comfort as well but really not sure which one to get. The sales man said that if there is a lot more foam under me it will feel firmer so go with a bed that does not a lot of height. (not sure if this is true) !
If I could find a soft mattress for a light weight person who sleeps on their side and is reasonably priced and gives the proper support. I would be a very happy sleeper.
Just like the less costly Sealy I slept on years ago was perfect!
I am open to any suggestions you may have.
Hi SOFTMATTRESS,
The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones (including the major brands like Sealy, Simmons, Serta, and Tempurpedic or any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality of the materials inside it … see the guidelines here).
You are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components would be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing or personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve 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 “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you sleep on it at home that are involved in each of them and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value.
Once you reach step 3 in the tutorial if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
Phoenix
Hi
I have read all the suggestions on you site over the past month. It was very helpful. The issues is that the store that I have been to do not carry soft mattress. I live in the San Diego area and in LA. I am open to any lines that manufacture a soft mattress.
Thanks
Hi SOFTMATTRESS,
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the San Diego area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked in my last reply) are listed in post #2 here.
I would also keep in mind that there are also no “standardized” definitions or consensus of opinions for overall firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here).
The only way to know for certain whether a mattress feels soft or firm to you or whether it fits your criteria will be based on your own personal testing or experience.
Phoenix