Vi Spring anyone?

I’m sorry, I really like the Vi Spring mattresses! They feel amazing on my arthritic hips, shoulders and neck and I am wondering if there is possibly any manufacturer that can replicate the feeling of these mattresses without the astronomical expense? We have been on a latex mattress for years and my husband and I can no longer stand the feel of latex, foam, etc. - which seem to make up the majority of the recommendations here. Are there any innerspring mattresses that are good for my situation? We cannot for the life of us, justify the expense of the Vi Spring mattress (The Coronet model to be exact, which is an entry level mattress even!) even though we love it when we lay on it in the store. Or is it truly possible that this mattress COULD last the rest of our lives like the salesperson promises? We are in our early and late fifties. If there is someone out there that could help us decide we’d be very appreciative! Thanks!

Hi Nosila S.,

I think it would be possible to replicate the pressure relief and to replicate the alignment but to replicate the feel which is subjective and something else completely I don’t think so no or at least the only way to know would be based on your own personal testing.

Innersprings are just a support layer and there are many different types and any of them can use any material above the springs in the comfort layers just like any other support component so you could have an innerspring/polyfoam mattress, an innerspring/memory foam mattress, an innerspring/latex mattress, and innerspring microcoil mattress, or an innerspring/natural fiber mattress like the one you are mentioning. There is no material or component that is in and of itself good for a particular situation though because almost any material or combination can be layered in a way that provides the pressure relief and support that someone needs. Feel though is different and each material has a very different feel that some will prefer and others not so much. There is no magic in any specific component in terms of its ability to deal with a particular set of circumstances and you will find that there are always as many who say a particular combination is “great” as there are people who say it “doesn’t work at all for me”. The choice of material is a preference in other words and it’s the design of the materials and the mattress that makes it suitable for different people. Every combination of materials has a wide range of different designs available that would be suitable for some and not for others.

VI Spring is a great mattress and is among the best of the “super brands” but when you are looking at a mattress like this you are looking at a work or art as much as you are looking at a mattress (see post #2 here).

There are certainly lower cost versions of innerspring and natural fiber mattresses available and you can see a list of some of these in post #4 here but they may not be available in all areas and they may not feel the same to you as a VI Springs because “feel” is subjective and you would need to test them in person to see how they compare for you.

It may be well worth calling the different manufacturers listed though to see if any of them have retailers in your area where you could test them.

IMO and in a word … no. While the materials may last that long without breaking down (natural fibers are very durable) … the comfort and support won’t because fibers will compress over time and change the way they feel. Very durable … yes. Rest of your life durable … I don’t think so.

Phoenix

Thank you so very much for your help. I have taken your advice and investigated other manufacturers that produce beds in a similar way and I am wondering if you know anything about European Sleep Works that you could share with me? Is it ever okay to purchase a mattress without trying it?
Thanks!

Hi Nosila S.

European sleep works sells Berkeley Ergonomic mattresses which I think highly of and are good quality and value choices. A forum search on Berkeley Ergonomics (you can just click this) will bring up much more information about them along with feedback from others who have purchased them.

Once you begin adding foam or even just latex foam to the innerspring and natural fiber combinations you are considering your options become much larger and there may be more mattresses with better “value” for you to test in person in most areas of the country.

I don’t think anyone can answer this for someone else because each person may have a different “personal value equation”, be more or less familiar with different material combinations that are similar, or have a greater or lesser risk tolerance for making a mistake. Some people also seem to be able to sleep on anything whether they are familiar with the materials or design or not and for those they could probably just throw a dart at a group of pictures and make what for them would probably be a good choice but would be a disaster for someone else.

Most of us are not so fortunate though and need to pay a little more attention to matching our individual needs and preferences (or to quality and value) and I think my answer to you would be the same as post #3 here from last night which asked a similar question and which outlines the pros and cons of each.

Phoenix