Hello. I have been reading so many forum posts here, I thought I should make an account & give back some info. I live in the Chicago area, so I saw all of the recommendations for Quality Sleep shop on here. It’s a little out of the way for me, but I finally found a day where I could go. So, I thought I’d post some things that would be useful to people (and I still have some questions).
Background on me: I really like soft beds. If I go to the big names - I’d always end up on a plush bed. I ended up with a bed made by a hotel that was problematic in many ways (after 2 months) so I found this forum in my research. The same hotel sold me a bed 5 years ago that I loved, but it started sinking in around year 3, and then I bought another bed from them because I loved that bed too much to care it would go defective at year 3 (but this one went defective at month 2!) I am a glutton for punishment, I guess.
Anyway, The Quality Sleep Shop has a good variety of beds, but I’d say they are all Medium to Firm. The Green beds were also pretty comfortable, but in that same medium - firm range. The owner was actually the one who was on the floor when I was there, and he makes the beds. So, he was probably the best person I could ever talk to about this stuff - and he knew about other stores as well. He explained that if they went anymore plush, he’d have break-down problems, and he is more concerned with customer satisfaction and longevity & does not want to risk it with some of the plush foams that are difficult to prevent from breaking in too much. So, the softest they go would probably be called a medium at a place like Mattress Firm. They also have a Casper style bed there, but I thought that was too firm too. It was basically identical to how the Casper felt at West Elm, just cheaper.
The other thing about their beds is that they put more coils in the middle - horizontally where your body’s core is basically. So, this area is more supported. Most people do not notice this, and a lot of people like it because of the support. I remember the big names doing this 10+ years ago, and I had to go to several stores to find beds without it. I can’t get comfortable on a bed that has this kind of coil arrangement. I am a stomach sleeper, so it feels like it’s pushing on me and arching my lower back. When I was on my back - it actually was more comfortable than normal beds because it fills in the lumbar area subtly.
Anyway, the owner suggested Steinhafels because he knows their factory manager as well - and he said their private label is better than the Simmons, Sealy, etc… even though it sells for less and their salespeople never push it. I tried it there (the softest one - they have a few), but the Simmons Beautyrest Platinum plush was still far more comfortable & soft - and this is where the catch-22 gets me. I don’t think a bed exists that is going to be soft enough for me to like - but not ultimately break down in the middle where I sleep. The mechanics of the foams seem to make this an impossibility, regardless of who is making the bed. It seems like I either have to compromise and sleep on something more firm - or I have to just accept buying a new bed every 2-3 years. Is that nuts? Or, do you think that’s what I am legitimately dealing with? The crazy thing is that a $40 egg crate topper from Bed Bath & Beyond lasted a year with not a single indentation anywhere…so what is wrong with the big named bed companies exactly? How on earth is Bed Bath & Beyond selling more reliable foam? One alternative I thought of was to get a bed that is medium/firm and just put that egg crate topper on it. It’s comfortable… just seems a bit crazy that I can’t simply find a bed.
I don’t like the hybrids or memory foam beds due to the heat. It’s fine in the store but with a blanket at home for 8 hours of sleep - it will likely be too hot. I heard many of them (especially the softer ones) also break down too much wherever you sleep, so it’s not really an answer either.
So there’s some info and my conundrum with finding a bed at the moment.
TLDR: Quality Sleep Shop seems like a great place to get a medium or firm mattress, particularly if you want extra support in the middle. I like soft beds, so I am still looking - but I don’t know if I will ever find one that won’t break down & create a body impression, just due to the nature of soft foams. So, any advice on that would be great. Thank you!
Unfortunately, you were probably purchasing something using lower density polyfoams, which would be common with mattresses sold by or produced for the hospitality industry.
Plushness perception is very subjective, and just as you may consider the beds at a particular business or manufacturer not “plush enough”, there are others who may consider the same models “too plush”. “Softness” has different meanings to different people and there are different “species” of softness (for lack of a better description). Post #4 here talks a little more about this. Different people will be more or less sensitive to either the “feel” of softness, the pressure relief softness, the support softness, or the “overall” softness of a mattress and each of these may be talking about very different things when they talk about the softness of a mattress.
There are also no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for 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. 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) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
The only reliable way to know whether a mattress will be “firm enough” or “soft enough” for you will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience, and that’s why it was excellent that you were able to test out these products in person to see how they align with your personal preferences.
As you may be aware, I think highly of Tim at Quality Sleep Shop (they are a site member here) and the advice he provides. I am happy that he was able to explain to you the reasons for their designs and what they are comfortable producing, as opposed to trying to sell you on a particular product. Having the heart of a teacher is one of the things that tend to set apart better retailers and our site manufacturing members.
This is another good example of the individual variability in mattress comfort preference. Prone sleepers usually respond better to bother firmer deep support as well as firmer upper comfort layers, as to not accentuate the forward lordotic curvature of the lower thoracic and lumbar region. But your preference seems to be quite the opposite of that.
Your opinion isn’t nuts , but sampling just a few mattresses and then deciding that there isn’t something available out of the tens of thousands of different models and styles in the industry that would be soft and durable enough for you would be an inaccurate assumption. There are increasing numbers of mattresses using higher density plush polyfoams in the upper layers, as well as latex, which would generally be your most durable plush material.
While your topper may not be showing an indentation, being a lower density polyfoam (which it most likely is) it certainly will have lost resiliency and support factor in the area where it is used.
And as for the “big named bed companies”, 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 aren’t 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).
I don’t know that they are (of course they certainly may be offering a polyfoam using a higher density), but I also don’t know that your assessment of the durability of the topper would be completely accurate as well. 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.
While I generally don’t recommend seeking a topper together with a new mattress (as it further complicates the buying process, introducing extra variables), some people to prefer this, with Talalay latex being a very popular choice for a durable plush material. There is more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to.
Simply being a “hybrid” mattress isn’t necessarily an indicator of the “warmth” of a mattress. The materials, layers, and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture transport, and temperature regulation than materials, layers, and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses or foam toppers will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer versions of the same material. Overall, it’s not really possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
This would mostly be a function of the density of the materials used within the product (see the article I linked to earlier regarding durability guidelines). There are good and bad quality memory foam and “hybrid” mattresses available, but unfortunately it seems like too many mattresses in general are using lower-density foams these days, which is one of the reasons it’s so important for you to learn about the componentry within any mattress you’re considering.
To help guide you through your mattress selection process, the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
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 “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own 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 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 (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 of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
In its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” 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:
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 “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice. It seems that testing something locally might be your best option, as you definitely seem to prefer a very plush style of mattress.
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 “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Thanks Phoenix. I read a bunch of those threads - like your “read this first” thread. It was through somewhere in that network of links that I ended up finding Quality Sleep Shop since you had recommended to try to shop locally / avoid the SSB types. I’m still a little puzzled about finding a truly soft bed (well, soft to me, as you pointed out) that isn’t going to break down more quickly than a firm one to be honest… I’d much rather have bought a bed from the guy who has actually made them with his own hands for 30+ years. It seems like companies who put their own names on beds (his shop, Steinhafels) will not make super cushy beds because they don’t want to be associated with the breakdowns in the foams - but I am just guessing on that. I seriously like the feeling of basically being on top of a massive bag of cotton balls… which exists in the big names (all of which have complaints as they notoriously break down and have body impressions - some within the first year!).
You’re right that their core support coils should reverse the lordotic posture when laying (Tim said this too). I am doing everything wrong from an orthopedic perspective when I sleep (turning the neck when sleeping on my stomach, letting my lower back arch deeper down in the mattress) but oddly enough, that’s what is comfortable - until the beds start to really sink down after 2-3 years. Then, it’s very very uncomfortable. I’ve had to sleep on my back after a surgery and thought I was going to go crazy (and it was 2 weeks - I ended up on my stomach in the middle of the night every time). I also sleep with a body pillow or heavy blanket so I’m not totally on my stomach & that changes things a bit. I’ve done this since I was a kid too. It’s weird how we develop these habits & then they basically govern the mattress we want forever (the hybrids, foams, and tempurpedics make me feel awkward too - aside from being warm). I know they use cooling technologies and vary quite a bit, but after I spent a crazy amount on a “fine Italian linen” duvet cover that is light as a feather - only to sweat to death night after night, I realized I just sleep too hot. Down comforters have stitching at every box, so this breathes - duvet covers stop all breathing - which is not good for me. Nobody else has this problem that I’ve ever heard of. I must sound like the princess & the pea on steroids.
I checked out the link about the better quality plush polyfoams, and that is what tuft & needle is using now. They are # 1 on Consumer Reports too… and have such a low return rate. I am still kind of on the fence with them because people find them to be a bit too firm, and I haven’t really liked foam beds in general. It’s too bad they won’t put their bed in a retail store like Casper did with West Elm (or maybe I am unaware?) . Is anyone else using higher quality plush materials? I actually heard latex breaks down faster than it is being described here… not sure if that person was accurate though (someone in a big brand store).
Thanks for making this site and all the work you put in here. It’s quite a lot you’ve done here. Yet another problem with stores that sell beautyrests and those brands (vs quality sleep shop) is those stores have beds up to 2 years old on the floor (American Mattress, Mattress Firm, and some dept stores) - but Quality Sleep Shop beds are all pretty new on the floor. Buying a bed that’s been on the floor for 2 years is tricky because it won’t feel like this in the house for a while. You’re only taking a guess at what you’re buying. I can’t believe the stores let them sit around that long. In some stores, you can even tell the difference between the center and the two sides where people sleep.
Steinhafels was going ok the first day, but I came back the 2nd day to confirm what I wanted and the salesperson was literally yelling at me “You’re over-complicating this! Just make up your mind! You like this one - you’re sleeping on it the most - just take this one! Don’t analyze it - buy what is comfortable!” - he went off like this out of the blue. I asked questions about which beds were the least likely to have imprints and what foams were more durable, but that’s about it. I was just stunned, like - he’s the exact reason people are buying beds online. Then 2 seconds later he said his shift was over and he murmured something in the background about “having to split it now” (the commission) if I bought it from the second guy. Unreal. Like a parody sketch of a mattress salesman.
aboutabed10 - I have no personal experience with Tuft & Needle nor am I recommending them, but since you expressed some interest and are apparently in the Chicagoland area I thought you might like to know that they have a “partner location” in Chicago. My understanding is that they don’t actually sell the mattresses there but are a design/furniture store which uses T&N mattresses for display purposes. You can see their contact details given here, and a quick search on their address identifies the location as “Interior Define”. I’d suggest contacting them to confirm whether they have model(s) of interest to you on display. Hope this helps in your search!
It’s true that you will tend to find better construction and higher quality foams in many of the smaller licensees and mattress manufacturers across the country, and it’s also true that many of them will eschew the ultra-ultra-plush materials (even latex) because of the potential for more softening over time, or just their own experience or mattress-building philosophy.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few products manufactured in the ultra-ultra-plush category that you prefer that use very low density, low ILD foams that do not hold shape very well.
Everyone is different. The good news is that you are familiar with what works best for you and your particular sleeping style and comfort preference. Another option for people in your situation, which I touched on in my previous reply, would be to select a quality base mattress and then procure an ultra plush topper using quality material (such as described in the topper link I provided, for an example a 3" 15-19 ILD Talalay latex), and then you would have the option of replacing that “down the road” instead of the entire mattress, should it prove to not be plush enough for you over the course of use.
Generally, the fabric itself with be quite breathable that is used with a down comforter, and the stitching is used to create baffles to keep the down from becoming uneven within the comforter. Using a duvet with a cover I’m guessing didn’t allow for the amount of airflow that works best for you.
There’s more about the material in the T&N mattress in the simplified choice thread here. The 3" of 2.8 lb high performance polyfoam on top of the 7" 1.8 lb polyfoam core would be better quality materials for most, but the overall thickness and plushness of that upper comfort may may not be enough for the ultra-ultra-soft comfort that you desire. Sweet Dreams (thanks Sweet Dreams!) listed a store that “shows” these mattresses near you, so you may wish to test one out in person (which I still think is a good strategy for you based upon your very specific comfort desires). Sweet Dreams lives somewhat in your area, and while not looking for the same type of mattress as you are, has probably visited every mattress store within a 100 mile radius of your home :lol: (just kidding, but that’s probably a more accurate statement than you might think)!
As for Consumer Reports, you can also see my comments about their mattress ratings and recommendations in post #2 here and in this topic. While they may be a good source of information about more “objective” purchases, as you can see I would consider them to be an unreliable source of information or guidance about purchasing a mattress and their “ratings” are somewhat nonsensical and meaningless. My thoughts are also shared by most of the more knowledgeable people in the industry (see post #5 here for an example).
And true return rates are rarely, if ever, made public. It was interesting in the IPO for Eve mattress they listed their return rate at 15% for FY 2016, and they are targeting less than 15% moving forward. Most with whom I speak estimate returns in the 10% - 25% range for online mattress sales. Obviously this is a very large estimation range, and results will vary by company, and the amount of returns for comfort (versus warranty issues) isn’t necessarily a reflection upon the quality or appropriateness of any one product for any particular individual.
Yes, many boxed bed manufacturers are turning to higher-density plush polyfoams, along with latex.
This comes down to a simple case of, “I’ll trust what I know versus what someone else thinks.” B) Comments like this tend to be common from salespeople in big-box stores, many of whom are not very well educated about mattress technology and material. Latex is generally the most durable of all foam materials. While softer foam materials, regardless of type, will tend to be less durable than their firmer counterparts, latex will still be one of the best choices for an ultra plush foam material. There’s more information about the many factors that impact foam durability here, and more about the durability of latex here.
Thank you for the kind words.
Some stores do let their floor models sit out for quite some time. I’ll always advise that what you test on the floor will generally feel softer than what you receive, and it is always a good idea to look at the production date, just to make sure the model is an accurate representation of the item that would be delivered to you (making sure there have bene no running changes in design).
I’m sorry you had an unpleasant shopping experience. While I wasn’t there to experience the tenor of the conversation, there’s nothing wrong with requesting information about the materials used within the mattress (as I linked to in my earlier reply to you).
:ohmy: Guess I’ve earned a reputation around here, and I hate to admit it but you’re not too far from the truth! :lol: I have to credit this website and thank Phoenix for continually feeding my obsession!
Thanks Sweet Dreams - I think I’ll be around there soon because my friend lives right there. That will be helpful since I’m a little curious about T &N. I haven’t paid much attention to screen names as I’ve read this forum, but from someone around here who has done a lot of searching - did you find anything? The area is so heavily dominated by Mattress Firm, it’s ridiculous. The Clybuorn one finally closed - which I can’t imagine had any customers at those prices for blah quality . But once you walk out - they come to your car and offer you 50% off (this happened to me there). They’re basically giving beds away now trying to make numbers by the end of the year.
I found something just like my old old hotel bed - the one in 2012. Sterns and Foster made it back then and i loved that bed (but it sunk down in 3-4 years). Part of me is just tempted to get it and know that I’ll throw it out in 3 years, but I can’t decide if that’s just stupid. It’s odd that they have something similar again all of these years later (and after being bought by tempur-sealy), but the feel is what I like & I so loved that bed. There’s no memory foam which is in everything else it seems & not really my thing. Well, it depends on the bed but most of them make me feel like I’m being sucked in too much.
This is turning out to be so much more complicated than I thought… but at least most stores accept refunds these days, though I really don’t want to do it that way.
As Phoenix stresses what might work for one person doesn’t necessarily translate to whether it will work or not for someone else, so individual reviews and experience are not really very helpful when selecting mattresses. I’m a high BMI guy at 6’4" and 270 lbs. so I’ve found that I need something much firmer than more average sized people. I’ve been through so many mattresses over the years that I really don’t like to make any recommendations to others, since many times what may seem to be ideal for me when initially purchased turns out to be less valid as a long term lasting solution. I don’t want to mislead anyone so the best thing I can suggest is to try out as many mattresses as you have the opportunity to in order to find what works for you. I agree with you that buying and returning mattresses can be very time consuming to arrange and is a lot of work since they’re so large and heavy.
Like you I also have a generally negative opinion about Mattress Firm and similar stores which are far from transparent about the construction details of the mattresses they sell. When I inquired about the construction and foam densities used in their Dream Bed Lux mattress line they said they would check on it and get back to me asap, and then nothing after that. They seem to feel they’re better off keeping such details a secret and most customers probably don’t care, but members of this forum know better! Good luck checking out the T&N and glad I could help direct you to their partner store, please let us know how it goes.
Since you’re in the Chicago area and looking for alternative mattress choices you may want to also check out the Nest Bedding showroom on Damen Ave. They’re a forum member and have a pretty wide variety of mattresses which are unique to them and some are rated as being soft (of course that’s entirely subjective and for you to determine!)
Yes, I know tactics like this are quite unsavory, but it’s not necessarily an “end of the year” happening – it’s quite common all the time at many big (and small) box retail stores. It’s one of the reasons I recommend avoiding such locations.
I’d tell you to consider finding something using better quality materials and use a higher-quality plush topper above it if you can’t find something that as a finished mattress meets your needs. That would be a more logical solution. Regarding Stearns & Foster, their designs have changed since you purchased your bed in 2012 (most notably a different innerspring unit), but similar comforts are common as brands change their lineups every one to two years. But unfortunately they are still not transparent with their padding materials.
Hi Sweet Dreams,
Thanks for taking the time to be so assistive to aboutabed10!
I am not sure where the “New Topic” button went, but this is my old thread so I guess I can just post here. I ended up getting a bed that is definitely not recommended on here & will break down within 3 years but I honestly just couldn’t deal with it anymore, and this is basically like my old bed from 2012 from Stearns & Foster (which broke down in 3 years). Anyway, it was 0 degrees when it was delivered so it was frozen - however, it wasn’t just frozen in a flat position. It was frozen with this big lump inside of it and bent upwards. I didn’t know if I should refuse delivery or not. They accept returns (which is a hassle) so they just said “wait for it to thaw out” - but isn’t this a bad start for a bed? Or is this normal? It’s a Steans & Foster plush bed (Estate line). It has gel memory foam below the foam on top which apparently is frozen - understandable - but why is it on an angle? Is this going to damage the mattress? The idiot delivery person already smashed in my closet door which no moving crew or furniture delivery ever did. I got the same bed for my guest room on clearance at Macy’s for $500 in a queen which also came frozen, but not with this big dent / angle situation.
Yeah, that’s not how you’d want your mattress to look when it’s all new and delivered. I can speak to a few of the things in your photos. The first is that with the very cold temperatures, and depending upon how long your item was on the truck, the memory foam will become quite hard and you’ll want to wait until the item reaches room temperature before trying it out or bending it. You can damage the memory foam if it is bent excessively when very cold. In your last photo it shows the padding layers quite “loose” and wavy. Some of this may be a result of how it was transported, but unfortunately some of this is “normal” for the type of product you bought, and if you were to stand the mattress up on its end, you’d notice that these panels and foam layers would “fall away” from the mattress innerspring unit. (And by “normal”, I don’t mean “acceptable”). The one photo showing the tape edge at an odd V-angle is a little confusing - I can’t tell if it is from the stitching or if it is a result of how the mattress was transported. Hopefully that will even out as the mattress memory foam “de-thaws”.
Hi Jeff, Thanks for replying & all of the details. So, it thawed! Never thought I’d have a bed do that, but it is flat now. But the problem is it doesn’t feel flat…
What is happening now is that the right area of the mattress (where it was tilted up at the bottom end and frozen) looks flat - but it feels like my legs are being pushed up there. this probably sounds super weird, but it’s definitely different than the left side. It’s not comfortable either to be pushed like that. No “mattress inspector” would ever see this in a million years. You have to lay on it, and even then - who knows how sensitive people are.
The store I bought this from seems to have horrendous customer service, looking at their yelp reviews - so if I tell them this, I feel like they will only come back with “returns are $149 in new condition only” or whatever. I should give it a few days to see what happens & not even mention the defect because they might blame it on me, though I have pics… who knows.
Is there anything you could think of that might be causing this feeling? This bed is ridiculously heavy - and what must have happened is that they loaded it into the truck with an angled bottom corner (it’s incredibly hard to maneuver this), let it freeze overnight and then in the AM, started doing deliveries. The warehouse was probably frozen too, so it may have happened there. It was made on 12/21 - so it is fairly new but I wonder if even brief frozen storage could damage it somehow.
Oh about the separation comment, it actually is back to “normal” (for this type of bed). My old bed actually did have the pillow top basically separate and practically turn into a body pillow - it was a hot mess. The pics don’t show the full story but here’s a pic if you’re curious. I loved that bed though.
I’m glad things “thawed out”. Regarding the issue with the one corner of the mattress, based upon your comments and the photo, you could very well be correct that the item wasn’t shipped flat and it was bent at the corner, and there could have been damage to either the innerspring unit or the foam layers during transit (shifting of unattached deeper upholstery layers or damage due to freezing and re-bending while “frozen”). Generally, warehouses are not at temperatures below freezing.
While you may not see a body impression, the issue you have isn’t one from sagging due to use, but one of a new item being delivered that seems to have an initial defect, or one of a “warranty of merchantability”. The item being delivered isn’t proper for its intended purpose. It would be similar to getting a new stove delivered and one of the burners doesn’t work. So I definitely would politely contact the retailer and state that there is a defect in the new product that was delivered and you’d like a replacement sent out.
I’m sorry about your retailer seeming to have a bad reputation for customer service (this is something I recommend to check out before making a purchase, as you choose them, they don’t choose you), but I would give them a chance to make things right. If the mattress truly has a defect, they would send this back to the manufacturer and they would receive a credit or a new item from the manufacturer. If they damaged the item in transit, then this is their own responsibility, but not something you should be forced to accept. But I can’t tell from photos if there is truly a defect in your mattress - I can only give you some good guesses and then logical options to pursue.
I hope you’re able to get things resolved to your satisfaction!
Thank you Jeff Beducator Expert Member for offering your expert and addressing aboutabed10 concerns.
I am not a foam chemist but in addition to Jeff’s comments I just confirmed with one of our upcoming experts and one of our Trusted Members here, Steve Russo, the CEO and cofounder of Luma Sleep and the former CEO of Latex International/Talalay Global who has many years of experience in foams and bedding materials & componentry amongst other things, that part of the problem is that unlike latex when the memory foam in the mattress go so cold and reaches below the “glass” transition temperature of the memory foam material it causes the foam to change from a viscous foam to a solid. It’s more technical than this, but suffice it to say that the extreme cold has changed the properties of the material in this product and that it will not perform as it was designed to. What very few people know is that the memory foam is permanently changed – it will not perform as it is supposed to even after it gets back to room temp (warm). In addition to the other issues with this product I would recommend to seriously consider if you wish to keep it or return it for a refund.
I look forward to any follow-up or updates that you might have.
Thanks Phoenix. I’m not sure if I can convince Steinhafels of this… or perhaps just do the exchange on a warmer day, but the weather here has been pretty brutal.
I am really surprised and disappointed that all of these manufacturers have kept their lips sealed about what happens during winter deliveries. There are hundreds of beds delivered every day with these foams in it throughout colder parts of the country, and they’re all frozen. None of the trucks are heated in the back.
I certainly understand you concern, but memory foam has been delivered for decades to consumers without issue - there isn’t a conspiratorial plan :evil: in effect that retailers or manufacturers have in place regarding delivery of such items in colder temperatures and they don’t all arrive damaged or “frozen” (but certainly can be less viscous). But companies should advise consumers in colder climates to allow any mattress, regardless of componentry, to reach room temperature before use (and many companies do offer such advice). And any product should be handled with care by delivery staff, regardless of temperature.
It is possible that memory foam (or even latex with certain phase change materials added) can be damaged when held for extended periods of time at certain angles or compressed states and then “bent back” or used before being allowed to acclimate fully in extreme conditions. There have been rare instances with raw materials transported across the country for days during extremely cold temperatures and then expanded too quickly causing damage. But most mattresses being delivered are held in a flat orientation and are not on the back of a delivery truck long enough, even in extremely cold temperatures, to cause such an issue.
With that being said, there certainly seems to be a defect in your mattress, but without cutting the product open no one would be able to tell the exact nature of the cause of that defect, and the best that can be offered can be speculation based upon the location of the defect in the photos. There could be a defect in the innerspring unit. The product could have been bent excessively during storage in a warehouse or upon transit to your home. The product could have had foam layers shifting if it was stored on its side for a longer period of time. The top quilt panel could be cut too large. Or a combination of these things, combined with temperature and how the product was handled when brought into your home (bending while very cold) could be the culprit. As it is elevated in the corner (which would generally not be caused/held up by a thin comfort layer using memory foam that was very cold), and your other item was delivered in satisfactory condition, I would lean toward some sort of an innerspring defect/damage or assembly fault being the culprit.
If you’re getting an exchange, I think your thought about having something done on a bit of a warmer day (not - 10) would be a great idea, as well as making sure that the item is transported flat and handled well and not bent excessively while being brought into your home, would be good guidelines. You should then be fine in such a scenario.
Good luck getting this all fixed!
Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Beducation / Mattress To Go
I got the new mattress replaced for free since there was always a weird feeling where the bend was. They came on a day that was warmer. The bed was still frozen, but it thawed much more quickly.
I have another question… I decided to get bunkie boards because I have a platform bed with slats 3" apart and all of the stores seem to frown on platform beds because “the coils wills sag between the slats”. So, I thought bunkie boards were just plywood sheets - like what the top of a foundation feels like. I didn’t know they had slats - and that the slats are a full foot apart! It’s all wrapped in this thick poly tyvek kind of material, but still… isn’t something with these big gaps worse than not having anything? The bunkie boards cost $90 too. (I got 2 xl twins for 1 king bed).
Also, the mattress seems more firm this time - and it’s the same one…just with the bunkie boards under it. It could be my imagination, perhaps. The mattresses were made a few weeks apart (Dec and Jan) so they didn’t sit around long.
Last question: Stearns & Foster also doesn’t participate in certipur. Do you see this as a big deal? All of their mattresses have a smoky smell - like a cigarette. I aired it out for 2 days, and then I started sleeping on it. I can’t smell it with the protector on, but it’s definitely there under the protector. I guess I can air it out more during the day but it seems like something that will take months to go away. I wonder what that smell is. It’s identical to the prior one. I am surprised they don’t participate in certipur.
It depends upon the construction of the mattress and what they place under their marshall spring unit. The Stearns uses 1" of polyurethane foam beneath their spring unit. Some brands using only a fabric encasement under their spring units and like gaps between slats as low as 2", or you could place something like a coir bed rug on top of your existing platform bed with 3" slat gaps.
Bunkie boards are usually just the bottom or top slat network from a wooden foundation. They’re usually covered with a posture pad (some use cardboard), and then wrapped in fabric. The spacing between slats can be quite large, and in your case they would be a worse alternative to your platform bed slats. And two twin XL would be correct for a king.
Assuming the specifications are the same, there will be variances in the softness of foam batches, and your old mattress already had a bit of use to it to soften it up, and depending upon how long your new mattress has been in your home it could still be a bit cold. There could also be variations in the tightness of the quilt panel and the joining of the side panels to the quilt panel. Over time these comfort differences would become less pronounced.
That’s up to you and your personal preferences. My guess is that with the Tempurpedic/Sealy/Stearns now being Tempur-Sealy and the “crossing over” of some versions of Tempur or Tempur-like material into those lines, they may not want to submit them for such certifications, with the potential of exposing some of the ingredients they use in their foams, which they consider proprietary. That’s just my personal speculation.
I couldn’t tell what odor from the mattress you’re smelling without being in front of your particular mattress. I’ve been in showrooms with these models and haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary for a new mattress, but you may have a more sensitive sniffer than I do to the foams, glues, ticking or even the plastic that was wrapped around your mattress. I would imagine it would dissipate within a few weeks, and if you find it troubling then I would uncover the mattress and lean it against the wall with the windows open to help facilitate the minimization of the odor.
Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Beducation / Mattress To Go
, but sampling just a few mattresses and then deciding that there isn’t something available out of the tens of thousands of different models and styles in the industry that would be soft and durable enough for you would be an inaccurate assumption. There are increasing numbers of mattresses using 
