Wanted- a bed to last a lifetime

Time to shop for a mattress again and i would really like this to be the last time. My husband is 65 and i’m 58 and we have had way to many mattresses in the 35 years we have been married. So, is it possible to find a mattress that fits the bill? We are considering the Duxiana 515, Tempurpedic Cloud and Stearns and Foster. Then we ran into a road show at Costco yesterday for the 100% latex Paramount Nature’s fit mattress. Since it is Costco the warranty is incredible at 20 years non-prorated. You also have 12 months to change your mind.

So…do you have any information on the Paramount bed? We have friends who have had a Dux bed for 23 years and they have just changed the topper once. Am i being snobbish to want the Dux?

Thanks for your help.

Hi becfan,

The first place to start tour 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.

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” and 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 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.

I would also keep in mind that mattress warranties only cover defects in the materials or construction of a mattress and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality materials) loss of comfort and support that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words warranties have little to nothing to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or when you may need to buy a new mattress and longer warranties are more about marketing than anything else. If there is an actual defect in the material it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress are a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.

There is more about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here but it’'s always more realistic to think of 10 years as a reasonable expectation (regardless of the length of a warranty) and treat anything longer than that as “bonus time”.

In terms of durability a mattress is only as good as its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label so if you can find out the information listed here from your retailer about the Paramount mattress you are considering then I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials inside it and the mattress as a whole and let you know if I can see any obvious weak links in the mattress that would affect it’s durability and useful life. If it really is 100% latex from top to bottom then there would be no weak links in the mattress but I would make sure that there are no other materials inside the mattress because there are many retailers or manufacturers that claim that their mattresses are 100% latex when they aren’t.

Duxiana certainly uses high quality materials in their mattresses and there are no obvious weak links in their design but of course I would make some very careful value comparisons with other mattresses that may also be just as good match for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and that use equally high quality and durable materials that are in much lower budget ranges.

While some people may keep a mattress for much longer … and having a separate topper that can be replaced without replacing the entire mattress can certainly extend the life of a mattress … I certainly wouldn’t expect that you will keep any mattress for 23 years.

There are also component mattresses available that allow you to replace any of the layers or components in the mattress so not only can you replace the top layer (which is the most likely to soften or break down over time) … but you can also replace any of the layers inside the mattress if your needs and preferences relative to comfort and support change over time as well.

If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

Phoenix