Thank you for all your information, it has been very helpful. Even after reading through the information I find myself in quandary of what to buy. I would appreciate your advise.
I am over weight and have numerous back issues. I have been unable to lay flat in a bed for over a year,requiring me to sleep in a chair.
I have looked at all the major mattresses available in the major stores. After ready through your information I have several I would like your opinion on.
Sterns and Foster oak terrace III luxury plush. This is one of the Estate models
Natural Solutions Sequoia pillow top
Tommy Bahama Pure Paradise Hybrid
Sealy Copper Plush
All are medium firm.
I will be buying an adjustable foundation and again this is a process to navigate through. Your opinion on these would be helpful also.
Thanks again
Hi Vicdoy,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :).
It sounds like you may need to “reset” how you are looking for a mattress.
[quote]Thank you for all your information, it has been very helpful. Even after reading through the information I find myself in quandary of what to buy. I would appreciate your advise.
I am over weight and have numerous back issues. I have been unable to lay flat in a bed for over a year,requiring me to sleep in a chair.[/quote]
My reply in post #2 here would be the same as I would reply to your questions as well.
[quote]I have looked at all the major mattresses available in the major stores. After ready through your information I have several I would like your opinion on.
Sterns and Foster oak terrace III luxury plush. This is one of the Estate models
Natural Solutions Sequoia pillow top
Tommy Bahama Pure Paradise Hybrid
Sealy Copper Plush
All are medium firm.[/quote]
Again I would avoid any Stearns & Foster or Sealy mattresses (or Simmons and Serta as well).
If you can find out the information here about the Sequoia pillow top or the Tommy Bahama mattress you are looking at and post it on the forum I’d certainly be happy to let you know if there are any lower quality materials or weak links that could compromise the durability or useful life of either of them.
A good retailer that is transparent about the materials and components in their mattress should be able to easily provide you with all the information you need about all the materials and components in a mattress to make an informed choice but if for any reason the retailer you are dealing with is either unwilling or unable to provide you with all the information you need to to confirm there are no lower quality/density materials or weak links in any mattress you are considering then I would avoid the mattress completely because the risk of premature foam softening and/or breakdown that can lead to the loss of comfort and/or support and the need to replace the mattress much too quickly would be much too high.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
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 …
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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.
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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 (see the durability guidelines here).
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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.
Phoenix
FYI: The last specs I saw for this bed were:
1" 3# ultra plush “Floating Foam”
2.5" 5-Zone plush 1.5# poly
Marshall spring unit 850, 5-zone with foam encasement
Base foam 1" 1.35# extra firm
These specs can vary by region and may have changed from last year.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for providing the specs for the Tommy Bahama Paradise Hybrid … I appreciate it 
I would be cautious here because while these are better specs than most of the major brands … the 2.5" of 1.5 lb polyfoam is a lower density polyfoam than I would normally suggest in the durability guidelines and could be a weak link in terms of the durability and useful life of the mattress. This would be especially true if you are in a higher weight/BMI range.
As Jeff also mentioned … different licensees may use different quality materials in their mattresses than licensees that manufacture the same mattresses for other areas of the country and specs can also be subject to change so I would always make sure that the retailer you are dealing with can provide you with the current specs for the mattresses they have on their floor.
Phoenix
My zip code is 55085
Hi Vicdoy,
Subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you plan to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Minneapolis/St Paul area are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Good morning. Thank you for the suggested bed reltIlers in my area. We drove down to Rest Assured Mattress Co. yesterday and tried out three of their mattresses.
They no longer use latex in their mattresses, using Somni Gel instead. Below is the discription from their web site:
Somni Gel - In the Somni Gel we use a 2" rubber gel to create the ultimate pressure reliving mattress. The Somni Gel is 100% rubber, hypoallergenic, nontoxic, odorless, product with no added substances. Unlike foam, Somni Gel will not retain heat or compress over time. Somni Gel is built using the honey comb feature, the strongest shape found in nature. The honey comb shape provides the ultimate pressure reduction for your hips and shoulders. The columns buckle at your hips and shoulders but stand tall where you need support, like your lower back.
Are you familiar with this product and what is your opinion? We are looking at the combi zone Somni gel in twin XL with adjustable base.
Thanks
Hi Vicdoy,
Yes … Somnigel is a type of buckling column gel. There is more about buckling column gel in this article and in post #2 here and the posts it links to. A forum search on “buckling column gel” (you can just click the link) will also bring up more comments and feedback about it as well.
While it doesn’t contain any rubber (it’s made from a gel polymer and mineral oil) … it is very elastic and it is a very durable material that certainly wouldn’t be a weak link in a mattress relative to any weight/BMI range.
Phoenix