Where to buy in my area.

[phoenix]

Hi Anjru,

I decided that before going back to them and asking for info about the layers I’d shop around a bit more. There seems to be a bit of conflicting info out there. For instance, some say that flip able mattresses are better because you’re getting ‘twice’ the mattress. Yet there quite a few one sided mattresses with twenty-twenty five year warranties. Or, with latex beds, the layers shouldn’t be glued because the glue keeps the layers from breathing and degrades the material. But there are plenty of high end latex mattresses that aren’t in zippered covers, and that are glued.

Unfortunately conflicting information that is often incomplete is the “norm” in the industry.

You can read more about the pros and cons of one sided vs two sided mattresses in post #3 here.

You can read more about the pros and cons of glued vs unglued layers in post #2 here.

Warranties in general have little bearing on the useful life of a mattress and are mostly about marketing. You can read more about warranties in post #174 here and more about the factors that are involved in the relative durability and useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.

Beds etc, near me in l.a., one of your recommended stores has an aire loom tarragon for about 2400, mattress and box springs. Marked down from about four grand because, they say, aire loom is discontinuing this model. So there are only two left, both floor models, I think, at two of their stores. Do you think the story is valid? I like the way the bed felt but am concerned about the memory foam top, soy based or not.

The story may be valid but I wouldn’t consider any mattress (discounted or not) where you aren’t able to find out the specifics of all the layers and components inside it because this is the only way to make meaningful comparisons between mattresses and identify any potential weak links in the mattress. Some discounted mattress may still be worse value than the regular price of other mattresses. You can also read a little more about “so called” soy based foams in post #2 here.

A topper can be an effective option for a mattress that is too firm and just needs some extra softness and pressure relief as long as there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress. It’s not an effective way to “repair” a mattress that has softened or degraded over time (see post #4 here). At 15 years old I would be surprised if your mattress hadn’t softened under the heavier parts of your body (although Stearns & Foster mattresses were generally made more durable 15 years ago than they are today).

Phoenix