Im having a hard time deciding between these three mattress options. In King size (non pillow top versions) they are all about $1,500. The Flexus Bodyprint uses trizone pocket coils (15 guage) and the others are 12 guage offset coils.
The Shovlin mattress was the only one we tried, it felt good, firm but we will add a topper. Shovlin was 10 year warranty (3 year guarantee) and no idea what materials are used above the springs (when asked of the foam density in their other latex beds the answer was… Not sure, but that doesn’t matter… So that made me a little uneasy… They just said they use the best coil in the industry… And made a point that pocket coils are cheap , weak and wear out in a few years.
The WJS is 25 year warranty and has wool and organic cotton. No idea on Flexus warranty but I believe thats the only hybrid matress out of the bunch with 2" talalay latex in comfort layer (they also have a less expensive Posture Sense line without the latex layer (about $1k shipped). Im just concerned that this pocket coil system is not as durable and will fail before the offset heavy gauge coils of the other two. (at least thats what Shovlin mentioned regarding pocket coils)
All three are double sided flippable.
What are your thoughts on best value in materials and construction of all three? I know value is a personal choice, but im asking strictly on whats in the bed and construction of such. WJS mentioned hand tufted construction whatever that is… But they mentioned its built like mattresses used to be years ago… Im assuming hand tufting is better construction and more expensive?
Offset coils that use lower gauge wire (such as 12.5 gauge) are certainly a good quality coil and are one of the strongest and most durable coils in the industry and by themselves would generally be stronger, firmer, and more durable than most pocket coils if you were sleeping on them directly but the comfort layers in a mattress that are above the pocket coils are usually the weakest link in a mattress … not the innerspring underneath them. In “real life” the durability of the innerspring isn’t as significant a factor in the durability and useful life of a mattress as the type and quality/durability of the materials that are above the innerspring. There are many good quality pocket coils that certainly aren’t “cheap” and don’t “wear out” in a few years. There is more about the different types of innersprings in the links I included in my previous reply but other than the firmness and durability of the coils one of the biggest differences between pocket coils and innersprings that are connected with helical wires are that pocket coils are more contouring and have less motion transfer. Offset coils will tend to provide firmer deep support and be less contouring and have more motion transfer. I would always keep in mind that the feel and performance of the mattress as a whole will be more important that the properties of any specific component.
If the foam in the comfort layers is latex then the density of the latex is a “comfort spec” (soft, medium, firm etc) and not a quality or durability spec so it will only make a difference in the firmness of the comfort layers. The type and blend of the latex is the information you need to know with latex.
If on the other hand the comfort layers are memory foam or polyfoam then knowing the density of the foam would be important to know (other than “about an inch or so” that is often used in quilting layers) so you can make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses and also compare them to the guidelines here.
I would also be aware that a mattress warranty only covers defects in the mattress not the gradual loss of comfort and support that is the main reason that most people will replace their mattress. The length of a warranty has very little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress relative to each person. In most cases … if there are defective materials in a mattress they will show up early in the life of a mattress (usually in the first year or two) and beyond that knowing the type and quality of the materials in a mattress is a more reliable way to identify any weak links in a mattress than the length of the warranty (see post #174 here about mattress warranties).
If you can list all the layers and components in each one (see this article) I’d be happy to make some comments about the materials in each of them.
Hand tufting will pre-compress the layers and can also prevent any shifting in the layers (without using glue) and can add to the durability and useful life of the mattress. A two sided mattress will also tend to be more durable than a one sided mattress that uses the same materials on only one side of a mattress. There is more about the pros and cons of a one sided mattress vs a two sided mattress in post #3 here.
There is more about the most important part of the “value” of a mattress in post #13 here but it will come down to how you answer these questions …
Which mattress do you believe is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP based on careful and objective personal testing. How well you will sleep on a mattress is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase.
If you can’t test a mattress in person before you buy it (or if you can but you aren’t confident that your testing will be a reliable indication of your actual sleeping experience) then what are the options you have after a purchase in case the mattress you purchase isn’t as good a match for you as you (and the manufacturer/retailer) hoped for.
Are there any weak links or lower quality materials in any of your finalists in terms of durability and how do they compare in terms of the quality and durability of the materials … in the comfort layers especially.
Once you are confident that all of your choices would be a good match for you in terms of PPP (or you have good options after a purchase if you aren’t confident) then you can compare your finalists based on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are important to you.
Once you have eliminated the worst options and are down to finalists that are comparing “good to good” … if there are no clear winners between them at this point then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely make a good quality/value choice and your final choice (see post #2 here) would be a matter of “best judgement” based on your personal testing, your more detailed conversations with the ones you can’t test in person, and all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. Sometimes it may even be a matter of “gut feel” or “educated intuition”.