The Mattress Expert

Rebecca - We are looking to purchase a new mattress.

Rebecca writes:
 
Hi,
I am completely confused about what's good and not good...and don't trust sales persons
either. I have a bad left hip and tendonitis in my right shoulder. I
need something that's not so firm so I can lay on my side, but not so
soft that it doesn't give me support. Am 47--145 lbs. We prefer Sealy or
Stearns & Foster. What do you recommend? I was told memory foam was
good--euopean tops were good..but aren't sure what to go for. Can you
advise? Becky
 
Hi Becky,
Memory foam is terrible stuff. The longer you're in it, the softer it gets. It's heat sensitive, which means it softens when warmed. You're body heat will soften it quite a bit. So you see, it won't feel at home, like it did to try in the store. When a salesman says,"Euro-top", it's short for Euro-Pillowtop. Many salespeople push the thicker, plusher, pillowtop mattresses. They do that because they are more expensive, they make more money and they are easy to sell. In fact, the seductive nature of the beast sells itself. There comes a point in any of the mattress lines when more means less. Today's mattress filling materials compress more easily. More padding means deeper body impressions.
And memory foam is the worst of all the paddings available today.....contrary to the billions of dollars worth of hype you've been spoon fed over the years.
Having a bad hip and shoulder, you'll be more sensitive to the changes that a mattress goes through as it wears. Lots of my customers with physical problems are finding that a combination of firmer mattress for support and soft latex topper for long lasting comfort, works best. A latex topper will provide plenty of pressure relief to the surface. It absorbs much of your body weight, leaving under it a mattress that has worn more slowly....more gradually. One of the nice things about all this is the cost is less than you'd expect. Far less than you'd pay for most memory foam mattresses. Another option for you is a latex mattress. These beds keep their shape an incredibly long time. Body impressions (from the quilted top), are extremely minimal. These are more expensive, but last a lot longer also relieving all the pressure points. They will give well enough with your hip and shoulder while maintaining proper alignment. The Stearns & Foster Tower View Villa is an excellent choice for latex with good support and comfort.
Here are some links to follow...mattresses that can be used with latex toppers and a link to that latex mattress. Latex has been the best material available since the 1920s and out performs memory foam as if it wasn't even there...like comparing a Cadillac to an AMC Pacer...if you remember that piece of junk. 
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Simmons-Beautyrest-Worldclass-Raleigh--18737/
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Stearns-and-Foster-Heidi-Luxury-Firm/
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Accessories/
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Stearns-Foster-Italian-Garden-Villa-Plush-/


Thanks, Pete
 
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Martha - $1000 for as mattress and a total waste of money

Martha writes:
 
I'll try to make this as brief as possible. I'd sincerely appreciate
your input. We purchased a mattress, King Valente XF Pillowtop, made by
United Sleep Products (Denver, PA) in at a local mattress
discount warehouse. It was only 5-6 wks when we realized that the pillow
top was not for us - we had immed. body impressions that made each of us
feel like we were stuck in our own hole in our respective sides of the
bed. We easily exchanged it for the non pillow top variety of the same
model. After a few wks we experienced the same, although this time the
retailer had us contact the mfr directly. I filled out the 4pg warranty
form and was quickly informed that they would replace the mattress with
the next step, firmer model (Arcadia XF). It felt great - for only one
wk. Then more of the same - painfully obvious "body impressions" (I'm
121 lbs), creaking, very soft feel, just like the one I had recently
replaced after 10 yrs. PLUS, we were required to arrange for
self-delivery by a local handyman type (a UHAUL would have cost us $200
for the 2hr round trip, and the mfr would not deliver to me or to the
retailer at this point). All along, I was told that such body
impressions were normal - they can't be!!! I then filed a complaint with
the Office of Consumer Protection, Dept of Atty General in PA.
Essentially, if the company doesn't explicitly specify full monetary
refund, you are not entitled to one. End of story. So, do I eat the
$1000 loss and try and forget the whole miserable experience, and go
shopping again, or do I have any other alternative? As a physical
therapist, I can assure you that this is not a healthy situation. I must
add that I have bought off-brands before, for much less, and NEVER had
mattresses fail like this. I also find it hard to believe it could be my
bed, a nice Kincaid, which never caused problems in the past. ANY
feedback would be helpful. Martha

Hi Martha
Short of getting a lawyer, you can pretty much stick a fork in all of this. Body impressions are normal to some degree. Today's filling materials don't keep their shape as well as the older beds that used a lot of cotton and other natural fibers. While these natural pads held up better, they were a breeding ground for dust mites. But even today, there is a range of quality within the synthetics used. Latex is the most durable. Polyeurethane is the most common and among them there is a wide range of densities. Memory foam is becoming very popular and is the worst offender when it comes to deep body impressions...right away. You don't say what type of padding is in the bed you have, but before reselecting, you'll want to know what's in it.



Thanks, Pete
 
Always New...Made Factory Fresh to Fill Your Order

 
Order on Line Today...It's Fast, It's Easy, and It’s Safe 
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Free Delivery Nationwide...and, with NO SALES TAX. 
Pure Bliss (All Natural Latex Mattresses), Sealy, Simmons and Stearns & Foster...the most trusted names in the industry.

TWO SIDED, FLIPABLE MATTRESSES ARE BACK.
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Two-Sided-Mattresses/ 

Also Available: Fashion Beds...a nice selection of Platform Beds and Decorative Headboard/Footboards
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Fashion-Beds/
 
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...Luxurious and Theraputic
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Adjustable-Beds/
 
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Renee - California King Simmons Beautyrest Avondale Mattress

Renee writes:

We have had a Ca. King Beautyrest Avondale (M29319.7405) for 3.5 years and it has cratered something awful. Simmons will replace it under warranty with a Ca. King Beautyrest World Class Alexandria plush super pillowtop. Tried to find info on this mattress but couldn't find anything. Is this going to be comparable to our Avondale? 

Hi Renee,
It's a step up. The World Class has a higher coil count and better edge support. I'd suggest avoiding the pillowtop. You can get the same model in a plush/firm....not what you're used to, but will hold up a lot better.
Also, Cal.King is the worst size for uneven wear.

Thanks, Pete
www.themattressexpert.com 
1-888-732-5923
 
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Simmons Beautyrest, Sealy Posturepedic, Stearns & Foster
Adjustable beds, Latex & Memory Foam
(visit our website or call for details)

Brenda - Stearns & Foster All Latex Mattress

Brenda writes...

Shopping for a mattress and having a difficult time. Over the last 4-5 yrs we have bought the following mattresses and been unhappy:

1. Simmons Beauty Rest Bancroft (World Class) Firm (RC Wiley) -- too firm caused backaches
2. Traded in for Simmons Beauty Rest Bancroft Plush and it developed deep indents where hips were - over 2' so RC Wiley replaced.
 3. Marquis Torino Plush (latex mattress - RC Wiley) - also indented in a matter of months, replaced by RC Wiley.
 4. Vera Wang Beyond Radiance (also latex mattress frm RC Wiley).
 
 All the above were Cal King mattresses and all have been unsuitable - most breaking down. The latest Vera Wang is 2 yrs old and is deeply indented where husband sleeps (225 lbs). We both have numbness in both arms and back aches from mattress.
 
 Now to shopping for guest rm: Bought a Select Comfort I10 (top of the line) Number Bed Queen Size. The backaches are instant and wake up feeling bruises and battered every 10 min. The lower nrs. cause the backaches - the higher numbers the bruise and battered feeling and again, numbness. 
 
 We are in process of returning but have no idea where to go from here. Can you help? 

 

Hi Brenda,
You were on the right track initially. Could have gotten a topper to soften the surface of that. In the Simmons line, going to a "plush" means more than just a softer top, but also, a much thinner gauge wire for the coils...resulting in what happened to that. There are lots of latex mattresses out there that have very little latex in them. I don't know anythging about the Marquis Torino, but can promise you that the Vera Wang uses a polyurethane foam core....likely for the other too. 
My wife and I have been sleeping on latex for years...nice sized people, she and I...but we are talking about an all latex mattress.
Today, I'd have you look at any of the Stearns & Foster models you can find without a pillowtop....and you can't go wrong.
http://www.themattressexpert.com/Stearns-and-Foster-3749/

 

Thanks, Pete

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Jennie - Replacement for a Dormia Mattress

5 years ago we purchased a king size Dormia mattress, which has now deteriorated to having a large hump in the middle (but not the 2.5 inches needed in order to trigger our warranty). Have been toying with getting a sleep number bed due to my hip bursitis, which can get painful at night, but don't like all the complaints of leaking air, not to mention the mold. Most mattress salespeople have no clue what they are actually selling and I was impressed with your site and knowledge. Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated! Thanks. 

Hi Jennie,
The industry standard for determining when a body impression is deep enough to be considered a sag, is 1.5", not 2.5"...something you'll find with off brands that have warranties that are longer than what is standard. Useless, really. 
It helps to buy a good mattress...not just one that the salesman tells you is good or one that simply feels good at the moment...but one that will remain feeling good for a decent amount of time.
The key to sleeping without pain is alignment...the natural alignment for your spine and the alignment of your head and neck with your spine. I mention them separately because they are dealt with separately. The mattress for your body and a pillow for your head and neck.
Air mattresses rely on displacement for support, which ends up feeling more like a hammock. This will not keep you properly aligned. The best are those with individually pocketed coils, which provide an independent suspension type of support. The best of these are: the Simmons" Beautyrest Black line http://www.themattressexpert.com/Simmons/ and the Stearns & Foster line http://www.themattressexpert.com/Stearns-and-Foster-3749/ ....being careful to avoid the pillowtop models, as they tend to lose their shape quicker....regardless of how well the mattress is made.
Making your way through a mattress store to find the non-pillowtop models, aka "tight tops", is like making your way through a mine field. The showroom floor is covered with them...not because they're better, but because they're easier to sell. They are all seductively comfy...purposefully to get you back into the mattress buying market sooner than later. So, avoid them.
Another good thing to avoid is memory foam. It too, loses its shape more quickly while providing good initial comfort.

 

Thanks, Pete

Order on Line or Call 

www.themattressexpert.com 

1-888-732-5923

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Free Delivery Nationwide...and, with NO SALES TAX.

 Simmons http://www.themattressexpert.com/Simmons/

 Sealy http://www.themattressexpert.com/Sealy-Posturepedic/ 

Stearns & Foster http://www.themattressexpert.com/Stearns-and-Foster-3749/

TWO SIDED, FLIPPABLE MATTRESSES ARE BACK.

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Shirl - Sealy SpringFree Beachside latex or 11" True Form mattress

I own a sealy latex beachside mattress. It was manufactured on 09/2008 and we bought the 2 piece queen set right before Christmas in 2008. It slept wonderful for the first 1 1/2 years. Now if I don't sleep on the very edge of my side I roll to the middle. Waking up 6 to 8 times a night to dig yourself out of the sag is getting very old. The mattress we replaced was a cheap mattress and we slid a piece of plywood under it to try and get rid of the problem. I thought when we bought this sealy it would not only be better but last longer than 1 1/2 years before having problems. The salesman told us we would not need to turn or flip this mattress because it was made from latex and it would not sag in the middle like the cheap mattresses and we would definately not have to use plywood under it. Well I have turned it, it does sag when we are on it and I am going to try a piece of plywood next just to try and get some kind of relief. Any suggestions on what I can do now?

  
Hi Shirl,
I have the same bed with no problems.
Rolling toward the center would make me look under the bed at the bed frame.
The frame has to have a rigid center support that has a leg to the floor.
Check there first. Let me know what you have.
Thanks, Pete
www.themattressexperts.com
1-888-732-5923

 

Cem - S&F Kimberley mattress

Hi I am looking for the alternative names to the S&F Kimberley mattress? That's the one i really liked when i tried it before but with all the stores having different names for mattresses it makes it difficult to compare shop (which i realize is their goal). also, would you advise to stay away from pillowtops because of their tendency to get impressions quicker? thanks, cem

 

Hi Cem,

We have the lowest price available on that model...and it's called Kimberley here too.

You can also see it at Macy's as the Monet's Garden.

But with our low price, free delivery, bed frame, mattress protector and no sales tax, you won't find a better deal anywhere else.

Pete

 

Order on Line or Call
 
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1-888-732-5923
 
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Free Delivery Nationwide...and, with NO SALES TAX.
 
Simmons, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, also - Adjustable Beds
and - TWO SIDED, FLIPPABLE MATTRESSES....made to hold up to the heaviest of us.

0% interest is available to qualified buyers.

 

Liz - Regeneration II mattress

I bought a Regeneration II mattress a year and a half ago. It now has two visible depressions where my husband and I sleep---it's like we each have a ditch. We initially recommended the mattress to our upstairs neighbour who bought it about the same time and is having the same issues. The warranty only covers depressions which are deeper than 1.5 " however, without any weight on the bed, so we are very upset. Our visible 1.25" depressions feel like 4" when lying in them.

Hi Liz,
So, let that be a lesson to everyone. You often hear good reviews from consumers who have recently purchased a product. Manufaturers use those to show the reviews of their products...intentionally disregarding the complaints that come later. It's only after you've had it a while, that you have any business recommending a mattress to your neighbors, friends and the rest of us.
The next time someone tells you how great their mattress is, ask them how long they've had it. Take that in context. If they've just gotten it, ask them to report back to you about it in a couple of years.
When researching reviews, take the time those posting have had it, into account.

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1-888-732-5923

S&F Latex vs. Sealy Signature Mattress

Jewel of New Jersey, writes:
Hi, I have found great info on this blog, so thanks. Here is my story: we bought a S&F in 2004 and 1 yr. later it was found to be defective and we replaced with S&F Everham (super firm. We paid an extra $250 to upgrade to that one. So in total we have paid $1,400. The Everham, now 4 years old has also been deemed defective by the inspector for body impressions. We can only replace it with a S&F or Sealy. We are really leary of getting another S&F innerspring so we are looking at the Sealy Signature Series Spellman Cushion Firm (we will have to pay an extra $150 to get that one). We also looked at and really liked the S&F Topical Oasis Pescadero Point, but will have to pay and extra $800 to get that one. They don't carry any Sealy Springfree. Also, my husband is overweight. My question is should we pay the extra $800 to get the latex mattress? It's a lot of money, is the mattrees worth it and will it last for 10 years? I can't go through this again.

Hi Jewel. The Signature models have quite a bit of padding in them. Since your husband is overweight, you will more than likely experience another deep impression. Latex is the most durable of all the foams. The S&F Pescadero Point is the same as the Sealy Springfree Weybridge and I think it would hold up better. No matter what you get, make sure you rotate it religiously. It is the only way to make sure the mattress wears as evenly as possible. Once a month for the first year and 3-4 times a year after that. King size mattresses need to be rotated a quarter turn.

Visit our websites:
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SpringAir Ambience mattress

Ronnie of Tustin, CA, writes:
Hi, I've been reading the blog and find it very conforting that someone can speak the truth. My wife and I bought a mattress from Macy's 4 years ago. The first one (I don't remember the model) had to be exchanged as it bowed on both sides leaving a hump in the model. Well, the second one is now doing the same.Its a spring air Ambience confort select. We've had it for 2 years and is the worst to sleep on. I'm 5"10 250 and my wife is 5"3 140. We both sleep on our side or back. If we're able to get a refund then I'm coming to you; however, we might be forced to pick another one from them. WHat is a good quaility or brand that would be the best fit? We loved our bed at the beginning but thats about it. Any suggestions? Thanks and I appreciate all of you help.
Ronnie

Hi Ronnie. While could easy have had made a better choice than Spring Air, what's happened to your two mattresses isn't uncommon. I'm guessing you have a king, as what you describe is most common in that size. I'm guessing too, that what you have is plush, and maybe even a pillowtop. Consider that as an upholstered item, a mattress is going to compress under you. There 110 pounds difference between you. You must 1/4 turn rotate a king mattress every month for the 1st year to have any hope of it wearing evenly. And stay away from pillowtops and overly soft mattresses.
Macy's off sale prices are incredibly high. But you might try their S&F Estate models in a luxury firm. A man your size can't afford a soft bed. Use a topper for softening, which can easily and cheaply be replaced when worn.

www.ccmattress.com