The Mattress Expert

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.

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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.

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Mattress inspection

Lorraine of Spanish Springs, writes:
I purchased the above mattress in 2007 and we have noticed that we now have a distinct lump down the middle of the mattress. According to a mattress inspector we have a half inch dip from the height in the middle to the dip on each side. We were also told by this inspector that the warranty does not cover less than 1.5 inches. If we had 1.5 inches then they would give us the option of replacing the mattress or refunding our money. I just would like to not have a lump running down the center of the mattress. They also insinuated that we had not been turning the mattress every two months as recommended, which is untrue. Can you please tell me what your take on this is. Thanks.

Hi Lorraine. The type of mattress you have didn't show and I'm guessing it's a king. King mattresses need to be rotated a quarter turn, otherwise you get the infamous "hump". It happens because no one usually sleeps in the center of a king, so the padding doesn't get worn in with the rest of the mattress. Unfortunately, it's normal and the only way to get it to settle is to 1/4 turn it.

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I am on my third mattress

Sharon of Rockford, writes:
I am on my third mattress. I keep sinking in the middle. The edges of the bed are much, much firmer than the middle. Do I have my third defective mattress or is this the way the mattress is designed?
 
Hi Sharon. A mattress wears, wherever you put your body. If you sleep in the center, that's where it will show the wear. Body weight, softness of padding and brand are factors in how the mattress wears. If you sleep alone, try to sleep to the sides, and not just in the center. Edges are made firmer for sitting to dress.
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Restonic king size bed

Bev of Winnipeg, writes:
I pushase a restonic king size bed about a three inch space age foam, four years ago,now the middle of the bed is raised and my side and my husband's side of is suken in.The warrenty is for fifteen years but states that the warrenty does not cover normal body immpressions.The does not look like a normal body immpression. I have had a sore lower back and asked my husband to switch the mattress put the top to the bed to the feet are and the feet area of the mattress to the body.I no long have a sore back however if you look at the foot of the bed you have a hump in the middle and two sukun areas. After I bought the bed I told a few of my friends and they also bought a bed. The one friend had the same problem with their bed and called the company, they came down and said this was normal body immpressions and would not give them a repacement mattress but she complainted so much they said they would fix their mattress. They received their mattress but it was someone elses mattress, she called again and the place where their mattress was to be repair had thrown theirs out so the company had no other choice but to give them a new mattress. My question is I have to call the company to get mine replaced or repair,I do love the bed but it gives me back problems, how can I approach them in a manner that they don't give me a hard time . A fifteen year warrenty is useless if it does not cover body impressions to the extend that it gives me back aches.
Please advice on the best approach.

Hi Bev. Seems to me that your friend, who has had some success in getting an exchange, would be the one to ask for this kind of advice.
That "space age" foam is memory foam...or visco-elastic foam. For all the effort they take in selling it...for all the hype that tells you it's so good, you'd think that someone should be held responsible for pushing that junk. If you flip your mattress over, I think you'll find that the poly foam underside is more comfortable to sleep on.
 
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Body impressions in mattresses

Percy of Windsor, writes:
I have read through a lot of your blog in preparation of getting a new mattress. I have learned when it comes to body impressions, such as, a less padded mattress is more resistant to leave them over time. However, my question is, does any particular brand of mattress do a better job of resisting body impressions? For example, does one companies "comfort layers" (or foam) have a more resilient design then others. Or are all foams alike?

Hi Percy. Latex is the most resilient foam. Memory foam is very dense. When a little is at the bottom of the pile, it can do a lot, to help support the upper layers. When you put it near the top, it reacts to your body's heat and breaks down. Polyurethane is the most common. Poly foam comes in various densities. The higher the density, the better it holds up. But, you can't have it both ways. The higher density foams will make for a firmer feel. To get a mattress with a soft feel that will hold up well, better to start with a less expensive firmer mattress and add a 2" layer of soft latex to that.

Delivery available everywhere in the contiental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Toll Free phone number: 1-888-732-5923
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
Philadelphia Inquirer's "Neighbor's Choice Award"

Also available:
Latex Toppers...100% Talalay...US made.
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Stain Guard Mattress Pads
Very High quality sheets and comforter

Mattress issues with body impressions

Lisa of Sioux Falls, writes:
We have had a couple of issues with body impressions recently. We had a Simmons Beauty Rest that ended up with large impressions after a couple of years. We then got a Sealy Spring Free we've had for 7 months and now has an impression, which will be covered by warranty. We are looking into the Celebrity by Tempurpedic to try to avoid impressions, but I like a soft cushy feel. What would you recommend?

Hi Lisa. You don't mention what kinds of tops these mattresses had. I'm guessing pillowtops, since that is what the Celebrity is. That would be your problem and you probably won't have any more luck with that model. The more padding there is to compress, the more of an impression you will get. It is unavoidable. My suggestion would be a non-pillowtop Springfree model. You can always add a latex topper if you want that pillowtop feel.

Delivery available everywhere in the contiental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
"2007 - 2008 Neighbor's Choice Award"

Also available:
Latex Toppers...100% Talalay...US made.
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Stain Guard Mattress Pads
Very High quality sheets and comforter

Dents in our pillowtop mattress

Melissa of San Diego, writes:
My husband and I purchased a $2K pillowtop six years ago. Over the past four years the pillowtop has broken down to two divits where we each sleep. (We are not overweight people.) This is causing us both back and neck pain. We are not in the market to purchase a new mattress at this time. Is there anything we can do to the mattress or add to the matress to take the dents away? Can the pillowtop be removed? Help?

Hi Melissa. The problem with pillowtops is that they tend to take a deeper body impression over time. As with all mattresses, they need to be rotated on a regular basis to ensure the surface wears as evenly as possible. If you have a king, you need to rotate it in quarter turns so the middle gets worn down too. For a queen there isn't much you can do. You may still be within your warranty time period. I would look into it and see if an inspector can be sent out.

Delivery available everywhere in the contiental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
"2007 - 2008 Neighbor's Choice Award"

Also available:
Latex Toppers...100% Talalay...US made.
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....
Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Stain Guard Mattress Pads
Very High quality sheets and comforters

Princess and the Pea mattress

lynn of benton, writes:
HI. I AM WONDERING IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH 'DUAL SIDED MATTRESSES'? I RECENTLY LOOKED AT A RESTONIC 'GRAND PALAIS' EIFFEL. THIS IS A DUAL HIS/HERS, ONE SIDE FIRM, THE OTHER NOT SO FIRM MATTRESS. I AM 5'3/130 HIM 6'2/220. R OUR FIRST MATTRESS WAS A SIMMONS BEAUTYREST, WHICH WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS BEFORE THE VALLEYS SET IN, AND WAS GREAT FOR NO MOTION TRANSFER. NOW WE HAVE A SPRING AIR THAT DID NOT HOLD UP AND HAS 2 VALLEYS IN IT, ALSO GREAT FOR NO MOTION TRANSFER. ALL 3 OF THESE MATTRESSES HAVE INDIVIDUALLY ENCASED COILS. I FEEL LIKE NO MATTER THE WARRANTY IS, MATTRESSES LAST ABOUT 5 TO 7 YEARS....AND HAVE GOTTEN SOOOO EXPENSIVE. SO!! ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THE RIGHT MATTRESS FOR US? HE LIKES VERY FIRM, ME FIRM BUT PLUSH TOP. I MOVE CONSTANTLY SO WE NEED A 'NO MOTION' FOR SURE. I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE SIMMONS AND THE SPRING AIR AND TIRED OF PAYING TOP $$$$ AND STILL MATTRESS SHOPPING EVERY 5 YEARS. I HAVE READ SO MANY STORIES ON THIS WEBSITE FROM PEOPLE WHO SPEN!D A LOT OF MONEY AND DON'T LIKE THE MATTRESS THEY JUST GOT. I DON'T LIKE MATTRESS SHOPPING AND I JUST LEAVE THE STORES OVERWHELMED. THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Hi Lynn. The body impression issue isn't helped any by a mattress you can't rotate. With a duel feel, rotating defeats the purpose of having the duel feel. Over the years, various manufacturers have come out with a duel feel model. None of them lasted very long.  For motion reduction and longevity, the latex mattresses are your best value. The Sealy SpringFree Beachside has a medium feel and coul very well be something that the two of you can agree on. Even if your husband wants a firmer model, you can always soften your half of the mattress with a topper.

Delivery available everywhere in the contiental US.
NO SALES TAX outside of NJ.
You'll find discount pricing on our website: www.ccmattress.com
Voted "Best Mattress Store in New Jersey"
"2007-2008 Neighbor's Choice Award"

Also available:
Sealy "SpringFree" Latex Pillows....Sealy "Pro-Guard" Protection Plus Mattress Pads
High quality sheets and comforters

Restonic Esteem Plush mattress

Steve of Arlington, VA, writes:
Here is my situation, maybe you can advise. I bought a Restonic Esteem Plush mattress (20yr warr) about 11 years ago.  I was getting shoulder and hip pain so I added a 2" memory foam topper from Costco about 5 yrs ago.  Eventually it got body impressions (2 200lb queen bed side sleepers) so I went to Costco and bought another one, but the model they sell now is 2 1/2" of foam and 1 1/2 synthethic down(I think).  After 9 months I felt I was sleeping in a hole, it was not supporting me at all. I have disk problems and it was making it worse so I took the topper off.  However I don't like the firm feel of the mattress.  It's still in good condition and I have a low profile split queen box spring that has metal bars in it, also appears fine.  Here is my question.  I want a excellent quality supportive mattress, and I need some cushion on the top for comfort, but not too much as I discovered.  I was thinking of buying a mattress only, perhaps waiting for one of your close-out ones. Do you think re-using the box spring would be okay?   Which mattress models do you recommend? (I can go to my local store and test them) 

Hi Steve. There's no way anyone will green light you on an 11 year old boxspring. It will automatically void the warranty of whatever mattress you buy. If the only thing that's wrong with your mattress is that it's too firm, then all you need is a topper. Memory foam is junk. Get a 2" latex topper with an ILD rating of around 20. Latex toppers are more resilient...they don't smash down like memory foam.

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