Mattress Forum

http://www.marshallmattress.com/Collection/Elite/Elite_Detail/superior.html

I should have mentioned that I actually live in Laval, QC. I have two jobs so it’s very difficult for me to dedicate a lot of time to this problem (not to mention the tensions it has created on my marriage) but I intend to take a look at what this manufacturer has to offer: http://www.matelasbourck.qc.ca. There’s a few more, such as Mirabel and Dauphin but I know very little about them and I have no way of knowing if what they make is actually better or worse than the 3 S, mattresses remaining a blind purchase. I’m still going to investigate each of the links you provided. For instance, this might work: http://kingsandqueens-mattress.com/madrid.html.

I know there’s a great risk of making another mistake by rushing into something but somehow, it just seems hard to believe that there wouldn’t be many mattresses out there that could work for me. However, having said that, I did learn the hard way that getting a new bed once you’ve gained a lot of weight can prove to be a considerable challenge and that I have to be weary of anything that is zoned or too soft. Most people are simply advising me to go with the firmest mattress I can find and add toppers to it (as much as it will take), or else it will sag quickly. One of the independent manufacturers told me today over the phone that because of my weight, I should not even consider continuous coil and stick with pocket coils. He advised to stick with the hardest model he has and that’s it. That came as a shock to me as I never fully realized until now that I have become an anomaly and that being this heavy narrowed down my choices so much since I had never before had a problem sleeping in any hotels or motels and I do travel a lot. I was also sleeping fine on our old mattress (too bad I didn’t keep it). So far, I only attributed this ordeal on making wrong choices but it seems that I fall into a category that is too extreme for “regular” mattresses.

Ideally, I’m guessing I would need a tight top with strong pocket coils (gage 13 or perhaps 12) and little padding, mostly latex if possible; firm enough that my rear end sinks just a little. I know that Simmons has a World Class model (980 coils, gage 13.75, same as there was in the NXG 250) with just a little poly and latex. This mattress alone runs around 1300$ on this side of the border and I’m not sure it’s worth spending twice as much on it than I would on a firm Classic, on which I could throw my own latex topper. Of course, if I’d be absolutely certain that this is what I need; I would splurge another 1500 dollars and go for it. It’s just that after making huge and costly mistake, one tends to err of the caution side...

Yes, I did experiment some more and played musical toppers but haven’t yet find any solution to the “hump” problem. Granted, I could purchase enough firm poly to fill the 3 zones that are lower and then throw a thick topper over it but since that would be a temporary solution at best; I don’t want to throw anything else into this money pit. Right now, I rely on sleeping pills to fall asleep and wake up 3 or 3 hours later in horrible pain. I can’t stay any longer. I know I can’t keep this up much longer, hence my hurry.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

In general terms I believe that you can expect to get better value from almost all local or regional manufacturers than you can by going with any of the "S" brands. They all use way too much poly in all their mattresses that are anywhere close to your budget and even the ones that don't are way overpriced compared to almost all the other options you have.

If you did buy a mattress sight unseen, then in your case it should be firm springs over a thinner layer that you could use as a base for customized layers over it. Even good innersprings with a natural cotton/wool stuffing would be suitable here. Zoning in your case could also be very useful ... it would just have to be correct. The "S" brands don't make anything like this that would be suitable IMO. They all have too much poor quality poly over the springs that would make them completely unsuitable to use as a base. Almost all local manufacturers do make something that would be suitable however if you explain what you plan to do. In this group some have much greater value than others but in my experience even the worst of them are typically better value than most of what is available from the S brands.

If you plan to go with buying something sight unseen along these lines, post here first as I certainly know a few places that would be suitable and have good value.

A very high quality poly base with latex over it would be another option that would likely work at a much lower cost and with similar benefits to all latex. The tradeoff here would be the support base would not last quite as long as latex but the higher quality polyfoams that are available and used in support cores are relatively long lasting and good quality. It is in the materials used ... especially by the S manufacturers ... in the upper layers where most of the polyfoam problem exists.

Let me know what direction you want to go if you think I can help in any way.

Phoenix.

Phoenix

http://www.fabricantdematelas.com/en/manufacturer/pocket-spring-mattresses.html

http://www.matelasbourck.qc.ca/matelas_intro.html

http://www.matelasalhorizontal.com/en/index.php

http://www.matelasavanti.com/produits.html

http://www.matelasrene.com/

http://www.matelas-personnel.com/index.html

http://www.matelasorthopedique.com/en/index.html#

http://www.mirabelmat.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1

http://www.matelasconfort.com/matelas/index.php

http://www.literielaurier.com/en/deta/index.php?produitid=21

http://www.zedbed.com/mattress.html

https://catalogue.matelasdauphin.com/products/1-Mattresses/

http://www.matelaslapensee.ca/en/produits/produits.php

http://kaymedcanada.com/products.asp

http://www.myessentia.com/

http://www.primointernational.com/

This morning, I tried this Simmons Millenium Goose Bay, which felt pretty good in the Plush Firm (13.5 gage coils). What do you think of it?

Click on Simmons, Millenium and then Goose Bay.

If I was "forced" to go with polyfoam in the upper layers by budget (was looking at spending under $500 or likely even less), I would still buy from a manufacturer who could tell me the exact qualities of every layer and how long I could reasonably expect those layers to keep their qualities. I do not believe that the "S" companies can compete with good smaller manufacturers as their supply chain is too long. They are great for testing what feels good for duplication purposes in certain cases but I would not buy one.

Given your choices and the issues you are facing, I would not even consider a major manufacturer with only very few exceptions (and these exceptions are not "S" companies).

Phoenix

PS: for some reason you seem to really like Simmons

Our last mattress, which lasted almost 20 years, was a Simmons and they use pocket coils, which is why I tend to check them out more. My plan B is still to get the firm Classic. I know it wouldn't last very long but I could be sleeping on it 24 hours after purchasing it and it can be had for about 650, which is still a lot of money for 3 or 4 years of use but it would solve my problem quickly.

Been diagnosed with two herniated discs this morning. Didn't come as a big surprise but still, not pleasant news to hear. I finally gave up on the Backguard two nights ago and been sleeping on an el cheapo inflatable mattress in the basement. Much better! Probably inflated a tad too much because my hips are sore but my back isn't killing me as much, although still very painful. At least, there is no hump. I won't be able to keep this set up much longer though, since we are expecting guests next week.

I checked out Matelas Bourck this afternoon. Very nice little place. They have a mattress that could be of interest in their Classic series.

http://www.matelasbourck.qc.ca/classique.html

 It's the President. Two-sided, 608 coils, only one inch of 2.2 lb poly on each side. Extra-firm. I wouldn't be able to sleep on it as is (even my wife found it way too hard) but it would make a solid base. It's affodable (around 840) and covered with an excellent warranty. The owner says he's been making them for 20 years and it used to be the best mattress he had. He only changed the fabric on top.

Will keep looking.

I don't know if this is the best option available as my ability to read some of the sites is a little limited (I can get a sense of them in french but not every detail) and none of them have any prices attached. I did notice though that a retail store I was looking at had dreameasy mattresses and they also seemed to be a reasonable option within your general budget and had some (about 2") of latex on what seemed like HR foam on top of coils ... although they didn't have all the construction details. I get a sense that some of the others also have some very high quality mattresses but without seeing their prices either on their site or at a retail outlet that carries them I just don't know where they fit in terms of price.

I also tend to find that the advice that comes from the smaller manufacturers is often (though not always) much better so if I was in your shoes I would probably call them and explain your back issues including the problems you had with your previous mattress ... tell them your budget ... and see what they say. I have found that I accomplish on the phone in an hour of preliminary calling what it would otherwise take many hours to do. It would probably help you target where to go and save you quite a bit of time. The more specific your questions, including their prices, the better the information you will get. Once you have a sense of the prices on a few mattresses, the rest of the website or at least similar mattresses tends to be easier to predict. You would likely get a pretty clear picture fairly quickly which ones offer the best value.

Phoenix

Having said that though ... you are in the budget range of an all latex mattress where you can choose your layers and exchange a layer at low cost if you don't "get it right". I believe also that you could probably do better than 1.5" of latex over springs in terms of cost ... even though it is 2 sided. If I was in your shoes, not really sure about "what was best" and considering purchasing a mattress I had never tried, then how easy and inexpensive it was to exchange for a different option would play a major role in my buying decisions. If you look in the thread "searching for a mattress in quad cities" you will see some options for an all latex mattress where exchanging either a layer or a whole mattress is a relatively simple and inexpensive process. I realize you are in Canada and "time is of the essence" but even with the extra shipping, exchange rate, and GST when it crosses the border outlets similar to these would probably represent better value for you.

Perhaps even more importantly, I would think based on what I have seen that there is probably better value available from some of the Canadian or even more specifically Quebec outlets I have seen. Sometimes though it is important to go with what you know in a more "urgent" environment and if the springs in this mattress are of good quality, strong, and suitable for you then it may be worth paying more as long as you know that you may very well need a topper over this.

I also believe that this would be a better choice than any of the "S" brands you were considering.

Have you phoned any of the others? I would be giving them a quick call and asking something like "I have some serious back issues etc ... here is my "statistics" (weight and body distribution), and I am looking for a mattress that either has 3" of latex over good quality springs, good quality HR poly, or an all latex mattress ... do you have anything like this and what would it cost me? Their specific answer to this (I don't mean a general answer like "Of course we do ... why don't you come in and take a look") would tell you a lot. You will very quickly find out who is happy too put their value up against anyone else and who depends on you being in their showroom to make a sale. BTW this applies to retail outlets as well. I would NEVER go somewhere I had not called first to find out what they knew and the level of advice and information they were willing to offer over the phone.

Phoenix

Phoenix