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I'm sure I should be diligent and read every post on here, but after a week of doing my research I'm starting to get frustrated. I love forums and this seems to be one of the best for mattresses. With this topic post I am hoping to get a summary of the mattress types and brands that have been spoken of most highly on this forum. I know this topic is like politics, everyone feels strongly about one thing vs another without an overall concensus and I know the typw of mattress depends on the person, but I feel like someone familiar with these forums could maybe narrow down my search and provide some advice. Basically I'm 28, living with my fiancee and thinking about consciously purchasing a mattress for the first time. We have a Sealy Posture Premier (somewhat entry level model) from 2003ish. I have never slept soundly and dream of getting consistent good nights of sleep. I have sporadic neck/shoulder and lower back discomfort but it's usually better after sleeping so I don't think the mattress is necessarily the culprit. After going to a few stores I am leaning towards a slightly firmer mattress and my fiancee towards a softer one (she is very small and light if that makes a difference) but generally I think we both just want comfort. I sleep on my back, her on her side and we both toss and turn. I am a naturally hotter person and can't sleep if I'm hot. If I do turn on my side my shoulder feels jacked up within minutes although the postition feels comfortable. I want to get moving on a new bed but I feel stuck..Everything in the store feels reasonably comfortable, web reviews contradict each other..I just need a starting point, a roadmap. I'm even into an evolutionary approach where I start with something and add on as I go.....I just want a new bed badly and I'm fearful of throwing my money away. Once again, I apologize for asking such a flat out newbie question. I've read the buying guide here and reviews all over the web and I feel less confident than when I started.
Thanks in advance!! -JT |
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jtpoulin wrote:
From here: http://www.gardnermattress.com/process.asp
seems like all the processes do involve poly foam (except the latex). Maybe it's something you have to specify that you don't want? The pocketed coil does not use PU, just has polyester pad over the springs (I think that is okay). Not sure if you want pocketed coils, but that one sounds pretty comfortable with the latex on top of the coils. p.s. there are different qualities of PU foam as well. Some are denser and longer lasting than others. So, 3/4" of high quality would not necessarilly be a deal breaker for me. I bought some HD PU foam for sofa cushions, and it seems to be holding up okay. This message was modified Sep 6, 2010 by sandman
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It says they use 3/4" of 1835 foam in one of their mattresses. The 18 means 1.8 density, from what I can tell. That is standard grade, not a premium or HD grade. I view that as a negative. The only good thing is that they only use 3/4" (at least the one I was looking at). Ideally, I would not use any of this type of foam.
Example: The foam type is 1835. The 18 means a cubic foot of this foam weighs 1.8 pounds. The heavier a piece of foam, the longer it will maintain its shape. The 35 means it takes 35 pounds of pressure to compress a piece of this foam to 25% of its original height. The higher this number means the firmer the piece of foam.
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Thanks Sandman. I may call them and express my concern about the poly foam, see what options I have with that and then maybe go check the beds out. As far as customizing each side of the bed independently for me and my fiancee, can this be done with toppers over a standard innerspring?
Seeing as I'm really new to this game, I'm sure even after research I'll still need to feel this one out for myself (ourselves). I want each of us to be able to change things around as we see fit. The latex beds online seem to make that possible (with the layer exchanges), and I can see it being a possibility with toppers but I just wonder how messy it would get trying to customize each side independently.......
by the way, we are both on the slender side.... she is 5'5" and I am 5'8".......if it makes a difference. This message was modified Sep 6, 2010 by jtpoulin
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You could customize with toppers, but you would probably have to be cutting them down to the right size. If you really want to customize both sides, then you are better off getting latex from one of the places mentioned above. The main question would be do you like latex. So, ideally you would try some all latex beds to get a sense. Most people like them, but a few do not. |
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Thanks Sandman. My fiancee really like the idea of the online latex mattress with their return policies and layer exchanges. We like the ones we've tried in stores....but have never spent a night on one. I wonder if it's worth the hassle of finding a hotel with a latex mattress...... If the return policies are as good as they seem at sleepez and flobeds we could try them out at home and still get our money back (sans shipping) if we decide latex is not for us. If that is the case then the question is, Is our ~$1500 budget enough. Seems like we may have to go with sleepez....and the 8500. If that is not reccomended I'll have to think about it...... |
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Most people get the10000, so that is a safer bet. Not sure if anyone has had problems with the 8500. It doesnt' have as much depth, which would probably diminish the comfort a bit. If you like it on the firmer side, then it might not be a problem. What size are you getting? p.s. If you got the 8500, you could always add a topper later if desired. That kind of defeats the purpose of the wool cover, so not totally optimal. But still it would be an option. This message was modified Sep 6, 2010 by sandman
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We are getting a Queen.
Does the wool cover keep it cooler? That is still a concern for me (not for her, she would be comfortable in a sauna). |
| also, I haven't even gotten into the foundation yet. Can I even keep my current bed frame? |
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jtpoulin wrote: also, I haven't even gotten into the foundation yet. Can I even keep my current bed frame? The wool does help keep help keep it from feeling too hot. You can create that effect as well with wool in a mattress pad. Obviously it would be nice to have everything under the wool mattress cover for a nice clean look and temperature moderation. The latex mattress should go on a pretty firm foundation. A firm box spring would probably work. You could put a board over a soft box spring. Or you can buy a wood slat foundation. |
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OK, so after talking it over with my fiancee, I think we are going to try a latex mattress. But now we are thinking that if we are going to have this for a while, maybe we should get a king. My costs are obviously going up and now we won't be able to use our current bed frame. If we go ahead with a king size sleepez 10,000, any suggestions on affordably buying the rest of what we need (frame, foundation, etc)?
Thanks everyone for your help |