Mattress Forum

• The sheer variety of mattresses found on the market (tens of thousands of options...brand name is essentially a worthless metric)
• Misleading sales people (the ones who work off straight commission want to sell you the item THEY make the most $ on...big chain stores tend to do the customer a disservice in many cases)
• It is whats "under the hood that counts...don't pay more THINKING you're getting more (a $500 mattress can LOOK like $2000 mattress...thickness does NOT equal quality)
• What makes a mattress "the right one" is subjective (a good mattress may not be the RIGHT mattress for YOU.)
• Paralasis by Analysis (there seems to be a lot of this going on here just scrolling through a few of these threads). 

Allow me elaborate as it is not my intention to put down the intention of this forum.  I am very much in favor of the idea of customers connecting and sharing their experiences with particular beds.  If a retailer is selling quality goods, they should have nothing to fear from people giving honest testimonials using their products. 

Reading reviews & buying a bed is a lot different than reading reviews & buying a tv (for example).  A great quality set looks good not matter who is buying it...big or small, tall or short, average consumer or tech guru.  That's NOT the case with a mattress.  It's a touchy subject but BODY WEIGHT is one of the most important variables when buying a mattress....people come in all shapes & sizes.  Many 'larger than average' folks have gotten burned in the past buying a bed built for the 'average person'.  Slick salesmen in action.  I think this is where LATEX seems to have established an almost cult-like following (especially in this forum).  In general, latex foam beds have greater durability than the average bed....nothing magic about it.  They also cost more than the average bed.  They also tend to carry some of the best warranties.  It's a simple matter of getting what you pay for.  As for the great debates....

Natural vs Synthetic

Talalay vs Dunlop

34 ILD vs 36 ILD

etc etc etc

If you find yourself LIVING on a forum such as this, you're probably over thinking it.  I could show a customer hundreds of good quality beds on paper....but none of them would be a good value if they're not comfortable to the person who is going to be sleeping on it.  If you're shopping for a latex foam mattress, have done some basic homework on price & quality, then shop your local stores.  Find what you like (that you can physically try out) & what you don't....and then certainly see if you can find a better deal on that bed online or from a competitor. 

A word of caution though: If you find one that absolutely works for YOU, don't try skimp out buying a 'knock off' online just to save a couple bucks.  If I gave 5 different bed companies the same 'recipe' for a bed, I am going to have 5 different feeling beds at the end of the day.  You may be suprised when the UPS guy arrives with your bargain. 

I shake my head and grin reading about how folks seem to be trying to find the foam density that best defines them as a person.  Use common sense, define your budget, and find the best quality mattress for the money you have to spend.  The people who AGONIZE over the decision for  months (sometimes literally years) are the ones who will never find the 'perfect bed'....but have an 'expert' opinion on everything.  It's like having an tech guy who knows everything about the latest cutting edge technology......but he's still running the same Windows 98 machine he's had for over a decade.  Most folks who will post to an internet forum like this (provided they're not reviewing a purchase they've made...which would actually be VERY HELPFUL to those seeking guidance) have never stepped foot into a bedding factory nor do they have any first hand experience with the raw materials.  They're simply reiterating stats & figures they've read online from random web sites. 

The Costcos, Sam's Clubs, and Big Lots of the world are NOT sleep shops and often carry mid-range bedding offerings IMO.......don't get me wrong, you can find some very decent values there, but have realistic expectations.  A gas station can sell you milk & bread, but you don't go there to do your weekly grocery shopping. 

Just sharing a grounded perspective of the situation....best of luck to all of you on your mattress searches.  There ARE good beds out there that won't cripple your pocket book.  Visiting a local retailer is a good place to start.  If you buy from a retailer that treats you right, REVIEW their STORE online (via Google, Yahoo, etc etc); this will help other weed out the good stores from the places just out to make a buck. 

Bottom line: Shop around......find good quality....don't over pay. 

It's not rocket science; it's bed shopping :-)

-B