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I received the Aerus on Tuesday, and after one day airing out I tried it last night. Sam's club shipped it one day after I ordered it and it took 6 days (including the weekend) to get here from Indiana. I believe it was dropped shipped directly from Foamex. I weighed it in the plastic bag it came in at 35 lb.s. So, slightly more than 5lb. density based on my calculation. Sizing seems pretty good (I did not measure), a little smaller than 1 of my pieces of latex. Initial hand feel is that the surface seems slightly rougher than the Sensus, and it springs back a little quicker. The bamboo cover is 60% polyester and 40% bamboo rayon. There are some of the usual off gassing issues. Probably less than other memory foams I have purchased. Maybe due to the "natural" process. To test, I took off 3" of other foam (2" MF, 1" 19ILD latex) and my Natura mattress pad. So, I had the Aerus over 3" of latex (2" 32, 1" 24) on the Sealy coils with the 1" wool topper on top of it. Initial feel was pretty good. Reasonably firm, but soft and plush. After warming up it definitely molded to body shape. I felt less pressure points than I normally do. I never felt overly hot (and this was with less wool than I often use), but it does warm up like any other foam does. So, I would say that it does indeed seem to breath better than the Sensus. The possible negative I would say is that I might prefer it slightly firmer or thinner. Maybe a bit too much sinking in after fully warmed up, but perhaps I need to go even firmer underneath it. We will have to see on this. In terms of firmness I would say it is softer than Sensus or normal Tempur 5.3 (maybe more like the cloud material - never tried so can't really say). Maybe this is somewhat a tradeoff to making memory foam more open and breathable? It seems firmer than the 4lb mem-cool and the 4lb gel infused Costco (Novaform?). So, somewhere in the middle overall. I think the 4lb. Aerus would definitely be too soft for me, so I am glad I did not go with that. To be fair, most of these I have not tried in 2.5" in the same exact conditions, so my estimates of firmness are fairly subjective. I think I will add the Natura wool mattress pad tonight (which I normally use) to add a bit more firmness. My first impression lying on it that way seems pretty good. Only a nights sleep will tell for sure.
This message was modified Oct 30, 2010 by sandman
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Latest results: I added 2 mattress pads to try to make it a little firmer (less sinking in). I put a 100% cotton one that I have over the 3" of latex (pulled tight as I could) to make it a bit firmer below the Aerus . Then I put the wool Natura one over the wool topper on top of the 5lb. Aerus. Presto! a bit firmer feel and less sinking in feeling. Still pretty good pressure relief and molding to the body. A bit harder, less plush feel, but that is the tradeoff. Originally I was going to try with only 2" of latex below, but that felt too hard. So, at 1am I added back the 1" 24 latex. I ended up sleeping in until 10:20am. I can't tell you the last time I did that. So, maybe I hit on something right. So, as noted before, little things like mattress pad can make a material difference in feel. Also, I think it is important to have a pretty firm surface below memory foam if more than 2". Otherwise, you sink in too far. Setup below the sheets: washable wool filled Natura pad, 1.5" organic wool filled cotton topper, 2.5" 5lb. Aeurus memory foam, 100% cotton mattress pad (Sealy brand?), 1" 24ILD 100% natural talalay, 2" 32ILD 100% natural talalay (with softer zone under shoulders), Sealy Reserved coil system with Sealy 5" box spring. With 5.5" of foam, I don't think the coil system does that much. It just provides a base level so support, with a litt bit of give. I still think I might prefer 2" of the Aerus, but hard to say without trying. Maybe this is the best I will get without a better coil system.
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Congrats Sandman, sounds like you are getting close to 95%! haha You know, after looking at your latest setup I'm wondering if the "feel" is actually quite similar to my latest arrangement. From sheets down I have: Natura washable wool pad, 1 inch Sensus memory foam, 3 inches 24-28 ILD latex, (This is my 4 inch comfort layer) This sits on 2.5 inches of 32 ILD latex and 6 inches of 40 ILD latex. I consider the bottom latex layers to be support base only. Yes, the Natura pad does add a bit of firmness to the top layers. |
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Last night I tried using a folded 1" piece of Overstock Sensus (5lb memory foam) to compare to the 5lb Aerus. It definitely had a firmer harder feel than the Aerus. The Aeurs is 1/2" thicker, so that will explain some of the difference. I even added 1" of 19ILD latex below, and it still seemed firmer. I did not get noticably hotter using the Sensus (slightly surprising to me). I have 2 layers of wool and it was a cool night, so maybe not the best test for that. However, the firmer aspect can help make it cooler - less surrounded by foam. Right now I prefer the softer, cushier feel of the Aerus vs. the 2" of Sensu. However, many here seem to like a firmer feel, so the Sensus may work better for most. Especially those with sensitive backs. So far I plan to stick with the Aerus. No pains so far and less pressure points. If I had to adjust, I would probably go a little firmer (a little less sinking in). Options for that are take of the 1" of 24 latex, move the 1" of 24 to the bottom, or put 1" of latex over the Aerus. p.s. I also let the Aerus air out a bit while off my bed. There is still some odor after 1 week. This message was modified Oct 22, 2010 by sandman
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I am coming to the conclusion that 2.5" of the 5lb Aerus is not supportive enough for me as the top layer. I think it has softened slightly after breaking in, and I had a little back pain this morning. I do feel like it sinks in too much in the hip area, which would explain some back pain. I am 6'4" 212, so maybe it works better for some one lighter. I like the soft cushy feel, but 2.5" is probalby too much. I would say there is a material difference (support and firmness) between this and the Sensus, even thought they are both made by Foamex and both have 5lb density. My gut instinct is that there is some tradeoff between support and breathability. That makes sense that if you optimize on one variable, you will have to give up on something else. I know most think memory foam does not provide support, but I think it provides some, because I notice a difference between the different types. I am going to try with 1" of 19ILD latex over it. This feels more supportive, but I have not slept on. I may up returning it, unless I really like it in this configuration. |
| report back in the morning how that setup is feeling? |
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I have also been using the Aerus 2.5" 5lb for about 3 weeks now. I would agree that the sinking in is a bit too much, and overall, it lacks sufficient support. It seems to be helping with pressure points, however, as Sandman has experienced, I am also noticing mild back pain - likely from sinking in too much at the hips. I am waiting for 1" of Celsion 21 to be delivered, and I am also planning to test out the latex over the Aerus with the hope that it will increase the level of support. If I had to guess right now, I would say that I will be returning the Aerus and trying the 1" of Celsion 21 flat for a couple of days, then folded in half for a few days. I am fairly confident that either 1" or 2" latex will do the trick for me - but I prefer a slightly firmer feel, so this may not work for everyone. I will update once I have tried the Aerus with the 1" of Celsion. This message was modified Oct 28, 2010 by chattvol
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| ok good job report back |
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I tried the Aerus last night with 1" of 19 ILD latex above it. I moved the 1" of 24 to the bottom of the stack, so from top to bottom I had 1" 19 ILD latex, 2.5" 5lb Aerus, 2" 32 latex, 1" 24 latex. Wool topper and mattress pad over everything. I would say that definitely felt a bit more supportive for several hours. After everything warmed up, I could still feel a fair amount of sinking in. I could make a little firmer still by taking out the 1" of 24 on the bottom. I did not notice any back pain in the morning, so it seems like an okay solution. However, at this point I feel like I am trying to work around a flaw and will probably return the Aerus. At 2.5" if is too thick for the support it gives me. It might work for someone lighter or if it was 2" or less. I think I can fine tune a more supportive and similiar comfort situation with the 1" Sensus and 1" of mem-cool that I already have. I am coming to the conclusion that they give up something in the support area when they try to make it more open and breathable. It seems like a fairly tough technology to solve, which is perhaps why Tempur-pedic can charge a premium for a the research they have put into it. |
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I think a big part of the problem with memory foam, and you have touched on this before as well, is that every company is going in a slightly different direction in terms of how they make it and also that there is nobody that has a range of choices available in the same material so it's difficult to customize. Foamex is a good example of this where they make a good product and yet it is only available in a limited range inside of each "line". I have seen mattresses using 8 lb memory foam for example http://www.ebed.com/mf_luvienna.php and yet it seems near impossible to get and use as part of a layering scheme. Some companies are experimenting with polyol variations, some with TDI and MDI variations, and some with other technologies (mixtures) leading to differences in heat sensitivity, breathability, ild at the same density, support factor, memory time/resiliency, and others. It is so complex ... and usually proprietary to each company ... that using memory foam in a layering scheme is far more difficult than other materials that are available in a wider range within the same type of foam. Even if you suspect for example that an 8lb memory foam of a certain type (such as Aerus) would solve a certain problem, where do you get it? I think that a visco manufacturer would do really well to make certain lines of memory foam available in a much wider range of densities and known qualities for those who wanted to customize either their "make your own" or even a commercial "mattress with options". They would probably "capture" a market that nobody seems to be really interested in going after at the moment and I believe would also give Tempurpedic a real run for their money and market leadership position. Phoenix This message was modified Oct 29, 2010 by Phoenix
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| what lb memory foam does Tempurpedic use? |