Another foambymail experience
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I ordered 7 inches of Queen-sized HD36-HQ from foambymail, along with a cover for it, on Nov 10th. Received it today (Nov 21). I noticed in the UPS tracking info that it was listed as weighing 45 lbs. This seemed a little light to me. Sure enough, when it showed up, I simply weighed the whole box (by placing directly on a bathroom scale, and by holding it while standing on a bathroom scale). The box (which includes the cover) weighs about 44.2 lbs. By my calculations, my mattress should be 5 * 6.666 * 0.583 = 19.43 ft^3. At 2.8 lb/ft^3, it should weigh around 54.4 lbs. I still haven't opened the box, and I immediately called customer service. They said it will weigh more once it was expanded. I wasn't a physics major, but this seems unlikely to me-- doesn't seem like air should add significant weight. Anyway, a manager is supposed to call me. But I'm guessing the box either contains a smaller mattress, or perhaps more likely, something closer in quality to what they advertise their HD36-R foam as (2.0 lb/ft^3). I don't want to open it yet because it will be hassle to ship back if necessary if I do so. Just wanted to start a thread to relay my experience as a data point to those considering ordering from foambymail. I'll update as things progress. Also, if anyone has any suggestions on how I should proceed (other than what I'm already doing), or if you can point out that I'm missing something (calculations are wrong, etc), that would be very helpful. Thanks. This message was modified Nov 21, 2008 by chris137
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Re: Another foambymail experience
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So the customer service rep called me again just now, said she spoke to a manager, who said the weight I'm seeing is roughly correct for their HD foam. Can anyone else who's ordered the HD36-HQ foam confirm that they've seen this sort of discrepancy? I know others have posted that theirs have been a little underweight, and I understand that it might be reasonable to accept some deviation, but I'm thinking the weight I'm seeing is a little out of a range I should accept. I think I could (generously) assume that all of the packaging and the cover together weigh as little as 2 lbs. That would give a weight of 42.2 lbs. Divided by 19.43 ft^3, that's 2.17 lb/ft^3. They advertise their HD36-HQ as being 2.8, and their HD36-R as being 2.0. Edit: just read Mr. Pointy's point that says that foambymail's "lower end" of their HQ density range is 2.2, which is basically the same as I'm seeing. Interesting-- it seems that when you buy 2.8 from fbm, you are really getting 2.2. They are inexpensive, so I guess you get what you pay for.... http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/foam-lower-end-density-ranges-according-foambymail/3880-0-1.html This message was modified Nov 21, 2008 by chris137
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Re: Another foambymail experience
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My HD36-HQ weighed 2.5 lb/ft^3. Though you've probably figured this out already, you can take the foam out of the box without worry. They should have it rolled, compressed, and wrapped many times in plastic wrap and then bagged. Bottom line -- you'll be able to weigh it separately and still get it back in the box if you need to. Just don't undo the plastic until you know you want to keep it. Having said that, it does seem you are ok with the weight, assuming that the dimensions are right. In my experience FBM is good about the length & width (unlike Overstock.com!!). You're enough above the HD36-R numbers to be assured that you got the HQ. I don't put a whole lot of stock into FBM/FD's over-hyped numbers. I'm sure they couldn't ship a 2.8 lb/ft^3 piece of HD36-HQ if their life depended on it. And yeah, them telling you to weigh it after its been expanded is pure idiocy. Seems like I read about this in another post. My guess is that it is a slimeball tactic to ensure that you don't return it, and/or cannot weigh it. |
Re: Another foambymail experience
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Latency Machine, I thought your experience with FBM was a positive one ... sort of confused with your last comment. My reason for asking is I would like to get something from them, but live in Canada and have had problems with Latex Toppers with Ikea ... too short and narrow. Jazzsinger. |
Re: Another foambymail experience
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LatencyMachine wrote: My HD36-HQ weighed 2.5 lb/ft^3. Though you've probably figured this out already, you can take the foam out of the box without worry. They should have it rolled, compressed, and wrapped many times in plastic wrap and then bagged. Bottom line -- you'll be able to weigh it separately and still get it back in the box if you need to. Just don't undo the plastic until you know you want to keep it. Having said that, it does seem you are ok with the weight, assuming that the dimensions are right. In my experience FBM is good about the length & width (unlike Overstock.com!!). You're enough above the HD36-R numbers to be assured that you got the HQ. I don't put a whole lot of stock into FBM/FD's over-hyped numbers. I'm sure they couldn't ship a 2.8 lb/ft^3 piece of HD36-HQ if their life depended on it. And yeah, them telling you to weigh it after its been expanded is pure idiocy. Seems like I read about this in another post. My guess is that it is a slimeball tactic to ensure that you don't return it, and/or cannot weigh it. Thanks for your reply LatencyMachine. Interesting that yours weighed as much as 2.5. Yeah, after re-reading Mr. Pointy's posts, I pretty much figured that I was going to be around 2.2 as well, and that the size was probably okay. So I opened it (the foam packaging, not just the box). Indeed, the size was perfect. They called today and offered to take it back and try to find me a heavier piece of the same size. I didn't take up their offer; obviously I'd kind of screwed myself anyway by opening it (would be tough to get it back to them now), and yeah, I was kind of thinking that it'd be unlikely that they'd be able to actually get me something much heavier. I don't think the customer service rep was being slimy by telling me that it'd be heavier when it expanded, I think she really didn't know and was just guessing. Anyway, I've now slept a couple nights on my new mattress. I've got: this 7" piece of HD36-HQ + fbm cover (~$440), a $20 poly convoluted foam mattress pad from Wal-Mart, and a Pacific Coast featherbed. I'm pretty happy with it as it is. The foam itself strikes me as quite firm-- a little firmer than I expected actually. I may replace the cheapo foam topper with something a little thicker/better at some point. For now, my back is relatively pain-free, which is the important thing. |
Re: Another foambymail experience
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chris137 wrote: Anyway, I've now slept a couple nights on my new mattress. I've got: this 7" piece of HD36-HQ + fbm cover (~$440), a $20 poly convoluted foam mattress pad from Wal-Mart, and a Pacific Coast featherbed. I'm pretty happy with it as it is. The foam itself strikes me as quite firm-- a little firmer than I expected actually. I may replace the cheapo foam topper with something a little thicker/better at some point. For now, my back is relatively pain-free, which is the important thing.
Although I have a so-called "luxury firm" mattress I find the foam layers over the springs aren't really giving me enough lumbar support. I firmed things up with some remnant carpeting (I know, sounds weird, but it works for me) covered by an old flat feather pillow that really compresses down when I lie on it. It's the only part of the bed that's really comfortable. Over the pillow I have about an inch of HR foam and the entire bed is covered with a 1" Overstock.com MF topper. I'm in the process of reconstructing the mattress, removing the 2" of too-soft foam in the upholstery and it would be nice to get off the narrow little island of firmness in the middle of the bed and be able to use the whole thing. I thought I'd replace the 3" convoluted PU foam with a 2" featherbed covered by 1" of latex and 1" of memory foam, and the featherbed should give me the layer of firm compressed material my back seems to like. So my question to you on featherbeds is, do they compress and get hard or do they stay fluffy and soft? It will only work for me if I can compact it like my feather pillow. |
Re: Another foambymail experience
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cloud9 wrote: So my question to you on featherbeds is, do they compress and get hard or do they stay fluffy and soft? It will only work for me if I can compact it like my feather pillow. I think it does compress. Ours is a bit over a year old now. My wife says "it needs to be fluffed up". But I'm not certain if it's really any different than it was when we got it-- it's difficult for me to remember what it was like. I can tell you that despite having a featherbed, our bed feels very firm. We have the Pacific Coast Baffle Box one. It does have a 30-day "comfort guarantee" so I guess you could try it out and send it back if you don't like it. |
Re: Another foambymail experience
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chris137 wrote: I think it does compress. Ours is a bit over a year old now. My wife says "it needs to be fluffed up". But I'm not certain if it's really any different than it was when we got it-- it's difficult for me to remember what it was like. I can tell you that despite having a featherbed, our bed feels very firm. We have the Pacific Coast Baffle Box one. It does have a 30-day "comfort guarantee" so I guess you could try it out and send it back if you don't like it. Thanks Chris. I decided to take the plunge on the featherbed even though I had my doubts. I approached it the same way I shop for feather pillows. I just went around and squeezed some until I found one that felt just right. Some were way too soft. The one I bought felt very firm and had more fill inside than most. I've had it in place for three nights and so far I'm delighted. The feathers are densely packed and it feels very firm. It hasn't even squashed down where I lie on it. Ahhh, so much better than sleeping on a pillow in the middle of the bed. And I dispensed with the carpeting. My back is happier already. Thanks for giving me that little nudge to do something I've been thinking about for a long time now. |
Re: Another foambymail experience
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Just as an update to my mattress experience: - To summarize what I've already written in the thread: I ordered 7" of HD36-HQ from FBM. Weighed to around 2.2 lb/ft^3. Desperate for a new mattress (old one was shot and causing back pain), decided to stick with it. Overall not particularly unhappy with it but found it, along with just a Pacific Coast Featherbed, to be far too firm. - I added a $20 PU convoluted foam topper from Wal-Mart in between the HD36 & featherbed. Didn't have a huge effect. More recently: Wanted to add another topper to further soften things. Bought a 2" memory foam topper from Target (their midrange one; $190 for a queen). After two days, it had mostly uncompressed and we decided to try it. Really liked it but seemed to have finished uncompressing (without fully expanding) and had an unpleasant odor. Also didn't seem like great value at $190, compared to say, FBM memory foam prices. So we returned it, planning to order one from FBM. Later that day, happened to go to BJ's. Noticed a 2" memory foam topper for $130. Decided to give it a shot. Had it for a week and it never fully expanded, so we returned it without ever trying it. Did notice that it was made by the same manufacturer as the one from Target (Sleep Innovations) and although the box was different, otherwise appeared to be identical. It weighed 16.4 lbs which puts it at ~3 lb/ft^3 density. Didn't weigh the one from Target. Today, returned the one from BJ's and decided to try another (of the exact same type), just to see if we'd have more luck (surely all of these memory foam toppers don't fail to expand?) Interestingly, I opened the box and found that it was vacuum packed completely differently (shrunk to much smaller dimensions). Also, it weighed 3.2 lbs heavier (3.5 lb/ft^3 density). Opened it about a half hour ago and it has already almost fully expanded, and isn't giving off a strong odor the way the other two did. This one should be ready to sleep on tonight. I have high hopes that this is it, and that my final configuration will be the 7" HD36 + PU convoluted foam topper + 2" memory foam + featherbed. Yes, apparently we prefer a soft mattress (we're both side sleepers). |
Re: Another foambymail experience
| Chris, try the MF over the featherbed. I had a 1" Overstock.com MF topper over a 2" featherbed over a 1" soft eggcrate and 3" of firm PU foam on springs. I loved the way it felt--initially. Then after a few days my back started telling me it was too soft but since you like a soft bed it might be great for you--especially with 2" of MF. |