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The springs in my 10-year-old King Koil matress have lost their shape or memory, and I was just out looking at matresses. I am very disappointed at what I saw. The vast majority of inner-spring matresses have an extra 2" to 4" foam layer sewn to the top. The ones that don't are non-reversable (only one "sleep" side"). And ALL of them are covered with various types of super-soft and SUPER ABSORBANT cover material that I'm sure will stain easily and readily absorb sweat and other body fluids. I'm told this change happened around 5 - 6 years ago. I think this new style bull-crap, and designed to accelerate the wear and tear of these products (forced or designed obselescence). Does anyone still make an inner-coil matress with a decent (slightly-padded) cover ON BOTH SIDES, with a cover material that is non or minimally-absorbant (ie - has a sheen to it) ???? !!!!
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And look what I just found: You Can Still Find a Good Two-Sided Mattresshttp://www.stlbeds.com/articles/2008/02/22/you-can-still-find-a-good-two-sided-mattress/ They seem to link the disappearance of double-sided mattresses with a new law pertaining to fire-rating standards in July 2007. They don't mention it specifically, but I think they are trying to say that a double-sided mattress might be more difficult to comply with the new standards. And I can't believe that the very plush and soft covering materials I see out there are *more* durable compared to the older damask or even polyester covering from a few years ago. And I don't understand why a double-sided mattress required *that much* turning, especially the ones that had either a very thin or even no pillow-top. Especially compared to today's single-sided matresses. See also: http://www.furnituretoday.com/article/44954-Bedding_s_new_twist_Two_sided_mattresses.php Still no mention as to why the more durable damask or polyester coverings have been replaced by super-absorbing and less durable cotton fabrics.
This message was modified May 12, 2010 by sm5w2
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| sm5, try Shifman. They make pretty high quality mattresses, exactly what you're looking for (firm or minimal padding, double-sided, durable/damask type ticking). You can find them at Bloomingdales, but make sure you get them for no more than 60% of retail price as they are not meant to be sold at retail and are 'on sale' all the time. You can also find them at Valley Furniture Shop in NJ and a store I'm forgetting in NYC (Chelsea area). |
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there are a lot of damask fabrics made from cotton. in a lot of cases non-damask grade fabrics are beneficial as they are more flexible and allow the mattress to conform better to body shape than a really stiff fabric will. in any event a good quality mattress protector should always be used, even if you have a damask fabric you still can't really 'clean' the mattress...especially if there is any PU foam in it, steaming the mattress or even simple spot cleaning can eventually lead to mould or mildew problems if you are not careful. |
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speaking of mattress protectors.... What would you consider "good quality"? I've seen the waterproof ones and I wondered if they might actually trap moisture inside them. Also, do they then negate or reduce the benefits of mattress coverings that use wool and organic cotton, for example? This message was modified May 13, 2010 by cynicaljones
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Personally I don't recommend waterproof protectors. Really once you have a layer of vinyl or water proof ethylene barrier any layer underneath that (in terms of airflow) is irrelevant. A cotton filled or machine washable wool filled protector is still best. Just something thick enough to keep most perspiration, dead skin and body oils from getting to the mattress. I think if you spend good money on a bed you should avoid eating or drinking in bed. But if you do, or you have pets or kids you gotta worry about there are other things you can do. There are a few companies that make wool 'puddle pads' or 'moisture pads', they are just a really tightly woven wool that is 99% waterproof. These could be placed directly over the mattress as a last ditch water resistant barrier. |