Intelli-Gel, CrossGel, FlexGel, Galastic, Intelli-Bed, MyComfort, GelTec
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All of these companies and brands are interrelated. The differences are more like two varieties of red or green apples rather than apples to oranges. This is a composite of the following threads from the old forum. It might feel kind of jumbled, but we don't need two threads on Intelli-Gel. Has anyone ever tried an Intelli-bed? Intelli-Gel toppers First, lets introduce the players: Intelli-Bed and MyComfort are separate and distinct companies. Each sells a product they call Intelli-Gel, but they are not exactly the same. Both are manufactured under license from the same company (EdiZone) and they are more similar than they are different, but they are different products, manufactured by different companies. I will talk a lot more about these companies in subsequent posts. GelTechnology is the company which manufactures the Intelli-Gel for Intelli-Bed. Their trade-names for the honeycomb material is CrossGel, and the gel-like rubber that it's made from, FlexGel. GelTec does not manufacture mattresses, but they do sell a CrossGel topper they call the GelBed Topper. EdiZONE is "a developer of products and technology. Its business model is to conceive and patent unique and valuable technologies and product designs, develop them into prototype products, and then license them to a leader in the applicable marketplace." They invented Gelastic and Intelli-Gel and license these products to Intelli-Bed and MyComfort. Not coincidentally, all four of these companies are based in Utah. Intelli-Gel is protected by U.S. Patent 6,026,527 (and 5,749,111) Gelatinous cushions with buckling columns. Gelastic is covered by patent 5,994,450 Gelatinous elastomer and methods of making and using the same and articles made therefrom. Granted, I am a geek, but I found the 527 patent to be quite interesting and insightful. Disclosure: I have an Intelli-Gel topper on order from MyComfort. I'm trying to keep my posts here informational and not a sales pitch, but anyone with any vested interest in a product cannot be totally objective about it. Just keep that in the back of your mind as you read my posts. I'm an Intelli-Gel fan boy. At least until I get the topper and actually sleep on it. This message was modified Oct 30, 2007 by a moderator
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What is Intelli-Gel?
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This page and this page describe the material and how it works. How it works: Intelli-Gel is made from hundreds of hollow columns of Gelastic, an ultra-soft, ultra-strong, solid rubbery material. These columns when joined together form a waffle-type pattern. Each column wall is shared by adjoining columns which work together to give you the right support and pressure relief. But how does it do what other technologies can’t? Intelli-Gel uses an engineered process called column buckling. Column buckling means that each column of Intelli-Gel will support a certain amount of weight. If the load gets too heavy for that column, it will buckle and not push back until the weight has been taken away. In the recessed areas of your body (your back and side), there is not enough weight on any one column to cause buckling, so it stays firm on your back, but on areas that protrude (such as your hips and shoulders), the columns give way easily. When one column buckles it redistributes the load to the surrounding columns. If the pressure is still too high, those columns buckle and the load goes to the next wider ring of columns. It’s this concept that makes Intelli-Gel work so well. The pressure hot spots get a reduction in pressure which makes the low pressure areas get the additional pressure (support) that they need. Because each column is engineered to the human comfort threshold, it is self adjusting no matter your total weight or body shape. My first hand knowledge at this point is limited to a visit to an Intelli-Bed store, but I am rather intrigued with the material. It feels soft, and yet firm at the same time. When I laid on my side, I didn't feel any pressure on my shoulder or hip. When I laid on my back, the surface felt very firm and supportive, and provided good lumbar support. My expectation is that it would sleep cool since the material is mostly empty space. This message was modified Sep 12, 2007 by haysdb
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Intelli-Bed
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Intelli-Bed came first. EdiZone partners (name) and Tony Pearce started Intelli-Bed in 199x (citation needed). They are a B&M company (no Internet sales) with stores, mostly company owned I believe, clustered around Utah (Arizona, Idaho, Colorado). They have extended their reach recently to Missouri (two stores in St. Louis) and Texas. They offer 4 mattresses. Each uses the same Intelli-Gel as their top layer. First is an entry level model with the Intelli-Gel bonded to a Polyurethane core. This is a thinnish and very firm feeling mattress, almost more like a really thick futon in feel. They don't actively promote this mattress, and in fact put in on the other side of the showroom from their three "orthodpedic" mattresses, but it's a good entry-level mattress if you like the feel of Intelli-Gel and like a firm mattress. The next two models, starting at ~$3K for the mattress and foundation, are both based on an innerspring coil unit. The only difference is the step-up model has an extra layer of foam (polyurethane) between the Intelli-Gel and the coil unit so it's a bit more "plush." The top-of-the-line, which will set you back a cool 4 grand, substitutes a latex core for the coils. It is the most plush of all, but I still found it supportive and I weigh 240 lbs. I tried to find out the ILD of the core, but they wouldn't tell me. This message was modified Sep 12, 2007 by haysdb
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MyComfort
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Tony Pearce, initially a minority investor in Intelli-Bed, left and started MyComfort. They have some brick and morter stores, some of which were Intelli-Bed stores, but they also sell their product online. MyComfort takes a novel approach to their "sleep systems," literally dividing them into a support layer and a separate comfort layer packaged as a topper. It's literally a two-part system. For support they offer a coil unit, air, and memory foam (with a PU core). Then they offer three versions of an Intelli-Gel "topper". One is a single layer of Intelli-Gel bonded to a thin layer of poly foam. Next up is the same thing but with a layer of latex under it. And then they have a double-decker model. Pick a topper and pick a support layer, and you have a mattress. Pricewise they will come in a bit cheaper than Intelli-Bed, for equivalent content. What I particularly like about this is that you don't HAVE to buy both parts. I am buying one of their toppers and building my own "support mattress". Alternatively you could buy one of their support mattresses and supply your own comfort layers of latex or memory foam. It's a "component mattress" with just two components rather than being made up of several layers. It's just a different way to skin the cat. It's not totally unique in the industry as I have heard of some small businesses offering the pillowtop as a separate piece from the mattress, but I don't know of any other online company offering such two-part mattresses. This message was modified Sep 12, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: MyComfort
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I'll just insert a link here to my "old forum" post our MyComfort store experience (while I wait on your MyComfort details) This message was modified Sep 12, 2007 by donw
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Re: Intelli-Bed
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Thanks Don, for doing that. I wanted that to be part of this thread, I just hadn't gotten around to linking to it yet. Do you have your mattress yet? We're all expecting a "review" from you when you get it. I haven't heard a thing about my topper since I ordered it more than two weeks ago. Guess I need to be calling to find out what's going on. There is more to tell, but this is a good start. This message was modified Sep 12, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: Intelli-Gel, CrossGel, FlexGel, Galastic, Intelli-Bed, MyComfort, GelTec
| Still waiting. I'll definitely write a review. The salesman told us it would be 10 to 15 days after Labor Day because of the volume around that time. |
Intelli-Gel topper from MyComfort
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My order got misplaced but my topper is now on it's way. I got a call from a freight company this morning saying it would be here this weekend and asking what day next week I wanted them to deliver it. I have a vehicle I can carry something like that in so I asked if I could come and pick it up on Monday. They said sure, but um, it weighs 250 lbs. What?! I called the MyComfort facility in Salt Lake City and asked just what IS this thing on the truck? I was told it's 150 lbs of topper, with the strapping and packaging and the pallet and whatnot accounting for the rest. I'm going to have to see this to believe it. 150 lbs? Holy cow. Gelastic must be dense stuff. This message was modified Sep 18, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: Intelli-Gel, CrossGel, FlexGel, Galastic, Intelli-Bed, MyComfort, GelTec
| I've been following this post from the beginning, from the old forum to this one. Did you get your topper after all??? Maybe you can post some comments on it. We are all looking forward to it! Thanks! |
Intelli-Gel Single Comfort Overlay
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I took delivery of the MyComfort Intelli-Gel 'Single' topper last Monday. Unfortunately they shipped me a regular "Eastern King" rather than the California King I ordered, so a second topper is being shipped. I have been sleeping on it. The current arrangement is:
Let's take a look inside:
This message was modified Sep 29, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: Intelli-Gel, CrossGel, FlexGel, Galastic, Intelli-Bed, MyComfort, GelTec
Well, Wednesday came and went, so I called the MyComfort store, and they said that their shipping truck damaged almost an entire load. They reordered our bed, and it should be here this coming Wednesday. |