As you can see in the quality/durability guidelines here ... quilting layers that aren't more than "about an inch or so" thick won't have a meaningful effect on the durability or useful life of a mattress. The BestMattressEver uses all high quality high quality and durable materials and as you can also see in my comments in post #2 in the topic we are posting in (and unlike some of the other simplified choice mattresses) there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress even relative to higher weight ranges than yours.
Last edit: 01 Nov 2015 19:07 by Phoenix.
Appreciate the comprehensive summary of the disruptor mattresses! I'm leaning towards T&N as it seems is the most firm of all of these options. Certainly doesn't hurt that it's priced more competitively (esp. with the Amex + underground discount). Given the free trial periods, I'm wondering if anyone has actually ordered from several vendors and, assuming you have the bedroom space, tested them all over the same ~100 day period?
I'm leaning towards T&N as it seems is the most firm of all of these options.
Based on general feedback it's probably among the firmer options out of the single firmness mattresses and may be firmer than some of the "medium" firmness options for mattresses that have multiple firmness options but it probably isn't as firm as some of the "firm" options that are available.
Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like "medium" for someone else or even "soft" for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they "rate" a mattress as well (see post #15 here ) so different people can have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
Last edit: 09 Nov 2015 00:16 by Phoenix.
Phoenix, I am so grateful to have found your website and the wealth of knowledge it contains. Thank you so much for bringing this much-needed information together in such a cohesive and useful way! I am looking at both the Love Bed from Nest Bedding and the Sedona Sleep base mattress and topper from Sedona Sleep. I would be interested in your thoughts regarding how to compare these two mattress systems, as well as how the discount code works.
There is more information about the 3 most important parts of "value" of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for).
The most important part of the "value" of a mattress purchase is how well you will sleep on it and whether a mattress is a good "match" for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences. While your own careful testing or personal experience is the only way to know for certain whether any mattress or combination of layers and components is a good "match" for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) ... when you can't test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help "talk you through" the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and "feel" of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best "match" for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the "averages" of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about "matching" their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
Outside of PPP ... the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can't "feel" and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the type and quality of all the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label so I would always make sure that you are able to find out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components in a mattress to the quality/durability guidelines here so you can confirm that there are no lower quality materials or obvious weak links in a mattress that would compromise the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
Both of these manufacturers are completely transparent about their materials and both of them use high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in either design that would compromise the durability or useful life of either mattress.
Having said that ... they are both very different designs. The topper that goes with Sedona Sleep is a solid layer of blended Talalay latex which would be a little bit more resilient than the convoluted continuous pour synthetic Dunlop in the Love bed and is also a more costly material (Talalay latex is more costly than synthetic Dunlop and solid layers are also more costly than solid layers). There is more about convoluted layers in post #2 here . There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here .
Both of them offer multiple firmness options.
The Love Bed has a cover that is quilted with polyfoam and the Sedona Sleep topper uses an unquilted stretch knit cover so you would be sleeping more directly on the latex itself. Which type of cover you prefer would be a preference issue and there is more about the pros and cons of quilted covers vs a thinner stretch knit cover in post #12 here .
The Love Bed has a 100 night free return/exchange policy and trial period. Sedona Sleep also has a 100 night trial period but there will be a small shipping cost involved to either exchange the topper for a different firmness or return the mattress for a refund.
A mattress/topper combination also has the advantage of being able to replace just the topper after the trial period without having to replace the entire mattress if your needs or preferences change down the road or if the topper softens or breaks down before the rest of the mattress (the top layers of a mattress are generally the weakest link of any sleeping system whether they are inside the mattress cover or outside it).
You are certainly looking at two great quality/value choices and once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between "good and good" (which you have) and none of them have any lower quality materials or "weak links" in their design relative to your weight range (which they don't) and if there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations about each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials or types and blends of latex, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on "informed best judgement" based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Last edit: 18 Dec 2015 12:25 by Phoenix.
We ended up returning our BME as the Latex feel wasn't for us. Working with them was a pleasure and they even gave a topper to try, but we spent nights in our guest room as we just didn't like the feel of the BME. We went mattress shopping again today and really liked memory foam (temper-cloud elite mattress was our favorite after 30 minutes of laying) .
However, as a 240 lb male these simplified choices are all listed as cautionary or recommended against. I have read many of your posts and the cross references but it is almost burying me in information. We are willing to spend up to a temperpedic but after becoming so knowledgeable from your site (thanks again!), I recognize this is not worth it.
In terms of my specific interests, I could even consider going firm and putting a topper on the mattress so it supports my weight and is extra plush for myself and my bride-to-be (120lb). I narrowed it down to the Novosbed and Nest Alexander Medium. Is this smart or should I go a different route? If so do you recommend a coil core with memory foam on top for heavier individuals?
The third post in this topic is being "reserved" for a different purpose.
There are a number of the "simplified choice" mattresses that are already described in post #2 in this topic as being suitable for any weight range in terms of the quality and durability of the materials.
If you tend to prefer more traditional memory foam mattresses and if you are looking at online options then outside of the simplified choice list the mattress shopping tutorial also includes several other links to lists of many of the better online options I'm aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may also be worth considering including a list of the better online memory foam options I'm aware of.
While the process of how to choose a mattress would involve the same steps that are listed in the mattress shopping tutorial ... most people in higher weight ranges will generally need or prefer firmer mattresses (firmer materials will feel softer because you will sink into them more) and materials and components that are higher quality and more durable than those that are in lower weight ranges (the materials and components in a mattress will soften and break down faster for those in higher weight ranges than they will for someone that is in a lower weight range that doesn't compress the mattress as much). I would be particularly cautious about mattresses that use more than "about an inch or so" of memory foam that is less than about 5 lb density or polyfoam that is less than about 2 lb density ... particularly in the upper layers of the mattress.
You can also see my comments about choosing a mattress first with the intention of adding a topper later in post #2 here .
In most cases I would avoid this approach because of the uncertainty involved with two purchase choices instead of only one and choosing a topper that would be suitable in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) for a specific person on a specific mattress can sometimes be almost as difficult as choosing a mattress that doesn't need a topper in the first place. I would generally focus on choosing a mattress that is likely to be a suitable match without a topper (unless you can test the combination in person or you are purchasing both online as a "set" that is designed to work together and they both have a good return/exchange policy) and then use the option to add a topper as a "backup" strategy in case your initial choice doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for rather than a "primary" strategy.
It can also be more costly than just buying a mattress which includes the same materials as the topper as a layer inside the mattress itself and you would be avoiding the risk of having additional materials in your base mattress that you may not need or that may be lower quality foam (that can soften or break down more quickly) or that may be softer than what would be ideal for a transition layer under a softer topper. I would also make sure that you can find out all the specifics of the materials inside the base mattress so you can make sure it meets the quality/durability guidelines here and that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of the materials or components in your sleeping system that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Having said that ... if you do choose a suitable mattress/topper combination which turns out to be a good "match" for you in terms of PPP (and there are no lower quality materials or "weak links" in the mattress/topper combination) then it would have the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is likely because a sleeping system will tend to soften or break down from the top layers down) or if your needs or preferences change over time and a topper can also help extend the useful life of a mattress underneath it as well.
1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of "comfort", firmness, and PPP ... and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or "fine tune" the mattress and any costs involved if you can't test a mattress in person or aren't confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Last edit: 17 Mar 2016 19:26 by Phoenix.
I'm knew to this forum and interested in purchasing a new mattress in the next couple of months. My wife and I have been sleeping on a King size tripedic memory foam mattress from select-a-bed.com for about eight years now. I find that the support and pressure relief has been insufficient for some time time now (I'm about 185lbs) though my wife still finds it okay. We both find that it sleeps hot. I think I'm done with memory foam.
I've spent a lot of time trying to research on the internet about mattress buying and quality components. I must admit that the bed-in-a-box category is appealing, perhaps due to the very vigorous and clever on line marketing campaigns that make their product appear more 'authentic' than traditional mattress manufacturers/retailers. One bed-in-a-box company that I'm surprised not to see mentioned in this thread that seems to be everywhere in the online world now is the new Purple mattress with their new hyper-elastic polymer comfort layer (collapsing gel). I must admit that I am intrigued by their message and the 'raw egg test', though I realize the real test would by my wife and I seeing if a mattress meets our PPP's. I wonder if their polyfoam support layers layers are a 'weak link' in the bed construction underneath this wonder gel layer (side note: the product and company used to be called WonderGel and you can buy seat cushions under this brand at Bed Bath & Beyond, I have one and it works really well).
The tripedic mattress you own is a good quality/value mattress but if you are no longer sleeping well on it and it has lost its "comfort" and/or support then after 8 years it's very likely that it's time for a new mattress.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you've read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best "match" for you in terms of "comfort", firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the "value" of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
I've spent a lot of time trying to research on the internet about mattress buying and quality components. I must admit that the bed-in-a-box category is appealing, perhaps due to the very vigorous and clever on line marketing campaigns that make their product appear more 'authentic' than traditional mattress manufacturers/retailers.
I would keep in mind that "marketing campaigns" are just that and don't necessarily relate to the suitability, quality, or durability of a mattress. You've probably read this already as well but you can read more about what I call "simplified choice" mattresses in the first post in this topic.
I would also keep in mind that there are many other good quality/value online mattress choices that are shipped directly to consumers that don't fit the "simplified choice" category (in many cases because they have more than one mattress available on their site).
Outside of the simplified choice list ... if you are looking at online options then the mattress shopping tutorial also includes several other links to lists of many of the better online options I'm aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of budgets, firmness levels, and with a range of different return/exchange policies that may also be worth considering.
There may also be some good options available to you locally and if you let me know your city or zip code I'd be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I'm aware of in your area.
One bed-in-a-box company that I'm surprised not to see mentioned in this thread that seems to be everywhere in the online world now is the new Purple mattress with their new hyper-elastic polymer comfort layer (collapsing gel). I must admit that I am intrigued by their message and the 'raw egg test', though I realize the real test would by my wife and I seeing if a mattress meets our PPP's. I wonder if their polyfoam support layers layers are a 'weak link' in the bed construction underneath this wonder gel layer (side note: the product and company used to be called WonderGel and you can buy seat cushions under this brand at Bed Bath & Beyond, I have one and it works really well).
Outside of the 23 mattresses that are already listed in the simplified choice list ... there are currently 23 more that I'm aware of that have been launched more recently that I haven't added to the list yet (and more are being launched on a regular basis). Some of them have been mentioned on the forum (and some haven't yet) but I will likely add some or most of them to the list over the coming weeks although some of them will be included in the "avoid until complete specs are known" section of the list.
Because the list has so many options available I wouldn't consider it to be as much of a "simplified choice" list any longer because there really isn't much difference between choosing between 46 mattresses that are offered by 46 different companies or 46 mattresses (or less) that are offered by a single company and when you are purchasing online it's not possible to make "real time" comparisons between many different mattresses to see if you like one better than another which you can in a local store. Because most of them have good trial periods and refund policies though, you can at least try them with little risk to find out if they are "good enough" in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP even though you can't know if another one would have been a better choice unless you try it as well.
Purple certainly has a very aggressive advertising campaign (their ads show up everywhere once you have been to their site especially) and until they are listed in the simplified choice list you can see some comments about the Purple mattress and the buckling column gel they use in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
Last edit: 20 Apr 2016 11:07 by Phoenix.