Mattress shopping......why all the BS?

Memory foam is nice. I just got my little kids twin size thin IKEA foam mattresses, hopefully they use them 'til they leave the house. The downside to foam is it collects mites, dust, etc. as it ages. They recommend that you change it every so many years. Not that I’m advocating spring mattresses.

I wonder if foam mattresses could be measured by durometer? The equivalent of the sleep number beds…

Or you could just get used to sleeping on a mat? Humans have done fine for a long time without them, its just that we’ve contrived these necessities for ourselves over the years. =)

From what I understand and my own knowledge working with foams, there is a big difference between cheapo closed cell PU foams like an Ikea or overstock mattress, vs. natural latex or viscose-elastic open cells foams like better mattresses use. Construction and cover materials also vary widely as some have air channels, use allergen proof wicking fabric, multiple density foams in different zones, etc.

There are different durometer and memory foam compression-set/bounce back specs but apparently no standard and most don’t even give specs.

I guess like anything else, you get what you pay for, up to a point…

There’s always these guys that I’m sure are awesome, but cost more than a small car (start at $25,000 for a twin or something crazy up to $50,000+)
http://www.hastens.com/en-us/

I feel like next time I’m in China at an PU foam factory I should just make my own :slight_smile:

With the amount of use a mattress gets, I don’t mind spending some money. Probably better ass-time/$ ratio than some of the designer chairs I’ve purchased over the years.

R

switched from an el cheapo to a Tempur-Pedic memory foam job… such a big difference. Worth every penny.

It sounds like mattresses are a mature market, little innovation, no real differentiation between brands, apart from marketing spin.

Prime for some design led differentiation.

Once you have found one you like (slip off your shoes and have a two hour nap on one in the store, be grumpy at other shoppers for making too much noise) I’d go by the warranty they offer - really the only signal in that sort of market that you can trust.

That’s a whole different level of shadiness I’ve found out with only a bit of digging… Most have partially pro-rated warranties. So, if it says 25 years, it might have a 15 year pro-rated portion, so if there is a problem after 12 years, only a portion of the cost is covered.

Not to mention all the fine print and exclusions. Any kind of stain/surface wear, not covered. Using it on a slat type bed, instead of a box spring, not covered. Didn’t follow the instructions and have it flipped every 6 months and cleaned every year, not covered. Sagging, but less than the 2.5in minimum depth, not covered… can’t find the original bill 10 years later, not covered.

Even if it is covered, apparently you need to pay for pickup/shipping, which isn’t easy on a giant mattress…

…warranties are the red herring in a product like this. They know nobody ever claims a warranty, so it’s pretty useless. More marketing nonsense!

R

More and more the shady mattress industry looks prime for an smart operator to come in and make a killing.

A product that everyone needs, ripe for some differentiation and good customer experience.

I can see Google getting into this business. Now I need to set up a mattress company and sell it for a few billion.

Sleep Number, in addition to the “custom” firmness settings, is incorporating pressure sensitive mats and running Fitbit-like apps to “measure” the “restfulness” of your sleep. The user can determine which firmness setting is “best” for them.

But if they don’t publish with peer-review, I would consider it more marketing nonsense. Then again, what part of the consumer product industry isn’t the same as the mattress industry? Who wants to throw the first stone?

In full disclosure, I do not own a Sleep Number mattress.

This is a place where dealers entice car buyers with hot dogs and home buyers with free thanksgiving turkeys. Mattresses seem to be one of those things too. :smiley:

It’s done intentionally, it’s a classic confusopoly market, like cell phone plans. When your cost of goods is nearly fixed regardless of what you’re selling, you have to resort to games like this. It’s the same reason a handful of popcorn at the movies is $5 and an extra extra large is only $0.25 more. The labor cost for both products is the same, and the difference in cost of materials is about $0.02. No matter which one you buy it’s nearly all profit, but you feel like you’re getting a deal when you buy the large. Car makers do the same thing with options packages, options are almost pure profit.

Once you’ve decided which firmness you like, there is very little to differentiate one mattress from another apart from firmness. The cost to manufacture a “high end” mattress is only a few percent more than it is to make a cheap mattress: a couple extra springs, a little more foam, organic cotton, 5 minutes longer on the line. Assembly can’t be moved offshore because shipping costs would be too high, the process can’t be automated, so nobody can get a big cost advantage. So instead they baffle you with bullshit knowing that most people will just give up and choose the “mid range” model.

It doesn’t make much difference at our house. We’ve been sleeping on a plywood platform, with no box spring, since our college days. No sag, ever…

We’ve had a “swedish memory foam” mattress for the past fifteen years. I can’t remember what we paid for it but it wasn’t cheap. Suzanne loves it, but I find it a bit too warm, especially in the summer months. I can only sleep on my back, so I could probably get by sleeping on the floor…

sanjy009 wrote: >
More and more the shady mattress industry looks prime for an smart operator to come in and make a killing.

I can see it now, ‘The Dollar Mattress Club’.

So…after visiting a few more “mattress shops”, both online and off, surprise, surprise, the more BS I found. Recommendations here helped push me toward the memory foam type…

I was close to purchasing the DWR Sonno Prima Memory foam mattress, partially just because of the fact, there was no made-up marketing junk and there is only 1 model in 2 firmnesses. I can trust DWR too. Ultimately though, it felt too firm.

After countless more hours online doing research, I finally made a breakthrough.

Essentia

The only 100% latex memory foam mattress. Made in Canada. No BS. They have a great founding story, and was started by a guy not in the mattress industry, which says a lot. Not only do they not have a confusing product line (only 7 models, which just vary by thickness of latex memory foam on top of the latex core, and density of the foam - prices just relate to amount of memory foam, as it’s the expensive part, which I can confirm sourcing foams for other products), but they actually give specifications. Density, ILD, etc. Quite a few helpful and not “marketing-y” articles on the website too. Reviews seem overwhelmingly positive. They only sell online and in their own shops too, so no having to deal with shady mattress salespeople. Only slight I could find was that they got dinged by the FTC for some marketing copy using “zero VOCs” and “organic” when tests indicated there was trace amounts equal to normal atmospheric conditions. They addressed the issue on their blog, so I give them props for that. They also post the actual report of test results, unlike any other brand I’ve seen.

Mattresses seem very well constructed from quality materials (all latex - from rubber Hevea tree), certified organic cotton removable covers, made to order in Montreal. Solvent free glues. Latex being natural breathes better, isn’t hot like a Tempurpedic, and doesn’t off-gas or leach chemicals.

Went to their Toronto shop today and spent about 2 hours there testing them out and chatting with the helpful salesgirl who was not at all pushy. She even recommended me NOT buy some of their products.

I pulled the trigger and got the Classic 8. Not cheap, but cheaper than an Eames Lounge, and more comfy.

Should get it in 2-3 weeks and will report back.

R

I picked up a mid-level quality stiff double from IKEA 10 years ago, it has held up really well.

Even if I could get something of a higher quality at the same price, I have zero patience in haggling with commission sales people for a commodity product. It actually kind of amazes me that that’s still a sales practice…

Two more articles about the BS-

Then there’s these guys, that claim to be against all the marketing, high costs, and BS, but honestly don’t seem much different. No specs, material info, etc. Just some cheap foam perhaps and nice graphics. No details…Low price. Get what you pay for.

R

That NPR article was fantastic. “No Flip” = evil genius

Penn and Teller have an episode of “Bullshit” (NSFW but available here - YouTube) where they investigate the ‘sleep’ industry. No extra insights but I think the author of the Slate article is interviewed.

Looks like we have a new sheriff in town. Behold, the Beluga:

Quick update.

Got the mattress. Came all rolled up in a cardboard tube/box. Expanded to normal size within 30min. First few nights took a while to get used to, but now I love it. Best thing is it sleeps much cooler than the standard mattress I was used to, and as it’s a limited thickness of memory foam, doesn’t have the issue like some where you get into a rut and can’t get out.

So far, so good. Happy with the new purchase.

Also have to say customer service was really good. I called to check into shipping dates just before it was expected to ship and they gave me good info. They even said they saw my post here on C77 and thanked me for the positive feedback!

Would thus far recommend!

R

I bought a new mattress a couple of months back, and did a load of research. I went for 1000 pocket-sprung mattress with the intention of adding a 4" topper (goose down or polyester).

The number of springs and their strength relates to the firmness of the mattress, depending on the weight of the person. A pocket sprung mattress is more supportive, and will hold its shape better than an open coil, or a foam one. And the topper is for that added comfort.

I haven’t gotten around to adding the topper yet, as the mattress is very comfortable as it is. It might be a bit hard to get out of bed with one, but I’ll treat myself to it eventually.

Consumer Reports backs up your experience. They say that all of the different brand and model names are pushed by the stores to avoid people cross-shopping. They also said to wait for a sale or ask for a big discount.

Noticed these guys as well: 'Sleep startup' Casper dreams of overturning the mattress racket - The Verge

Article posted April 22, 2014 :wink: