Like many of you, we are yet again on the search for a comfortable mattress. The past 2 beds have not fared well- a Tempurpedic which we had for about 4 and a half years but started to break down about a year before that (got so soft that we were getting terrible back pain, first my hubbie and then myself). We then bought a Chattam-wells for 4K and it was great for about 2 and a half years, but the increasing body tracks for the last year has rendered it very uncomfortable. We are both thin people and can't understand why we can't get a mattress to last. However, reading these forums it seems to be the norm, with these comfy pillowtops quickly becoming uncomfortable as they develop body impressions.

We checked out the Hastens and the Carpe Diem at Sleepetc. and were actually impressed with both (except for the price :=(). We thought the Carpe Diem felt a little plusher and more comfortable, but are concerned about the dearth of information on it, esp. with such a high price tag. It really feels amazingly comfortable and the design seems to make sense; like the Hastens, it has a separate mattress "topper," which they say lasts 10 years.

Anyone have any more info. on these beds?

I have no personal experience with them, but here is a link to a search I did on the old forum - lots of people here have tried them.
http://legacy.whatsthebest-mattress.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?action=search2
They appear to be pretty good. Most here would incourage the use of a separate core and topper, but man are Carpe Diem sets expensive! ($6K to $10K) They use pocket coil springs, which should give less partner disturbance and conform to your back well. And most of thir toppers are talalay latex (although probably not the highest quality, since they are not made in the US by Latex International.) Latex is good because it will not sag for 20 years. It just seems that one could accomplish the same thing for less. Look at MyComfortmyway.com. They sell a good Leggett and Platt coil core/foundation with virtually no foam (for $1K) and their gel toppers for $1K to $3K. Of course, you could always just buy the core/foundation and put any topper on it. A king latex one can be found for $200+. And you could try different ones or add new ones.

Well that link up there didn't work, so here is a link to the old forum. Do a search, making sure to select "all posts", so you can see the ones from a while ago.
http://legacy.whatsthebest-mattress.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=wtb-mattress

Why would latex from Sweden be inferior to US latex?

Unless I am missing something (entirely possible...even probable) the MyComfortmyway.com coil system is a totally different support system, isn't it? Is it similar to the Stearns and Foster/Sealy.etc. spring system versus the pocket coil system?

The more I read, the more confused I get....

European talalay latex is not know for the consistency of the American made stuff. LI tests each piece in several different places for consistency. MyComfort has some pocket coil mattresses, but the bare core that they sell is a continuous coil core. But it is made by one of the better manufacturers. Their claim to fame is their topper, which uses patented gel technology formed into honeycomb shapes, 2.25" thick, which buckle and reduce stress on pressure points.

Here's an idea. What about a Simmons Beautyrest Classic in firm ($900 for mattress/boxspring). It is a pocket coil bed and should (I believe) have very little PU foam padding. You could then add any topper(s) you want.

donw wrote:

Thanks for the suggestion, but the coil system on the Beautyrest  has been panned for not holding up. I think when they first came out the concept and the bed were winners, but quality control, etc. has rendered it a poor choice.

That gel topper was interesting in concept, but reading the warranty on it did not impress me. They don't guarantee against softening, which they state will happen normally, and for depressions less than 1.5 inches. So, basically it will be expected to get softer and can depress more than half way before there is any warranty; that doesn't portend well for the future, and they are not cheap toppers tht replacing them every year or two wouldn't matter.

Most of the Simmons issues I've read about could be attributed to tops degrading - not springs. I have seen one or two issues with springs laying over, maybe even punching through the side. But I think that is rare. That being said, I am not a big fan of any of the S-brands.

Your point about the MyComfort warranty is a concern of mine, as well. I think they are covering themselves, like most mattress companies do. I am more concerned about the 1" of PU under the gel. But since it is well protected from body oils and sweat and is supposed to be (alarm going off!) high density, body imprints should be much less likely than with a thick pillow top mattress. They do make a topper that has the gel adhered to 2.8" of latex, but the latex is 19 ILD - very soft! And no, none of them are inexpensive - unless compared to an $8K Carpe Diem :-)

Well, price is certainly a concern, but so is comfort and longevity. If I added up the cost of my last 3 beds I could have bought one of the pricey ones, and hopefully (if what they say is true) I'd still be sleeping at night and we wouldn't wake up achy in the morning. That's why I'm even considering them despite the cost.

I wish someone would post back with some first hand experience.

What about getting a latex mattress?  With a company like Flobeds you can get the 90 day comfort guarantee and you can return it if you don't like it.  As I understand it, latex does not crater like a tempurpedic can.  What model Tempurpedic did you have? 

donw wrote:
When I go to http://mycomfortmyway.com/shop.html, it says click the links on the left, and all I get (wtih both Firefox and IE) is a blue strip on the left with no links. In other words, to me, it appears this link does not work at all. Is this co. still in business? I was interested in looking at their bare core/foundation just for bookmarking for the future. But I don't see any availability of such...?