Hi Everyone,

I'm debating between purchasing one of these two queen sized beds:

Simmons Beautyrest Worldclass Atkins Plush or Serta Perfect Sleeper Harbor Bay Firm

The Simmons has 980 springs and the Serta has 532.  However, the springs are different.  Also, the Simmons doesn't have latex foam, while the Serta one does.

To my husband and I, both feel comfortable.  We would just like to get your opinion on which bed would be a better investment for us in terms of longevity. 

Thank you!

- DVD Girl

Thank you for your response!  So would you suggest just getting a "regular" coil mattress without the plush/pillowtop then getting a foam topper?  If so, is there a consesus on what brand/model is good?  Are the foam toppers from Costco any good?  If they're not, then I will look into purchasing the foam online.  (Because I live in Hawaii, and the shipping rates usually negate a lot of the discount, but I'd definitely  be willing to pay more for a higher quality product.)

I have to agree with mccldwll about pillowtop (especially Simmons) mattresses. Some friends who have one, and every review I have read about them, say that they develop craters where you sleep in no time flat. The warranty on an innerspring mattress is all but worthless: it has to have a 2 inch impression in it before they will even talk to you. By that time your backs will be crippled. Check out Simmons Beautyrest on epinions.com or go to Complaints.org, punch in Simmons and just see how many pages pop up...
I just went through the exhausting and stressful process of buying a mattress, and can tell you it was a lot easier buying a car. If I were to do it again, I would probably build my own latex mattress, but since you live in HI that doesn't seem realistic. We ended up with a firm-ish innerspring mattress and are in the process of figuring out a latex topper for it. That way if the topper wears out, we can just replace it instead of having to buy a new mattress.
Good Luck!

dvdgirl, the problem is finding a good spring mattress with very little foam on top. MyComfort sells this continuous-coil mattress made by Leggett & Platt for use under their gel toppers. It has very little foam, and is supposed to be pretty good. Of course, it's $1000 for a king. I agree with the others on most of the S-brands' mattresses. As for a topper, I'd go with 1.5" to 2" of soft (20ILD) talalay latex. Too many people (myself included) are not happy with memo foam toppers.

Also keep in mind, there are trolls on this site that will steer you to what they sell or who they work for.  I'd take advice given (like the first response you got) with a grain of salt.  You never know who is responding.  Also you can bet this forum (Which is great) will be a majority of negatives versus positives. 

Good_Sleep wrote:
goodsleep Larry is 100% correct that there are trolls on this site trying to steer you toward their products, and you never know who is responding. However, I've been here since I first started experimenting with zoning latex, and it should be obvious to anyone burning more than a 40 watt bulb that I have absolutely no connection to the industry. OTOH, Larry very well may have, and my build your own comments may have hit close to home. Further, this forum is not "a majority of negatives versus positives." Its generally questions and information sharing.

I share the opinion of most who have been here a while that the S brands should be avoided. I personally don't like visco because of the off-gassing and short life span. And I prefer LI over other latex manufacturers because it's a large company which will be around to stand behind its product when the shop which originally sold you a latex mattress has shut its doors. My advice was generally about becoming a more fully informed consumer, and certainly should not be taken with a grain of salt. Finally, if I were you I would never deal with a company which won't answer questions in writing (or email) regarding any specifics about a product. Get every specific/promise in writing.

Hi  mccldwll.  Haven't heard from you in awhile.  You do a fine job here. 

You never did answer my PM I sent you awhile back.

Larry

Never received a PM Larry.

Hi Everyone,

I'd like to thank you so much for all the excellent advice I've received.  I checked out a few of the links in this thread.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if they ship to Hawaii (and I'm not sure that any mattress company would due to the item's size.)  So with much regret, the only option I have is to purchase a mattress locally.  I know already I won't be able to get the most comfortable bed, but I believe with your assistance, I will get the best sleeping experience I can get! 

Are there any recommendations on what kind of mattress I should buy?  I know it isn't "best", but would it be okay to have the top, and just put a latex mattress topper over it?  Out of all of the "S" beds, are there any that are at least decent, as they seem to be the most readily available in Hawaii.  However, if there is another non-S brand I can try to track down, I will try to!  When I visited Complaints.org, it looked like Serta had the least amount of complaints (30), followed by Sealy (50), then Simmons (100).  Just wondering if it could just be that the majority of the buyers purchase Simmons, therefore they have the most complaints?  I'm pretty sure that all the "S" mattresses without any top layer were $700 or less.

In any case, I know that Costco is going to have the Sealy Posturepedic "Sedona Springs" Queen Mattress Set on sale later this month.  It does have a some kind of foam layer already though.  =(  If this bed seems like a good one, would it be okay to purchase a latex top and use it over the mattress?  I don't believe they have the bed itself on display at the store.  Is there another name it goes by?  Perhaps I can try it out at another bedding/furniture store?

Any other suggestions for mattresses and/or latex foam suppliers I can check out (and pray they ship here)?  =)  Thank you again for the recommendations.  I really appreciate it!!!

- DVD Girl

Have you looked at Sealy's Spring Free line? They sell all synthetic latex mattresses with different options for toppers. Stearns & Foster makes the same beds with fancier covers and higher price tags. The big question is the lifespan of the all synthetic latex. It has only been out a couple of years.

You might want to stick with a firm mattress top with no attached topper rather than a Euro/Pillow/Plush top. You can add a removable topper if you think you need one.

http://www.sealy.com/SpringFree/SpringFree.aspx

I believe the answer is easy.  Serta's continious coil system is by far a more durable system.  Simmons pocketed coils use very weak gauge wire as well as non-tempered steel wire.  Goto http://www.innerspring-unit.com/pocket-coils.html, this company sells similar coils to the brand name just see what they say about each system.  Serta used to have more motion transfer from one side of the bed to the other, however the no flip mattresses of today just don't seem to have much motion so there is no benefits to the Simmons anymore.  Also if you haven't checked justbeddingonline.com is the best price anywhere for the Harbor Bay $1099 queen set $1299 King Set.  Good luck.