Like a lot of people here I am thinking of buying a firm inner spring mattress and putting my own latex topper on it. I've been looking at various S brands but I wonder if any of them will last. For example, a base Sealy (Bryant Park firm) has only 1/2" "Sealyfoam" and a "supersoft" pressure relief inlay layer. Not much to go wrong there, unless the foam is really cheap - which I fear it might be. Other Sealys use "marvelux" foam, which they say is very firm and higher quality. Does anyone know if either of these foams will last?

Also, how much foam can I get in the mattress before I'm asking for trouble? The base model I mention above is rated as a 2.5 for comfort on US-Mattresses.com - like sleeping on the floor. Obviously 2-3" of soft talalay latex on top will soften that up, but I like a soft  mattress and I'm not sure if it will be enough, and I don't wanna end up stacking 6" of latex on top of a 12" mattress. Some of their "plush" mattresses have like 8" of foam inside! Obviously I wanna avoid that trap but is 2-3" in the mattress reasonable?

Thanks!

The less foam the better. I'm sure you've seen that advice all over the forum. And don't you just love the names they give this crap? -- sealyfoam, supersoft, marvelux... higher quality than what? High quality PU foam is known as HR and rated at 15 years. It usually has a density in the 2.8 range. The firm foam used in most S-brand mattresses is probably 1.8 at best. Usually rated at 3 years. This doesn't mean that it will last 3 years though. Just that by then it's pretty much shot. It will start compressing long before that. Especially since it is almost always convoluted. Check out some of the mattress surgeries done on Sealy's for a peak at what's under the hood.

That supersoft stuff is absolutely the worst! It just squashes down and actually undermines support. And it breaks down faster than firmer foams. You're much better off building your own comfort layer from latex or other high quality foams placed on top of the mattress where they can easily be adjusted and replaced rather than inside the mattress where they are difficult to get to and will last a fraction of the time.

And don't forget to consider is the coil unit inside the mattress. A lot of base model mattresses come with flimsy Bonell coils made from thin gage wire that will also effect the durability of the mattress. Look for a good offset coil. This is usually an indicator of a better mattress. An innerspring mattress is only as good as the coil unit inside.

cloud9 wrote:

Re your comment "You're much better off building your own comfort layer..." yes thats my plan. My concern is that if I buy a super firm mattress with almost no foam in it, I will have to add so much foam on top that it becomes awkward and a little silly - I don't want a 24" mattress!

Re the coils, its my understanding that all Sealys use "triple offset" coils that are 5" high and turned 5 times. The steel is double tempered and the gauge of wire is 14. So I think their springs will last. Its the foams that worry me...

Steve

Unless you buy a really cheap mattress foam is always the problematic area. Good innersprings will last for a long time. It's the padding that fails. I really wouldn't think you'd need to pile 10" of foam over even the firmest innerspring mattress to build a comfort layer.

I had a super firm Spring Air for 20 years. It was really hard! But a 1" eggcrate with 2" of 4 lb memorym foam over it  (a total of 3" of foam) made it so comfortable I swear I would wake up the next morning in exactly the same position I fell asleep in. It's not always how much foam you pile on, but what kind of foam. Foam with higher densities like latex and MF have much more pressure relieving qualities than a PU eggcrate--and that applies to the layers of convoluted PU foam manufactures build into their mattresses. You don't say what your weight is, but for most people 2-3" of 20 ILD latex will provide all the plushness you need on a firm mattress.

cloud9 wrote:
What about something like a firm Simmons Beautyrest with pocketed 15 gauge coils? Would you expect the springs to hold up for a long time (ie 10+ years)? Or do you consider that a cheap mattress?

Here's what everyone needs to understand about the major companies. They are no longer in the business of making long lasting mattresses. Where's the residual in that? What they do sell is comfort. Unfortunately with all the various foams and fibers they throw in there it collapses leaving you with less comfort and big dips. You would do yourself a big favor by simply buying an all latex mattress. Comfortable and durable!