seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Oct 12, 2010 11:14 AM
Joined: Oct 12, 2010
Points: 20
I just purchased a Stearns and Foster - Russell Square (entry level of their Estate line) mattress from Sleepy's. I've been reading some people complaining of depressions with their S&F mattresses, which got me worried. 

Anyone here who owns this particular mattress and has no problems? :)

The Sleepy's rep told me that Russell Square is the same exact thing as Monet's Garden (in Macy's). Can someone please confirm this please?  I was told that Macy's orders direct from the manufacturer, and Sleepy's gets them from their warehouse. Has S&F made any improvements to this model since 2009 release, and is there a chance I will get an older design of this model if it comes from the warehouse?

Also, the Sleepy's sales rep told me the memory foam is latex, but I read otherwise, which is accurate?

This message was modified Oct 12, 2010 by rocco50
Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #3 Oct 12, 2010 3:59 PM
Joined: Oct 15, 2009
Points: 966
Phoenix, have you researched the S&F Limited Edition Golden Elegance?  From all of the S brand models I have looked at, this seems to use the highest quality ingredients:  3" latex, wool, cashmere, silk, horsehair, coil in coil system.

Not sure if they slipped any PU foam in there, but knowing the S brands I cannot rule it out.  I hate when they don't give the exact composition of what is inside.  Generally that means they have something to hide.

Starts at $4000 for a queen, but not sure if that is suggested retail price which will get heavily discounted.

Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #4 Oct 12, 2010 5:10 PM
Joined: Oct 3, 2010
Points: 809
http://www.1800mattress.com/Catalog/Product/4440/67827/Stearns-and-Foster-Golden-Elegance-Pillow-Top.aspx?Sort=Price+ASC

Features:
2.5" Foam Encased Edge System
1" Marvelux Base Insulator
LTD Boxspring

Comfort Layers:
2" HD SuperSoft Foam
Versare
White Cashmere / Wool
3" Natural Latex
Horse Hair

Quilt Panel:
FR Rayon
New Zeland Joma Wool
Cashmere Silk and Merino Wool Fabric
1" HyperSoft Fiber

I've seen it in passing before but didn't look at it in too much detail. It only came out late last year. Did a quick search to see if I could get some quick information on it to confirm what I would think of a similar mattress (similar specs).

Here's a chart which shows how long this particular retailer expects various mattresses to last. While it is way off the mark in many cases including the listing for the Golden Elegance (IMO) it does at least give a sense of relativity. The Golden Elegance is listed at 25 years and longer than any other http://www.us-mattress.com/durability.html

Interesting that they only put a 10 year guarantee on this even though I know mattress guarantees are one of the biggest scams out there and used for marketing purposes only. Maybe they didn't need a longer guarantee to "market" this one.

There are comments from so called "experts" that this is a high maintenance mattress which has to be rotated on schedule to prevent body impressions (see themattressexpert for example). It's also one sided which I think for a mattress of this price and makeup is really a shame. At this price and with these materials I wouldn't really look at anything except a 2 sided mattress unless it was all or almost all latex.

Some good and great quality materials in it (a bit of latex ... horsehair), some not so good. Horsehair is very expensive but a very good material. Hastens uses a lot of it as do many other high end manufacturers. You are paying a lot for stuff that wouldn't affect your sleep but the workmanship seems to be very good.

I would suspect that depending on useage and maintenance, it would also develop the sag and impressions problems of other mattresses. Online reports seems to confirm this.

Cheapest price I've seen in a King if you don't mind a few "scuff marks" lol http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180571408108&ih=008&category=20479&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

Overall, I certainly wouldn't buy this. For this price you could get so much better ... again IMO.

Phoenix

This message was modified Oct 12, 2010 by Phoenix
Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #5 Oct 12, 2010 5:27 PM
Joined: Oct 3, 2010
Points: 809
In my research, I found it interesting that one of the most comfortable mattresses I lay on was a coil on coil design that was made by a local mattress manufacturer (same one that sells the sawgrass I lay on). It had something like 1200 coils (or microcoils) in the pillowtop that conformed to body shape with some padding on top. Some soft latex on top of this would be supremely comfortable. There are quite a few of these around as well including European sleep designs that was mentioned here recently.

I'm not sure how long these would last but if they were well made I don't see why they wouldn't be relatively durable.

They are also not as expensive as I would have thought on first impression. Springs are cheap these days. Even innersprings are ridiculously cheap for the mattress manufacturers to buy (I read somewhere that they were only about 10 or 20 dollars in the quantities that they are purchased by the bigger mattress manufacturers). Don't know if this is exactly true but I do know that the cost of the materials that goes into a mattress is not nearly as much as most people think (including me before I started this research).

Phoenix

Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #6 Oct 12, 2010 6:04 PM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
Phoenix wrote:

http://www.1800mattress.com/Catalog/Product/4440/67827/Stearns-and-Foster-Golden-Elegance-Pillow-Top.aspx?Sort=Price+ASC

Features:
2.5" Foam Encased Edge System
1" Marvelux Base Insulator
LTD Boxspring

Comfort Layers:
2" HD SuperSoft Foam
Versare
White Cashmere / Wool
3" Natural Latex
Horse Hair

Quilt Panel:
FR Rayon
New Zeland Joma Wool
Cashmere Silk and Merino Wool Fabric
1" HyperSoft Fiber

I've seen it in passing before but didn't look at it in too much detail. It only came out late last year. Did a quick search to see if I could get some quick information on it to confirm what I would think of a similar mattress (similar specs).

Here's a chart which shows how long this particular retailer expects various mattresses to last. While it is way off the mark in many cases including the listing for the Golden Elegance (IMO) it does at least give a sense of relativity. The Golden Elegance is listed at 25 years and longer than any other http://www.us-mattress.com/durability.html

Interesting that they only put a 10 year guarantee on this even though I know mattress guarantees are one of the biggest scams out there and used for marketing purposes only. Maybe they didn't need a longer guarantee to "market" this one.

There are comments from so called "experts" that this is a high maintenance mattress which has to be rotated on schedule to prevent body impressions (see themattressexpert for example). It's also one sided which I think for a mattress of this price and makeup is really a shame. At this price and with these materials I wouldn't really look at anything except a 2 sided mattress unless it was all or almost all latex.

Some good and great quality materials in it (a bit of latex ... horsehair), some not so good. Horsehair is very expensive but a very good material. Hastens uses a lot of it as do many other high end manufacturers. You are paying a lot for stuff that wouldn't affect your sleep but the workmanship seems to be very good.

I would suspect that depending on useage and maintenance, it would also develop the sag and impressions problems of other mattresses. Online reports seems to confirm this.

Cheapest price I've seen in a King if you don't mind a few "scuff marks" lol http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180571408108&ih=008&category=20479&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

Overall, I certainly wouldn't buy this. For this price you could get so much better ... again IMO.

Phoenix

I agree...and spec sheets are one thing...where is a cut-a-way to show you how it is all layered...and also how much cashmere and horsehair exactly are they using?  In my experiences as a dealer of S brand product for almost 10 years when they claim there is even regular sheeps wool in a mattress it usually means less than a handful, blended with polyester.
 

Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #7 Oct 12, 2010 6:55 PM
Joined: May 3, 2008
Points: 827
If it is a Sealy Truform the cashmere top cover, the large print on the fabric says cashmere.  Truthfully it is less than 5% I believe.  LOL.  How is that for honesty, read the label attached and you will see the real percentage. 
Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #8 Nov 7, 2010 12:11 PM
Joined: Oct 12, 2010
Points: 20
Thank you all for your great input. So as of this time I actually didn't have it delivered yet :) because I tried it again and decided that I don't like how it feels. I am now leaning toward the Deacon Ridge model, the one step above I guess in the S&F Estate line of coil mattresses.I believe this is the one that has the .79" of SmartLatex layer instead of the foam. :) It does feel comfortable though, but like Phoenix and sandman said, mileage may vary. So I am also trying out the all natural latex models from other brands they have in Sleepy's, such as LatexBliss and the Dr. Breus Bed (international Bedding) but they are costly..  What are your thoughts about these two brands? Any recommendations for places where I can try other latex mattresses in the Brooklyn NY area? I'm seeing people posting a lot about Flobeds and sleepez.
This message was modified Nov 7, 2010 by rocco50
Re: seeking Stearns and Foster - Russell Square / Monet's Garden experiences
Reply #9 Nov 7, 2010 7:15 PM
Joined: Oct 3, 2010
Points: 809
Before you go with Flobeds or Sleepez, I would certainly try to lay on some latex beds first so you have a sense of how you feel about them and the different layering and softness that feels good for you. This is what reddog did in another thread and even though he was in a worse situation than you are (he had already bought his bed and could only do a "comfort exchange"), he ended up doing really well. There are at least 3 current threads going where it is clear that if you start with a mattress with more than 1" of poly between you and the core (springs or latex core), that adjusting it afterwards can create issues that are much more easily solved without the poly in the first place. No matter how good a mattress feels in the store, knowing what is in it can help you predict how it will feel a few months later ... and poly doesn't get any "better" over time (smiling).

At Sleepy's the latex bliss is the closest you will come to sleeping on latex and they are a really good testing ground since you are laying directly on latex. I looked for specs on the Dr Breus before and couldn't find any but I would be almost certain that you would not be laying on latex without poly somewhere too close to you. Unless they can show you a cutaway that confirms what is in it I wouldn't even consider it because even if you liked it you wouldn't know what you were laying on.

Here are some "search engines" where you can get a list of mattress outlets and manufacturers near you. I would phone the ones you think are appropriate and ask them "do you make a latex mattress with less than 1" of poly in the comfort layers?". If the answer is no ... don't bother. Of course they don't cover them all so you may know of some that don't show up here.

http://localdirectory.nydailynews.com/search.pg?q=mattress%20manufacturers&z=Brooklyn%2C%20NY

A few that may be near you that I would think have (or make) all (or mostly) latex mattresses are these but I would think there are many more near you in the search listings.

http://www.mycustombedding.com/about-us/info_1.html

http://scottjordan.com/category/mattress_choice/ (they also have mattresses with microsprings in the upper layers which may be interesing to try)

http://www.comfortbeddinginc.com/about.asp

I haven't talked to any of these so I can't vouch for them but they would probably be worth a call along with any others that look promising from the search engines. I would try to stick with "non mass sales" outlets or smaller manufacturers who are more likely to have more in the way of "non polyfoam" and "non S brand" mattress options.

Phoenix

This message was modified Nov 12, 2010 by a moderator

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