| I recently purchased a Simmons Hamlet mattress (no pillowtop, very firm) to replace my 5 year old Sealy pillowtop. My old Sealy basically had a crater in the center and it felt like quicksand when I lay down in it. Felt like I was climbing out of a hole when I was getting out of bed. Last week, I was desparate and went to Sleepy's and got the firmest mattress they had. It was a Simmons Hamlet model. Well it was delivered and it might be the hardest surface I've ever slept on. On the one hand, at least I'm not sinking into the bed anymore. On the other, it's completely uncomfortable. I'm going to return it to Sleepy's based on their guarantee. It will cost me $249 to replace it with another model, but what do I get? As it was, this was only one of maybe two beds in the store without a pillowtop. Am I just totally screwed? |
| Instead of wasting $249 to return the mattress, consider spending it on a latex or memory foam topper and customizing your comfort layer. Buying your own toppers is preferable to getting a "plush" or worse yet--pillow or Eurotop mattress which may feel great initially but will quickly develop body impressions that will eventually become craters. A firm mattress will provide good support for your back. Adding toppers will allow you to adjust the bed to the level of comfort you desire and easily replace them when they become worn out. |
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You might try the Simmons NxG 250 or 400 mattress with the firmer 13.25 gauge coils. I lay down on that in the store for about 1/2 hour and found it to be very firm and supportive, and extremely comfortable, without being rock-hard. It does have a memory foam layer. I wasn't able to find many reviews of the NxG mattress on the internet, but it was very comfortable to lie on. Here is a link (and 4 reviews of the mattress): http://www.us-mattress.com/simmons-beautyrest-nxg-250-lf.html#reviews This message was modified Oct 14, 2009 by KimberlyH
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I agree with Cloud9. Your best option may be to add a topper to the one you bought. It is hard to find just the right mattress that will last, so the best option seems to be to customize one yourself. You will have to do some research to decide if you want latex vs. memory foam, how thick, what firmness, etc. You probably will need at least 2-3 inches. Even a cheaper memory foam (from Costco for example) may help quite a bit, but a higher quality one might provide more support and last longer. Try to buy something you can return, so you experiment a bit. <BR><BR>I had a firm Sealy for 22 years, that I was able to tolerate for the past 5 years with just the addition of a 2.5" memory foam topper from Costco. I just ordered a customizable latex mattress. If that doesn't work for me, I will probably buy a firm spring mattress like you got and customize it. This message was modified Oct 14, 2009 by delilah
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thanks for the responses. i hadn't considered adding toppers since i couldn't stand my previous pillowtop. i'm not a fan of the memory foam either- i just don't like the sinking feeling. i've heard you either love it or hate it. perhaps a feathertop or the latex mentioned. i will have to do some more research on these boards. i have another question regarding the boxspring. my previous mattress had the low profile boxspring because i don't like feeling like i have to jump out of bed. the salesman told me i'd be fine with the regular sized boxspring so i listened (dumb me) and i have to jump off the bed in the morning. why can't they make normal sized mattresses like they used to? anyway, i was just wondering if it made a difference in the feel of a mattress as to whether you use a standard or low profile box spring or is it just personal preference for how high you want the bed to be? |
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laothe, Most new mattress do not have actual "box springs" but foundations which are nothing more than some thin boards and cheap materials used to elevate the mattress. From looking at the Hamlet series mattresses on Sleepy's webpage this appears to be the case. You could run either a low profile or the standard height foundation-either will suffice. Jeff |
| Loathe, You do need to sink in a bit, otherwise you are on hard flat surface. The firmness of the topper will determine how far you sink in. It sounds like you may prefer latex, because that is more springy and perhaps less of a sinking in feeling than memory foam. It should be cooler as well. Ideally, you would be able to try a few different things to see what you like. I think you will find that with a good topper, that there is a lot less of a sinking in feeling compared to a pillowtop with many layers of cheap foam. |
| thanks again for the responses. i am thinking of trying a latex 1" in soft and adding another 1" of soft or medium latex based on how the initial 1" soft feels. thoughts? |
| My guess is that 1" will not be enough, given that you say it is the hardest surface you have ever slept on. There is nothing wrong with adding inch by inch, but I guess it will take time if you are having it shipped. Not sure where you are buying from. If you can return them, you may want to start with 1" soft to medium and 1" slightly firmer (medium). Then you could try both together and/or individually. |
| I would also call a few places (sleeplikeabear for example), describe your situation, and see what they recommend in terms of how much latex (or other) to add. |
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I think you might be missing the point of pillowtops being "bad". They feel great, and are wonderful to make a mattress soft enough to sleep on. The problem is that they are built into the mattress, and unless you do surgery, cannot be removed. Foam wears out before springs do, which is why they are "bad". If they lasted a long time, then they'd be great!! My favorite mattress was a pillowtop, but inside of three months there was a crater where I slept...but those three months were fantastic. Slept like a baby. So, assuming your mattress is firm because it is basically springs with little padding on top, you make your own comfort layers to your specs on top and you have a pillowtop that can be replaced/tweaked as you desire, without having to replace the entire mattress(costly endeavor, not to mention a PITA). The trick is to figure out how much and what to use. If you still have your old mattress, you could always cut it open to see what that pillowtop had in it...how thick, what kind of springs were underneath, what it was made of. Since that was comfortable for a long time, it can give you some clues. Other than that, I'd say three to four inches of foam(s) might be about right(totally depends on the firmness and types of foams). My bed has 4" of foam on it, over cotton batting, on top of springs. Most beds you buy today that have any padding layers at all seem to have about 7" of foam layers from what I could ascertain. On some sites, if you do searches and look really hard, they'll tell you about the layers of foam over springs in different mattresses(I found info on Sealy before). Good luck! Kait |
| hmm, i didn't realize that i might need 3-4" of a topper. i've seen some sites mentioned here for purchasing toppers, but can anyone recommend where to purchase toppers that can be returned? |
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I think you will likely need 3". But that depends on how firm your new mattress is and how soft of a feel you like. Foamsource.com has latex toppers on sale right now. I believe you can return toppers purchased over the internet. I don't think they carry any 1" though. Costco has a great return policy, but no latex as far as I know. Sleeplikeabear.com has 1-3" latex toppers. I believe you can return with an authorization. You will probably have to pay the shipping for a return (except perhaps costco if you bring to a store). I am not sure about foambymail.com's return policy. But others have said that their latex seems irregular and may not be as good. Of course, you should call and ask about the return policy before you buy. |
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loathe - I just made the EXACT same mistake you did. how did things turn out for you? did you end up just adding a top and it was fine? or did you have to return the bed? I am so devastated I spent this much $ for the worst night's sleep ever. hope to hear your advice. |
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I recently bought an innerspring mattress that was much harder than I can comfortably sleep on, quite intentionally. I don't like all-foam mattresses. They just don't feel right to me. But I'm sick of paying $1000 for an innerspring mattress which becomes unusable when the soft, cheap foam on top wears out. So I bought a hard mattress that doesn't have all the soft junk sewn in, with the intention of adding some latex. However, I didn't get around to ordering the latex, so I stuck some old PU foam toppers i had kicking around on it as a temporary measure, and it is so comfortable that I keep putting off buying the latex. Nothing wrong with PU foam, except that it wears out, and, when it is a topper and now sewn into the bed, it is easily replaced. You might want to try a cheap convoluted PU foam topper before you return it or put out big money for latex - if it gives you relief, or almost does, then you will know you are on the right track, but if it does nothing you probably ought to return the bed rather than starting to play the latex game. |
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myback wrote: loathe - I just made the EXACT same mistake you did. how did things turn out for you? did you end up just adding a top and it was fine? or did you have to return the bed? I am so devastated I spent this much $ for the worst night's sleep ever. hope to hear your advice. I agree with hellbed. It's always easy to soften a too-hard bed by adding a topper. You really can't go wrong with trying an inexpensive PU foam topper. If you really like it, you can just replace it every couple years or so when it breaks down. Or after the first one breaks down, buy a quality latex topper... much more expensive but will last 15-20 years or more. Here are some options: Eggcrate PU toppers: Mattressbymail.com or Foamdistributing.com (cheaper than MBM but you'll have to trim to size with an electric carving knife... very easy) Regular PU foam: Foamdistributing.com — Medium firmness, excellent longevity Foamdistributing.com — Medium firmness, good longevity Foamdistributing.com — Super soft firmness, fair longevity Good luck! |
| Well, i picked up a simple foam topper at bed bath & beyond... doesn't seem to make much of a difference - though it IS only about 2 inches thick. thinking I may need to return the bed, though nothing pains me more...dealing with mattress sales people is second only to car salesmen in terms of unpleasantless, in my book. am I crazy? Any recommendations on a better mattress? I'm a side sleeper....the diagnostic machine at sleepy's says i need a pillow top, since i'm on the small side... but beds that are too soft hurt my back. (sigh) |
| I know what you mean. I can sleep through the night on a lot of cushy toppers but wake up with new back pains. I can get rid of the back pain on a firmer surface but wake up every 2 hours because of hip pain. the real solution is expensive. a superior coil system with high quality latex or wool as a comfort layer or a latex bed you custom make with sleepez or one of the other latex dealers. finding a decent strong gauge coil system without paying a fortune is really hard. the best out there is the holland maid - the one used by beckley and shifman. of course the super deluxe brands - relyon, hypnos, hastens, as well as the prior two are all terrific, but are very expensive beds. the only commercial bed I know of that has a 12 3/4 gauge coil is the king koil "extended life" and it is a thousand for a double. a lot to pay just for a 100 dollar coil system. I may end up ordering the coils from hickory springs - 100 for the coils and 200 to ship it here. not so cheap either given that the remaining materials will run a few hundred. with the mattress you now own, most of the guys here would probably suggest that you buy a softer latex topper - like a 17 dunlop or a mid-twenties talalay. at least that would get you out of buying another bed |
| Thanks to all for your advice. I gave in and traded in for the the Hamlet plush. an expensive mistake - but hopefully the last one for awhile. |
| Post-script: The plush top is too soft and my back hurts every morning. Nothing I can do about it at this point...only one 'comfort return' at Sleepy's (not to mention the cost). All I can say is I will never again buy or recommend a Simmon's Beautyrest. There is nothing pretty about it. |