Mattress Forum

Well, I hate to sound like a broken record but really I see no good solution here other than what I am about to tell you.

If I am correct:
a) you cannot get a refund
b) you can only get an exchange

If you could get a refund - even with a restocking charge - I would do so.
If you can't, and if they only sell S brand mattresses - Simmons, Sealy, Serta, etc. - then I see your only good choice as this:

Take the mattress back and buy the cheapest mattress they have, an ultra firm - the firmest they can get for you. Doesn't really matter what brand, they're all the same.

Use the savings to buy a latex topper or two, to put on top of your new mattress. If they won't refund you the difference, then try to get them to order the latex topper for you - though if they do this I'm sure they'll charge you twice as much for it as you could get it online. So try for the refund. DEMAND a refund of the difference! If they won't refund the difference then use the $ to get a nice latex pillow, some nice wool blankets or silk comforter or something useful.

Put the latex topper - maybe a 1" medium followed by a 1" soft - on your mattress and see if that feels a lot better.

If it doesn't then you have to do mattress surgery. People say "No, I don't want to cut open my brand new mattress!" But just do it. You'll be glad you did because you'll get a better night's sleep. Put the latex toppers right on top of the springs; throw out all the brand new crappy foam the manufacturer put in your new bed - it's garbage.

See the mattress surgery threads at the top of this forum where it says "Highlighted threads".

Good luck, and sorry to be the bearer of this bad news: ALL the mattress manufacturers are making lousy poly foam filled mattresses nowadays. You can't get a good one unless you buy from a "boutique" maker and spend several thousand dollars.


They have other brands, I was just only slightly educated on the S brand mattresses.

How much do these latex toppers run and where do I buy one for a fair price?

So I think the consensus here is to avoid a pillotop with whatever mattress I exchange my Simmons with. Get a cheaper, firmer mattress and add the latex toppers?

I doubt you will have much luck with the Serta either because for that price I am assuming it is most certainly another pillowtop mattress.  I am sure that the type of coils used in either bed is almost completely irrelevant because there is too much foam being used anyway.  But I definitely wouldn't pay that much money for a continuous coil considering they are the cheapest to make. 

As a stomach sleeper you really should be on something a little bit on the firmer side, which is probably why your older mattress (although worn out and maybe not so comfortable) was actually a better support for the way that you sleep.  If you don't want to spend more money and get something like a firm latex bed you should try and get them to simply take the mattress back for a more basic Simmons model perhaps with no pillowtop at all.  It might be a lot better for your posture.

Sorry, I'm not sure how I can tell what mattress has the best springs. I can't see inside of these mattresses lol!

I bought a Simmons Beautyrest Classic almost two years and so I am in the same position as you only two years later.  My mattress started off fine but the foam has know lost it's resilience and by bottom sinks into the mattress and I now wake up in the middle of the night hot and sweaty (because of back strain) and a sore back of course.  Even though the mattress looks like new. It just doesn't have the support any more and of course it's not covered under warrenty.  I also bought my mattress from a big chain and this was my replacement mattress and after trading in my first choice for similar reason to yours.  I agree completely with Jimsocials advice and trade it for a firm mattress and then purchase a latex topper.  Don't be swayed by the big mattress chain and the "expert" salesmen and go with the advice of hundreds of satisfied customers on this site and possibly save money at the same time.  When you are talking to the salesman, ask him straight out will the mattress break in (break down) over time and he will say "yes and that is normal".  Don't believe it!!

Jim gave you the perfect advice.  Its very doubtful you'll get anything other than an exchange and more than likely, it'll have to be as much or more than you've already paid.

So get  a good firm mattress and then do the toppers as Jim suggests.  This is the advice that makes the most sense.  Your mattress is too soft, thats why your back is hurting. I did exactly the same thing as you about a year ago. Also a stomach sleeper like you,  I thought I was buying a real 'latex' mattress but in effect it was a PU mattress with 2" of latex way down underneath 6" or so of smart sounding PU layers.  It felt fine in the store, but after a few weeks, it had to go.  The mattress sales lady asked us specifically how we slept and should have never let us buy that bed with a soft pillowtop.... but she did and we bought it.  I did end up being able to exchange this bed for furniture credit (this was at JC Penney's).  I had to fight for this. But it was better than being stuck with a bed we didn't want.  We used the credit to buy a dining room set and some other items that we wanted. I then put together a latex bed from FoamByMail for $1000 king sized. Its worked out well and is firmer than the original bed. 

As Jim said -  get a firmer mattress with the latex toppers to soften it up.