Mattress Forum

The Beautyrest has pretty much the same specs in all stores: 800 coils, 13.75 gage. Some have a reinforced middle (not sure I want that) or a padded contour but that's pretty much it, I didn't see any with latex. All the tight tops have a mix of PU foam and wool (probably very little wool). I know it's cheap and won't last but there isn't much of it, so I may get a few years out of it. Moreover, at this point, I just urgently need something to sleep on and can't afford to pay 2 or 3 more thousand dollars for a nice Marshall two-sided mattress (http://www.marshallmattress.com/index.html), having already lost 2K.

I decided to invest one more day into my quest, so I will visit two more stores tomorrow. Whatever the outcome, I have to try something new soon, having already suffered one month on a bed that literally brakes my back and is quickly turning me into a sore and obsessed zombie...

There are quite a few options there regarding latex. Let me look through my list and see what I can find. I'll post in an hour or two after I have done some stuff I need to do.

Phoenix

I would be a little careful about buying your next mattress so quickly. I know you are in pain but what looks good in that short a time could end up becoming another problem. You also have an option (the "zoning system I menioned earlier") that could ... at least temporarily ... alleviate your problem enough that you would have enough time to choose a mattress that would help you much more over the long term. The feeling of "I need to act now" is a recipe for choices you may not be happy with.

Another very inexpensive ... although temporary (months/years) would be to order a poly foam mattress from a place like the foam store that was suitable for your weight distribution and sleeping style.

Before any of this though ... I believe it is important to have an idea of the kind of mattress that was suitable for you ... without that you will probably tend to rely on how it "feels" in the store and possibly/probably end up spending more money on another "problem".

Have you experimented any more with the foam you had? Are you still considering trying your options I mentioned earlier both to give you some time and to find out what type of mattress would work for you? What is the size you are looking for and the midrange of your budget (the price you really don't want to go above but that you would consider exceeding for the perfect mattress at an amazing price)?

With the choices you have you should be able to solve all your mattress issues.

Phoenix

http://www.idealmattress.com/contact.html

http://www.factorymattress.com/contactus.html

http://www.dreameasy.com/contact-us

http://www.pafgroup.com/matresses.htm

http://www.sleepking.ca/index.php?page=contact_us.html

http://www.springtech.ca/

http://kingsandqueens-mattress.com/about_us.html

http://www.crate.ca/locations.htm

http://www.bestwaybedding.com/ Probably a ways away but I thought they were worth including

http://www.bbbedding.com/Affiliated-Locations.page

http://www.thefoamstore.ca/pro_mattresses.php

http://www.downundertoronto.com/sitepages/index.php?page_id=23

http://galaxybedding.ca/contactus.asp

http://www.flexopedicmattress.com/aboutus/

http://www.dreamstarbedding.com/contact.html

http://www.marshallmattress.com/Collection/Elite/Elite_Detail/superior.html

I should have mentioned that I actually live in Laval, QC. I have two jobs so it’s very difficult for me to dedicate a lot of time to this problem (not to mention the tensions it has created on my marriage) but I intend to take a look at what this manufacturer has to offer: http://www.matelasbourck.qc.ca. There’s a few more, such as Mirabel and Dauphin but I know very little about them and I have no way of knowing if what they make is actually better or worse than the 3 S, mattresses remaining a blind purchase. I’m still going to investigate each of the links you provided. For instance, this might work: http://kingsandqueens-mattress.com/madrid.html.

I know there’s a great risk of making another mistake by rushing into something but somehow, it just seems hard to believe that there wouldn’t be many mattresses out there that could work for me. However, having said that, I did learn the hard way that getting a new bed once you’ve gained a lot of weight can prove to be a considerable challenge and that I have to be weary of anything that is zoned or too soft. Most people are simply advising me to go with the firmest mattress I can find and add toppers to it (as much as it will take), or else it will sag quickly. One of the independent manufacturers told me today over the phone that because of my weight, I should not even consider continuous coil and stick with pocket coils. He advised to stick with the hardest model he has and that’s it. That came as a shock to me as I never fully realized until now that I have become an anomaly and that being this heavy narrowed down my choices so much since I had never before had a problem sleeping in any hotels or motels and I do travel a lot. I was also sleeping fine on our old mattress (too bad I didn’t keep it). So far, I only attributed this ordeal on making wrong choices but it seems that I fall into a category that is too extreme for “regular” mattresses.

Ideally, I’m guessing I would need a tight top with strong pocket coils (gage 13 or perhaps 12) and little padding, mostly latex if possible; firm enough that my rear end sinks just a little. I know that Simmons has a World Class model (980 coils, gage 13.75, same as there was in the NXG 250) with just a little poly and latex. This mattress alone runs around 1300$ on this side of the border and I’m not sure it’s worth spending twice as much on it than I would on a firm Classic, on which I could throw my own latex topper. Of course, if I’d be absolutely certain that this is what I need; I would splurge another 1500 dollars and go for it. It’s just that after making huge and costly mistake, one tends to err of the caution side...

Yes, I did experiment some more and played musical toppers but haven’t yet find any solution to the “hump” problem. Granted, I could purchase enough firm poly to fill the 3 zones that are lower and then throw a thick topper over it but since that would be a temporary solution at best; I don’t want to throw anything else into this money pit. Right now, I rely on sleeping pills to fall asleep and wake up 3 or 3 hours later in horrible pain. I can’t stay any longer. I know I can’t keep this up much longer, hence my hurry.

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

In general terms I believe that you can expect to get better value from almost all local or regional manufacturers than you can by going with any of the "S" brands. They all use way too much poly in all their mattresses that are anywhere close to your budget and even the ones that don't are way overpriced compared to almost all the other options you have.

If you did buy a mattress sight unseen, then in your case it should be firm springs over a thinner layer that you could use as a base for customized layers over it. Even good innersprings with a natural cotton/wool stuffing would be suitable here. Zoning in your case could also be very useful ... it would just have to be correct. The "S" brands don't make anything like this that would be suitable IMO. They all have too much poor quality poly over the springs that would make them completely unsuitable to use as a base. Almost all local manufacturers do make something that would be suitable however if you explain what you plan to do. In this group some have much greater value than others but in my experience even the worst of them are typically better value than most of what is available from the S brands.

If you plan to go with buying something sight unseen along these lines, post here first as I certainly know a few places that would be suitable and have good value.

A very high quality poly base with latex over it would be another option that would likely work at a much lower cost and with similar benefits to all latex. The tradeoff here would be the support base would not last quite as long as latex but the higher quality polyfoams that are available and used in support cores are relatively long lasting and good quality. It is in the materials used ... especially by the S manufacturers ... in the upper layers where most of the polyfoam problem exists.

Let me know what direction you want to go if you think I can help in any way.

Phoenix.

Phoenix

http://www.fabricantdematelas.com/en/manufacturer/pocket-spring-mattresses.html

http://www.matelasbourck.qc.ca/matelas_intro.html

http://www.matelasalhorizontal.com/en/index.php

http://www.matelasavanti.com/produits.html

http://www.matelasrene.com/

http://www.matelas-personnel.com/index.html

http://www.matelasorthopedique.com/en/index.html#

http://www.mirabelmat.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=1

http://www.matelasconfort.com/matelas/index.php

http://www.literielaurier.com/en/deta/index.php?produitid=21

http://www.zedbed.com/mattress.html

https://catalogue.matelasdauphin.com/products/1-Mattresses/

http://www.matelaslapensee.ca/en/produits/produits.php

http://kaymedcanada.com/products.asp

http://www.myessentia.com/

http://www.primointernational.com/

This morning, I tried this Simmons Millenium Goose Bay, which felt pretty good in the Plush Firm (13.5 gage coils). What do you think of it?

Click on Simmons, Millenium and then Goose Bay.

If I was "forced" to go with polyfoam in the upper layers by budget (was looking at spending under $500 or likely even less), I would still buy from a manufacturer who could tell me the exact qualities of every layer and how long I could reasonably expect those layers to keep their qualities. I do not believe that the "S" companies can compete with good smaller manufacturers as their supply chain is too long. They are great for testing what feels good for duplication purposes in certain cases but I would not buy one.

Given your choices and the issues you are facing, I would not even consider a major manufacturer with only very few exceptions (and these exceptions are not "S" companies).

Phoenix

PS: for some reason you seem to really like Simmons

Our last mattress, which lasted almost 20 years, was a Simmons and they use pocket coils, which is why I tend to check them out more. My plan B is still to get the firm Classic. I know it wouldn't last very long but I could be sleeping on it 24 hours after purchasing it and it can be had for about 650, which is still a lot of money for 3 or 4 years of use but it would solve my problem quickly.

Been diagnosed with two herniated discs this morning. Didn't come as a big surprise but still, not pleasant news to hear. I finally gave up on the Backguard two nights ago and been sleeping on an el cheapo inflatable mattress in the basement. Much better! Probably inflated a tad too much because my hips are sore but my back isn't killing me as much, although still very painful. At least, there is no hump. I won't be able to keep this set up much longer though, since we are expecting guests next week.

I checked out Matelas Bourck this afternoon. Very nice little place. They have a mattress that could be of interest in their Classic series.

http://www.matelasbourck.qc.ca/classique.html

 It's the President. Two-sided, 608 coils, only one inch of 2.2 lb poly on each side. Extra-firm. I wouldn't be able to sleep on it as is (even my wife found it way too hard) but it would make a solid base. It's affodable (around 840) and covered with an excellent warranty. The owner says he's been making them for 20 years and it used to be the best mattress he had. He only changed the fabric on top.

Will keep looking.

I don't know if this is the best option available as my ability to read some of the sites is a little limited (I can get a sense of them in french but not every detail) and none of them have any prices attached. I did notice though that a retail store I was looking at had dreameasy mattresses and they also seemed to be a reasonable option within your general budget and had some (about 2") of latex on what seemed like HR foam on top of coils ... although they didn't have all the construction details. I get a sense that some of the others also have some very high quality mattresses but without seeing their prices either on their site or at a retail outlet that carries them I just don't know where they fit in terms of price.

I also tend to find that the advice that comes from the smaller manufacturers is often (though not always) much better so if I was in your shoes I would probably call them and explain your back issues including the problems you had with your previous mattress ... tell them your budget ... and see what they say. I have found that I accomplish on the phone in an hour of preliminary calling what it would otherwise take many hours to do. It would probably help you target where to go and save you quite a bit of time. The more specific your questions, including their prices, the better the information you will get. Once you have a sense of the prices on a few mattresses, the rest of the website or at least similar mattresses tends to be easier to predict. You would likely get a pretty clear picture fairly quickly which ones offer the best value.

Phoenix