Looking for a good value bed mattress

**Scanner** · 12-28-2009, 01:48 PM

If you want "value", I recommend the following to my patients:

Restonic - Supporting Dreams | Restonic Mattress

I get no kickback for this. I am not a fan of Serta. It's "cheap" but I don't think it's a "value."

I also agree with the review that a mattress salesman gave this (he probably does get a kickback; it was positive), that you have to factor in a couple of different factors when choosing a mattress:

1. Your body weight. You can't fault the mattress if you need to lose weight and you shoud bring up the discussion with the salemen. You'll need more spring and coils and pay for that. Talk about weight limits for a mattress with him/her.

2. Your sex life. Is it very um. . ."active" or more "subdued"? Then you are going to need more spring and coils for playful adult activity and you'll pay for that. If you feel comfortable and open enough, just mention that you and your partner have an active sex life and you'll be using the bed a lot for that fun. If not, then don't pay for it.

I don't think you have to spend 5K! That's just crazy. I don't think you even have to spend 2K. I do think you have to spend $800-1000 to get a decent, "value" mattress though (Queen to King).

I hate to use "money" as a guide but there is a reason that mattresses cost $550 - squeaky boxsprings. . .little spring coils, poor stitching.

Good luck. . .just a chiropractic opinion and there are no "Mattresses 101" courses at chiro. school and just listening to patients talk about it for years.

**Scanner** · 12-28-2009, 02:11 PM

BTW, if you go to a website like epinions.com and look for reviews on mattresses, you'll find just about all of them have an average rating of 1 to 2 stars.

It just goes to show you that soliciting opinions can only get you so far.

Nobody wants to be told when you go to a mattress store. . . "Hey, Fattie. . .this one's not for you. . .you need this one over here for supersizers." (LOL) so they blame the mattress when it doesn't work out.

That being said, it does seem the "memory foam" mattresses seem to command the highest satisfaction rate. . .but I don't think you can get into one for the price you are looking for. . .I may be wrong. . .I am not a mattress salesman. . .I think you pay more of a premium for them.

That being said, I don't think you need to go "memory foam" to get a value-oriented one.

**irmanator** · 12-28-2009, 02:30 PM

Have you heard any comments about the memory foam Mattress toppers that are sold at walmart etc? its just a 4 in of memory foam you would put on top of your normal mattress.

**frito833** · 12-28-2009, 02:43 PM

Thanks for the response scanner. I will take your recommendation to heart, especially coming from a Chiropractor. However, the nearest Restonic dealer is 65miles away based on their website but if I'm spending 1k, I'll do it.

1. My weight is 220, most of it is muscle of course.

2. Let's just say I can get away with sleeping on a glass coffee table based on that logic.

If I can't get one for under $700, guess I'm stuck saving cash for a better one. Is buying a used "Cadillac of bed mattresses" a viable option? That 20/20 episode where they did the UV light test on motel beds made me paranoid.

**frito833** · 12-28-2009, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by irmanator View Post

Have you heard any comments about the memory foam Mattress toppers that are sold at walmart etc? its just a 4 in of memory foam you would put on top of your normal mattress.

Walmart.com: Spa Sensations 4" Memory Foam Mattress-Topper: Furniture ?

Heard about it and think one of my friends praises it. Wal-Mart foam topper seems like a very cheap alternative. Gotta love Wal-Mart's satisfaction guarantee. Thanks Irm!

**irmanator** · 12-28-2009, 04:24 PM

your welcome, I am considering one myself.

**disneysteve** · 12-28-2009, 06:56 PM

I don't think there is such a thing as a good mattress for $500. And no, I'd never buy a used mattress at any price.

If all I had to spend was $500, I think I'd delay the purchase until I could afford something decent. If you have something now that you can manage with a little longer, do that. If not, I'd spend a little to get a decent air mattress and sleep on that until you save up for the good mattress.

I would also never spend 5K on a mattress. That's insane. I agree with Scanner that somewhere in the 1K range is all one needs to spend, certainly not more than 2K.

**kork13** · 12-28-2009, 07:12 PM

I got an outstanding queen mattress for $500 from the Denver Mattress company... The sales/return tickets showed that it was returned after the previous owner had it for a single night. "It's too soft" was apparently the complaint, to which I responded "There's no such thing."

The mattress was originally sold for $950, but to get it off the floor (since it was technically "used"), they gave me a steep discount.

So that may be another option for you to look into... perhaps find a mattress that was returned shortly after purchase because the first buyer wasn't happy with it. You can ask for a pretty hefty discount at that point, and get a pretty good mattress for much cheaper.

**frito833** · 12-28-2009, 08:18 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I've decided to go with everyone's advice. Going with the Walmart Memory Foam Topper for $100 on my existing mattress. However, I need to nail some plywood over the box spring to fix the sagging in the middle. Around March, I should have enough cash to pay for a $1000 - $2000 mattress. During that time, I'll ask around for mattresses that's been returned for being "Too Comfy" suggested by Kork

Oh, does anybody suggest Latex Mattresses? According to Consumer Search, they are the best for 1k-2k range.

**neatdesign** · 12-28-2009, 10:04 PM

I can't believe no one's commented on the fact that you've used the same mattress for 25 YEARS. It's generally recommended that you replace your mattress every 5-10 years. Not only does the mattress itself start to break down over time, but think of all the sweat, oil, dust, dirt and mites that have collected and accumulated on your mattress since 1984 -- YUCK!

I'm really glad you've decided to save up the extra cash to purchase a decent mattress. Getting a $100 mattress top will help temporarily but isn't a good long-term solution. Since you sleep on your mattress every night (or most nights, I would imagine), it's best to invest some money in a good quality mattress. It affects your health in so many ways. And for Pete's sake, after 25 years I think you deserve better than a cheap mattress top!

**elessar78** · 12-29-2009, 05:00 AM

You probably did it anyway, but no mention... make sure you lay on the mattress and "test drive" it.

Also, pretty much all mattress manufacturers give the same product different names depending on who the retailer is. These are just made up names, but you get the point... Sealy Posturepedic=Sealy Posturemaster=Sealy Sheepcounter Plus... they just change the colors and the stitching and name so you can't comparison shop.

Also, what about a floor model? I bought one of these out of college. Yeah, some think it's kinda gross but I steam cleaned it and I sleep on a foam liner, mattress pad kinda thing and finally my sheets, so there's no actual contact with the bed. Plus, if you think about it, people have laid on it for a max of 30 seconds? I think sleeping in a hotel room bed is much worse.

Also, you need to be more diligent about changing out your mattress. Like someone said, 10 years max. Your body will thank you for it!

**snafu** · 12-30-2009, 05:40 AM

Question: When the memory foam pads came out, we bought one to see if it made a difference in temperature before buying that type of mattress + our mattress has always had a fitted, quilted cover which is washed regularly. Does all that + fitted sheets prevent those gross mites they show in adverts or do dead skin cells work their way thru?

**Scanner** · 12-30-2009, 09:15 AM

I hadn't thought about the "temperature" thing with memory foam. . .does it feel hot when you lay on it? I'm sure I couldn't stand that.

Anyway, I agree with your approach -

1. Band-aid it with a "foam top" for now, buying yourself 6 to 12 months.
2. Save up for a "value" mattress

In fact, you may want to pick your dealer(s) now. . .go in and explain your situation, that you aren't "buying today", that you are saving up and shopping for one in the next 6 months.

Or, if you want, I know I am about to commit "blasphemy" here at SavingAdvice.com. . .if you are going to spend $100 to band-aid it, you may want to finance a value mattress for 30-90 days for the extra $500 on your credit card.

I know, I know. . .blasphemy. But if it really was for just 3-4 months, the finance charge may not be what you are spending on band-aiding it.

It's like the one time when we financed a washer/dryer when we lived in an apt.. . .well, what we were spending in quarters at the laudromat, it made sense to just finance at 14% and own it (which we have the same set for years).

Financing a long term product like a mattress doesn't upset me as much as putting dinners out on your c/c. See? There's even a place for consumer debt in American society.

Good luck.

**poundwise** · 12-30-2009, 11:11 AM

After some years of dissatisfaction with a Simmons, we shopped around looking at Serta, Sealy, and other house and specialty brands. Ultimately, we ended up spending around $800 for a Sealy.

Note: It won't do any good to tell you the name of the mattress, nor will it do you any good when shopping different stores to know the names, as you will find that each store (sometimes even within the same chain) will have all different names. You have to go by manufacturer, coil count, and features to identify which are comparable. It is the way mattresses are sold, preventing people from easy price comparison shopping. LINK

Ultimately, after having this mattress for about a year, I am not really satisfied with it. When we recently bought a new mattress for another bed in the house, we went to The Original Mattress Factory. We had looked here before but opted to buy the Sealy instead. This time, tired of the pricing games and interested in certain features like better edge support, we bought from them. So far, I am very satisfied with it and only wish I would have bought my own mattress from them last year. They are regional, so may not be an option for you, but I'd suggest you give them a look.

Regardless of what you end up doing, do some searching online about buying a mattress so you can learn more about the mattress name/pricing game and what to look for to find a suitable one for you.

Best wishes.

Looking for a good value bed mattress