Confused about Mattresses for Parents and Children

​Hi Pete,
We are looking to purchase two mattress sets. One is for our 16 year old daughter and the other is for my husband and myself. My husband is leaning towards a foam mattress. My husband's back hurts from time to time and when we have used a foam topper in the past, he says his back feels better. We have been to several mattress stores, read reviews, and looked on consumer reports, yet we are still having difficulty choosing the right mattresses. Any suggestions? 
Thank you for any assistance you might be able to provide.
Chrissy


Hi Chrissy,
There's a lot of bad and misleading information out there. 
Addressing your confusion will be a bit long winded.


Even the unusually trustworthy Consumer Reports, is way off base on this subject.
If you can find the previous CR Mattress Issue, you'll read that they could not offer help, as the mattress industry has made everything so complicated that they couldn't figure it out. A few months later, they abandoned their honest answer and interviewed a group of people in Denver and left it at that…for a while.
Since then, they’ve been testing mattresses without mimicking body heat. All of the name brands, along with many others, are upholstering their mattresses with memory foam, which is a temperature sensitive material that reacts to body heat.
Hence, CR’s conclusions are inaccurate.


When you shop at the stores, you get a sales pitch...highlighting the positive aspects of any given mattress and not bothering to mention any of the negatives associated with them.
Customer’s reviews found on-line are usually solicited immediately after delivery. Those positive opinions often change within a short period of time, as memory foam wears quickly.
There's usually no problem with a mattress when it's still new.


Over the past 20 years, especially the past 10 years, when the industry realized that they can actually get away with the crap they're pulling...25 years if you count when it all started, buying a good mattress has gotten to be more and more difficult.


There are two products that have lead to this phenomenon of being able to sell cheaper made, shorter lived mattresses at higher prices...and being able to sell you the same crap over and over again. Those items are memory foam and pillowtops.


Memory Foam is, positively, the worst, most diabolical material ever invented for use in a mattress.
A temperature sensitive material, it softenes when it's warmed by your body's heat....and returns to its original shape when you get off...but, not right away. You've all seen the commercials with the hand print that's left in it. I remember when I first saw that 25+ years ago. I couldn't believe that anyone would see that as a good idea. But, I was wrong. The power of mass media marketing told you, almost continually, that it was a good thing. 
Tell a lie often enough and it’s eventually perceived as the truth…as the saying goes.
 
Today, most mattresses have memory foam and are shown on the sales floor with pillowtops...because these items are good for what the stores and factories want...they're good for "making the sale". It's the only thing that this industry, on a whole, cares about.
The sooner you catch on to all of this, the sooner you'll stop: 
1) wasting your money, and…
2) buying products that cause enduring physical problems.
And, I have yet to mention the respiratory problems that so many people experience with the use of memory foam.
Your husband’s back pain will, most certainly, worsen on an all foam mattress…especially memory foam.


To relieve persistent back pain, you need the upward support of an individually pocketed coil system, which provides the firm, contouring pushback against the back, which maintains the natural alignment of the body and spine.
No all foam mattress will do that, allowing the heavier parts of the body to sink too far…throwing off that alignment.
 
While finding a good mattress is a more difficult process than it used to be, it can still be done.
Here are a couple of good choices...mattresses without pillowtops and with no memory foam. The first for your daughter and the second for you and your husband.


For children (and guest bedrooms):
Eco-Terra Hybrid Latex Mattress…in Medium 


https://ecoterrabeds.com/products/hybrid-latex-mattress?sscid=71k8_m5d12&utm_campaign=4342051&utm_source=share-a-sale


For adults:
PlushBeds Luxury Bliss Mattress…in Medium Firm 
https://www.plushbeds.com/products/12-luxury-bliss-natural-latex-mattress-with-encased-coils?variant=31705061490786&sscid=71k8_pjs8o&utm_source=share-a-sale&utm_campaign=4342051


Both mattresses are upholstered with pure, organic and hypoallergenic latex foam….having NO memory foam.
Latex has been well documented as the superior upholstery material for the past 100+ years.




After you’ve slept on these mattresses for a week, then would be a good time to decide if you want the added luxurious feel that a soft topper provides. Here too, latex is far superior to memory foam.
Latex for Less has the lowest prices on the highest quality latex toppers available anywhere.
Shown here:


Latex for Less Pure, Organic Latex Mattress Toppers


https://www.latexforless.com/products/latex-topper?variant=134346899481&sscid=71k8_rmsu0&utm_source=share-a-sale&utm_campaign=4342051


2” Soft is plenty comfy. 3” Soft is more luxurious.


Adding a latex mattress topper is one of the few items that pays for itself.
Besides adding surface comfort, the high resiliency of latex absorbs most to all of your body weight, (the percentage depends on your weight).
This reduces the pressure on the mattress, causing it to remain like new longer and greatly extending the life of your mattress.
And, unlike an attached pillow top, it can be replaced for a whole lot less than replacing a mattress when the pillow top part wears out, which happens much too quickly.


Also recommended is a waterproof mattress protector, which prevents perspiration from seeping into the upholstery materials.
Keeping your mattress clean and dry and will enhance the longevity of your mattress and keep it odor free.


Sleep & Beyond Organic Cotton Waterproof Mattress Protector 
https://www.themattressexpert.com/sleep_and_beyond_protectors_and_encasements. 


If you also need a new foundation and/or bed frame, these from Rize are extremely strong and durable.


Rize EZ Foundation 
https://cc-mattress-llc.square.site/product/rize-ez-foundation/120?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=KCHQK3ZHPLUMKAYIB3TW4E7C


Rize Bed Frames
https://www.themattressexpert.com/bed_frames.html#/




Thanks, Pete - TME

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