1. #1
    kochi
    kochi is offline
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    First of all, I would like to thank this sub as well as mattress underground. the resources could not have been more valuable!

    Me - 170lbs 5'4", Partner - 115lbs 5'4" (Both 50/50 ish side and back sleepers)



    The Beginning -

    I bought a Douglas mattress back in 2017 (just over 4 years). What a POS. People really need to stop recommending this mattress. Both me and my partner's sides hammock in the center, creating back pain. I knew the mattress was a contributor to the back pain because we slept on random mattresses on vacation for about a week and immediately 1 night in our own bed, back pain.

    About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with sciatica, and a degenerative disk in the lower back. I still play sports, work out and quiet active. On and off back pain. maybe 1 week / year with disabilitating pain where it hurts to walk.

    Since then I've also started doing more yoga. I believe a bad mattress is a contributor to back pain but also trying to get my younger body back where I can sleep on anything like a college student. Some times I read people complaining about back pain and continuously throwing money at the problem by swapping mattresses. I'm not saying they're wrong but it's probably not a a long term solution. You have to put in the money (mattress) and the work (yoga, physio, seeing multiple doctors etc.) to lose the back pain.



    The Research -

    I thought DIY was way out of the question at the beginning and wanted to buy a mattress that lasts. Money was ALMOST out of the question as I wanted something that didn't sag and lasts a long time. For example the douglas mattress is $800. I don't want to change mattresses every 3 years. In the long run it would costs me more than a $3000 mattress that last more than 12 years. So that would mean none of those online mattresses. Based on my research I'm a big believer that these online mattresses are designed to fail but not fail bad enough to be warrantied (10 years or w/e they claim). For example Douglas wouldn't warranty anything that sagged less than 1 inch under 0 weight. No mattress sags that much under 0 weight.

    I believe all online mattresses are actually good in the short run. I believe in all the reviews, but nobody gives reviews after 3+ years of usage. All reviewers are either paid by youtube or mattress companies to review new mattresses.

    I tested mattresses at my local shop and I almost pulled the trigger on a purple 3. I got Sleep Country to get down to a good price but I didn't pull the trigger because I did not know if it would last long. I found some reviews that said it sagged within 2 years but the sample size of reviews wasn't conclusive enough to say it was good or bad. Also I wasn't sure how I felt about sleeping in shifty jello. I've seen the jello description of the feeling here before. There is no better description haha. It feels like jiggly jello.

    The more research I did the more I found that latex was the go to long lasting material of choice. Perhaps Purple can keep up but it doesn't have the track record of latex as of yet. Maybe in 5+ years.



    The Result -

    In the end I went with the DIY route because of Sleep and Mattress Company in Edmonton Canada. I tried their latex mattress, they were comfortable but once they unzipped the cover I found that Berkeley Ergonomic Mattresses are basically a DIY Hybrid mattress. I got a rough idea of what I liked in terms of firmness and did a bunch of research at Mattress Underground and ended saving a lot of money. I sort of feel bad about this but I didn't want to spend that kind of money at Sleep and Mattress Company. I highly highly recommend them for anyone in the Alberta area looking at mattresses. It's the only place I would buy from locally hands down.

    In the end I went with Arizona Premium Mattress. $270 USD shipping to Canada ($146 CAD Fedex Fees + Duty) .

    - Queen Size

    - Quantum Edge Bolsa 8" springs (non zoned)

    - 3" 28 ILD talalay

    - 2" 19ILD topper for comfrot talalay

    - 13" Bamboo Cover

    I ordered Nov 11. Didn't come until Dec 31. They are crazy crazy delayed. The money savings was more important than my back pain :P I slept on camping mats on the floor over my sagging Douglas mattress.

    A couple of brands I almost went with.

    - The Foam King, Imperial Mattress (Pros: readily available, modular Cons: no springs, expensive)

    - Memory Foam Comfort - Presto (Pros: good prices, modular Cons: no springs)

    - Sleep and Mattress Company - Berkeley Ergonomics (Pros: Springs, modular Cons: Expensive)

    - Sprout - (Pros: comfortable Cons: not modular, expensive)

    Latex is bouncy and pushes back onto the body, providing the support I need. Now that I've experienced latex Im not sure how people sleep on memory foam. People move around in bed way more than they think and every time they move the memory foam has to conform back the body and that takes a bit of time. I can move around latex all I want and it'll always provides a nice contour.

    The other reason I went with DIY was the modularity. The springs will last forever. So even if the latex lasts like 5-10 years I can keep the springs and decompose the latex layers. From reviews some people had their latex hybrid mattresses last past 10-25 years. (5-10 years would be the worst case scenario). The other thing about DIY is messing up. As long as you get it roughly right on the first try there is still plenty of money to mess up and you would still save money. Luckily for me I got it right on the first shot.

    I've also heard people say that you sort of float on latex because you don't have that sinking feeling on foam / memory foam where it hugs you. That is true but that is why I went with the 19 ILD 2" topper. It give a bit of that soft hugging feel, but without that sinking feeling of memory foam. the 19" ILD is also good for contouring side sleeping.

    The last thing I want to say is, get a good pillow as well, especially for side sleepers. I don't think this is talked about enough here IMO. The problem is for side sleepers our shoulders are all different widths, so the distance between your head and the mattress is different for everyone. Based on my research I went with a Cozy Pure Performance pillow, which is also made out of latex. They have latex noodles in there called "La Noodle" which you can stuff or un stuff depending on your comfort needs. The adjustability of the pillow allows for different shoulder widths for side sleepers and maximum comfort. I would recommend this pillow, super comfortable but in hind sight I think I would have got the same experience from ordering a shredded latex pillow from Memory Foam Comfort and saving money. Shredded latex vs LaNoodle is basically the same. I had the opportunity to try shredded latex pillow after my Cozy Pure order and they're exactly the same thing in terms of comfort. The adjustability allows for perfect neck alignment with my spine.

    I know Purple makes those cool Harmony pillows and I had the opportunity to try some latex slab pillows. Not a huge fan. I rather just have full adjustability and get a shredded latex pillow. There is no way a side sleeper can't find a comfortable amount of stuffing with that much adjustability. I can also stuff it more if the pillow decides to sag in the long run. The only other pillow I'm curious about is a buckwheat pillow from ComfyComfy.

    Let me know if you have any questions. I know there are Canadians here that run into the same thing I do. We don't have as much choices as Americans.


    See More: My Mattress Hunt Experience and Arizona Premium Mattress Review




  2. #2
    bounceback
    bounceback is offline
    Phone Maniac

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    Re: My Mattress Hunt Experience and Arizona Premium Mattress Review

    I think that choosing a good mattress is really important, especially if you care about your health and want to sleep well. I think you should pay attention to this review sleep number vs saatva in which you can find out which of these companies is better and which one you should buy a mattress from. I hope my answer is helpful to you!



  3. #3
    Kevin375
    Kevin375 is offline
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    Re: My Mattress Hunt Experience and Arizona Premium Mattress Review

    big post



  4. #4
    Lukas
    Lukas is offline
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    Re: My Mattress Hunt Experience and Arizona Premium Mattress Review

    Interesting



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