The Unofficial Memory Foam/Visco Elastic/NASA Pillow Thread

[Avatar28]

Sorry, duplicate post. Kept getting server could not be found message when I would click post.

 

[jimmygates]

Thanks to this thread I'm $130 poorer because I went out to Brookstone and bought the Temper-Pedic Queen size pillow. To me, I like the feeling of Temper-Pedic pillows. Now I might be even more poorer since there are soo many mattress topper deals..



-Jimbo

 

[ivan2]

i have a clubroom memory form pillow, i think its a little bit too hard though.

 

[Whiskytoast]

same here I even bought one for my wife, 265 bucks hope it's worth it, the only thing i didn't understand was the 14 bucks in sales tax

 

[TekDemon]

Wow, first off, happy birthday thread! =P

I've been holding off buying for a year since it's kind of pricey, but now with this custom mattress development, I'm thinking of buying a bottom firm foam and then topping it with a 3" Sensus foam for my parents...

we'll see =P

 

[TekDemon]

after looking around, I feel that what we need for our own custom mattresses is a higher density foam base at a cheap price =P

I say this because I did some calculations and the foam topper at JC Penney's is about 1.7lb density...but I noticed that the mattress that is sold on ebay by foambymail actually uses a 2.8lb 5" foam bottom...

if we could find a source for cheap 2.8lb 5" foam bottoms we could build our own mattresses even cheaper =P

 

[Colrenea]

I know Brookstone has a pretty good return policy. Anyone know if I would be able to return a couple of 8 month old Tempur-Pedic pillows that I received as gifts? What if I don't know where they were purchased?

 

[SpotDancer]

Originally posted by: Colrenea
I know Brookstone has a pretty good return policy. Anyone know if I would be able to return a couple of 8 month old Tempur-Pedic pillows that I received as gifts? What if I don't know where they were purchased?

Many people who have posted in this thread have taken pillows back to Brookstone's - even after a couple of years - without any problem. I believe that they replace them, and do not return your money, but I am not sure. It just appeals to my common sense that they would only replace them.

Having said that, I doubt that you could just walk into any Brookstone's and try and get a replacement pillow without a receipt. Dumb they aint! :Q

 

[randypj]

SpotDancer and Colrenea,

I was able to EXCHANGE a Brookstone Tempurpedic pillow that had lost its firmness, after I had used it for about a year, at their Grapevine, TX. store. No receipt, no hassle. They even told me that heat isn't good for 'em (I don't leave it in my car in the heat anymore). Yes, I had purchased it there, but I had no receipt....didn't even have the box.

Colrenea, if you haven't used the pillows, they might give you a store credit, or you could propose a store credit, less 10%. But, of course, everything they have is expensive.
--Randy

 

[SpotDancer]

Originally posted by: randypj
SpotDancer and Colrenea,

I was able to EXCHANGE a Brookstone Tempurpedic pillow that had lost its firmness, after I had used it for about a year, at their Grapevine, TX. store. No receipt, no hassle. They even told me that heat isn't good for 'em (I don't leave it in my car in the heat anymore). Yes, I had purchased it there, but I had no receipt....didn't even have the box.

Colrenea, if you haven't used the pillows, they might give you a store credit, or you could propose a store credit, less 10%. But, of course, everything they have is expensive.
--Randy

Thanks for the info, Andy - I stand corrected. DUMB THEY IS!! :Q

 

[Sesopedalian]

Be careful about those density calculations. Remember that density does not equal firmness. The JC Penney one I linked to I thought was too firm for a topper, but perfect as a foundation, although it is sold as a topper. That one is not memory foam, but polyurethane foam, and you want firmness for a foundation. The danger here is sinking too far in the mattress if the bottom foundation is too soft. The beauty of the JC Penney "topper foundation" is that it is cheaper, and if you don't like it, it can be returned to the BM store without a shipping charge. I have been "testing" this combination for months (posted above) and still love it. There can be many combinations of foundation/toppers, one can put together. It will be interesting to see the combinations that people find comfortable.

 

[SpotDancer]

I agree with this density thing. I was actually very surprised when I received my Sensus Pillows from foambymail. They are 5.3lb density, and were much softer than the 4.0lb density of the Comfort Zone pillows made by Carpenter, although thats not to say they arent supportive - they are. In this case a higher density foam was a much nicer pillow, so heed Sesopedalian's advice - it is well founded. I think it is always a better idea to locate some foam and try it out before buying it, if thats possible. Or, go down the road that someone else has travelled and take their advice on a particular product. Dontcha just love these AT forums?

 

[benben60208]

Originally posted by: SpotDancer
I agree with this density thing. I was actually very surprised when I received my Sensus Pillows from foambymail. They are 5.3lb density, and were much softer than the 4.0lb density of the Comfort Zone pillows made by Carpenter, although thats not to say they arent supportive - they are. In this case a higher density foam was a much nicer pillow, so heed Sesopedalian's advice - it is well founded. I think it is always a better idea to locate some foam and try it out before buying it, if thats possible. Or, go down the road that someone else has travelled and take their advice on a particular product. Dontcha just love these AT forums?

Finally, I joined this forum. Anandtech doesn't allow yahoo's email address to join in. I pm SpotDancer & TekDemon last night about buying this memory foam bed.
I totally agree that density isn't everything you care. My understanding is that a good memory foam pillow should have a high density (like sensus 5.3 lb) and a low IDL (like sensus 15 lb which requires less weight to compress it). This is why you feel sensus memory foam is softer than 4.0lb comfort zone pillow (which has higher IDL, require more weight to compress it to 75% its original height).

As for a fondation, we need a firmer foam base, not a memory foam. A 2.8lb density foam from foambymail has about 36lb IDL which is much firmer than those 15-18lb IDL memory foam. In this case, the life span of lower density foam bottom maybe last shorter than a higher density foam. This is just my understanding from reading the information posted on ebay. Maybe I was wrong, if someone can point it out.

Curently, foambymail are selling a 3" 5.3lb sensus + 5" 2.8lb base with cover for $450 + 50 s/h. However, they are also selling a 3" 3.5lb density memory foam + 2.8lb base with cover(same base and cover used for $450 model) + 2 free queen memory foam pillows (not sure if they are Sensus, but I really doubt it) for $269 + 23 s/h. Also, a queen sized sensus memory foam priced as follows:

2" Sensus - $120
3" Sensus - $200
4" Sensus - $320

Now, you can buy the cheaper one $269 + a 2" sensus $120 on top of it. ($379+sh).
Or, you can get 3" sensus to replace with the 3.5lb topper for roughly the same price ($469+sh).
You gain a queen sized 3.5lb memory foam topper and 2 free pillows.
Can any one give a comment?

 

[SpotDancer]

With all due respect, benben60208 I think you are comparing apples and oranges because of the difference in the density of the mattress topper - 5.3 to 3.5. What it would boil down to with your example is do you want to save some money by going for the low density topper, or do you want to spend more money for the best available memory foam topper? This is, of course, a personal choice based upon a number of different personal factors (money, of course, is one major factor!)

I did some research on Queen and King size mattress pads and mattresses at foambymail. Following is the only two combinations or products that actually produce any significant difference in price - based on the same density of 5.3lb:

One Queen Size Sensus, 4" thick: $320 + $23 shipping for a total of: $343
Two Queen Size Sensus, 2" thick: $120 (x2 = $240) + $23 shipping (x2 = $46) for a total of: $286 = a savings of $57 over the 4" thick pad.
Since these mattress pads are both 5.3lb density I believe there would be no difference between one 4" pad and two - 2" pads

One King Size Sensus Mattress, 3" thick (8"X76"X80"): $649 + $50 shipping for a total of: $699
Two Twin Size Sensus Mattresses, 3" thick (8"X78"X75"): $249 (x2 = $498) + $50 shipping (x2 = $100) for a total of: $598 = a savings of $101.
The one shortcoming with this setup is that the TWIN mattresses are 5" shorter than the KING mattresses, and 2" wider than the KING mattresses.

If you could live with this difference in the length of the twin mattress you can save $101. I am sure we all know that when you buy a King mattress it comes with two twin foundations, so if it were me wanting to buy a King size mattress, I would save the money. Hell, the twin mattress is still the length of someone who is 6'3". As always, the choice is yours.

I also believe that if you decide to buy a couple of the queen mattress pads, or a couple of the twin mattresses - and order them at the same time, and ship them to the same address - you might be able to save a few more bucks on shipping from foambymail. Contact Carlo and ask before purchasing. I

Just for the record: I took advantage of the $57 in savings by purchasing two of the 2" Queen mattress toppers from foambymail, and got a break on the shipping cost for the 2d topper, but I promise you nothing - YMMV. $57+ more in my pocket is a lot better than in someone else's pocket!! :Q

 

[myusername]

Regarding the purchase of a 3.5 mattress and a sensus topper, keep in mind that the topper will arrive glued to the support mattress, so you will have some difficulty replacing the top with sensus foam.

If you go to

http://www.foambymail.com/BasicQueenMedium.html

you will see that the queen support mattress (HD36 foam) is $176.99 on the website. Their prices on polystyrene support are compatible with the JC Penny option, though they suggest that polystyrene is not suitable for everyday use (probably the material degrades more rapidly - it has the same ILD but lower density).

200 for the topper
177 for the base
7 for the can of glue (which foambymail also sells)
50 for the mattress cover (maybe cheaper but that sounds like what I paid for my futon cover)
434 total

= $16 savings over buying the assembled mattress plus or minus any shipping differences that I am not anal enough to figure out myself. Minus the labor required to stick the two together (and that could be an expensive mistake depending on how mechanically inclined you are).

Here's the thing though: if you check the website, all of the ebay prices are 20-40% *less* than on the homepage. If someone could talk them into offering the HD36 or LUX foam mattresses at ebay prices, you could assemble your own 5.3/HD36 queen mattress and save $50 or more off the $450 price. That still leaves shipping in the air, and perhaps they could sell the mattress cover separately (talk them down to $30? - website shows them at 40, but doesn't go to 8 inches). Anyone feel like taking up the torch?

I love this thread.

 

[SpotDancer]

Originally posted by: myusername

"$16 savings over buying the assembled mattress plus or minus any shipping differences that I am not anal enough to figure out myself."



My, my..........I'm anal because I took the time to show the shipping differences? I think that maybe its time for me to go take a good crap for myself!! Thanks for the heads-up myusername!! :Q

 

[myusername]

My, my..........I'm anal because I took the time to show the shipping...

I think what I was saying is that there are probably half a dozen different ways to break down the order to arrive at different results based on shipping prices, which I wasn't going to do just for the hell of it. You did so, but you were actually making a purchase (and no, $57 is nothing to sniff at).

I'm not jumping in on this thing right away (though it's tempting) because I'm going to be moving soon, and I'm thinking it may be easier to toss the bed I have and purchase this on the other end. How big was the package you received - did they roll the foam, compress it depth-wise, or width/lengthwise too?

 

[benben60208]

SpotDancer, I understand your point. Maybe I didn?t make myself clear.

I am trying to compare $450 queen sized mattress (3? sensus memory foam + 5? base) with a new setup $269+120=389 (2? sensus memory foam on top of 3? 3.5lb memory foam + 5?base).

I remember someone in the thread mentioned using 2? sensus + 2? different memory foam + 5? firm base from JCPenny and loved it.

I also read from a website making memory foam mattress. They are using 3 layers instead of 2 layers (they claim it is a better setup and selling it at even higher price). That?s why I came up with this combination.

I know this isn?t a fair comparison. I am just curious how much you will feel the difference (worse or better???). You lose 1? sensus memory foam, but gain 3? 3.5lb memory foam in the middle of the layers.

Also, imo, either $450 model is too expensive or $269 model is a bargain. Since 3? sensus is selling $200, the rest of $250 goes to the base+cover+glue and labor to make a mattress. Well, $250 is already close to $269 model (same base+cover+glue and laber). This makes the 3? 3.5lb queen sized memory foam worth only $19, plus you get 2 queen sized pillow for free. That?s another point I tried to make.

 

[Colrenea]

Originally posted by: randypj
SpotDancer and Colrenea,

I was able to EXCHANGE a Brookstone Tempurpedic pillow that had lost its firmness, after I had used it for about a year, at their Grapevine, TX. store. No receipt, no hassle. They even told me that heat isn't good for 'em (I don't leave it in my car in the heat anymore). Yes, I had purchased it there, but I had no receipt....didn't even have the box.

Colrenea, if you haven't used the pillows, they might give you a store credit, or you could propose a store credit, less 10%. But, of course, everything they have is expensive.
--Randy

Thanks, I didn't want credit, just an exchange. Has anyone else had a problem with the Tempur pillowcases basically falling apart? I wake up everyday now covered with little fuzzballs from the pillowcase.

 

[SpotDancer]

Originally posted by: myusername

I'm not jumping in on this thing right away (though it's tempting) because I'm going to be moving soon, and I'm thinking it may be easier to toss the bed I have and purchase this on the other end. How big was the package you received - did they roll the foam, compress it depth-wise, or width/lengthwise too?

I have not yet received the mattress toppers, but from what I understand they do some sort of compression - but I have no idea whether its depth-wise or width/lengthwise. I suspect that they compress the mattress pads (and mattresses?) TOTALWISE! The pillows I ordered were not compressed, just in a box wrapped in heavy plastic.

 

[SpotDancer]

Originally posted by: benben60208
SpotDancer, I understand your point. Maybe I didn?t make myself clear.

I am trying to compare $450 queen sized mattress (3? sensus memory foam + 5? base) with a new setup $269+120=389 (2? sensus memory foam on top of 3? 3.5lb memory foam + 5?base).

I remember someone in the thread mentioned using 2? sensus + 2? different memory foam + 5? firm base from JCPenny and loved it.

I also read from a website making memory foam mattress. They are using 3 layers instead of 2 layers (they claim it is a better setup and selling it at even higher price). That?s why I came up with this combination.

I know this isn?t a fair comparison. I am just curious how much you will feel the difference (worse or better???). You lose 1? sensus memory foam, but gain 3? 3.5lb memory foam in the middle of the layers.

Also, imo, either $450 model is too expensive or $269 model is a bargain. Since 3? sensus is selling $200, the rest of $250 goes to the base+cover+glue and labor to make a mattress. Well, $250 is already close to $269 model (same base+cover+glue and laber). This makes the 3? 3.5lb queen sized memory foam worth only $19, plus you get 2 queen sized pillow for free. That?s another point I tried to make.

benben.........

The person who is using different density memory foam is "Sesopedalian". He is probably the "guru" of this idea of yours so you could write to him directly and ask what his setup is, although I think he kind of outlined it in one of his recent posts. He has made a few posts recently so he should be easy to find. Your idea has merit, and in my case I will probably buy a foam base for the two 2" 5.3lb Sensus Queen mattress toppers I just bought from foambymail at some point in the future.

And, welcome to the forums benben!!

 

[benben60208]

Originally posted by: SpotDancer

Originally posted by: benben60208
benben.........

The person who is using different density memory foam is "Sesopedalian". He is probably the "guru" of this idea of yours so you could write to him directly and ask what his setup is, although I think he kind of outlined it in one of his recent posts. He has made a few posts recently so he should be easy to find. Your idea has merit, and in my case I will probably buy a foam base for the two 2" 5.3lb Sensus Queen mattress toppers I just bought from foambymail at some point in the future.

And, welcome to the forums benben!!

Finally I found the info where I read it from for this 3-layers mattress. They call it TRI-PEDIC? Memory Foam Mattress. You can follow the link below:

http://www.selectabed.com/memory_foam_mattress.htm

They put a medium weight memory foam on the top of 5lb. high density memory foam + a 4" firm base. Weird??? I think althogh sensus memory foam has higher density, it should feel softer since its IDL is lower (unless their medium weight memory foam has even lower IDL).

 

[KaBudokan]

I am moving into a bigger apartment, and so I will finally be able to get off this futon and get a real bed. I am not sure if I am getting a queen or a king... Mainly depends on cost, etc.

Since I am going to be starting brand new, if I decide to BMOM (Build My Own Mattress) as some others here have done, am I correct in assuming that I will need to purchase a boxspring? That's ok, but almost everywhere I look I see places only selling sets, and there are no boxsprings to be found.

Someone earlier mentioned that a king foundation is actually two twins put together - but at the same time, the size doesn't quite match up. Does this mean that if I get a king size, that the mattress would be hanging over the edge at the bottom, but the foundation would be sitcking out on the sides?

Any pointers about starting "from scratch" and still trying to manage the best deal would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[SpotDancer]

Originally posted by: KaBudokan
I am moving into a bigger apartment, and so I will finally be able to get off this futon and get a real bed. I am not sure if I am getting a queen or a king... Mainly depends on cost, etc.

Since I am going to be starting brand new, if I decide to BMOM (Build My Own Mattress) as some others here have done, am I correct in assuming that I will need to purchase a boxspring? That's ok, but almost everywhere I look I see places only selling sets, and there are no boxsprings to be found.

Someone earlier mentioned that a king foundation is actually two twins put together - but at the same time, the size doesn't quite match up. Does this mean that if I get a king size, that the mattress would be hanging over the edge at the bottom, but the foundation would be sitcking out on the sides?

Any pointers about starting "from scratch" and still trying to manage the best deal would be appreciated. Thanks!

KaBudokan.......

The foam base that you would use with your mattress topper replaces the mattress. Do you ABSOLUTELY have to have a box spring? Probably not, but where would you put the foam mattress? On the floor? Would you then put a 2d foam mattress under the topper, replacing the box spring? Again, where would the foam mattresses sit? I would presume that you are interested in making a "regular" type bed with rails, headboard (although you really dont need a headboard), etc.? I think you could probably use a whole bunch of wooden slats that fit onto the side rails, and use those instead of a boxspring. Or, you could also use a large piece of plywood that would fit onto the side rails and use that in place of a boxspring. Since I already have a boxspring, and its in good shape, I wll use that for my mattress topper and foam base mattress. I think the choices other than a regular boxspring are not that great, but a bed could be made without a box spring.

If you decided to buy a king size bed neither the mattress topper nor the foam base would ever hang over the sides or the end of of the box spring(s). The foam mattresses are identical in size to a regular king size mattress. The toppers are designed to be somewhat smaller than the mattress so that there is no hanging. What would happen if you bought two twin size mattress toppers and used that instead of one King size topper? The king size topper would come almost to the edge of the foundation both length and width-wise, and the two twin toppers would be shorter by 5 inches - 75" long for the twin, and 80" for the king. The question is - would you miss the 5" in the length of the topper, or do you think it would make no difference? Personally, I would buy a couple of twin mattress pads and save myself $100 over the king size pad. The twin topper is 6"3" long, and I am 5'10" so I dont think I would ever notice the "missing" 5" inches. You have to judge this based on your own height, and personal taste. Also, I dont think it would be a problem to trim/cut the mattress pad. For the pad you would just need scissors and a steady hand.

I hope this helps!

 

[Dari]

my God, this thread is still alive? how much do you guys sleep? I get only 4 hours a day, but there's only 24 in a day. how do you guys enjoy the pillows and mattresses? How?