TOPIC:

I am wondering is anyone has any experience or knowledge of the Charles P. Rogers mattresses? Their mattresses felt comfortable and high quality in the store - but after reading this blog I am hesitant to jump into anything! They are a local company to New York (since the 1800's), but I am not sure where they manufacture their mattresses. Their mattresses were reviewed positively in an Apartment Therapy article, and Marshall Coyle of "The Old Bed Guy" seems to love them, so much so that I am skeptical that he doesn't in fact work for them! Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

www.apartmenttherapy.com/review-the-biltmore-bed-by-cha-154509
www.oldbedguy.com/
www.charlesprogers.com/mattresses-c-4.html

Hi TCR255,

Charles P. Rogers no longer manufacturers their own mattresses but they do design their own "house brand" and have them made for them. ADDED: They built their own mattresses for many years but then they changed to contracting them out to another manufacturer but I have since confirmed that they are now building their own once again (including manufacturing their own innersprings) for their Powercore line of mattresses.

While they certainly look good and still use cotton in their mattresses (which is a durable material if it is pre-compressed and tufted and is fairly rare these days) ... a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials they use so the only way to make any meaningful assessment about the quality/durability or value of a mattress would be if they were willing and able to provide you with this information ... particularly the density of polyfoam layers or memory foam layers in the mattress which tends to be the weak link of most mattresses.

When I called them they were in the middle of a re-organization and the salesperson I talked to (who had been there 25 years) couldn't find their "book" and didn't know if it included the layer information and foam density. He said he would call me back "next week" but if he didn't know whether this information was available after working there 25 years then it doesn't sound promising to me. When I talked to them last they also didn't know if they could provide this information and never did call me back.

IMO ... they have some potential in terms of quality and value but the "deal breaker" would be whether they can provide the specific details of the materials they use so that their quality can be validated and meaningfully compared to other mattresses.

Don't forget that you can't "feel" the quality of the materials in a mattress because both low and high quality/density foams can be made in any firmness level and the comfort and support of a mattress is not related to its quality ... only its suitability for each individual.

Their mattresses were reviewed positively in an Apartment Therapy article, and Marshall Coyle of "The Old Bed Guy" seems to love them, so much so that I am skeptical that he doesn't in fact work for them! Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

You can see my comments about some of the inaccurate and misleading information on the Old Bed Guy site in this topic . The reason that he promotes them so heavily is probably because his daughter is the President of Charles P Rogers.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks so much for the knowledgeable response. I asked a few basic questions about the materials in the shop and didn't get much of an answer either - the salesperson didn't seem to know, so I didn't push. Maybe instead I should just trek out to The Mattress Factory in Fanwood, NJ! One question I had about their mattresses (mattressfac.com/inner-spring/) - perhaps you already know the answer - how is their spring system with only 368 coils? I know you have written that the number of coils is not terribly important, but 368 is a lot fewer than the 1000 coils in the Charles P. Rogers innerspring mattresses...

Thanks again for your response and for putting together this website overall - it is a great resource!

-TCR255

Hi TCR255,

You can read more about the futility of coil counting (and how it is mostly irrelevant because of all the many possible differences in different types of innersprings) in this article and in post #10 here . The most accurate way to compare innersprings would be their total weight which would be the best indicator of their total steel content but this also wouldn't take into account the different properties of the different types of innersprings, any insulator materials that they use, and how they interact with the rest of the layers and components of the mattress or complete sleeping system.

One type of innerspring may work well with some types or combinations of comfort layersand other components while a different innerspring completely may work better with a different combination of comfort layers and components. Everything boils down to the balance between pressure relief and support that is the design goal of the mattress along with the durability of the materials (how long the mattress will stay close enough to its original specs to continue providing you with the comfort ans support you need)

Phoenix

Phoenix (or anyone else as well),

Does anyone have more information on the Charles P. Rogers beds or know of anyone who has bought one and what they think? I"m looking at their priciest bed which supposedly has Talalay latex and some memory and gel foam. It's called the Estate 9000 Luxury Plush. However, I don't live near a store so would have to order it untried, which also means I can't return it if i'm not satisfied. I was also looking at the innerspring and hybrid innersprings for a guest room, but again, would like more info on the quality. I also read about the company on The Old Bed Guy and had previously seen ads for theis beds in "Decor" an interior decorating magazine that seems to advertise high end stuff. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'm in Burlington VT, so don't have much opportunity to actually try beds in person. I already bought a couple Sertas that I'm not happy with (I-Series Applause firm and Celebration Firm). Also bought an Amerisleep (like a tempurpedic) that I will be sending back with much trouble). Thanks.

Phoenix,

I'm just copy pasting from the Charles P. Rogers website regarding the specs on that Estate 9000 Luxury plush I asked about.....it seems the webisite gives a lot of detailed specs. Sounds good to a layperson like me, but i'm easy to fool as I've made a few bad mattress choices already. Here is the copy-paste on that bed. I'd appreciate your opinion. Thanks.

Estate™ Latex Mattress
Why are these mattresses different and unique?
Because our care, experience and quality will help you realize your true sleep potential.
Simply put, the way we put our top quality materials together makes a better mattress.
The innovative designs and our investment in specialty equipment provides an ability to do things other manufacturers can't easily duplicate.
You get the best materials available. If we can't find something good enough, we create it ourselves.
You can buy with confidence. Estate™ Latex mattresses are made at our East Rutherford, NJ factory. Our quality control is 100%.
Every mattress is carefully built and thoroughly checked by proud people who truly care.
Powercore™ Spring Mattress Units
The exclusive Powercore™ Mattress Unit is the secret behind achieving a new level of comfort and true relaxation.
This is a new, better spring system. The individual spring design and placement, attachment, proper insulation between rows of coils and careful control of finished sizing make for a super durable and unusually comfortable spring unit.
A Powercore™ Unit would provide a good nights sleep without an ounce of additional padding, but of course we add progressive layers of premium quality Talalay latex.
Designed for use with latex foam, all coils that make up a Powercore™ unit are proprietary winds of ultra- high tensile strength extremely flexible steel wire.
Our wire's tensile strength is 20% more than wire used by the leading U.S. mass manufacturer. The coils are pre-loaded for strength and compressed into individual technical fabric pockets.
To provide better reaction and response to body pressure points throughout the unit, the coils feature more turns, more wire and more flexibility than any previous design.
The assembly and attachment of the springs into a complete innerspring unit is done by a CNC computer controlled robotic agglomerating machine.
The very specifics of our Powercore Plus™ unit are trade secrets (coil designs, assembly techniques etc.) that required us to develop our own machinery to keep this knowledge "in house".
We welcome visitors, with appointments, on a tour of our East Rutherford factory where these are made to see the machines and craftsmen in operation.
Talalay Latex Comfort Padding
The comfort padding are layers of pure, American made Talalay latex.
The Talalay latex process creates a more consistant padding material than latex using the Dunlop method.
Latex foam is naturally cool, non-toxic, anti-bacterial and allergen resistant.
Latex is a resilient support material and less prone to body impressions than petroleum based foams.
The border is built right into our mattress with a carefully fashioned foam encasement.
These arrangement are done to create mattresses with a traditionally firm, yet responsive feel.
Underneath the upholstery, our Powercore™ Unit unobtrusively provides instant adjustment and progressive support for the user without external controls.
Environmental Facts
Absolutely no solvents are used in the construction and assembly of our Estate™ Latex mattresses.
The steel for the innersprings is mostly post-industrial recycled and is 100% recyclable.
Our mattresses are Fire Retardant, designed and tested to meet CSPC standard 1633 without any use of chemical treatments,
All foams used are US or Canadian made and meet very strict manufacturing standards for HAP and VOC emissions.
Our foams are made without the use of PBDE, CFC's, mercury, lead or prohibited phthalates or other harmful substances.
While no mattress is completely emissions free, ours should be as low as any in the marketplace.
Customers can check foam manufacturer websites such as Carpenter (www.carpenter.com/), Hickory (www.hickorysprings.com/2008/Foam.html) and Latex International (www.latexfoam.com/) for more foam specific information.

"No return" would translate into "no purchase" for me - but that's because I recently bought a mattress under those terms, so sure was I that it would be perfect. After I spend some more money trying to make it closer to perfect, it may be fine - but I learned a lesson, and the cost of life's little lessons do tend to add up.

I don't like the notion of a "foam encasement" unless I'm interpreting that wrong, and I saw the word "secret" a couple of times, which rubs me the wrong way. The whole thing reads like car salesman-like spin to me (but I tend to be a bit on the snarky side at times). I see a lot of talk about the springs, but not much clarification about the density of the Talalay latex or how much latex is actually used.

Also, I think some companies have great quality control - but I don't believe anyone never makes a mistake, so to claim 100% quality control raises a red flag to me.

I'm sure Phoenix will have more pertinent thoughts on the matter - I was just struck by these things on reading your post.

Hi adriatic,

They don't provide enough information to make any meaningful assessment or comments about the mattress (the only thing they say is that it has an innerspring (pocket coil) and some Talalay latex). What you would need to find out is the thickness of all the layers or components from top to bottom, the type of material in each layer, the density of any polyfoam or memory foam, and the type and blend of any latex. If the mattress has an innerspring (which this one does) then it would also be helpful to know the type of innerspring (in this case it's a pocket coil), along with the number and gauge of the coils. I would also want to know the density of the foam surround that was surrounding the innerspring.

They should be able to provide this for you and if you can post this on the forum I'd be happy to help you identify any potential weak links in the mattress or to make more comments about it.

There are a few thoughts about Charles P Rogers in general in post #2 here although their current lineup is new.

You can also see my thoughts about some of the misleading and deceptive information on the Old Bed Guy website and the reason he promotes them so heavily in this topic .

@Clawdia

They do seem to have a good return policy . I should also mention that the density of latex for a local purchase isn't really relevant because it's not a "quality spec" with latex.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix (and Clawdia). I guess, given that there is so little info on this mattress and no reviews on the web, and that you cannot return the mattress if you haven't tried it personally in their showroom and live in their local area, then I think I won't chance it. I may end up getting a Saatva for my guest room, but still have no idea what to get for my own mattress. I am stuck now with a Serta Savant (I think that's the name) I comfort for my daughter and a couple twin extra long I comfort prodigy's for another guest room. I tried the one latex bed left in this Burlington area (floor model on clearance)....I forgot what it's called...Nature or Natura something, but it was too hard. This bed buying business is stressful. But thanks for the info and opinions on your website. All I want is the perfect ("hotel luxury bed") that will always feel great, but the more you research (and buy) the harder it is to decide. Adriatic. ot ei

Hi adriatic,

If you haven't read it yet ... the tutorial post here has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices ... and avoid the worst ones. It can also help you focus on the more important information in the forum and the site instead of reaching a point of "information overload".

I missed the part about you being in Burlington, VT and in this case I would tend to avoid an online mattress purchase where there were no exchange or return privileges.

Once you get to step 3 in the tutorial post some of the better options and possibilities I'm aware of in the Burlington, VT area are listed in post #4 here .

All I want is the perfect ("hotel luxury bed") that will always feel great, but the more you research (and buy) the harder it is to decide.

Hotel beds are not a particularly good quality or value choice and tend to be less durable than consumer mattresses. You can read more about them in post #3 here .

Phoenix