Hi Hong.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum
I've heard good things about TMU from Reddit and have done a bit of research on what I want in a mattress. I would greatly appreciate your input and some help in finding a reliable mattress that can last 4 years.
You are in the right place for guidance when it comes to navigating the mattress buying process.
To give you some context, I will be moving to Roanoke VA for medical school and I would really prefer to have a bed that is comfortable. I have tight hip flexors which often results in lower back pain and even sciatica. This is 100% due to sitting and studying for extended periods of time for most of my life (I'm 26). For the last two years, I've been using a supposedly "firm" Live & Sleep Ultra; this has mostly aggravated the pain over time. Of course, I am doing Physical Therapy and have been trying to reduce the time I sit, but sleep is still a big factor in how much pain I feel every day. I know it's not due to my health because I exercise regularly (I'm 6'4'', 200lb and in good shape).
Thank you for sharing the context and I am sorry to hear about the lower back pain which is aggravated by your current mattress. I am glad that you are already doing physical therapy, but you’re right, people spend one-third of the 24 hours cycle on the mattress and rarely think about the quality of their sleep until some symptoms start to become “visible”
The only mattress I have found that was suitable for me was a Beautyrest Platinum Haven Pines Extra Firm mattress. I laid on it and instantly felt 110% at ease. I hesitate on this because I see in multiple posts that it is wise to avoid name brands.
While we do tend to recommend people stay away from the larger name brands for durability reasons and because of the sleep quality diminishing with foam breaking over time …ultimately only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and it doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work for some people. In your case, it is not so much a matter of mattress longevity as you are seeking to get only 4 years of useful life, but depending on the foam density used in this particular model you may start to experience the effects of foam breakdown much before the 4 years mark given your tight hip flexors. Misalignment may trigger muscle tightness resulting in pain so I would make sure to use a mattress that would not develop soft spots (virtual impressions) or sagging (visible impressions) over time.
Generally speaking, there are much too many variables, unknowns, and individual preferences to use a formula or "theory at a distance" to predict how well any mattress will match your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here ) and each manufacturer comfort scale is of internal use as there is no yardstick for comparing comfort (there is no "comfort standard" in the industry).
The information listed on their site for the layers in the (14”) Beautyrest Platinum Haven Pines XFirm don’t disclose the foam densities which would allow you to make any meaningful comparisons and assess the quality of the product. The innerspring support layer is rarely a weak link in a mattress but the comfort layers are subject to more mechanical stress and a low-density foam would be a red flag in terms of durability and sleep quality.
Quilt:
- 1” AirCool Foam
- .5” Firm Comfort Foam
- .5” Beautyrest Gel Memory Foam
Comfort Layers:
- 1” Firm Comfort Foam
- 1” Back Care 3x Support (2000 pressure relief coils)
- 1” Firm Comfort Foam
Support Layers:
- 1000 Series Individual Beautyrest Pocketed Coild
- 1.5” Energy Foam
- Coil Gauge: 13
- 360 Degree 4” Ventilated AirCool BeautyEdge
Without knowing a more complete set of specs of the foams in this mattress, it is impossible to make any meaningful comments.
Lastly, I've scoured TMU for past posts about shops in Roanoke. Most of the links are out of date and the posts more than 5 years old. The ones that work for me are [url=Virginia Furniture Market and Allen's Furniture and they both only sell name brands like Temper pedic, Sealy, etc. The Rug Mattress and Furniture StoreThe Rug and has a latex mattress but only in firm, and I don't know how firm that actually is.
In summary, I am looking for advice on either finding a local mattress store in the Roanoke VA area that have extra firm mattresses that can last 4 years or a brand you would recommend that I look for in stores near Roanoke.
We stopped making recommendations for stores unless they are a
vetted TMU member here
of our website as It is quite difficult to maintain and keep up to date records and listings of retailer/manufacturers across the country in an ever-changing landscape of the mattress industry. As we come across new information we revisit and edit the old listings to add/remove any relevant information. There are two Trusted Members who, while not in Roanoke, may be of interest to you. One is
CozyPure
located in Norfolk, and the other is
Richmond Bedding
, in Richmond. They may be worth checking them out. They are both experts on our site and would be glad to help with any specific questions you may have.
Aside from that, and subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent about the
mattress specs you need to know
to make an informed mattress purchase and to make sure that any mattress you are considering meets the
mattress quality/value guidelines
here.
I would also make sure you review our article on
choosing a great mattress outlet,
which explains why it is important to narrow down the options in your local area when looking to text a mattress.
I hope this helps
Phoenix