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I'm sure glad I found this website! I just moved to the area and have been shopping for a mattress for two days. My mind was/is still spinning, and I know I've heard some bs from salespeople. Anywho, I sleep on my stomache so it appears that a memory foam is not what I need. I know I prefer a firmer feel. I did enjoy my fathers S&F traditional luxury firm, however it appears there's better for the money. Any suggestions on where to shop?

Hi theanalogman,

There are a couple of factory direct manufacturers in or near Chattanooga that would be the first place I would visit. These are the types of outlets that generally have higher quality and value mattresses and also tend to be much more open about the materials in their mattress and have more helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Chattanooga, Hixson, Cleveland, TN. Fort Oglethorpe, GA. They make a range of mattresses of all types including innerspring, latex, and memory foam but I would be very cautious about the major brands they also carry and they may not be as transparent about the materials in their mattresses as most independent manufacturers (see post #8 here ).
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www.furniturerow.com/locations/locationsByState.jsp?state=Tennessee Chattanooga. They make a range of mattresses that use higher quality materials including innersprings and a mostly latex mattresses that can include either a latex or memory foam topper. I would focus on the mattresses they manufacture which have good value and not on the major brands they also carry.

There are also some local retail outlets that have some possibilities but these would generally require a little more research to make sure that they are able and willing to let you know the "quality specs" of the materials in their mattresses (particularly the density of any polyfoam or memory foam unless they are available online). This is the only way to know the quality of a mattress, identify any weak links that may lead to premature softening and sagging, and make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses. I would also call each outlet before visiting them to "interview" them along the lines of this article to get a sense of what you can expect if you choose to visit them.

I've also listed the brands they carry that I would focus on that may have better quality and value.

www.mafe.us/ (Mattress and Furniture Expo) Cleveland, TN. Pure Latex Bliss, Bed Boss, Medipedic (Mid South).

chattanoogafurnitureshop.com/ (E F Brannon Furniture Store) Chattanooga, TN. Jamison

www.beechwoodnet.com/thebeddingstore.html Rossville, GA. American Bedding.

www.yellowpages.com/fort-oglethorpe-ga/mip/slaten-discount-furniture-inc-6242749 Fort Oglethorpe, GA. Carries Dutch Craft and Therapedic (including two sided) and said he would call the factory to find foam densities for customers that know enough to ask.

www.merchantcircle.com/business/The.Mattress.Connection.706-861-5800 Fort Oglethorpe, GA. Symbol and Serenity.

www.merchantcircle.com/business/Lindermans.Furniture.Sales.706-937-3972 Ringgold, GA. Medipedic (Mid South), Bed Boss.

shopcochranfurniture.com/all_brands.html Ringgold, GA. Jamison including latex and memory foam.

mattresseschattanooga.com/ Ooltewah, TN Jamison, Bed Boss

grossfurnituretrenton.com/index.html Trenton, GA. Jamison (incl latex but no gel)

scottsfurniturecompany.com/scotts-mattress-bedding-center/ Cleveland, TN. Dutch Craft

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You are right that stomach sleepers generally do best with a thinner firmer comfort layer and good support to prevent sleeping in a swayback position. Personal testing with the help of some good guidance (which is usually a sign of better outlets) and spending at least 15 minutes fully relaxed on each mattress you are seriously considering to test for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) will greatl improve the odds of making a much better choice.

Phoenix

Thanks for your quick response! After visiting a few places and talking on the phone to others, I'll be buying from Murmaid later this week. I'm down to two choices....a firm latex and a very firm coil spring. I'll have to do more "test driving" between them. The advantage of the latex was that i felt my fiancee much less when she tossed or turned but was just a wee bit too soft. The sales lady said she could make it firmer if I wanted at the factory, but I wouldn't be able to try it out first (as it would be a special order). The coil just about fit me perfect yet I could really tell when she moved. Decisions......

Hi theanalogman,

I certainly understand the difficulty when you are down to final choices and all your choices are good ones

I would suggest taking your time and making sure you spend at east 15 minutes (or more if needed) on each mattress together with your fiancee to come as close as possible to replicating your sleeping environment. Make sure you test with movement, for pressure relief in the sleeping positions that have the most pressure points (your side), and in all your sleeping positions for alignment.

If you have already done this then it's a matter of weighing the pros and cons of each mattress taking into account all the different factors that are important to you.

Many smaller manufacturers will also make adjustments after the fact if you need it (and the goal of course is to avoid this) by changing out a layer to make it softer or firmer at a reasonable cost. This can be a valuable service if necessary or available.

Finally ... if everything else seems equal ... then slightly firmer is usually better than softer because a topper can always add some softness but it's very difficult to "fix" a mattress that is too soft for good support.

Hope this helps ... and let us know what you decide

Phoenix

Hello, it has been 2+ years since the information on Chattanooga area mattress retailers was posted, so I'd like to provide an update and get feedback on what I have found.

After reading your positive posting on Murmaid, I visited their showroom a few times recently. The salesman said their foam is manufactured here in Chattanooga. The support layer is the same as what is used in the Sealy Optimum line (1.5 lb density) - he said that Sealy gets that foam from the plant in Chattanooga. He said that since Murmaid does not have a middleman, they sell their mattresses for less $ than the major competitors at the same level of quality. This makes me skeptical about Murmaid because if their materials are the same quality as Sealy, Serta, etc - then their mattresses aren't an improvement over the major brands.

The Murmaid showrooms also sell Sealy, Tempur-pedic (also Sealy), Westin Heavenly Bed and Stearns and Foster. I was told the owner of Murmaid also owns the "Mattress Outlet" store in Chattanooga, which sells the major S brands.

Two of the three locations you posted in Chattanooga have closed since the date of your 2012 post - so I am going to drive to the remaining open location in Cleveland, TN ( www.mafe.us ) to check out Corsicana, Bed Boss and Medipedic. Otherwise, it looks like I'll have to resort to an online purchase.

Other actions I have taken:

I contacted the Therapedic rep and he sent me to Chattanooga Mattress and Futons. Worst experience so far. The salesman told me that Therapedic is low quality and they don't want to sell any of that, and then pointed me to an innerspring Beautyrest. He had one latex model and said he didn't understand why someone would want that. I did find one Therapedic hybrid model at Rooms to Go.

I visited E.F. Brannon Furniture who sells Jamison mattresses, but I found the foam mattresses in their showroom to be too firm. While trying out mattresses, nobody on staff spoke to me, which was kind of nice, but imparted the impression that mattresses aren't their focus. Website: chattanoogafurnitureshop.com

Not against driving to Nashville, Birmingham, Huntsville or Atlanta, but I'm not sure if I could get a mattress shipped at a reasonable cost, or returned if it didn't work out.

Anyhow, my main point is that I am not sure Murmaid is making a quality product, without having sufficient information about what goes into their foam mattresses I can't assume they do.

I have found in my search that I prefer a softer memory foam mattress such as the tempur cloud luxe series, but might consider buying a medium-soft version as I found some of them to be ok, and may be better in the long run.

Hi mb321,

Thanks for the update on Chattanooga ... I appreciate it

Your post was a good excuse to update the list so over the course of the next few days I'll add any other options or possibilities I come across as well (and I've already come across a few others that weren't on the list that I would consider) and I've removed the two that are no longer in business.

After reading your positive posting on Murmaid, I visited their showroom a few times recently. The salesman said their foam is manufactured here in Chattanooga. The support layer is the same as what is used in the Sealy Optimum line (1.5 lb density) - he said that Sealy gets that foam from the plant in Chattanooga. He said that since Murmaid does not have a middleman, they sell their mattresses for less $ than the major competitors at the same level of quality. This makes me skeptical about Murmaid because if their materials are the same quality as Sealy, Serta, etc - then their mattresses aren't an improvement over the major brands.

The Murmaid showrooms also sell Sealy, Tempur-pedic (also Sealy), Westin Heavenly Bed and Stearns and Foster. I was told the owner of Murmaid also owns the "Mattress Outlet" store in Chattanooga, which sells the major S brands.

When you are dealing with a manufacturer that has multiple stores then it's not unusual to come across a salesperson that isn't as well informed as others and you may not have been getting accurate information. If their mattresses use the same quality materials as a major brand mattress but are in lower price ranges then I would still consider them to be better value. For example ... they have a latex hybrid mattress listed here that has 2.75" of latex over a polyfoam support core and 1.5" of quilting and an organic cotton cover which sells for $1359 in queen size. I don't know the density of the polyfoam in the support core (they list it as "super high density which I would suspect is more than 1.5 lb density) but for most people in average weight ranges even a 1.5 lb polyfoam support core with more than 3" of good quality comfort layers on top of it would be a durable choice. You can compare this to the Sealy Optimum Latex Dreams here which uses 3" of latex (possibly a lower cost type and blend of latex) and a 1.5 lb polyfoam support core that sells for $1474 in queen. Of course I would want to know the specifics of all the materials in each mattress if I was considering or comparing them but the Murmaid would have the same or better quality materials and is in a lower budget range than the Sealy.
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In other words ... I would want to know the specifics of any mattress I purchased on a "mattress by mattress" basis.

I talked with the manager of one of the Murmaid stores asking about the type and blend of their latex and the density of the polyfoam in this mattress just to see if they will provide this information and I'll post it here as soon as they call me back.

It's not all that unusual that an independent manufacturer sells other brands as well because in many cases they are under a lot of pressure with their market share and "brand names" that people recognize can bring people into the store that otherwise wouldn't even consider them (the vast majority of consumers just "follow the advertising and purchase a major brand not realizing that they are buying a "story"). They will also sometimes bring in other mattresses to "fill in" gaps in their lineup that they don't wish to manufacture themselves. Having said that ... it would be unusual if they were "promoting other brands" over their own mattresses and I would treat this with real caution (and I would avoid most of the major brand mattresses they carry).

Anyhow, my main point is that I am not sure Murmaid is making a quality product, without having sufficient information about what goes into their foam mattresses I can't assume they do.

Hopefully they will call me back so I can confirm that they are still transparent about the materials they use in their mattresses but I agree with you that I wouldn't assume anything with any mattress purchase and I also would tend to avoid any mattress where I couldn't confirm the type and quality of the materials inside it.

I visited E.F. Brannon Furniture who sells Jamison mattresses, but I found the foam mattresses in their showroom to be too firm. While trying out mattresses, nobody on staff spoke to me, which was kind of nice, but imparted the impression that mattresses aren't their focus. Website: chattanoogafurnitureshop.com

These are one of the retailers that I will be adding to the list as a "possibility" because Jamison (who have now been purchased by Solstice Sleep Products ) generally uses higher quality materials in their mattresses than most of the mainstream industry. Another retailer that carry a mix of the Jamison mattresses including latex and memory foam is shopcochranfurniture.com/ in Ringgold and grossfurnituretrenton.com/ in Trenton also carries some of their latex hybrids.
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I appreciate all your feedback and acting as the "trigger" to update the list which should be complete in the next few days.

Phoenix

Thanks for the quick and thorough response. Looking forward to what you find out about Murmaid materials (hopefully the store manager will call you back) and other retailers in the area.

I'll post an update if I find time to visit the Mattress Expo store in Cleveland this weekend or next.

Hi mb321,

I've updated the Chattanooga list with some of the additional "possibilities" I could see based on their sites and a few phone calls I had the chance to make but I would also keep in mind that these are only "possibilities" that I would consider on a mattress by mattress basis (subject to the guidelines here ) and as always I would always make sure that you can find out all the information you need to make an informed choice about any mattress that you are considering.

As I make a few more calls I will add any others that may also be "possibilities" or add any other comments that may be helpful.

I didn't hear back from Murmaid so I may need to call them back.

Interestingly enough I called their main number and told them who I was and that I had a few questions about their materials and talked to a customer service rep that told me she would try find out the answers to my questions. When she didn't phone me back I called again and she told me that her manager had told her that "all the information I needed" was on their site". When I told her that what I was looking for wasn't there she told me she "had to go" and became quite unfriendly. I asked to speak to the manager but she said he didn't want to talk with me. I told her that this was a very strange and not so pleasant way to treat someone that had brought them business over the last few years and was "on their side". I wasn't impressed to say the least.

I then called a manager at one of their stores who was relatively new and told her about my experience with their head office and she said that they didn't know a lot (and didn't sound surprised) and that she would call someone that she was certain could answer what I was asking (the density of the polyfoam and the type and blend of the latex in their latex hybrids) and would call me back but this is the call I am still waiting for. She was much more "friendly" than the people at their main office but I still don't have the information I was looking for.

Phoenix

Thanks for the follow up on Murmaid - hopefully they will call you back with the information you requested.

I drove to Cleveland this afternoon to visit two stores that you listed and the visit was encouraging.

1. Mattress & Furniture Expo ( www.mafe.us/ ) - salesman is Brent - they have floor models from Pure Latex Bliss, Symbol Mattress, Bed Boss, Medipedic (innerspring), and Spirit Sleep. Prices were very reasonable. they offer free delivery but no returns allowed. Bed Boss has a 10 year warranty, Spirit Sleep 20 year warranty, CertiPUR certified.

I don't know much about Spirit Sleep but their model was comfortable and they give info on foam densities on their website: spiritsleep.com
The Bed Boss models were comfortable also. www.thebedboss.com
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2. Scott's Furniture ( scottsfurniturecompany.com ) - Sells Dutch Craft, Sealy, American Handcrafted Bedding. Once I got home I realized I am confused about the relationship between Dutch Craft and American Handcrafted Bedding. The memory foam model on their floor is priced American Handcrafted on the tag, with a foot runner and pillows by Dutch Craft. Not sure if the two companies are related. The model, Silver Bay, is on this website: www.ahbedding.com/ahbedding/About.aspx
The price tag does not list the densities of the foam in the mattress. Sales guy did not know - he was a young collegiate. (I would add a photo of the price tag but the add file button doesn't seem to work.)

Hi mb321,

Thanks for the follow up on Murmaid - hopefully they will call you back with the information you requested.

I hope so too

I don't know much about Spirit Sleep but their model was comfortable and they give info on foam densities on their website: spiritsleep.com

Spirit Sleep is a Zinus Brand that tends to use lower quality/density memory foam than I would be comfortable with. A forum search on Spirit Sleep (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and information about them.

The Bed Boss models were comfortable also. www.thebedboss.com/

Bed Boss is another Chinese manufacturer that is also CertiPur certified but they tend to use higher quality materials in their mattresses than Spirit Sleep. You can read some comments about them (and other manufacturers that get their foam from the same foam manufacturer) in post #2 here and a forum search on Bed Boss will also bring up more information and feedback about them as well. As with any mattress purchase in addition to careful testing for PPP I would always want to know the quality/density of all the layers in any mattress I was considering.

2. Scott's Furniture (scottsfurniturecompany.com) - Sells Dutch Craft, Sealy, American Handcrafted Bedding. Once I got home I realized I am confused about the relationship between Dutch Craft and American Handcrafted Bedding. The memory foam model on their floor is priced American Handcrafted on the tag, with a foot runner and pillows by Dutch Craft. Not sure if the two companies are related.

No they aren't related. There are several manufacturers with "American Bedding" in their name but I believe the one they carry was an independent manufacturer that was purchased fairly recently by Corsicana (see post #5 here ). Dutch Craft is an independent manufacturers that is a different company completely. They are probably just using the same runner on all their mattresses but the tag would be accurate. Either way though ... the information you need about the specifics of the layers and components inside any mattress to make an informed choice ( see here ) is always more important than the name of the manufacturer.

(I would add a photo of the price tag but the add file button doesn't seem to work.)

Some browsers seem to have difficulty with attachments (see the help tab here ) but if it doesn't work for you then you can always email me the picture you wish to attach and I can attach it to your post for you.

Phoenix