Buying a mattress online is loaded with pitfalls.

The first problem with buying a mattress online is that you can’t try it out before you take it home.  Most people when they come into my showroom don’t purchase the first one they try.  I always encourage everyone to try at least 4 or 5 different models.  That way you can really fine tune exactly what you like.  (A mattress might sound good on paper and when describing however that does not equate to it working for everyone).  Everyone has a different preference when it comes to which mattress they prefer).

Be aware that:  Most of these online mattress companies post or pay for their own reviews.   Also they will paint a pretty good picture of how great that mattress is.  

I often do sell a mattress to a customer and deliver it sight unseen.  When this happens I provide them with plenty of information about the mattress.  This works when someone is getting a lower priced mattress.  That means that the queen or full mattress and box set is priced below $500.  (I know that our quality is the best they will find at these low prices).  This does not usually work online however because people online are usually shopping for the better quality mattresses.  That are those in the $500 to $1000 price range.  (If a customer is in that higher price range I will insist on them coming to try them out.  That is the only way to buy the right mattress).

One of the main problems that these online mattress companies face is shipping costs.  That is one of the reasons they cannot compete with a discount mattress store like mine.  Every week I receive a truckload of mattresses shipped directly from our manufacturer in Georgia.  The fact that I can pay shipping for these all at the same time makes it economical.  (The costs is spread evenly for every mattress).    When an online company ships a mattress the first thing they have to do is make that mattress light enough for low costs shipping.  It’s this light weight focus that takes away from the quality.   You could not ship our mattresses because they are so solid, dense and heavy.  It takes two people to move our better queen mattresses.  (When you make a mattress light weight for shipping, you lose density which is what makes a good mattress.

Sure these mattresses are vacuum packed for easy shipping.  That vacuum packing however causes even more loss of integrity.  These online mattress shipping companies are taking low density polyurethane foam and compressing it for shipping.  Meanwhile they are bragging on how great they are.  Sure they have a guarantee that if you don’t like it they will take it back.  Try shipping it back when it’s expanded and that time comes!  A few of these companies will tell you to donate your mattress to charity and they will give you your money back.  The problem with this is that unfortunately there are unscrupulous people who will get the mattress and get their money back while keeping the mattress.  That is why most of that type of online mattress company does not stay in business long.

Then you have to factor in the fact that those companies just spent big dollars trying to gain your attention and get that sell.  The only way they can pay for all that advertising is by adding it to the cost of your mattress.

Why take a chance when it comes to that most important decision?  If you are lucky enough to live in the Charleston South Carolina area, your best option is to visit our showroom.  When you compare our quality and prices, we can’t be beat!

Everyday someone says “there’s a mattress store on every corner”.

It may seem that way.  The fact however, we don’t have much competition.

Stores like Mattress Firm can’t compete with us.  They have too much overhead.

All you have to do is go into their store and then into ours to see what I mean.

We have the mattresses (only better quality) at 25% of their prices.

Smart shoppers will take a little extra time to make one of their most important decisions.

Visit us to see what I mean!

Latex Mattress

I get the question every day.  “What is latex mattress?  I’ve never heard of it!”

The top layer of foam on 99% of mattresses is polyurethane.  That’s an oil based mixture that is in pillows and couch cushions.

1% of mattresses are latex.  That’s because latex is very expensive to produce compared to polyurethane.

Here is detailed information if you are interested: Click here for Wikipedia

Unlike polyurethane, latex is a natural rubber product product which comes from the rubber tree.  They have been making latex mattresses in the U.S.A. for about 50 years.

Here is a 3 minute video showing a 50 year old latex mattress:  Video on latex mattress

Polyurethane has the characteristic of trapping body heat.  The denser, the more heat it traps.  Tempurpedic mattresses are very dense and as a result you sleep hot.  Yes they have recently added a “gel” to their mix however they still sleep much hotter than latex.

Gel foam mattresses are also polyurethane.  They add a gel to the mix which helps dissipate the heat however they still sleep much hotter than latex.

Latex is more durable than poly.  Therefore it’s last much longer.

There are two kinds of latex.  (Dunlop and Talalay)  Dunlop is firmer than talalay.

The more you know about mattress construction, the more you want latex.

Latex:  (Sleeps cooler / lasts longer / offers better support / is a natural product / is biodegradable

Is is more expensive to manufacture a latex mattress than polyurethane.  Latex weighs more, therefore it is more expensive to ship latex.

We specialize in Latex and at the same time keep our prices low.  Why would anyone spend $5,000 on a Tempurpedic mattress when they could own a latex for $1,000?

Come check our mattresses before you pay more for less!

• We deliver mattresses every day.
• We keep almost everything in stock
• Same day delivery or next day delivery is almost never a problem!

Some people purchase a mattress without doing their homework.  They make assumptions about mattresses and mattress stores based on advertising and don’t look at the important factor:  (mattress construction).

I like to think that our customers are smart shoppers.  Our customers are usually ones who will take the time to learn a little about their options and understand the difference between low cost construction vs. good quality.

That’s why over the years I have worked at providing educational material on this website.

Some mattress stores will focus on low price and are not concerned about quality.  They know that the customer will not know the difference.   (For example: we do not sell “Corsicana” / “Hampton & Rhodes” mattresses.  In my opinion, if a store does sell those lower quality mattresses, they are not concerned about quality but low price only).   How can you believe that a store has any integrity if they will sell low costs / quality material just to be able to offer a low price?

At Charleston Bedding we try our best to provide the best available quality the industry has to offer.  The average consumer will not realize or know the difference without doing some research or at least coming into the store and letting me explain the differences in quality.  Other mattress do not take the time or often will not even know mattress construction.  Whenever someone comes into my store and gets my 5-10 minute lesson, they can then walk into any mattress store feeling confident that they know what to look for in a quality mattress.

That’s why it is a great idea to take the time to visit this mattress store when you are deciding on a new mattress!

When it comes to “Price and Quality”, we cannot be beat in this town!

Pocket coil mattresses have been around for long time.  If a mattress has any steel or springs in it Leggett & Platt probably manufactures it.  They make almost all the spring and steel for bedding in the USA.  So when you see one of the name brands advertising how great their mattress is remember……  it’s not only the 5 brand names who have them but also the other 400 plus mattress makers in the USA.

The pocketed coil was introduced back when Tempurpedic came out with the wine glass commercial and “no shake” mattress.  L&P came up with a way to make a coil mattress with little to no movement.  For 15 years they offered the 750 coil count for the low priced mattress and the 850 for the higher quality.  There is a cloth pocket or sock over each coil which helps eliminate motion.  In October 2014 they introduced the “quantum edge” pocketed coil series.  This system offer 950 coils.   The 750 and 850 coil count mattresses have “foam encasement” (polyurethane foam along the edges with the coils dropped in the middle).  The new 950 quantum edge pocketed coil system adds an additional row of coils along the edges and without the foam edge.  L&P claims that this extra coil along the perimeter helps avoid “roll off” on the edge along with extra edge support.

•  (Steel costs more than poly foam) (The more foam a manufacturer puts in a mattress and the less steel, the more profit)

These new 950 coil count mattresses feel amazing.  They offer a very high luxury feel along with great comfort and support.  The manufacturer then decides what type of foam that will be placed on a particular mattress whether it be poly (gel) or latex.

We show 3 different versions of the 950 coil count in our showroom.  We don’t offer the 750 or 850.  Why would we when we our goal is to offer the very best quality?

Our prices start at $650 for a queen set and up to $1050 for the very finest latex queen set.  (That’s a crazy low price when you consider that most mattress stores sell the 850 coil count for $2,000 – $4,000).

Come in and try ours before you buy!  If you live somewhere other than Charleston South Carolina, make sure you find out which system you are purchasing.  Email or call me with any questions or comments.

Some mattress stores sell low cost / low quality visco mattresses.  These are generally imported from China.  They are compressed and vacuum packed for easy shipping.  Polyurethane foam is made from oil.  It can be any type of oil such as corn, soy bean or petroleum.

If a foam mattress has a very strong odor, chances are you are looking at questionable quality.  Usually this smell does not completely ever go away.  (I have had customers tell me nightmares how when they came home the first thing they smelled when opening the front door was their stinky mattress).

Our better quality mattresses all contain  “biodegradable high density soy based foam.  This is soy bean foam and is considered to be some of the finest foam available.

Don’t make the mistake of buying these low cost, low quality mattresses which are made in china.  They may look pretty on the outside however don’t let appearance influence you.  Give it the smell test!

Almost everyone is confused when it comes to buying a new mattress.  Your time is limited and on top of that the mattress industry uses that to their advantage.  The big brand names spends millions everyday to make it seem confusing which tends to produce a multitude of misinformed impulse buyers.  Then when you walk into the big mattress showroom they simply say “lay down and see which one works for you”.  You see all the high prices, pretty mattress covers and different types of mattress.  At which point your head is spinning by design.

I have tried to put together a few quick and informative blogs to help educate you and help you become beducated.

1. Waterbed:  These are not used much any more mainly because of potential hazards.  First of all they have strong potential to grow dangerous algae.  If punctured this algae could cause a health risk.  Also, a kingsize waterbed weighs as much as 1600 lb. which some people (not knowing the danger) will place on a floor not designed for that type of heavy weight.  Waterbeds are still available and at Charleston Bedding we offer them however we do not display them.
2. Spring Mattress:   The first patent for a spring bed was in 1871.  In 1883 Leggett & Platt started producing springs for mattresses.  They are still the major producer of spring mattresses to this day.  L&P manufacturers close to 90% of all the springs that go into mattresses in the U.S.A. including all of the Advent International brands (Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Stern & Foster).  They also produce almost all of the springs for the other 500 brands of mattresses.  Leggett & Platt offer approximately  20 different spring mattress systems for the entire industry.  These different systems vary by spring design, steel gauge and amount of steel that goes into the mattress system.  Some of the different spring systems can be found here: Click Here  For more information regarding which spring system is best for you read our blog (Which spring system is best?)
3. Foam Mattress:  If a mattress does not have any steel in it, the chances are that it is a “Polyurethane” foam mattress.  (Polyurethane was invented in 1937 by a German scientist to replace expensive rubber.  It is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and to put it simply, made from any type of oil.)  Poly Foam is used in the $5 pillow, $100 mattress, $999 mattress, $7,000 Tempurpedic mattress or anything in between.  With regard to the different types of foam mattresses (basic foam, gel, visco) this is what you should know.  Poly Foam is made with oil, there are varying qualities of foam from petroleum, safflower, corn, soy bean or any types of oil.  There are also different densities when it comes to mattresses, in general terms while discussing mattress density usually from the cheap 1 lb. to visco’s 7 lb.   Some people mentally relate density to the firmness of foams, and that relationship is totally incorrect. Foams with an extremely wide range of hardness can be made at an extremely wide range of densities.  For further information regarding the different types of foam mattresses read our blog here:
4. Latex Mattresses:  Unlike polyurethane, latex is a natural product although can be a combination of synthetic and rubber.  Rubber trees are the chief source of natural latex.  Just as with polyurethane, latex is offered in varying degrees of quality.  A mattress shopper seeking the best should look for Natural latex.  There are two types of latex when it comes to mattresses (dunlop and talalay).  Dunlop is firmer while talalay goes through an extra freeze dried type of process which adds tiny air bubbles making it feel softer.  Latex mattresses have been around for about 50 years.  Latex is much more durable than polyurethane.  There are people sleeping on 50 year latex mattresses to this day.  Here is a video about that: Click Here   Polyurethane as it gets denser has the characteristic of trapping body heat.  Gel foam helps however latex sleeps much cooler than any polyurethane.  Therefore in conclusion latex is superior to polyurethane in every way.  (Some people have allergies to latex however that is in regard to rubbers gloves, etc.  There has never been a case of anyone being allergic to latex mattresses that I can find).

So there you have it!  When you eliminate water beds, there are really only 3 types of mattress.  (spring, foam and latex).  Of course there are a multitude of combinations of these 4 however I hope this blog helps you with the basics.  As always you can come by my store and in 5-10 minutes get up to speed on what to look for in a new mattress and what best fits you.

I just got back from an out of town trip.  I finally stayed at the Peabody hotel in Memphis.  It’s an old hotel but that is part of the reason you stay there.  They have updated everything including the mattresses.  The mattress that they have chosen is the 460 Verticoil system.  That is probably the biggest selling system currently and has been for at least the past 10 years.  It is the most popular not because of how good it is but more to the fact of that it does not cost much to build.  A mattress manufacturer can purchase the 460 verticoil spring system at a low cost and add lots of cheap polyurethane foam on top and on the edges “foam encased”.  This makes it feel luxurious to the uneducated or naive mattress shopper.  It has very little shake or movement.  This system offers the “continuance” thin gauge spring as compared to the 416 Bonnell which offers 5 turned thick gauge springs.  Since these mattresses contain very little steel, they sell at a high price and makes lots of profit.  The Peabody hotel did not want to pay the extra that the pocketed coil system cost and wanted a traditional feeling mattress.  They did not want a mattress that has motion, therefore they chose the 460 verticoil system.

There is not much information available to the consumer.  (Leggett & Platt makes virtually all the springs for all mattresses and does not sell to consumers, they sell to manufacturers).  Here is the information they provide:  http://www.lpeurope.com/superlastic.asp

It is our opinion that the thicker bonnell spring is better than the thinner continuous spring.  We base that on many factors such as this common sense analogy that you are reading.

My experience with that mattress during my 3 nights stay was terrible.  I am used to a supportive mattress.  The 460 verticoil system definitely lacks support.  I found that while laying on my side that all my body weight was concentrated on my hips and shoulders.  I could not rotate to the back of those joints to get the pressure off because of the lack of support.  There is no way to lay on your back for long because all of the weight is concentrated to the lower back.  All I could think about was getting back home to my mattress.  I was also thinking about all those millions of people that sleep on this terrible mattress for years and years.  Many of them will no doubt have to have hip and shoulder surgery to repair the effects and problems that are caused by this mattress system.

When I got back home to my “very supportive” latex mattress last night I was so appreciative.  My weight was evenly distributed.  The side of my body was now carrying some of the weight instead of my joints.  Thus the reason I have no shoulder of hip problem.

Almost every mattress store sells the 460 vericoil system.  It tricks people into thinking it is luxurious.  In my opinion it should only be sold if you weigh less than 120 lbs.

Don’t buy the 460 verticoil system!  It is absolutely terrible!

Come in and let’s talk if you are confused about what to look for in a mattress.  It is one of the most important decisions you will make.