Lucky for me, this store was the final stop for my mattress odyssey, that began when I realized…read morethat my old mattress was aggravating some physical issues. My quest to find a mattress had two key factors--it could not off-gas chemical smells or other toxins, and it had to be very comfortable for some existing physical issues that have been the subject of multiple surgeries. After trying three online options from so-called top producers, it was apparent that I had to actually experience the mattress before bringing it into my home and risk yet another mattress going into the landfill. My experience with the online mattress companies, were that they over-promised and under-delivered. I will go into detail for those who want to hear about it, below.
I drove an extra 2.5 hours, one way, to get to this store that sells the Berkeley Ergonomics mattress system, because the staff I encountered on the phone, Sierra and Jamie, were very knowledgeable about the product, were not in a huge hurry to get me off the phone and were not pushing any particular outcome with purchase of a mattress. After spending a few hours in this store, I was able to select a mattress and foundation- rack system that met both my needs and life partner. Unlike many mattresses, each type of mattress came in 2-4 levels of support so there is quite a bit to choose from. With the addition of the bed foundation, there is a fitting process where the slats are adjusted to support the user according to a few factors such as body type and sleeping position. We selected a hybrid with double coils and latex pad with wool and organic cotton. My partner calls the bed magic, because he sleeps so soundly in the supportive but comfortable bed. I no longer wake up in pain, the bed did not off-gas and we are still in the "break-in" period of 2-3 weeks.
Since our home was outside of their delivery route, we paid a little more, but the mattress and foundation was cheerfully delivered by the owner, and an assistant well within 2.5 weeks of ordering it.
For those deciding whether its actually easier to get a mattress online for a "free trial," please consider my experience. The first mattress, an Avocado hybrid, was delivered and my old mattress taken away. It only took one night to realize that my body could not withstand the inflexibility of that mattress, made with a cheaper process of latex, cheaper coil systems that can be squashed into a box all of which is tightened with tufts on the mattress. It felt like sleeping on a pile of tires. Returning the mattress was difficult, because they have an eco-babble team, that tells you to find a "home for your mattress," even though most places will not accept a used mattress for sanitation purposes. I had a long-winded argument with this company to get them to come get it, and it appeared destined for the land-fill after it was dragged out across my yard through a muddy walkway. So much for green sustainability.
So here I was without a mattress, so I ended up setting up in my living room on a short twin mattress that had to be augmented with a latex pad [$350.] to make it survivable while I got a new mattress. The next online experience was with SAATVA, who delivered a mattress that was supposed to be covered in 100% organic cotton, but was in fact mixed with thistle, which I am allergic to. The mattress also off-gassed, because it uses memory foam on the top layer of their hybrid mattress. I also woke up in more pain than ever, with numb arms, stiff back and neck. The off-gassing and thistle left me itching and with a headache.
The customer service there is responsive, but once I wanted to return it, they became very self-righteous. I asked them not to call me with my email request for a return, but a manager did anyway. He suggested that I must be a "princess" because I found the mattress uncomfortable. I was credited for the mattress, but still am hassling a return of purchased sheets and pillows, that were returned and not credited--nearly $400.
The next candidate was the Casper mattress, also in a box, that was never even slept on because it is so gassy. It is made of Certi-Pure foam, which "certifies" that the foam is not as terrible as it might be. This is an industry standard that is basically standard-less, in that the industry invented the standards. Think fox guarding hen house...The off-gassing made me dizzy and disoriented. It had to be removed from my house to the backyard while waiting for its return.
The online experience is not worth the hassle of dealing with faceless people who cannot really assist a customer with selecting the right product. I suspect that many of these returns end up in the land-fills because they cannot be used by the few places that accept them.
