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A good quality mattress costs a lot of money and a Stearns and Foster mattress costs even more. So, if you're thinking of spending that much money, you need to be 100% certain that you've made the right choice in your selection of mattress. And, while there's no arguing that the company makes a good product, you shouldn't necessarily believe all the 'sales pitch'. By not opting for optional extras, you can literally save yourself hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of dollars.
But, what are these 'extras' you may or may not want? In order to best understand, you first need a quick guide on what makes a Stearns and Foster mattress, or any innerspring mattress for that matter.
You'll often hear the term 'mattress set' when you begin your search. A mattress set can be broken down into two main parts; the mattress and the boxspring. The mattress can then be further broken down into 3 sections; let's talk about this first.
An innerspring mattress begins with a top layer often called the 'mattress style'. Basically, you have various surface fabrics ranging from synthetic nylon, through to Damask, wool, silk, cashmere, alpaca etc. The more expensive the material, the more expensive the mattress. In all honesty you're paying for how the mattress looks; one covered with a synthetic material is just as good and will last as long as one covered in the finest silk. You have to ask yourself is it worth paying for how something looks when that something is always going to be covered.
The top layer of a mattress comes in 5 styles. The first is the basic Tight Top; this is the no-frills version. Second, we have Pillow Top; a layer of comfort materials is added on top of the Tight Top. It's attached with gusseted corners that give it a pillow shape. Thirdly, we have the Euro Pillow Top; same as Pillow Top but with more filling. Fourthly, a Euro Top is the same as a Euro Pillow Top but it's not gusseted but attached directly on to the mattress. Lastly, the Box Top is very thick and is also directly attached to the mattress.
The latter 4 styles are becoming increasingly popular as many appreciated the extra layer of comfort and many tops now also feature materials like latex and memory foam. Whether you should buy one is your decision, however, many have reported that such tops can quickly begin to sag. If this happens you will have to change the whole mattress, even though the innerspring may be perfectly okay.
Below the surface layer there's the Comfort Layer. This contains various types of material to help to make the mattress feel comfy. Materials include wool, foam, latex and memory foam.
The bottom layer is what provides the support. Currently, a Stearns and Foster mattress offers two types of support; innerspring and latex. Whichever you choose, you will be getting the best. The innerspring version contains its 504 Progressive Support Coils that are double offset with 12 3/4 gauge high-carbon steel. They are also twice tempered which helps them retain their shape better and for longer. Latex is becoming popular once again; it's hypoallergenic and conforms to the sleeper's body shape.
Which type you choose is a personal choice. Many like the body conforming properties of a latex or memory foam mattress while others don't like how it feels at all and prefer the traditional inner spring system.
Finally, this brings us to the boxspring. Stearns and Foster say they still firmly believe that one should buy a 'complete sleep set', meaning they want you to buy not only the mattress but also the boxspring to accompany it. They claim it will give even better support and add more durability to the mattress.
I really have to disagree on this. In Europe, boxsprings are almost unheard of and we don't seem to hear them complaining. Also, with a mattress like a Stearns and Foster, that is sometimes more than 12" thick and needs two people to carry it, it really ought to be good enough to support the sleeper. Other companies, selling latex and memory foam mattresses, don't recommend a boxspring, so why Stearns and Foster recommends one for its innerspring and latex versions is debatable. I sometimes wonder if it's just a ploy on making more money by making customers believe they need this 'extra' support.
My advice is to certainly go ahead and buy a Stearns and Foster mattress, but save your self a lot of money and decline the offer of the boxspring.
When it comes to innerspring, Stearns and Foster can rightly claim to make the best mattress. But before buying, think about the covering fabric and ask yourself if you really need silk, and think also about the mattress style and if a pillow top is a good idea in the long term and definitely question the need for a boxspring.
