With so many different types of mattresses available today, from hammock beds to latex mattresses, from air beds to hybrid mattresses, and from waterbeds to memory foam mattresses; it can become quite overwhelming to discover what the best type is for you and your family. Armed with necessary facts and honest opinions from other consumers, it is possible to determine what mattress is the best for you. But how does a mattress earn a good rating and a high recommendation rate?
In a competitive market, the top mattresses must have comfort and support but also possess a few unique features that will attract potential customers. Pricing should be low enough to not make a major dent in a person’s budget while the quality is nothing short of luxurious. There should be trial periods and warranties to ensure your purchase is protected and the customer service should make you feel like you are their number one customer.
So, with that in mind, it comes down to what type of mattress you would prefer – even if that is a traditional coil spring mattress or a cradling comfort of support that is found in a memory foam mattress.
Let’s take a look at the Avocado Mattress – an updated spin on a traditional favorite and the Nest Mattress – a memory foam mattress that is winning customers from all over with their low pricing but big comfort levels.
A Breakdown of the Avocado Mattress
Construction of the Avocado Mattress
The technical description of the Avocado Mattress is a hybrid mattress, as it combines differing foams with a pocketed coil system to offer 11 to 13 inches of pure comfort. But most people refer to this mattress as an updated style for the traditional innerspring coil mattresses. They aren’t wrong, as the main source of support comes from the deep layer of pocked coil springs, but it is enhanced by the alternating levels of comforting foam.
To further add to a classic mattress, the Avocado is available in two different firmness levels – a rarity when it comes to either foam mattresses or innerspring mattresses.
Top Layer – Cover
The first layer that is immediately visible with the Avocado Mattress is the organic cotton cover that fits securely over the entire mattress. Most mattresses do not come with a corresponding cover but instead are available for an additional price. The one downside to the mattress cover that exists on the Avocado Mattress is that it is not easily removed from the mattress, as it is sewed down through each layer to ensure a snug fit.
Using an organic cotton cover allows the makers of the Avocado Mattress to utilize on its moisture-wicking abilities and natural breathability to reduce the temperature of the sleeping surface and to remove trapped body heat with ease, allowing for a relaxing slumber.
First Layer – Dunlap Latex
The first or second layer of the Avocado Mattress, depending on if you consider the organic cotton cover a layer, is a one-inch thick layer of Dunlap Latex. Latex is a natural, organic material that is harvested from the gum of latex trees and is naturally breathable. This breathable layer will further cool down your mattress while offering a soft but firm layer of material to support the body.
Latex will contour to the body and mold itself around the sleepers’ form, allowing for pressure to be applied using natural body weight to the areas that require it the most. This layer is also a protective layer between the pocked coil system and the sleeper.
Second Layer – Pocketed Coil System
Next found in the Avocado Mattress is the layer where all the support and comfort is found within the eight inches of pocket coil springs. This layer is home to over a thousand pocketed coils that give the Avocado Mattress a level of bounce and give not normally found in a latex or foam mattress. It also improves on both the organic cotton cover and the latex layer’s natural breathability, as each coil spring is individually wrapped in a protective coating to allow for a higher air flow rate.
This layer of pocked coil springs will distribute body weight throughout the mattress, using this to reduce motion transfer to a minimal. This will allow for a more restful night of sleep due to a lack of awareness each time you or your partner changes sleep positions.
Third Layer – Dunlap Latex
Earlier it was mentioned that the Avocado Mattress was available in two different firmness levels – a rarity for a spring, latex or foam mattress. This third layer of the mattress, which is another layer of Dunlap Latex to act as a recovery layer, is either two or four inches thick. The soft-firm model of the Avocado Mattress will feature two inches of Dunlap Latex, whereas the firm level will use four inches of the material.
This layer provides a support for the mattress itself, while still supporting the sleeper, and allow the springs and latex to return to its original shape once body weight is removed from the mattress.
The Firmness of an Avocado Mattress
With two different levels of firmness, the Avocado Mattress truly does have a fit for everybody. There is a soft-firm model available and a firm model, so regardless of your preference, the Avocado Mattress has you covered.
The rating scale used for the Avocado Mattress is the same generic one used for other mattress retailers, both online and in-store. A scale from one to 10 is used, with a mattress rating in the lower digits considered soft with an abundance of giving, and a mattress rating in the higher numbers is considered firm, with minimal give and support.
The soft-firm mattress model of the Avocado Mattress has a rating of 4.5 to 5.0, whereas the firm model has a rating of 6.5 to 7.0. Purchasing the soft-firm model will provide you with two inches smaller of Dunlap Latex as the third layer, but it does come with a pillowed-top for additional comfort. The pillowed-top is not available on the firm mattress, but the extra two inches of Dunlap Latex provide support and comfort.
Feel of an Avocado Mattress
When feeling the Avocado Mattress, not only are the contouring ridges of latex there under your hand, but the feel of cushiony softness is very present. This comes from the layers of pocketed coil springs covered by an organic cotton cover.
The cover brings to mind the feel of cotton sheets, with a crisp but durable softness that will further smooth over time with daily use.
Unique Features – Avocado Mattress
Two Firmness Levels
The Avocado Mattress is available in two different firmness levels, which is rare in the mattress world when it is an online retailer that is offering the deal. With one mattress model rating a soft-firm level and featuring a pillowed-top and the other rating at a firm level without a pillowed-top but an additional two inches of height, it is no wonder the Avocado Mattress is becoming highly recommended.
The soft-firm mattress stands at 11 inches without the use of a foundation or platform but is suitable for sleepers of all positions. It will offer the same maximal support to those who sleep on their backs as it would those who sleep on their sides or fronts.
It is important to note that the soft-firm mattress featuring the pillowed-top will cost approximately $250.00+ over the firm model, with the price increasing by the size of the mattress.
A Breakdown of the Nest Mattress
Construction of the Nest Mattress
This review will focus on the Alexander Signature Nest Mattress but there are another three models to choose from! With a model for a hybrid mattress or a model that is a traditional coil, the Alexander Signature is a pure memory foam mattress that is 11 and a half inches in height that are composed of four different foam layers to provide the best comfort and support a memory foam mattress can provide.
Mattress Cover – Stretch Cover
The first thing that you will notice when you are unpacking your Nest Mattress Alexander Signature is the one-inch thick attached mattress cover. This cover is made from a polyester and cotton blend, which will further reduce the level of heat found within the mattress. Cotton is a naturally breathable and moisture-wicking material, so once trapped body heat does find its way to the top of the mattress, it will be dispersed through the cotton materials natural breathability.
Top Layer – Gel Memory Foam
Directly below the attached mattress cover is an inch-thick layer of gel memory foam that is used to not only contour to the body for maximum support, but it also reduces the amount of body heat that can become trapped in the mattress. The gel memory foam will allow for a higher air flow rate, cooling the sleeping surface to a level that is a comfort and respected.
Second Layer – Visco Foam
Underneath the layer of gel memory foam exists a one-and-a-half-inch thick layer of Visco memory foam that allows the sleepers natural body weight to be distributed throughout the mattress. This layer will also allow for pressure to be applied to the correct areas while reducing pressure to the points or joints of the body that can experience aches and pains upon waking.
Third Layer – Air Flow Foam
The Nest Mattress Alexander Signature is unique in the fact that a two-inch layer of air flow foam exists within the construction of the mattress. This layer of foam is aggregated to allow for multiple airflow channels throughout the mattress, removing any built-up body heat or even dust mites and allergens.
Memory foam mattresses can sleep hot, as the material is not known for being naturally breathable such as cotton is but using a layer of air flow memory foam is a guaranteed way to reduce all trapped body heat and release it into the atmosphere.
Fourth (Final) Layer – Support Base Foam
The final and fourth layer of the Nest Mattress Alexander Signature is a whopping seven inches of recovery and support base foam. This layer is both thick and dense enough to support the entire mattress and its construction, even with the additional weight of the sleeper.
Using a thick layer of dense supportive base foam allows the mattress to return to its original shape and design as soon as weight is removed from the mattress. This allows the mattress to prolong its lifespan even over extended periods of time that consist of daily use.
The Firmness of a Nest Mattress
Like the Avocado Mattress, the Nest Mattress Alexander Signature offers two different firmness levels to their consumers, with the firmness ratings following the generic scale mentioned above in the Avocado Mattress. To recap, a mattress with a rating of one will be extremely soft, with minimal support and lots of giving, whereas a mattress with a rating of 10 would be hard and unforgiving.
One model of the Nest Mattress Alexander Signature is called the Luxury Firm, which holds a rating of 7.5 on the rating scale and the other model called the Medium Firm holds a rating of 5.5.
The luxury firm model will be more appreciated by those who sleep on their backs as their primary sleep position and the medium firm is more suitable to those of multiple sleep positions. A medium firm model is more advantageous to those who share their bed with a partner that may sleep in a different position than themselves, but both models feature layers of memory foam to reduce motion transfer to a minimum.
Feel of a Nest Mattress
The feel of the Nest Mattress Alexander Signature
The Avocado Mattress is a great spin on the classic innerspring coil mattress, with all of the bonuses and none of the pesky disadvantages. An innerspring coil mattress of days gone by tend to squeak over time, becoming uncomfortable and irritating. The Avocado Mattress individually wraps each coil, so even once the coils have seen a fair bit of use, they won’t make a sound about it.
Generally, latex is a firm material that doesn’t provide much give and bounce, but the Avocado Mattress employs latex’s natural breathability and contouring abilities to add life to a pocketed coil spring mattress.
With a trial period of a full 100 nights, you have more than enough time to break in the Avocado Mattress and determine if you actually do wake in the morning feeling fewer aches and pains as you normally would. Once the trial period is over and you have decided to keep your Avocado Mattress, a full 25-year warranty becomes active, allowing for replacements and repairs when necessary.
Financing is available for the cost of your mattress, and once the trial period is over, a full refund is attainable as long as you contact them in accordance with their policies. So really, a traditional innerspring mattress made relevant and supportive with updated technology, ample time to test the mattress and a full refund if it does not meet your needs? What is there to lose?
Nest Mattress
The Nest Mattress Alexander Signature is a memory foam mattress that is big on comfort, contouring, and support while offering their consumers a choice between a harder mattress than the normal medium firm models, or the medium firm model that suits people of all sleep positions. This mattress employs gel memory foam layers and air flow memory foam layers to ensure that it never sleeps hot and you will not wake in the morning sweaty, damp and irritated.
Using multiple layers of memory foam also reduces the number of aches and pains that can form throughout the body overnight by applying pressure to the correct areas and coaxing the body into the proper position for spinal, as well as joint, alignment.
With a similar time frame to fully test the mattress, it can be difficult for a consumer to ensure that this is the mattress for them but Nest stands strongly behind their product and guarantees that you will know within 100 days that the mattress is right for you. With a lifetime warranty, it is relaxing to know that you will not have to stand to any repair or replacement costs, but it is always best to understand completely any warranty policy before purchase.
Avocado VS Nest Comparison
| Avocado | Nest – Alexander Signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Used | 3 to 4 layers
|
4 layers
|
| Height | 11 to 13 inches * | 11.5 inches |
| Firmness | Soft Firm to Firm* | Luxury Firm to Medium* |
| Motion Transfer | Minimal | Minimal |
| Breathability | Good | Good |
| Trial Period | 100 nights | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 25 year (limited) | Lifetime |
| Pricing (Queen) | $1399.00 to $1799.00* US with financing and monthly payments available | $1199.00 US with financing and monthly payments available |
| Shipping | Free within the US; fees and duties for other countries | Free within the US; fees and duties for other countries |
Conclusion
What mattress to purchase is a big decision, bigger than some people realize. A quality mattress of significant size is not going to cost in the double digits, unfortunately, but actually in the triple digits at least with four digits at the highest. Beware of flash sales and pop-up businesses that appear overnight and can be gone just as fast.
Chose a brand that you can trust and is recommended by other people who have survived the search for a new mattress. Check with consumer bureaus in your area to find out if there are any complaints lodged against the brand or company you are currently interested in purchasing a mattress from.
If you or your partner suffer from existing sleep conditions, check with your specialist to determine if a particular type of mattress is right for you (them). Look into online forums, blogs, etc. to learn about full testing and specifications for mattresses that have caught your eye. Make a smart decision, so when that new mattress does arrive? You are in sleeping heaven!