Double-sided mattresses are popular and for a good reason. In the past, all mattresses could have been used on both sides, as people would periodically flip their beds over to minimize wear and tear on a single side.
In 2000, Simmons introduced the one-sided mattress, which was focused on delivering the best comfort by focusing their construction on layers of comfort and cushioning, with everything centered to a support core. However, that didn’t stop some manufacturers from creating double-sided mattresses, and today’s example is an interesting bed to focus on those who miss having a double-sided bed.
An In-Depth Look at the Sealy Double Sided Pillowtop Mattress
When it comes to a good double-sided pillow top mattress Sealy is the place to look. It is a brand born way back in 1881 when Daniel Haynes started making cotton-filled mattresses for his friends. Eight years later, he created a machine that could be used to compress cotton, and sold the license to others, with the condition that they make beds under the label “mattresses from Sealy”.
Fast forward to 1950, Posturepedic Technology came to light, in an attempt to revolutionize sleep and create an intelligent bed that could determine where the body needed the most support. Today, Sealy is one of the largest mattress manufacturers in Northern American, providing even luxury hotels with the best beds for their guests.
Pros:
- Convenient price.
- Box spring included.
- Double-sided mattress.
- Good stitching.
- Excellent customer service.
- 10-year warranty.
Cons:
- Not as soft as advertised.
- Shipping costs extra.
Construction
Let me start off by saying that this is not a double-sided mattress that provides different firmness levels on each side of the bed. Instead, it has a mirrored construction, so that the layers above and below the support care are identical, with the same materials and the same densities.
That being said, this innerspring mattress is designed as a flippable for people who love the traditional feel of a coil mattress, with a bounce that can rarely be matched by other types of fabric (latex does come a little bit close, though).
The mattress has a heavy Damask stitch bond fabric, which feels very cool to the touch. The stitches are quite sturdy, so it’s very unlikely for the seams to fall apart anytime soon.
The 12 inches in height (plus another eight for the box spring) are divided amongst the two pillow tops, the polyfoam comfort layers, and the core of the mattress, which is a layer of innerspring coils. The pillow tops are placed on both sides of the mattress, so you’ll get the same comfort no matter which of the two sides is facing upwards.
Inside the pillowtop layer, you can find a soft foam filling, which provides cushioning and comfort. The minute you lie down, you can feel the foam moving in to make room for the heaviest parts of your body to sink into the surface of the bed, and providing great contouring and a pleasant feel overall.
Between the coils and the pillowtop, there are some more polyfoam inserts, which act as both comfort and transition layers. The polyfoam is of medium density, and pairs nicely with the softer memory foam that’s hidden inside the pillowtop.
The core of the mattress is the innerspring layer. The Queen size of this bed, which measures 80 x 60 inches, features a coil count of 490, with a six gauge border and a 13 gauge unit. The numbers are quite average, as in they’re not the best or the worst we’ve seen.
On the top and bottom sides of the innerspring layer, you will find one inch of shoddy pad, looking to mask the feel of the coils and protect the layer in itself. This adds more durability to the mattress, innerspring units without individual wrapping are infamous for springs poking the sleeper more than they should.
The mattress also sports eight double edge guards, meaning that the perimeters of the mattress are reinforced. The edge support is decent, although there is a little bit of compression felt when you sit on the edge of the bed. When lying down and rolling over to the sides, you won’t get that feeling like you’re falling off the bed.
Firmness & Feel
As advertised, the Sealy double-sided pillowtop mattress is a medium to a soft bed. However, judging by the construction and personal experience in mattress reviews, it isn’t as soft as expected. In fact, the mattress feels quite firm.
It’s important to keep in mind that the firmness of the mattress depends on your favorite sleeping position, as well as your body weight. This particular bed has a medium-firm feel to it, and might not be the best option if you are a side sleeper.
The comfort layer is made with polyfoam on each side of the bed, and since the mattress has a mirrored construction, that means you have identical firmness levels on each side.
Why Buy It?
First of all, double-sided mattresses are typically expensive. They won’t exactly break the bank, but they are pricier compared to some single-sided beds. The Sealy double-sided pillowtop can be bought for a very good price, and it includes a box foundation so that the mattress will stay on a flat and sturdy surface, adding to the bed’s lifespan.
Also, a double-sided mattress is known to last longer if it’s made with high-quality materials. If you buy the Sealy double-sided pillowtop bed, consider flipping the mattress over twice per year, in order to evenly distribute your body’s pressure across its surface.
As this happens, the mattress is less likely to sag over a shorter period of time. Even more, having a flippable mattress will give each of the two sides a chance to air out when facing upwards, compared to a one-sided mattress which constantly has one of its sided lying flat down on the foundation.
The mattress is also backed up by a 10-year warranty, which is pretty much the standard period for an average-priced bed.
Who Should Buy This?
There are basically two different kinds of flippable mattresses. One type of double-sided mattress is the one that has different firmness levels on each side of the bed, one which is softer and one which is firmer.
The Sealy double-sided pillowtop mattress, however, has an identical construction starting from the core innerspring layer towards the upper and lower sides of the bed. That means that even if you flip the mattress over, you will be sleeping on an identical configuration.
Despite the product being listed as a medium soft mattress, it’s actually firmer than that. The mattress is best suited for back sleepers, but also for side sleepers of average weight, which can sink into the mattress just the right amount as to feel the comfort layers cushioning their pressure points.
If you are a lightweight or heavyweight side sleeper, you will feel that there are pressure points created in the shoulders and the hips area. Lightweight people will not sink into the mattress enough to benefit from the cushioning of the polyfoam comfort layers, while heavyweight sleepers will sink in too much and feel the coil units that make up the core of the mattress.
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Customer’s Opinion
Feel
For a pillowtop mattress, customers have claimed that this bed is quite firm. Surprisingly enough, most of the people who bought the Sealy double-sided pillowtop mattress aren’t disturbed by sleeping on a firmer bed, although a couple of sleepers claimed they started having back pains about three months into using this mattress.
Delivery
Delivery experiences aren’t entirely positive when it comes to the Sealy double-sided pillowtop mattress. Customers have complained about the shipping company not calling beforehand to announce that they’ll be delivering the product, which caused a series of inconveniences for some of the buyers.
Customer Support
Despite some people being unhappy with the delivery services, customers can all agree on one thing: the customer support team is out of this world. Solving problems left and right, buyers were very satisfied with how the customer support team handled their complaint and request, claiming that “If you ever need customer service this is the type of company you hope you deal with”.
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Bottom Line
The Sealy Posturepedic double-sided pillowtop mattress is good for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a new bed but also don’t want to buy a cheap-looking product. The fact that this mattress is a hybrid bed or not is debatable, as the polyfoam comfort layers are pretty thin, so we’re going to label this is being more of an innerspring mattress.
Even with the pillowtop included, the mattress isn’t soft enough to cater to the needs of every side sleeper, so it’s better off in the hands of a back sleeper. The coils so a good job of supporting the lumbar region. The price includes a box spring, which is nice considering the fact that the life of a mattress is greatly prolonged if you’re using the right foundation for it.