Finding Absolute Comfort
Written: Feb 18 '05 (Updated Jun 13 '05)
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I needed a solution for a twin-size mattress with no give. The mattress is very firm and has become increasing more uncomfortable to sleep on. Since the mattress is in excellent condition, I opted to invest in a mattress topper. After considerable research, I chose to buy the Sensus high-density foam mattress topper. I decided to buy this mattress topper online from Absolute Comfort On Sale.
Navigating the Site
Absolute Comfort On Sale is located at (www.absolutecomfortonsale.com).
The opening page of this website, at first glance, is confusing. There are a lot of links and information packed into the page.
The Top of the Page
Four circular photos appear at the top of the webpage. Click on a photo to go to that page: Mattresses, Mattress Pads, Pillows, Adjustable beds. Beneath these photo-links are text links (Home, Warranty, Trial Offer, Contact Us, Privacy, Shipping, Shopping Cart). There is also a Quick Find search feature with a drop-down menu offering 17 choices ... including the Sensus mattress topper I was interested in purchasing. There is also a large link to the right that says: “Compare our products to Tempur Pedic”. (This link makes the web page too large for my 15" LCD flat panel monitor, and I have to scroll horizontally to view it.)
To the Left
The navigation bar runs down the left side of the page. The buttons include: Mattresses, Mattress Pads, Pillows, Adjustable Beds, Folding Mattress. There are also links offering help such as: “See how our products compare to Tempur Pedic” and “Talk to our sleep experts 1-877-856-7378". There is also a “Read More” navigation menu beneath the above offerings, which includes: “What is Memory Foam?”, “The Memory Foam Experience”, “The Science of Sleep”, “The Art of Comfort”, “Frequently Asked Questions”. There is also a link to a site map, and a large American Flag with the wording: All our products are made in the USA.
To the Right
Currently, a promotion is being featured. Absolute Comfort On Sale is offering Free Shipping (within the lower 48 U.S. states) on all Memory Foam product orders over $195.00 placed in February. There is also free shipping on pillows. There is an information link regarding the portable memory foam foldaway mattress. Another blurb states that they will send a free gift greeting card with each order upon request. There is also a link to the Contact page.
In the Middle
The center of the Home Page is filled with information on Memory Foam with a bit of information about Absolute Comfort On Sale. They have been in the bedding business for 15 years. This company prides itself on low prices, saying they do not nationally advertise, do not have a huge advertising budget, do not hire celebrity endorsers, do not charge exorbitant shipping costs, and do not distribute their product through a large chain of retail stores ... which keeps their overhead low.
The Bottom of the Page
A series of photo-links runs across the bottom of the middle section. These links include: Adjustable Beds, Mattresses, Mattress Pads, Pillows, Guest Beds.
Products and Pricing
Mattresses: There are 6 mattress makes – Perfect Comfort memory foam mattress, MemorRest memory foam bed, Serene Sleep mattress, Somatic Sleep System, Absolute Comfort Latex memory foam mattress, Majestic Comfort Latex and memory foam mattress. Product pricing varies from brand to brand, and depends upon the size mattress, but cost is between $589 to $2099. The Mattress page also offers “White Glove Shipping”. For $109 (at the time of this writing), White Glove Shipping will deliver the new mattress and foundation, unpack it and place it in the bedroom, as well as remove all the packing material.
Mattress Pads: There are 4 mattress toppers offered – MemorRest 2" mattress topper, MemorRest 3" mattress topper, Sensus 3" mattress topper, Sensus 4" mattress topper. The mattress toppers can be purchased with or without a quilted 100% cotton cover (but the cover cannot be purchased separately). Pricing is from $89 to $439.
Pillows: There are 3 different size MemorRest memory foam pillows available – Standard size (4.5" x 15" x 21") $55 each or $108 for two, Queen size (4.5" x 16" x 28") $118 for two, King size (4.5" x 16" x 32") $128 for two. The Queen- and King-size pillows are only sold in pairs. Each pillow comes with a washable velour cover.
Adjustable Beds: There are 3 systems available for purchase – Nova, SensiSleep, Solace. Pricing is from $1399 to $3999.
Folding Mattress: This Isotonic folding bed is only available in one size: Twin Extra Long for $210. The mattress folds into thirds for storage and portability.
My Shopping Experience – Choosing Product
I knew I wanted a Sensus Mattress Topper. I read the Frequently asked questions page, which explained their 30-day trial period (try the mattress for 30 days ... if you don’t like it, get a return authorization number and pay the shipping to send it back to them). It also offered some information on the properties of memory foam and the benefits as well as how to care for it. They recommend turning their mattresses head to foot every three months.
Greater detailed information on memory foam is offered through the navigation links at the left of the Home Page. I surfed through those and learned more about memory foam, but much of the information is generalized and not specifically geared to the Sensus product.
In the Navigation menu at the left of the Home Page, I chose “Mattress Pads”. This opened up the page listing all the different types of mattress pads and toppers they sell. Halfway down the page is listed “Sensus” with a “More Info” button. This website sells both 3" and 4" deep Sensus mattress toppers. I clicked on the More Info button for the 3" deep toppers.
At the top of this page it stated: "30-day trial on mattress toppers ... No sales tax (except NC) ... Now including a free memory foam pillow with every Sensus topper purchase". The page includes information about the 3" Sensus mattress topper and the quilted 100% 200-count cotton cover with a 15" deep pocket to accommodate deep mattresses. The mattress topper has a 10-year warranty, too.
The Sensus 3" mattress topper is available in a variety of sizes and can be purchased with or without the quilted cotton cover. The page also lists charts comparing all four of their topper brands with pricing and sizes. To give you an idea of price differences for the Sensus 3" topper, here is a comparison list.
Twin (38" x 75") – without cotton cover $159 / with cover $199
Twin XL (38" x 79") – without cotton cover $169 / with cover $209
Full (53" x 75") – without cotton cover $199 / with cover $239
Queen (60" x 80") – without cotton cover $239 / with cover $279
King (76" x 80") – without cotton cover $289 / with cover $339
Cal King (72" x 84") – without cotton cover $299 / with cover $349
Each size option has a button that says “Add to Cart”. I clicked the button, and a new screen appeared. It listed my exact purchase, including the quilted cotton cover and free pillow. At this point you can upgrade to the White Glove Shipping option, but this is just a mattress topper so I didn’t bother with the extra service. There is a prominent button marked “Proceed to our Secure Checkout”. There is also a “continue shopping” area with text links to the various departments at the bottom of the page.
I clicked the “Proceed to our Secure Checkout” button. A page requiring personal information for billing and shipping appeared. If the billing information is different than the shipping information, it has to be manually typed into the form. Then I clicked the “Continue” button.
The address and contact information I typed appeared on the next page. So did the information of what I ordered. On this page, I was requested to select a shipping method (Outside Continental U.S. or Continental U.S.). When shipping outside the United States, the form says that a shipping cost will be quoted and you will be contacted before the product is shipped. I chose shipping within the United States, which offers an auto calculation ... or in my case, free shipping. (Shipping within the 48 continental United States usually costs a flat $19.95.)
The payment method is also selected on this page: PayPal, American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa. I chose to pay via credit card, then I clicked the Continue button.
The next page verifies the shipping address and what has been ordered. The shipping costs and sales tax (if applicable) are now added to the total. Beneath this information is an area where the credit card information is filled out. As a security precaution, the company asks for the 3-digit credit card validation number from the back of the credit card.
If you are purchasing products as a gift for someone, there is a box where you can type in a gift greeting message. There is also an area to provide additional contact telephone numbers or other information or questions. Beneath this is a brief “how did you find us” survey. Then click Continue.
The last page displayed is an Invoice that details the shipping address, contact information, item(s) ordered, cost. It also included a wealth of contact information. The website URL, an e-mail address, their toll-free phone number as well as their brick-and-mortar address are included. The page also stated that orders usually ship via UPS Ground within two business days. When the product is shipped, they would send me e-mail notification of the shipping date and tracking number. They also stated that items may ship separately and arrive on different days.
There is also another codicil on the invoice: “Note that if any merchandise is damaged upon receipt or not meeting your expectations, please contact us right away. Adjustable Beds and Adjustable Base Units are non-returnable. Should you desire to return any other merchandise, you must first obtain prior authorization before any return will be accepted.”
Elsewhere on their website, they state that orders placed before noon (12:00) will ship the following day. On another area of their website I read that orders placed on Sunday will ship on Tuesday. I placed my order on Sunday before noon.
E-mail Notification
Shortly after placing my order, I received an e-mail confirmation of the invoice. The next day, I received an e-mail saying that my credit card had been charged and that shipping/tracking information would be e-mailed when the product shipped.
On Tuesday, the day I expected the mattress topper to ship, I received an e-mail that provided me with a UPS tracking number and a link to learn more about the UPS shipment. What confused me is that the e-mail came from QuantumViewNotify. I was expecting an e-mail from Absolute Comfort On Sale. I almost deleted the e-mail thinking it was a spam message. I clicked on the link provided and learned that the QuantumViewNotify was an e-mail sent directly from UPS. When I clicked on the link, the UPS website showed that two packages had been shipped to me with a due date of Monday next week.
Delivery
On Monday, I received two cardboard cartons. One box held both the pillow (wrapped in clear plastic) and the cotton mattress cover (in a clear-plastic zippered bag). The other box contained the mattress topper, which was vacuum packed in a sturdy clear bag. Both cartons contained instructions for how to unpack the memory foam products and how to prepare them for use. Neither of the cartons contained packing material, such as popcorn or air pillows, to protect the merchandise inside.
For the memory foam pillow, all I had to do was remove it from the plastic bag and let it air. I aired it for 72 hours before using it. The pillow arrived slightly bent since it was packed in a carton that was a bit smaller than the pillow. When released from the box, the pillow almost immediately straightened into its true shape. The pillow did not come with any kind of fabric cover. (Update: I wrote a review of the Memory Foam Pillow. Click on this link to read the review.)
The mattress topper was the difficult project. I was able to pull it out of the carton by myself. The instructions said to lay it on a flat surface. I chose the dining room table. I placed a bed sheet on the table, and it took two people to wrestle the mattress topper onto the flat surface and to gently (very gently so as not to tear it) pry apart the folded mattress topper. Separating the pink memory foam to fold open the mattress topper took physical effort. By the time I finished, my hands and wrists were sore. The mattress topper had been folded in half lengthwise and then folded into thirds before being vacuum packed. After unfolding the mattress topper, I noticed that it did not completely lay flat. It had a huge crease down the length of it, including some deep indents caused by who knew what. There was also a large lump where the mattress did not lay anywhere near flat. During the time it aired (48 to 72 hours as recommended), the memory foam gradually returned to its full size and the dents and lumps smoothed out. By the time I moved the mattress topper into the bedroom, it looked perfect. The airing also gave the product time to release much of the chemical odor that I smelled after opening the package. I did not find the odor overpowering ... noticeable but not offensive, unless I stuck my nose right on top of the mattress topper. Still, I was glad for the suggestion to let the product air before using it. I aired it for 72 hours.
The mattress pad is of excellent quality, and I’m glad I purchased it. The color of the pad is a bright white. It has elasticized sides and 15" deep corner pockets to fit deeper mattresses. I needed that extra depth for my existing mattress with the 3" deep Sensus mattress topper on top of it. This mattress pad perfectly fit. I plan on washing it in cold water. If it shrinks, I’m afraid it won’t fit on the bed ... it was that exact a fit.
While the boxes arrived promptly and in good condition, there is one thing I did not like. The pillow box that also contained the mattress pad was prominently marked with a label that said, “Your Free Promotional Pillow”. I dislike it when packages are marked with what they contain. It’s an open invitation to theft.
One other thing that I found curious ... no where on the mattress topper or packaging did it say Sensus (the brand name). The packing slip listed the product as a Sensus mattress topper, but the mattress topper has no markings or tags on it.
You can read my review of the Sensus Memory Foam Mattress Topper by clicking on this link.
Summary
Absolute Comfort On Sale offered exactly what I wished to buy. It was easy to select the item and order it. The mattress topper arrived in good condition and exactly as advertised. I appreciate that this company also sold the mattress pad and offered a free pillow with the purchase. All in all, I’m a happy customer ... a customer who is sleeping much better these days!
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
Absolute Comfort On Sale
393-A Little Laurel Road Ext
Boone, NC 28607
Toll-free Phone: 877-856-7378
Please read my other reviews:
Buy.com Online Store
Hogwild Online Store
Harry and David Online and at the Mall
Betty Crocker Online Catalog
Cooking.com Online Store
The Republic of Tea Online Store
Johnny’s Selected Seeds Online Store
Park’s Seed Online Store
Dutch Gardens Online Store
Keepsake Quilting Online Store
Joann.com Online Store
Pogo.com Online Games
Copyright 2005 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Sensus Mattress Topper
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