The Princess and the Pea
Written: Nov 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exceptionally comfortable, superior construction, and it's oh so pretty!
Cons: A little pricey, but hey -- you get what you pay for!
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| Cutie_pi's Full Review: Stearns & Foster Cardiff Mattress |
Furniture shopping can be a drag.
Mattress shopping is even worse. It’s nearly impossible to put into words when talking to the salesman that you desire the perfect blend of softness and firmness. You stroll around showroom after showroom, laying down upon each one, taking care not to get your feet on the mattress. After a few hours of this, they all begin to feel the same, but no matter what, they all feel better than what you’ve got at home (afterall, it sucks or you wouldn’t be out shopping for it’s replacement now would you?) And on top of all that, you know you’ll be hardpressed to leave the store without dropping a grand for an item you’ll have to wait a week to enjoy!
However, mattress shopping is a necessary evil. When a mattress goes bad, it’s not a slow process. They don’t seem to deteriorate slowly over time. It’s more of an overnight occurrence - one night, you’re sleeping like a baby, the next you’ve got lumps, bumps and springs poking you in the behind. This is what happened to us last Summer.
It’s not a purchase - it’s a long-term relationship.
My previous mattress and I had been together for years. It was a simple Simmons Beautyrest - bright blue with peach colored flowers, and it was (in it’s youth) wonderfully comfortable. It lead a full life, sticking with me through college, moving with me into my first apartment, and then touring the southeast with my husband and I for the last four years. So when it was apparent it was nearing it’s demise, I definitely felt I had gotten my money’s worth from it. I did not, however, relish the idea of buying a new mattress set. Nevertheless, one Saturday afternoon, we trekked on down to the local mattress store to see what they had to offer.
Is there really a difference between a $600 mattress and a $1000 mattress?
In a word, yes. But more on that later.
At the showroom, we flopped down onto at least a dozen different mattresses. Firm, plush, pillow top...we tried them all! Simmons, Sealy, Serta and even a few ‘off-brand,’... if they had it, we laid on it. It was like something out of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’...
“This one is tooooo hard.”
“This one is tooooooo soft.”
Then low and behold, it happened.
“This one is juuuuuust right.”
Unbeknownst to us, we had meandered into the high-rent district of the showroom, into the land of the Stearns & Foster mattresses. As we reclined upon the fine Belgian Damask covering, we both exhaled a deep sigh of contentment. This was indeed a heavenly bed. In fact, it was by far, the most wonderfully comfortable thing we had ever laid upon.
Stearns & Foster: Luxury Bedding since 1846
Upon awaking from our brief catnap, the salesman explained to us what goes into a Stearns & Foster mattress, as well as how it compares to other, lesser brands. And while the list of features was indeed impressive, we wanted to get to the bottom line - how much was this thing gonna cost us?
Once we recovered from the initial sticker shock, we began to wander around the showroom again, hoping to find something comparable under the $1000 mark. However, none were as perfect as the Stearns & Foster. So we wrote out the check and scheduled the delivery appointment for the next afternoon.
Stearns & Foster Cardiff Firm: A behemoth among mattresses!
The first thing we noticed as the delivery men pulled our new mattress from the truck is how very large it is! Although we did not opt for a pillow-top, this is still an exceptionally thick mattress. The box springs measure 7-1/2” high, and the mattress itself is approximately 12”. While it is not thick enough to require special deep-pocket fitted sheets, it does certainly use up ever inch of cotton that we stretch across it!
Prior to its arrival home, we had purchased new pillows, pillow covers, a new mattress pad and new sheets. So with a basket of freshly laundered linens in hand, I set out to make up our new bed. One benefit to having such a thick mattress is that fitted sheets actually fit! It’s not difficult to make a bed tight enough to actually bounce a quarter off of! Once it was perfectly made, I called to my husband to come try it out. Gingerly, we both laid down... with proper bedding, it was even more heavenly than it seemed in the showroom. It was sheer perfection - a blend of luxurious cushion over a super-supportive inner core. For what seemed hours, we just laid there, staring at the ceiling, marveling at the wonder beneath us.
A good night’s sleep at last.
That night, we eagerly snuggled into bed at an early hour, anxious to get a good night’s rest in our new bed. We found that we fell asleep much faster on the new mattress than before. We also agreed (upon discussing it the following morning) that we slept more soundly and with fewer interruptions (such as tossing, turning, trying to get comfortable), and awoke feeling very well-rested (so well-rested, in fact, we didn’t want to get out of bed the following morning!)
More goodies!
In addition to being beautiful and comfortable, Stearns & Foster builds a quality product, made to last. The sidewalls of the mattress are reinforced and padded with foam. This not only provides a rigid edge (how many times have you perched on the edge of your bed to put on your shoes, only to feel as if the mattress is being crushed beneath you?), but also expands the actual sleep surface by up to 10%. While this may not seem like a huge benefit, if you have a spouse who tends to drift into the middle of the bed throughout the night, you tend to value every inch of sleep surface you can get your hands on!
While it seems a minor point, one that we don’t often think about, proper ventilation is very important for the health and well-being of your mattress. Stearns & Foster uses only pure brass vents, which are durable and beautiful.
And last but not least, the handles! If you’ve ever tried to turn your mattress by yourself, you know how important the handles are! While most mattresses have rope handles strung through grommeted holes, Stearns & Foster uses stitched-on self-fabric handles, which make for easier, more comfortable handling of your mattress. And they are warranted not to pull out!
The Technical Information
Since Stearns & Foster does not yet have their website up and running, I’ll give you the lowdown on the specifics here:
First off, there are many layers and components that go into each of these mattress sets, beginning with the box springs. While less-expensive brands use a frame constructed of wood, Stearns & Foster build theirs upon a steel grid frame, with steel cross-beams, torsion bars and a steel center rail. All of this combines to give your mattress greater support, which makes it more comfortable, and makes it last longer.
Inside the mattress itself is the stuff that made Stearns & Foster famous - their hourglass shaped, knotless-coil system provides excellent support which adjusts to each individual’s body weight and movement. This system is more responsive and supportive than traditional coil systems. Our queen size mattress has 504 coils.
Surrounding all those coils are several layers of padding material, beginning with Dupont Dacron Hollofil. This layer provides durability and air circulation. Next, you’ll find pure New Zealand lamb’s wool, which not only works as insulation (cooler in summertime, warmer in winter), but also gives the mattress it’s ‘memory.’ The we come to the Inner Quilt Cotton, a pre-compressed cotton filling which adds to the loftiness of the mattress, and provides added comfort. Wrapping it all up is the aforementioned imported Belgian Damask, a beautiful blend of cotton and rayon that is not only durable, but luxurious to the touch (and positively beautiful to look at!).
Somewhere in all of this (since I am not about to cut a cross-section out of my mattress, I cannot tell you exactly where) are several more layers of foam and padding, including:
1/2" Marvelux Poly Foam
1/2" High Performance Poly Foam
1-1/2" X 1/2" Convoluted Marvelux Foam
SP II Pressed Fiber Pad
Resilium Plus Fiber
SP IV Pressed Fiber Pad
Integra-Lok Innerspring
What does all of this mean to you? It means this is one exceptionally comfortable, well made mattress!
The final word?
When it comes to mattresses, you truly get what you pay for. While you may find comparable mattresses with regard to comfort only, they will for certain not be as well-manufactured or durable as the Stearns & Foster. And when you consider how many hours per day you spend in bed, it makes sense to splurge for the best! We spend thousands on sofas and recliners for our living rooms, yet we tend to skimp on our mattresses. I don’t know about you, but I spend far less time sitting in my living room then I do sleeping in my bed, so I want the very best. And the Stearns & Foster Cardiff Ltd. is just that!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Cutie_pi
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Member: Natasha
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Reviews written: 73
Trusted by: 112 members
About Me:
What can I say but, life is good!
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