Sealy Optimum Latex Brasswood 12-Inch Firm Mattress Mattress, Queen

We bought this item because description stated firm. Not really firm and became less firm in the month we slept on it. Started the process of trying to return this item over a month ago and AJB Fett has been helpful but just can’t seem to get the return to happen. Highly suggest not buying this item.

I ordered a firm bed and it is very comfortable. Beware that you need sheets with deep pockets. I bought sheets with 18” pockets and it is a nice snug fit. I was not happy with the 5 week delivery time.

This mattress is just the right amount of firmness and comfort. My husband and I did not like the feel of a memory foam mattress due to the 'sinking' feeling it gives. This mattress was recommended by a salesperson for the support it gives as well as years of durability. It conforms upwards towards the body. It also has the cooling gel system we desired. You won't be disappointed. We paired this mattress with an adjustable base and love it!

So comfortable I am so glad I found this mattress on sale!

Before getting this mattress I did a lot of online research and visited a lot of mattress stores, including Sears, Ikea and many local stores. I've been sleeping on it for a few weeks and it's the most comfortable mattress I have ever used. It is soft and yielding, but also supportive and body-conforming. It doesn't mold exactly to your body like memory foam, and has more bounce and spring, so it easy to move around on it and change position. I fall asleep easily and wake up without back pain. It feels luxurious.The main types of mattress are air-inflated, spring, memory foam, latex foam, (in approximate order of cost) and combinations of any two of them. There are also gel memory and gel latex foams, and feather bed toppers . Gel is a heat conductor unlike foam which is a superb insulator, so gel keeps the mattress from getting too hot. It is also squishy (like a water balloon) rather than spongy (like foam), fluffy (like goose down) or bouncy (like springs or rubber). These are different physical properties of materials that make them soft and comfortable to lie on but have very different feels and respond differently to movement. The best feel for someone depends on what they like and how they sleep. (For example, back sleepers tend to like a firmer mattress, side sleepers need a softer mattress so their shoulder and hip sinks in, and people who move around a lot prefer a bouncier mattress.)I believe a gel mattress has the gel material, which is like the padding inside some computer cases, infused or layered inside or on a foam , at least for Sealy mattresses. In other cases there may be a top layer of gel material. Gel does not compress like foam but only deforms, so it changes the feel of the mattress. I found I really liked the feel of gel - latex foam mattresses- I knew this right away when I tried them at local shops which I strongly advise. Since gels are not natural substances like natural latex some sites will take away points for gel content, even though gel adds desirable properties to the mattress like softness with support, and coolness (heat conductivity). As far as I could research, modern gels are safe and hypoallergenic although there can be an initial off-gassing period of time for some mattresses (I did not smell any off-gassing from this mattress but it had been open to the air for a while before I bought it.)Spring mattresses can be the least expensive and they work just fine. Compared to foam, a spring mattress conforms less flexibly to your exact body shape, and is more bouncy like a trampoline. When one person moves the entire mattress can move, although newer technologies like "isolated coils" reduce this. Spring mattresses can also get squeaky and when they get old and worn, sharp metal springs can pop out.Memory foam is very popular and lets your body sink in, conforming closely like a mold to your body shape and providing excellent support. However, there is a feeling of being embedded in the mattress, or sinking in like sinking in mud, without the springiness or bounce of a spring mattress. I might have gotten to like this after a few weeks but my initial response was that I felt trapped and that it took a lot of effort to adjust my position. When I sleep I switch frequently from side to side, and I sometimes sleep on my back or stomach as well, so I did not like getting embedded in the mattress. I also spend time in bed doing things that require moving around in different positions. Memory foam did not seem to fit the bill.Air mattresses are the least expensive, can cost from $100 to $200 for a queen size. They can come with automatic electric pumps that continuously keep them filled, built in pumps, or detachable pumps. You can adjust their firmness by how far you fill them up, and they are very easy to transport and set up. Air mattresses are so light they don't stay in place, when one person moves the whole mattress moves, are bouncy like a balloon, make noise when you move like when you squeeze a balloon, and don't conform closely to your body shape. They tend to go from rectangular shape to a more oval shape due to the internal pressure pushing them to be round like a balloon. They don't have good edge support and can collapse when you sit on the edge. Designs with internal baffles and edge enforcement can greatly reduce these problems but they don't remove them. Still they are a livable mattress solution that is ten times less expensive than the alternatives so they are worth considering.Latex foam mattresses conform to your body but not as closely as memory foam. They have some bounce like rubber, they have a tiny bit the feel of sleeping on a giant rubber eraser, except they are much softer and you sink in for support more like memory foam than an air or spring mattress. However you don't sink in so far as memory foam and because there is some bounce you don't feel trapped. It is easy to move and shift position. One person moving doesn't cause the other side of the bed to move. Unlike memory foam there is a feeling of the mattress pushing back at you, it is a little more springy. From the first time I tried latex foam mattresses I found them to be very comfortable and relaxing, and I didn't want to get up from the bed, yet it was easy to change position, move around, sit up, etc.The down side to latex mattresses are that, like memory foam, they can be very expensive, and the better ones can be very heavy. In humid climates they can grow mold unless they have good air circulation, which can be difficult to provide while also giving the mattress good support and protecting it from stains and liquids (see below). Another problem is they are good heat insulators and so some people experience getting too hot in them. Some mattresses include heat conductive gels and other additives that reduce or eliminate this heating problem.Mattresses are made of layers of foam. Typically there will be 3 layers, a base non-latex foam support layer, and two latex layers on top of that of differing firmness and density, with the top layer possibly containing gel or other conductive materials.All mattresses of course come in different firmness's and finding the right firmness is different for each person. Latex mattresses come from very firm to very soft. Firm gives more support but it feels less soft and comfortable. Too much softness and there is not enough support especially if you have back pain issues.Latex foam can be natural, made from tree sap like natural rubber, or artificial, like the artificial rubber used to make tires. Natural latex is turned into foam using an older, simpler process called Talalay, or a newer process called Dunlop. Talalay is said to last longer, but the little foam bubbles are not distributed evenly, being more foamy at the top. Dunlop Latex foam has an even distribution of bubbles for an even consistency and makes a firmer mattress. Talalay might be more expensive. Mattresses can ofter combinations or choices between the two because of their different feel. Synthetic SBR latex is often mixed in with natural Talalay or Dunlop latex to make a blended latex foam. Some people are wary of artificial latex because of the chemicals however it is less expensive. The salesperson said Sealy makes their own foam with a process that is neither Dunlop or Talalay, but an online review said the mattress is blended Talalay, meaning it has some artificial components. Since the top layer is a gel latex with embedded elements to increase heat conductivity, at least some of those blended artificial components are probably there to give the foam special, desirable qualities called "optisense" and "opticool".After trying a lot of mattresses I concluded a latex mattress with gel was, for me, amazingly comfortable and felt far better than any other mattress type. My plan was to do a European style bed and buy one or if necessary two 4" latex foam pads, rather than a mattress, and a platform bed with curved slates to take the place of both supporting foam layers and a box spring. This would be a lot less expensive and give most of the benefits of a latex mattress, although there would not be edge reinforcement or gel layers, and I would have to provide fabric covers for the mattress myself (such as just wrapping it tightly in a sheet and maybe a waterproof mattress protector). Ikea makes a suitable platform bed with curved slats that provide extra deep flexibility.A platform bed is designed to support the mattress directly without a box spring, which is basically just a box to support and raise the mattress (it doesn't have springs in it despite the name although there is possibly a very slight springiness in the wood or metal framework that is in contact with the mattress.) Box springs are not necessary for the comfort of the mattress.As it turns out though while keeping an eye out I came across a deep discount sale of these Sealy latex mattresses at a local store. The mattresses are always available at deep discounts so most sales are not really sales at all but false advertising. However this was a sale of floor models so the discounts were deep and beyond the usual "sale" price.The web site "mattress underground" is an excellent source of information on mattresses, however the site owner is heavily prejudiced against the large mattress companies, partly for the good reason that they do not disclose the actual materials they use unlike smaller local mattress companies. In the case of these Sealy mattresses I was able to get this information enough to feel comfortable making the purchase, and IMO it is possible that the "mattress underground" preferences for manufactures might be connected to how the site is financed.In any case, why is knowing the makeup of the mattress important? One important reason is flame retardants. These have been in the news a lot the last few years, as medical research shows flame retardants are highly toxic, and that they are found in people's bloodstreams as a result of leaking from furniture and clothing into the environment. Why are mattress manufacturers, sofa and furniture manufacturers, and children's pyjama manufacturers requiree to add highly toxic chemicals to their products that leak into the envirnment and people's bodies?News articles I read have described how a rash of fires from people smoking in beds caused tobacco companies to defend themselves by saying the problem was that mattresses were too flamable. Chemical companies that stood to make huge fortunes making the retardants hired a doctor who gave false testimony about cases of children who died in fires due to flamable mattresses. In fact the stories were untrue, the doctor was paid a lot by the chemical manufacturers, and studies have shown that flame retardants do not prevent fatal fires. Legistlation has not caught up with these revelations yet, nor the revelation of the highly toxic nature of flame retardants, although new laws are in the works. If you search the internet you can find ways to buy safe furniture and children's clothing without flame retardants or without the more toxic ones.In any case it turns out Sealy uses a relatively harmless and environmentally safe flame retardant. One person wrote: ' For example, during my research, I got an email from Sealy stating that their mattresses use a flame retardant system called "Fire Blocker" which utilizes boric acid.' This is a huge plus over other foam mattresses where manufacturers refuse to disclose their fire retardant, presumably because they are highly toxic as most are. (Another safe flame retardant material that can be used is wool layers on top of the mattress.)Another factor in mattresses is the density of the foam. Foam can vary from 1.5 pounds per cubic foot to 5 pounds or more per cubic foot. More is better here as denser foam holds up longer. Although Sealy does not publish this information, I found estimates that they use 4 pound foam for the latex layers which is pretty good (although not the best).The Sealy latex mattresses come with a ten year full warranty. Other companies can have up to 15 or 20 year warranties, although a large part of that time period is usually "pro-rated" meaning you only get a discount on a replacement mattress. Also the Sealy warranty is for any permanent depression of 3/4" or more, whereas other warraties often specify 1.5" or more. It can be difficult to get a mattress company to honor the warranty however. Any stains on the mattress void the warranty. If the mattress does not have the proper support that voids the warranty. Proper support for Sealy, according to my phone call, is either their own approved box springs or a 3/4" thick solid board, not the slats used in most platform beds. There may be other "gotchas" on the warranty and they send someone out to inspect the mattress.Sealy Optimum Latex mattresses come in four models of increasing cost, Dreams (Queen $1700), Meadowcrest, Brasswood, and Newness (Queen $3000), which increase roughly by $500 as you go up the models. The Dreams is firm, Meadowcrest is a bit softer and I found it comfortable, Brasswood is very soft and I found it too soft, and Newness for me was just right, softer than Meadowcrest but firmer than Brasswood.As you move up the models, the thickness of the mattress and the layers of latex goes up. The Dreams and Newness both have a top layer of 2" opticool gel latex, a gel latex foam with special additive "outlast" to improve heat conductivity. Gel latex has a slighlty more bouncy feel than other latex and I prefer the feel of gel latex over any other foam.The next layer in the Dreams is 1" "optisense" latex, which is what conforms to your body shape. Newness has 4" of optisense latex. More is usually better although it is also a lot more expensive. This may be why Newness has a softer plush feel.Both mattresses have a 7" layer of "opticore" which is a non-latex foam that provides deep support. So the Dreams mattress is 10" high while the Newness is 13" high ( I actually measure it as 14".)Both mattresses have an edge system which keeps the edges from collapsing when you put weight near the edge, like when you sit on the edge, and some sort of deep foundation at the bottom of the mattress. These are features you cannot get by just buying layers of foam and making your own mattress, although that is a much cheaper way to go and might work out fine.Update- over six months later and I still love this mattress (which is holding up good as new). Although it is great for sleeping, while writing this I feel a fleeting nostalgia for the trampoline fun of the spring mattresses of my childhood- but not for the noise :) This mattress is totally silent and with two people moves independently on both sides. Also I didn't mention this but the mattress looks great with its racing stripe and soft embossed covering. A good waterproof or resistant mattress pad is highly recommended to protect your investment.update: 1 year later.The mattress is just as comfortable as when new. No problems with it at all. No sagging or wear in spite of constant use. I like the feel of it just as much. The gel latex works great to keep the mattress cool, with no over heating problems some people report for regular latex mattresses.One issue has been keeping it from getting stained. The warranty does not apply if it has any stains. I understand it is hard to get the warranty service anyway- which is that if a depression forms bigger than a certain size within a certain number of years, it will be replaced with a new one. However if you want to reserve that option, I would get a waterproof, not water resistant, mattress cover.Another problem is that the mattress is about 14" high, and a lot of queen size "fit" sheets barely fit, especially after washing, and the cover and fit sheet come loose. I solved that problem pretty well by a) using king size sheets and mattress covers, so they are plenty big enough even after washing and b) using two sets (one for the cover, one for the fit sheet) of Adjustable Bed Sheet Grippers Cover Suspenders, http://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Sheet-Grippers-Cover-Suspenders/dp/B00MNBPZFE/ref=cm_rdp_productAfter trying different types of sheets I like rayon (viscose) best of the various materials (except silk which is too expensive). Viscose is light and silky for my warm climate, although it is delicate and needs hand washing. It is breathable like cotton, unlike polyester, and feels more natural. Rayon has 1/3 the tensile strength of the less expensive and more common polyester, about 75% that of cotton. It also wrinkles easily although I have not had a problem with hand wash / drip dry. Rayon to me has a smoother, silkier, softer feel than polyester, mercerized cotton, or flannel, and lustrous matte colors. BedVoyage is a good brand, not super expensive, (the really cheap ones fall apart): http://www.amazon.com/BedVoyage-Bamboo-Rayon-Sheet-Set/dp/B004MW5A9S/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8. Yala BambooDreams is another intermediate priced brand that has good quality and doesn't fall apart. The extra cost for rayon over the cheaper, stronger, wrinkle free polyester, which sometimes comes in satin weaves, is hard to justify unless you really like the luxurious feel of silk at a small fraction of the price and without boiling alive 20,000 sentient beings.)