You never forget your first “real” mattress.
My husband and I survived for many years beyond college on a futon. When we graduated and got our first jobs we upgraded to the deluxe version. I recall that it had a foam core and only slightly fewer lumps. Our parents shuddered when they sat on it, in couch mode.
“How can you sleep on this thing!? It’s like a rock!”
Finally when we became parents and moved to Southen California we admitted futon defeat. We were parents. We were weary. It was time to face the fact that we were real adults and we needed a REAL BED.
Thanks to Custom Comfort Mattress for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own, as usual.
Shortly after we arrived in the area, my older brother steered us to the custom shop in Mission Viejo where he had purchased his own mattress.
You know that guy who researches everything to the nth degree and either figures out the best place to get something or how to build it better himself? The one who will talk your ear off for an hour about anything from fishing rods to floor tile manufacturers? That’s my brother. He’d bought his bed shortly before we bought ours and had read up on every type of mattress on the market. This thankfully saved me the trouble of having to think about it, which was great. I was a new mom. I was exhausted and overwhelmed and had a limited budget to work with.
I almost ashamed to admit this now, but I purchased my first real bed from Custom Comfort Mattress, without even questioning why I was shopping there. I got lucky.
Our first real bed was a firm starter model with a with plush latex topper. It didn’t let us down.
We slept soundly on that Custom Comfort mattress for over 15 years. It accompanied us through two major moves and three pregnancies, two of which were spent on *complete* bed rest. 18 months, in bed.
To say I was well acquainted with that mattress would be an understatement. We were bonded. My whole family slept in that king sized bed, sometimes all at once. It was the family flagship. But eventually, it was time to say goodbye. When the mattress was starting to dip, I hopped on a bandwagon. I got a memory foam bed. In theory it was going to be great. The bed was incredibly comfortable to lie down on in the showroom. My husband and kids loved it. I thought I would too.
Lots of people love memory foam. It took me about 6 months to reach the sad conclusion that I am not ever going to be one of them.
I get “stuck” in a memory foam bed and over time I started to dread that feeling more and more. Getting up in the morning was like pulling myself out of quicksand – a sensation that literally gave me nightmares. In a zombie apocalypse, you don’t want to be stuck in your bed! I didn’t roll over as much during the night and rather than this leading to more peaceful sleep, it lead to me being achy all over in the morning. Also, I was hot.
They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and as time went by, I missed my old traditional mattress. On vacation at a resort with plush standard beds, I slept soundly and reconfirmed what I’d already suspected: I am a classic mattress sleeper. I quickly went to the resort’s website and looked into ordering one of their beds. But I am, after all, my brother’s sister and I decided to do a little research first.
The reviews on the resort bed were not so hot. After one or two years, people complained about the mattress dipping. The fact that it was one sided – not reversible, made me nervous about longevity. The warranty was not so user friendly either. Buyer beware.
Next I researched the highest end mattresses that a good friend swears by. Natural materials and old school methods go into these time tested heirloom mattresses. An excellent investment – if you have 10k to invest.
At last I came full circle, back to Custom Comfort Mattresses and the bed I’d loved so dearly, for more than a third of my life.
In fact I was in the process of researching their mattresses when they reached out to me to write about their beds. It was like the hand of fate. I headed into the Mission Viejo branch of the store and got a full education on the process of how Custom Comfort makes their mattresses. I also got to try out the full product range and find the right bed for me!
We are so very lucky to have a high quality local manufacturer in our midst. There are several reasons I would recommend Custom Comfort to all my So Cal friends. I will break it down simply into bullet points below. Even if you are not in So Cal – consider these mattress shopping tips when you shop!
You can also watch my mattress shopping video above, go in for your own fitting or do research on the Custom Comfort website for more detailed information.
- Consider how the mattresses are made: Custom Comfort Mattresses are made the old-fashioned way, by hand, with high quality all natural materials t (cotton, wool, latex) that stand the test of time
- Can you flip it? These mattresses are reversible, allowing you to regularly flip and rotate them, thus extending their lifespan
- Is any part of the mattress replaceable? Custom Comfort mattresses are available with removable latex pillow tops – meaning you can swap out the pillowtop if you decide you want more or less padding. This is also a reassuring feature for parents, in particular. I cannot tell you how many times we had a sick kid in our bed, or how I worried that the one night the waterproof mattress cover was in the wash, would be the night my water broke.
- Do they take requests? At Custom Comfort everything is customizable for YOU. Your bed is made for you. Want a bigger bed? Order the 8 ft square family bed. Or 9 ft. Or any size you like. Get a firm mattress or a soft one. Top with a thinner latex topper or a thicker one. It’s all up to you.
- Ask about the foundation: Custom Comfort sells traditional boxsprings. Remember how trampoline-y beds were when you were a kid? Ever wonder why they are less so now? It’s because most box-springs sold in recent years are all box, no spring. It’s a much cheaper mattress foundation with a higher profit margin and also – no springs in the foundation means your mattress takes more of a beating and wears out faster. Most mattress companies have figured out it’s in their own best interest to sell you a box without springs. Custom Comfort takes enough pride in their product to offer old fashioned box springs. I am overjoyed to bounce out of bed in the morning again!
- Do a side by side comparison. Custom Comfort mattresses are as good or better than the 10k brand. Part for part and piece for piece, they meet or exceed the quality at less than half the price. Not having to staff thousands of expensive international showrooms has something to do with that. Custom Comfort keeps a cabinet full of mattresses made by the competition so you can compare what’s inside.
- How are salespeople paid? At Custom Comfort the salespeople don’t work on commission. It doesn’t make a difference to them if you get the more expensive bed, or any bed at all. This makes it more straightforward for them to actually help you figure out what YOU want.
Count yourself lucky in you live in So Cal. Your dream bed is waiting for you at one of Custom Comforts 7 locations. Come in for a fitting and customize it! The finished product can be delivered to your home (in most cases) in a matter of days.
Don’t forget to ask about their pillows. I purchased new shredded latex pillows at Custom Comfort when I went in for my mattress fitting and I’m absolutely obsessed with them!
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