The Great Mattress Rip off. I Just Deconstructed a Mattress - Ask Me Anything

Mentem on 14/01/2018 - 11:25
Last edited 14/01/2018 - 15:32 by 1 other user

So I had a $3500 king koil mattress, after 3 years it was very uncomfortable however AH Beard would not replace. It had sagged and there were big saggs however not the 50mm required.

I have ordered 3 mattresses in a box, and today I finally cut up my old $3500 mattress to find what it was made from.

Top layer.

1/2 cm thick memory foam
3cm of two different cheap foams
Then pocket sprung base.

What I really noticed is how cheaply it was put together, I cut the first bit, but then it was very easy just to rip it. It was glues together (badly) and the springs look like a poor grade steel.

What a rip off.

Other mattresses could be bought for much less with almost the same (or better) components.

I will take some photo's but feel free to ask me anything.

Home & Garden Mattress

Comments

  • Halo375 on 14/01/2018 - 11:37
    +3

    Why did you waste your time cutting up a mattress that everyone on Ozbargain could tell was a waste of money at $3500?

    • Mentem on 14/01/2018 - 11:39
      +10

      Haha - because i was annoyed with myself at being ripped off and intrigued to see what it was made from and why it failed

      • Halo375 on 14/01/2018 - 11:44
        +3

        Every mattress has tiny variations so that they don’t have to price match brands in other stores. They will generally add another layer of foam or padding and double the price - but the core springs are normally the same. There have been a number of investigations into mattress competition in Australia - all a bit dodgy!

    • Hirolol on 16/01/2018 - 15:12
      +1

      So what price and type of mattress is the best?

  • BargainCowboy on 14/01/2018 - 11:39
    +1

    Why am I not surprised. So hard to find a quality mattress that lasts. I have a Koala mattress and it's so-so,, but definitely not worth its price tag. I guess this is their way to balance out all their returns.

    • WreckTangle on 15/01/2018 - 09:21
      +1

      Catching the koalas to put in your mattress would account tor its high cost. Those things are hard to catch i imagine.

      • Tiller76 on 15/01/2018 - 10:11

        Not really. Just plant a eucalyptus tree and wait. Seeds are free if you know where to look. Once a koala climbs up, chop it down to catch the koala. Repeat till you have enough koalas.

        • Trustee on 15/01/2018 - 20:07
          -4

          The idea of using koalas as a mattress stuffing is appalling & warrants intervention from RSPCA.

  • whooah1979 on 14/01/2018 - 11:42
    +1

    Top layer.
    1/2 cm thick memory foam
    3cm of two different cheap foams
    Then pocket sprung base.

    could you please upload a link?

  • Mentem on 14/01/2018 - 11:45
    +1

    A link? I have photos

  • Maglia Nera on 14/01/2018 - 11:48
    +2

    have a listen to the freakeconomics podcast on mattress stores.

    although US based, seems applicable here

  • OldBugger on 14/01/2018 - 12:37

    Glad to see you having fun there Garth, seems it is a popular thing to do these days?.

    Not sure what expensive foam and springs should look like but mattresses are simple in design. They all market their parts differently (Duracoil Advance, AeroComfort Aero Foam, SRxII Titanium technology) to confuse us all and add more or less features but essentially they are all the same. Reviews are also confusing and all models will have a complaint about them sagging. Pff… the whole industry is shady.

    Now, did you find any money in that mattress?

  • mmd on 14/01/2018 - 12:38

    Do u rotate your mattress on a regular basis?

  • klyvenator on 14/01/2018 - 12:43

    Any recommendations for a good quality mattress?

  • barginhunter11 on 14/01/2018 - 12:48
    +1

    did you not buy your king koil on sale , my king was $1200 incl base.
    5 years on.. i just brought the zzz atelier pocket spring king for $330 delivered from the Ebay retailer
    sold the old king mattress for $200

    $3500 F***

    • Mentem on 14/01/2018 - 14:01
      +3

      I have heard some good things about the ZZZ atelier and its a very good price. I currently have a Eva mattress $700 for king and im pretty happy with it.

      The whole Mattress industry is completly crazy. These things must cost $100 ish to make if ZZZ can send them to you for $330 and they still make a profit.

      $30 ebay / paypal fees
      $30 GST
      $50 shipping
      ? Warehousing
      ? Profit
      ? Staff

      So i reckon the big manufactured prob spend the same maybe double as they are made in Australia. But these are crazy mark up…. and

      given the sucess of the bed in a box companies & the price they can sell their mattresses for & 100+ day refund policy. I still think they make good margin.

      • barginhunter11 on 14/01/2018 - 15:25

        the king coil was good . But this is superior ! ill upgrade a few more in the house over time

        if the zzz only lasts a few years , id buy another at that price

        • Lmwauuk on 01/02/2018 - 00:40
          +1

          I read your comments, went onto eBay and product review and decided to purchase…ordered on Wed arrived Friday lunch… Love it…have never heard of this company before but very happy with order process, delivery time, cost and mattress..thanks

      • vinni9284 on 14/01/2018 - 16:18
        +2

        I have the Atelier ZZZ Black Chiro and it is fantastic.

        I took the risk by purchasing a King Sized for $350 delivered from eBay.

        https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-KING-Mattress-5-Zone-Pocket-…

        There are many positive reviews on it so I took the punt.

        https://www.productreview.com.au/p/zzz-atelier-mattresses.ht…

        Before the purchase, I was looking at the Bed outlets and they wanted to flog off their top-enders for $3K.
        This mattress gives them a run for its money for the tenth of the cost!

        The best chance I took!
        Had it for several months and still awesome!

        Cheers

        • alexshel on 17/07/2018 - 14:06

          Hi mate, can you confirm you're still happy with Atelier ZZZ Black Chiro? I'm thinking to get one. Thanks.

        • Lmwauuk on 17/07/2018 - 17:25

          Hi, I got one in January..still loving it

  • outlander on 14/01/2018 - 12:50

    Did you jump on the mattress?

    • Trustee on 15/01/2018 - 20:09

      I think he must have been using it as a launch pad for the space shuttle.

      • D6C1 on 11/02/2018 - 07:19

        I hope that launch did hit the target. Valentine's Day is coming up so maybe we'll find out then

  • holdenmg on 14/01/2018 - 13:00
    +1

    Can you turn a $3500 mattress into a Trampoline?

    https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=we…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxupN_AdFDg

  • Diji1 on 14/01/2018 - 15:26
    +3

    Did you attempt to make them replace it by contacting Consumer Affairs and exercising your ACL rights?

  • Yttrium on 14/01/2018 - 17:14

    I need a new mattress , but I am scared of all the scams. The entire industry is dodgy.

    Where do I start looking for a new mattress ?

  • retiredfeline on 14/01/2018 - 17:28
    +1

    I Just Deconstructed a Mattress

    A post-modern mattress huh?

    • anawth on 18/01/2018 - 10:14

      haha please keep it less high-brow. Thanks

  • Geryatric on 14/01/2018 - 17:32

    foam, springs and glue… umm what did you expect to find in a mattress?

    • JIMB0 on 15/01/2018 - 08:35
      +1

      Money

  • [Deactivated] on 14/01/2018 - 18:10
    +1

    I have had my Ecosa mattress for nearly 2 years i think, and it is as comfortable as the day it arrived in its box, great move swapping over to the mattress-in-a-box buddy. I hope you researched the brand first, they are not all the same. Ecosa got my dollar for higher foam density and a gel layer.

    • Mentem on 14/01/2018 - 19:36

      I got a Ecosa however i found it a little firm & my wife found it verry firm. They did offer a free topper however i just returned it (the salvos came it pick it up) and got a refund.

      I currently have an Eva mattress. I like it, but think a ZZZ would be the same and about $370 cheaper.

      • [Deactivated] on 15/01/2018 - 07:09

        They are nice and firm, just the way I like it.

  • KaTst3R on 14/01/2018 - 18:42

    1/2 cm thick memory form…lol

  • BertieBrown on 14/01/2018 - 19:28
    +2

    Absolutely. Mattresses of all sorts of varieties are such a con.

    Also, can I just nice work on actually taking the time to rip the thing apart? It's pretty interesting to see that someone wants to find out what the thing is made of, nice work OP :)

    Ikea have a little clear bit of plastic in their display area that shows what each each mattress is constructed from, though granted you wouldn't be able to tell how they were made (i.e; glue and stuff because they're sealed), but at least I guess Ikea are trying to give you an idea of what you're actually buying?

  • Nutrino on 14/01/2018 - 20:03

    Ama? You a mattress expert?

    • Mentem on 14/01/2018 - 20:38

      No just had quite a bit of experiance over the last few months with my King Coil & trying 3 mattresse in a box.

  • Ozpit on 15/01/2018 - 09:07

    I got a Sleeping Duck mattress a couple of years ago. Couldn't be happier. Purchased online. No bricks and mortar. The support and softness was customised to suit me and the missus. Chinese made, but owned by a couple of local guys. They offered us a 100-day trial with free return if we didn't like it. Can't beat that. And for the quality, it was way cheaper than any comparable store mattress.

    • Trustee on 15/01/2018 - 20:11

      Sleeping Duck, are you serious. it must come from China. (as in peking Duck.

      • Ozpit on 16/01/2018 - 02:47

        Don't take my word for it, Google their website.

  • thord on 15/01/2018 - 09:57
    +2

    Mattresses are widely known to be a complete scam.

    I paid something like $300 for a boxed mattress off ebay and it is the best mattress I've ever slept on. Better than the $3000 garbage you get from Harvey Norman.

    Don't be scammed, mattresses aren't expensive for any reason other than to rip you off.

    I bought this one if anyone wants a good recommendation: https://www.productreview.com.au/p/marce-blanc-mattress.html

    • Hirolol on 16/01/2018 - 15:14

      You sir are a gentleman and a scholar
      I am in need of a mattress

    • Hirolol on 16/01/2018 - 16:03

      I found them on eBay but from the images it looks like it’s about 40% foam/padding then underneath is springs.
      I really hate those foam mattress feeling
      For me I prefer having a thin bit of material and then springs so it’s not too soft but firm at the same time

      • thord on 17/01/2018 - 10:58

        There's different ones ranging from soft to firm. I'd recommend the firm ones.

  • Candour on 15/01/2018 - 10:15

    choice magazine has a good test on mattresses which covers criteria well.

  • HeWhoKnows on 15/01/2018 - 13:30

    Probably made in China

  • Hirolol on 15/01/2018 - 16:13
    -2

    Mate.
    Ground breaking discussion topics here on I bargain.
    Everybody stop what you are doing.

  • ozbjunkie on 17/01/2018 - 22:06

    Ozmatress grandmaster. 2200 and worth every cent.

    • hashtagbargain on 12/02/2018 - 14:11

      The supra range is also nice, much better bang for buck.

      • ozbjunkie on 12/02/2018 - 22:30

        Good to hear you like it.

        Definitely lighter and yes a good bit cheaper.

        But I do love my grandmaster. Not sure how I'll ever move house with it though.

  • auMouth on 06/02/2018 - 21:08
    +1

    Ikea mattresses appear to be getting good reports/reviews. Cross cut section examples in stores, with the different types ( soft to firm ) shown clearly.

  • Shanda on 08/02/2018 - 09:49

    Had my tempur matress for 8 years, still going strong.

  • karenestelle on 13/02/2018 - 08:30

    11 year old latex mattress needs replacing as Hubby is falling off the side. We've been happy with the latex due to minimal partner disturbance and my only complaint would be that it gets a bit hot. We both like the Tempur mattress but nobody tells you that you can't use electric blanket with it. Something I found out why researching online. Most mattresses have memory foam and they also say you shouldn't use electric blanket with that. I'm looking for something that's comfortable with good back support for somebody who's had a back injury and and minimal disturbance from partner. I really love to use my electric blanket in winter so what would you recommend? Thanks for any suggestions.

    • Mentem on 13/02/2018 - 10:13

      If you like tempur try ergoflex, they are always on sale howerver this trick is to buy via ebay - offer about 25% less than the bin price then use a code & cashback. They arent good for an electric blanket. If using your electric blanket is a deal breaker. I would reccomend a sprung mattress.

  • alexshel on 17/07/2018 - 20:34

    I saw here https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/385670 people complain about ZZZ and like Eva much more. Did anyone hear about Eva ???

  • kaebomb on 15/04/2019 - 04:47

    Hey OP, you still have the Eva? Thinking about getting a hybrid as the springs inside may offer heat relief compared to all-foam mattresses. Read about the Eva and Noa brands and then discovered Sleep Republic too. Now I'm just confused and might go with the best price on offer first.

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