Mattress sucks

After suffering a dozen mattresses and pads in apts and hotels, I'm resolved to accepting hard beds as part of the Vietnam experience along with the heat, and broken or impassible sidewalks.
But I'm getting popcorn and hoping to hear about soft alternatives. 

The older Vietnamese don't use mattresses as we know them.
We have, over the years, had the most problems with mattresses from the apartment/hotel with the 2/3 cm solid job to a brand new apartment in Masteri 5 via Airbnb, beautifully furnished but no mattresses of any kind. Owner said you don't need them, Airbnb moved us to a different apartment and removed there listing.
Currently, we have cheap sprung mattresses which came with the apartment, pending finding something more suitable.
Mike

The problem is not only the mattresses but the stiff board underneath.  I know from my home country only slatted frames which together with the mattress give the softness and comfort.

I recommend to buy here a good foam mattress with thick fabric cover for about 5 million (2000x1600x250mm) and for under it a cheap foam mattress (about 5 cm thick) without plastic cover.

Yeah, they don't use spring boards here.

My friend in Hà Nội explained that, the softer the mattress, the more heat is trapped in the body. So, in hot weather, when most Vietnamese don't use A.C.--perhaps having an electric fan--sleeping on boards or extra firm mattresses allows the body to stay as cool as possible.

Well, before we got married, I stayed in 5 star hotels and the mattress's are superb, top quality. Thus, you might want to contact a 5 star hotel (e.g., Intercontinental - Saigon, Da Nang, Nha Trang) and ask where they buy them. 

With respect to mattress's at my inlaws, they do have them, but they are about half the thickness of a normal mattress in the west.  However, the one we sleep on is not hard and I have never had an issue getting a good nights rest.  I actually get better sleep in VN than the USA, go figure.

yamcha wrote:

All the mattresses I've used here suck and are hard.

Yam you are in luck! Tonight went to Vincom mall in Saigon Dong Khoi.
There is a Sealy Posturepedic store.
Really! I thought I was back in the states.
There are two queen size beds on display, has a foam mini-mattress on top of the mattress, very soft.
Asked the prices ... hold on:

First one 109.000.000.
Cheap one only 68.000.000. Looked the same to me.
And then I stopped thinking I was back in the states. 

I doubt that you could find statistics, but I suspect that the number of bad backs in much higher among westerners than it is in the Vietnamese population.  I don't ever recall a Vietnamese complaining about a bad back.  Could the mattresses or even sleeping on solid wood have something to do with that?  I am an obligate side sleeper for reasons that I don't understand but for someone who sleeps on their back, a hard surface is probably beneficial.

THIGV wrote:

I doubt that you could find statistics, but I suspect that the number of bad backs in much higher among westerners than it is in the Vietnamese population.  I don't ever recall a Vietnamese complaining about a bad back.  Could the mattresses or even sleeping on solid wood have something to do with that?  I am an obligate side sleeper for reasons that I don't understand but for someone who sleeps on their back, a hard surface is probably beneficial.

It also depends on how you sleep.
I've never had a problem with my back because I permanently turn from one side to the other while I sleep.

Andy Passenger wrote:

I've never had a problem with my back because I permanently turn from one side to the other while I sleep.

That sounds like me but when on a hard surface like the room that we use in my mother-in-law's house, I find that my hip bones become rather sore.  One thing that I am surprised is not popular in Vietnam is the Korean style pillows.  These are small diameter cylinders or rectangles, often filled with buckwheat seed which makes them firm but flexible at the same time.  They fit under the nape of the neck and support the head without bending the neck improperly.  There seems to be Korean bedding sold in Vietnam but I never saw those pillows.

I think, you may find the ideal option for you in the internet, looking for some reviews! As for me, I know, that memory foam mattresses are the worse, because they are the cause of back and neck pain. So, if you can't stand firm mattresses-there is no way you should buy a soft one! Please, forget this idea if you don't want to get up tired and with pain through all your body.
You may check some sources with affordable mattresses!
Like these:
https://www.amazon.com/slp/best-afforda … gojqe3n6dkhttps://www.talkaboutsleep.com/best-mattress-under-200/https://www.finder.com/affordable-mattress

Lukaslo wrote:

You may check some sources with affordable mattresses!
Like these:
https://www.amazon.com/slp/best-afforda … gojqe3n6dkhttps://www.talkaboutsleep.com/best-mattress-under-200/https://www.finder.com/affordable-mattress

Did you realize that none of those sources would ship to Vietnam?  And even if one of them would, did you think that the shipping cost was affordable?

The problem in Asia is not so much the mattress, but rather the missing box spring. Put your western mattress in the floor, and you'll get the same experience.

As for bad backs in the West, that's due more to being overweight and having poor core strength. When you roll over in your sleep, you don't have have the necessary muscle strength to flop your belly to the other side.

Suppobill wrote:

The problem in Asia is not so much the mattress, but rather the missing box spring. Put your western mattress in the floor, and you'll get the same experience.

As for bad backs in the West, that's due more to being overweight and having poor core strength. When you roll over in your sleep, you don't have have the necessary muscle strength to flop your belly to the other side.

Now that is as funny as it is tragic.    Not enough muscle to flop your stomach over  ? If that is the case I would have thought that a comfortable mattress is the least of the worries. 
Jeez.

Do they not have memory foam mattresses in VN? I've heard that nice mattresses in VN are pretty pricey! Probably not enough demand to make them in country and importing requires lots of hands who needs to make a buck.

Haha I love the hard mattresses here.

When I go back to the UK it feels like I'm sleeping in a bowl of porridge. I'll be upgrading my soggy western bed to a proper VN type mattress as soon as I can be bothered, or remember to.

Brick23 wrote:

Haha I love the hard mattresses here.

When I go back to the UK it feels like I'm sleeping in a bowl of porridge. I'll be upgrading my soggy western bed to a proper VN type mattress as soon as I can be bothered, or remember to.

I sleep on a really firm mattress, bought by mistake, my wife loves it. I prefer something a bit softer.

Have to agree, most mattresses you will find here are slmost solid blocks of foam like material..

Some nights gives me back ache due to bad support in correct places, others i feel fine
There are a few stores in HCM that sell seally branded ones, but the price is a lot higher

nice mattresses in VN are pretty pricey!

We are staying at a nice hotel in Quảng Ngãi that has the Vietnamese ultra firm mattresses.

I woke up this morning and my back & hips were HAPPY!

I'll definitely get my landlord in Hội An to upgrade to those as a part of my new lease.

I lived there in 2021 with "mattress foreigners like" and felt miserable every morning.

Mattresses-smattresses ... I sleep on the floor ... and boy oh boy are my chiropractor's kids teeth straight ... !!!

We are staying at a nice hotel in Quảng Ngãi that has the Vietnamese ultra firm mattresses.
I woke up this morning and my back & hips were HAPPY!

I'll definitely get my landlord in Hội An to upgrade to those as a part of my new lease.

I lived there in 2021 with "mattress foreigners like" and felt miserable every morning.
-@OceanBeach92107

Agreed!

When I arrived here in 2017, I bought a full bedset (frame, head/footboards, mattress) with a standard western style mattress-boxspring.

Come delivery day, the guys weren't able to get it upstairs to the bedroom due to a turn in the narrow staircase, so (thankfully) they returned it to the store and gave me a refund on the mattress.

I found a great alternative. I think it is the same type of mattresses you described.

It was described as being 100% latex (rubber), 180cm X 200cm, 14cm (16?) thick (the thickest made), perforated on top with an egg carton(ish) bottom mold, off white colour. Fit the frame perfectly. And it weighs a ton!

It took me a couple of weeks to adjust to it, but it is honestly the best thing I could have done for my lower back.

Not cheap though. As this was the thickest they made the cost was 14m VND.

Best cash I've ever spent.