I started to write a review of this company and its products, but it quickly became obvious that this article would better inform readers if I stuck to the negatives and complaints that I have been finding.
Essentia mattress complaints include poor customer service, rejecting warranty claims due to bed slats, and picking up mattresses for return but not issuing refunds because of COVID as the company seems to think people can pick up a mattress at a customer’s house but not safely press keyboard buttons.
Update June 5, 2023: Amazon has 34% off of this model here.
Reddit Complaints
I’ve been around latex now for 20 years helped to launch the Essentia Mattress Co. in 2005 (I left before the owner turned into a liar and began making false claims about the natural content of his foams).
BedroomGuru, Reddit, accessed March 23, 2021
Federal Trade Commission
Does the below information give you a warm fuzzy feeling about pumping thousands of dollars into it?
Three Companies Barred from Advertising Mattresses as Free From Volatile Organic Compounds Without Scientific Evidence to Back Up Claims
Essentia Natural Memory Foam Company, Inc. The FTC alleges that Essentia made unsubstantiated claims that its mattresses do not contain VOCs, are chemical-free, have no chemical off-gassing or odor, and are made from 100 percent natural materials. Moreover, the complaint alleges that Essentia claimed that tests show that its memory foam is free of VOCs and formaldehyde when, in fact, tests do not support these claims.Â
FTC, accessed March 23, 2021
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Considering another company? Check these out:
BBB Complaints
Essentia USA
405 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432-3940
BBB account with no rating, complaints, or reviews.
2118 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614
BBB account was started eight years ago and has zero owner reviews, two complaints filed between 1 and 3 years ago, and a BBB C+ rating (UPDATE: As of September 16, 2022, this account was deleted).
Complaints for this account include:
- rarely answer the phone.
- found a new phone number to try and the New York store answered and the representative said that they have “horrible customer service”.
- no update or information regarding the ongoing delay (over one month).
- canceled the order after a month of no mattress and no communications from the company. After about 9 weeks still no refund or response to inquires.
2008 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121-2101
BBB account is 15 years old and has only one complaint in the past three years, a BB A- rating, and no reviews. The one complaint was for the mattress not shipping after 5 weeks, little communication, and a promised discount. The company resolved the issue by shipping the mattress, providing a 5% refund, and sending free organic bed sheets.
Essentia Canada
The BBB Canada only shows four complaints filed publicly for Essentia in the past three years (as reviewed on March 23, 2021). That is a low number, especially compared to other bed-in-a-box companies. I found four BBB Essentia accounts in Canada and they include:
2144 W 4 Ave
Vancouver, BC V6K 1N6
This account has four complaints filed in the past three years, no owner reviews, and a BBB rating of A. Essentia mattress complaints include:
- back pain due to sagging. The company rejected the warranty claim due to the slats used by the owner. The company replied to the complaint:
We did not mentioned or referred to a special metal slats. We are referring a flat, rigid surface that allows airflow. This can be a slatted bed base or foundation with a flat, rigid and ventilated surface.
If slatted, each slat should be no more than 3 inches apart and must not be flexible or bowed.
BBB Vancouver, Canada, Essentia Representative
I am rejecting this response because: I’ve attached a photo of my foundation. As you can see, it is slated, flat, rigid, and allows airflow. As I mentioned, I was not informed during purchasing what type of foundation this mattress needs.
BBB Vancouver, Canada, Essentia Customer
This issue has come up a few times in my research so make absolutely CERTAIN that your bed frame meets the requirements in the warranty details.
TIP: Before ordering a mattress from this company you can take photos of your bed frame foundation and email them to their representatives and ask them to confirm that this foundation meets their requirements per the warranty.
This way you have documentation to deal with this situation if it comes up in the future. This is an expensive purchase so it is cheap and quick insurance to protect your investment (and butt).
- smelled bad and requested a return the next day. The mattress was picked up and returned to the company. Two months later and no refund. The customer contacted the head office in Canada and was informed that due to Covid they cannot process refunds.
Strange eh? They can send a two-person crew to the customer’s house and pick up the mattress, and process all payments for purchases within seconds… but Covid prevents them from clicking the keyboard to create a refund. Source
Wow, call Ripley’s because this is the most unbelievable excuse I have heard. Shame on you Essentia.
- After making the purchase the customer was informed that the mattress would ship in five weeks (nice little surprise there eh?). Then it arrived and the cover was “poorly made and falling apart”. It took the company more than a month to pick up the mattress and no refund or information since.
The company doesn’t even know if they have the mattress so the customer does not have a mattress or refund. Thousands for nothing… nice.
The company gives a different BS excuse every time the customer is lucky enough to reach them. Source
Consumer Reports
Essentia Stratami
Consumer reports rate the Stratami at a respectable 82 with top marks for four of the eight test criteria. The remaining four were rated 4 out of 5, but I am not convinced Consumer Reports is qualified to rate Durability since I have only seen it get full marks for durability.
I think a more indicative gauge is to see if the owners of a Stratami mattress reported if they would recommend it to a friend. In owner reviews, four of eight reported they would not recommend it to a friend. Not very flattering for such an expensive mattress.
Owner Complaints on Consumer Reports
Owner complaints reported include:
- back pain during the night now sleeps on the sofa. I actually love sleeping on sofas, but not if I spend a couple of grand on a bed!
- the company keeps 9% plus the overinflated price for the “free” sheets and pillows per the return process. This is very uncommon with bed-in-a-box companies so that is something that should be considered during the decision-making process.
TIP: With sooooo many options available I would not risk the 9%, especially since it is about $200! - wish it was cheaper. Well, I know I wish everything that I purchased was cheaper, so I don’t see this comment carrying much weight. If it is not in your budget then don’t buy it, and especially don’t FINANCE it.
- the fine print in the warranty states the warranty is voided if the mattress is used on a bed frame with adjustable slats, so the customer is eligible for a warranty claim.
It is a sad fact that every potential customer really should read every word of the warranty, return process, and trial period documentation.
TIP: Also, if you have questions asking for clarification on some things it is best to put it in an email so that you have that documentation in the future if it becomes necessary.
- very disappointed in Consumer Reports for giving this mattress such a high rating (yup, I find its information useless and rely on the owner-reported complaints and ratings).
- poor customer service, it took a month to send someone to get the mattress, and another month later, and still waiting for a fund. I have tested many companies’ customer services via phone, email, and live chat but this is one that I have not yet tried.
And I likely won’t waste my time based on what I am learning Essentia mattresses are not worth it.
Review on GoodBed
I was able to reach the lady who submitted a negative review on Goodbed.com. She is digging up more information for me to share with you so please bookmark this page if you want the rest of the story. Her email reads:
It was a horrible ordeal that took hours of daily calls, record taking, letter sending etc…It was not until I sent an official letter of demand for our money and prepared our case to bring to court that we got our money back.
Essentia owner Suzanne, CA USA via email
I will send you that letter which details the main timeline and offers documentation. I need to look through it for any sensitive info, but will send it soon!
By the way, you may have also seen there was another customer in Canada that complained in a review that she was still waiting for her return money. I got ahold of her on Facebook. Her ordeal went quicker ( I think 3 months) because Essentia seemed to respond to the Better Business Bureau in Canada, which is where their Essentia is based out of.
Both my bank (Bof A) and our California Bureau of Household Goods received excuses and evasions. Both the bank and the Bureau had to take the case to the management level.
Again, it wasn’t until I prepared for court that they paid the money. And they tried to get me to put in writing that I was dropping my challenge. Which I refused to do,
Totally untrustworthy company.
Essentia Tatami
This mattress received a poor 71 rating and that is terrible. You can get a mattress for a couple of hundred dollars with a better rating. There are no owner reviews, ratings, or complaints so let’s just consider this a crappy option and move on.
