Hi,
I’ve done a great deal of online research including spending lots of time on your site (thank you). I spent lots of time lying down on Casper and Nest mattresses, but after my research, I realized that I want to get a mattress as free of chemicals and metal as possible. That led me to all natural latex. I would like it to be as economical as possible so Nest is out as their ‘all latex’ (not blended) is very expensive. Sleepez organic latex is reasonable and looks good to me but of course I can’t try it out. I also looked at Mygreenmattress but their simple sleep seems to come in one comfort level and I’m not sure what that is. These two are comparable in price at around $1500 for full size, more than I wanted to spend, but less than most all natural latex mattresses. I need support but I also I like comfort- a too firm mattress makes my shoulders and hips ache (back and side sleeper). If I could get away with it, I would sleep on a very soft mattress but I know my back would ache in the morning, so I assume I need a medium comfort level. I have some questions- the first is with Sleepez- is 8 inches of foam enough? Their site suggested for me 2" soft on top layer, 3’ of medium below that and 3" of firm at the bottom- do you think it’s better to get medium on the top layer as well? Is the mattress thick enough for one medium size adult or should I buy another inch? Does that “make your own mattress” system work or shorten the life of the mattress? $1500 is reasonable for all latex but still quite a lot of money on a mattress so I would want it to last. Simple sleep is 9" of latex but is it just one continuous layer? Do you know the comfort level of this mattress? Also, are both of these companies reliable in terms of “all natural latex” and are both companies good about returns or exchanges in your opinion? Is there any other company I should look at?
Thanks so much for your help. susan
ps. on Amazon Sleepez has an 8 1/2" “naturale”, which is two sided- one soft/ one firm. The cover seems to be the same cotton/wool. It is only $850 for the full size. Is this a good option, considering the price difference? Even if I needed a topper eventually it would still be more economical than $1500.
Thanks again, susan
Hi Susanbrooklyn,
SleepEZ provides a choice between 100% natural Talalay, 100% natural Dunlop and blended Talalay latex. Organic Dunlop isn’t one of their regular choices although they can supply it as an option on request for those people that are only willing to consider certified organic Dunlop latex.
Most (although certainly not all) people that are looking for an “organic” mattress are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the latex has an organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.
There is more information about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and there is also more about some of the differences between Talalay and Dunlop in post #7 here.
All of the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable safety certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s. If certified organic latex is important to you then some 100% natural Dunlop latex has an organic certification but there isn’t any 100% natural Talalay latex that has an organic certification. There is more about organic certified Dunlop latex in post #6 here.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
there is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and any exchange/return options you have available after a purchase just in case your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
I would keep in mind that there are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
The thickness of a mattress or the number or thickness of any individual layers inside it is really just a side effect of the design and the design goals of a mattress and is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress relative to any particular person and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful (see post #2 here). In some cases higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges or a lower BMI (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress (or mattress/topper combination) “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP than it does on just the thickness itself.
Latex in general is the most durable of all the foam materials (memory foam, polyfoam, latex foam) and any all latex mattress that is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP would be a very durable choice regardless of the thickness.
SleepEZ and My Green Mattress are both members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe they both compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
The same mattress (along with many others) is available on their own site.
Like any all latex mattress it would certainly be a durable choice and if after you have talked with SleepEZ you are confident that it would be a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (and/or you are comfortable with the return/exchange options available after a purchase) and it compares well to your other finalists based on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you then it would certainly be well worth considering.
While you are certainly looking at some great quality/value choices … if you wish to broaden the online options you are considering then the mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and many of them also sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex (including 100% natural Talalay and Dunlop and certified organic Dunlop) that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices. Post #3 here also includes a list of online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses as well.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
Phoenix
Hi,
Thanks for your response- but I think I was not being clear. SleepEZ calls it their ‘organic’ line but I believe they mean organic cotton and wool- (Organic Select Sleep Latex Mattress Models). This is their line with ‘all natural latex’ ie. not blended. I am not looking for organic, but I am looking for 100% latex with natural cover materials and no fireproofing chemicals. Sleep EZ and mygreenmattress simple sleep seem to match this criteria at a somewhat reasonable price- $1500. I was trying to get help differentiating between these two when I found a third option on Amazon which is SleepEZ’s 'Naturale" at $850 (ps. I can’t locate this mattress on their site- do you know what it is called?). I assume the “Naturale” is ‘less’ of a mattress than the first two options, although I am considering it as a possibility with a soft all latex talalay topper, which would still be more economical than $1500. I live in Brooklyn NY but the only NYC based company that I found on your list is Dixie foam where these choices do not seem to exist. If you have any suggestions where I could test similar all latex mattresses, I would be grateful. I have done a lot of research and I believe that what I want is all natural latex, natural cover, no fire-proofing chemicals, no springs and a reasonable price. Then I have to choose the right combo for me, which I will attempt to do by calling each company but I was hoping to be as knowledgeable as possible before I call. Thanks for your help.
Hi susanbrooklyn,
You can see it on their specials page here.
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It does have “less” latex than some of their other latex options (and more than some others) but if it’s a better “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP than “less” can also be “more” in terms of the “value” of a mattress purchase.
You can see my comments about choosing a firmer mattress first with the intention of adding a topper later in post #2 here. In most cases I would avoid this approach because of the uncertainty involved with two purchase choices instead of only one and choosing a topper that would be suitable in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) for a specific person on a specific mattress can sometimes be almost as difficult as choosing a mattress that doesn’t need a topper in the first place. I would generally focus on choosing a mattress that is likely to be a suitable match without a topper (unless you can test the combination in person or you are purchasing both online as a “set” that is designed to work together and they both have a good return/exchange policy) and then use the option to add a topper as a “backup” strategy in case your initial choice is too firm and doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for rather than a “primary” strategy.
If the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper(s) combination is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
If you do decide to go in this direction after talking with them then I would purchase the mattress first so that you can use your sleeping experience on the mattress as a reference point and guideline to help you decide on the thickness and firmness of a topper that would have the best chance of success.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the New York City area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix