We just placed an order for a King Size Aloe Alexis, with Comfort layer of 6. I want to explain why we chose what we did in case others in similar positions look for information, I will also update the post with periodic reviews etc.
I am a 35 year old, disabled vet, that just retired this last week after a long battle with the medical retirement process. This is not to start a “sob story” etc. I just use it as an basis for explanation into my build type etc. (will also point out I am not a combat injury case etc.)
At 33 years old, I needed a single hip replacement due to degradation of the femur in conjuction with FAI(femoral acetabular impingement) and other issues. by later the same year of the hip replacement, i lost most of the muscle tissue in the same leg due to a 3 litre blood clot in the muscle, my other hip had to have 2 surgeries to correct the same issues, my low back l5-s1 had “slipped”, and l4-5 both bulged/DDD etc. with tears., my neck c5-6-7 had buldged with absolute stenosis and perm., mild paraylsis of the circumflex nerve. Basically I went from a health top heavy man to a train wreck inside of a year.
We have gone through 3 mattresses in that time frame as I am currently at 230 lbs give or take, now its closer to 22% body fat as opposed to the 16 it was 2 years ago, picture a beer keg on stick legs and thats my build.
My wife, is 5’2" and 120lbs and has blessed us with 3 children and as such has the normal “problems” (pelvis pain/flare ups) and a mild case of restless leg syndrome.
The closest we got into a true “comfortable” bed is a 10inch memory foam, with a latex topper, however, due to money constraints top quality was not an option, so middle of the road was the order of the day. we have gone back and forth between this setup and our 6 year old pillow top depending on the needs of the day., the memory foam has so many issues in regards to “pinning” us into a position, that some nights/weeks, we(i) cannot sleep on it, so i go to the other mattress etc.
over the last month or so, we have been bed hopping/shopping all around the OKC area, 1 day the sleep number felt great, the next week the same bed at same settings was painful and the pressure points very pronounced. the higher end innerspring mattresses we kept going back to (sealy hybrid and serta trump series) felt great initially, but we just know that within a year or two they will sag, its got springs, its gonna sag, period. and neither of us could ever “zero in” on what comfort level we wanted. As I want a firm, but need a plush due to injuries/yet still being a side sleeper. and her wanting a plush, but needing a little firm due to being a stomach sleeper.
then comes random postings I found describing latex hybrids, I could never pin anyone down on why/what about it etc. that folks liked about their brand etc. but the consensus that I found by reading between the lines was, If you do not like/trust the sleep number and memory foam works but not perfect, then latex is the way to go. Then comes brand shopping, I will admit, this was the easiest part- find a manufactor that offers what I want, mixed with what I need, at a price I am willing to pay, its a matter of if your willing to buy into the promises etc. as when it comes to sleep, i mean real sleep, not drug induced/not short naps throughout a day because of pain etc. Then you become desperate, and you need for some of these products to live up the hype.
Well after brief searches BB seemed to me the recommended place to go, and within 24 hours we had asked our questions of Mario, verified that what I had read made sense to me and placed our order.
Now is this bed an answer to a question we hadn’t asked, who knows, we shall see, but so far I am very pleased with experience and I hope I do not get burned.
TLDR version; bi-later hip issues/replacement, low back and cervical issue, heavy tall husband/petite wife, ordered Aloe Alexis with 6 comfort level, will review. and follow up. until then HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY
