And so the journey for latex begins

[phoenix]

Hi Hogwild,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

First off, this site has been very helpful as I begin to search for what I hope is a better night’s for many years to come. I have to admit that I am a little overwhelmed though, and so I hope that you guys can point me in the right direction as I go on this journey.

I’m glad you’ve found the site helpful so far. The first thing I’d advise you to do is read the mattress shopping tutorial here but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

Of course nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

In its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

We live in area code (72701) but I’m willing to drive up to 4 hours to test some products. That would mean anywhere as far north as Kansas City, west to Tulsa and OK City, and east to Little Rock

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Springdale/Fayetteville/Rogers areas (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here ) are listed in post #4 here . The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Kansas City area are listed in post #2 here . The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas are listed in post #2 here . The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Little Rock, AR. area are listed in post #2 here . I know this is a long list but it will give you a good starting point.

My wife and I are both average size (5’6" - 5’7") and weight (135-175 lbs). Her primary sleeping position is on her side, while mine is stomach and then back.

You fall into a “normal” BMI range, so there are no specific “red flags” for any special foam densities besides what is normally recommended in the durability guidelines. When sleeping upon your stomach, you’d want to make sure that the surface comfort of your mattress doesn’t allow too much deflection to accentuate the lordotic curve of your lumbar region, and with sleeping upon your side you’ll want to make sure there is enough surface comfort to allow your hips and shoulders to sink in a bit, but not so much as to affect your stomach sleeping posture.

I am pretty much set on using latex for the comfort layer, but haven’t done any tests yet to know the preferred thickness, or whether I should go with Talalay vs Dunlop. I would like to keep it as natural as possible but understand talalay may be softer in the long run.

You can find “natural” (100% NR) latex in either Talalay or Dunlop, and the choice of natural, synthetic or blended would be mostly a personal preference rather than a quality issue. You can read more about Dunlop vs Talalay latex in post #7 here.

I also don’t know if I will go with latex or pocket coil springs for the support layer or how thick this layer should be either.

You’ll be able to determine more about this when you actually go do some testing of these mattresses and see if you have an affinity for the feel of an all-latex product or one that uses springs for the support structure.

I’m looking forward to learning about your progress and of course willing to assist if you have any other questions once you’ve actually gone out and tried a few products using latex.

Phoenix