Arizona Mattress Kids Latex Bed

I just wanted to drop a quick note on my recent experience with Arizona Mattress. I had been looking for a full size bed for my 3 year old, and after reading many posts on this site I narrowed it down to Arizona Mattress or one or two other places that I can’t remember now. Anyway, I decided to call Arizona Mattress with a few questions and I spoke with the owner Ken. I initially called to ask about a few mattresses in the $600 - $900 range, but Ken told me that there was no reason to spend so much money on a kids mattress. He instead directed me to their “kids” line, which is what he said all of his kids used. He told me that the only difference between the “kids” mattress and the solid core mattresses that are 2x-3x the price is that the kids mattresses are made from latex scraps that are fused together rather than one solid sheet. He said that they basically sell the kids beds at cost. It’s not often that a business talks a customer out of buying a higher priced product, so I truly appreciate Ken’s advice. I obviously can’t comment on the long-term durability of the mattress, but it seems to be high quality from my initial inspection. My only complaint is that it took a month to receive the mattress, but Ken did inform me when I called that all mattresses are made to order and that the wait would be at least 3 weeks. At the end of the day, this mattress was at least half the price of all of the other mattresses I was considering, so I’m very happy.

Josh

Hi kapy3,

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback … I appreciate it.

As you know I think very highly of Ken and their kids mattress is certainly a great quality/value choice and as you mentioned is a great way for kids to sleep on a latex mattress at a great price

The durability of the mattress would be similar to any other latex mattress as well so you can reasonably expect that it will last well into their teen years or even beyond.

Most important … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Phoenix,

I have a question for you. I set my daughter’s bed up last night, but the slats that the bed came with clearly were inadequate for the mattress, so I replaced the original slats with new 1x4 slats that are approximately 1.75" apart (14 total). This is a big improvement, and seems totally fine for my daughter, but when I sit/lay on the bed I still very clearly feel the slats. It feels as if I sink right to the bottom and the bed doesn’t support my weight at all. Needless to say, it’s rather uncomfortable for me. Same goes for my wife. I’m 6’0, 185, and she’s 5’10, 165. Is this normal? While I’m not planning on sleeping in my daughter’s bed, my wife or I do plan to lay down with her to read a book before bed every night. If this is normal, is there a workaround that would make the bed more comfortable for adults? Thanks a lot.

Hi kapy3,

I have learned over many years that what people feel on a mattress (or under a mattress) can vary widely and would all be “normal” even if it’s different between people but you certainly wouldn’t be the only one to feel what you are feeling. I’m not sure if you are feeling is the actual outline of the slats themselves or just their firmness and rigidity under the mattress but what you feel under a mattress will be a function of the firmness of the latex, the thickness of the latex, the concentration of weight in a particular area of the mattress (which is much higher in a sitting than a lying position), and the specifics of the slat dimensions and the distance between them.

Latex mattresses generally don’t have (or need) edge support for sleeping (see post #3 here) but there is an “edge effect” with foam materials because if the edges are compressed they are only being “held back” by the material on one side of where you are sitting (behind you) and not the other and because of it’s “point elasticity” each part of the mattress can compress more independently from other areas. This means that with the more concentrated weight of sitting in combination with sitting on the edge you will tend to sink in more deeply and feel much more of what is underneath the mattress than you would if you are lying down on the mattress, particularly if you sit close to the edges. This would be more noticeable with softer or thinner layers than it would with thicker or firmer layers which would isolate you more from the support system under the mattress but even a firmer latex mattress can feel softer and you will sink in more deeply if you sit right on the edge of it.

There are a few things you can do that may help and while none of them will affect how deeply you sink into the edge of the mattress … they can reduce the effect of what you may be feeling under the mattress.

First I would confirm that what you are feeling is the slats themselves rather than just feeling a “hard” and non compressing layer under the mattress. You could test this by putting some plywood under the area where you are sitting to see if you feel just the firmness of the plywood or whether you were feeling the actual shape of the slats themselves (which would be less likely with 1x4’s with only 1.75" gaps).

If this seems to help then it wouldn’t be ideal to put plywood under the mattress because it doesn’t breathe (see post #10 here) but some other more breathable options would include adding an inch or two of ultra polyfoam in between the mattress and foundation or adding a rubberized coir bed rug like this or even something like the vinyl lattice here that would all provide additional support in the gaps between the slats.

You could also sit a little bit further back on the mattress so that your weight was distributed over a larger surface area and wasn’t quite as close to the edge and see if that was enough to make a difference as well or it could be something that you will just get used to because while it can be an inconvenience, it’s not something that would concern me as far as your daughter sleeping on the mattress.

Phoenix

Thanks so much for the detailed and thorough reply. I really appreciate the suggestions.

Hi - Thanks for sharing your experience! I am definitely interested myself and at the risk of sounding like a downer, I’m wondering why more people don’t offer this option, or why they have so many scraps that they can offer this deal consistently? I am a total mattress novice but when I called the local mattress manufacturer (Portland Mattress Makers, who has been recommended on this site) to see if they offered something similar they said it sounded very suspicious. I was curious if you knew how many pieces were used to make the mattress? I would LOVE this deal - I desperately want my children sleeping on 100% latex, but sincerely do not have the budget to pay over a thousand dollars a piece. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get each of them in a latex mattress for under $500/piece and this seems like the only option I’ve found!! Thanks for sharing your opinion! :slight_smile:

Hi Jferg7,

They are the only manufacturer I know of that makes a mattress like this and it’s certainly a “unique” and creative idea. The number of pieces could vary from mattress to mattress depending on the specifics of the materials they have available at any particular time but they would probably be the best source for an answer to this at least in general terms.

It’s certainly a great quality/value option for children.

Phoenix

I am so glad I found someone who has ordered this mattress! I have been ready to order for awhile, but needed to repaint my daughter’s bed before we did so. I have been wondering whether to order the firm or the medium for my 4 year old. Which one did you end up ordering for your child? Are you happy with the firmness and do they sleep well on it?

Thanks!
Natalie

I got the full size, soft. Seems totally fine for my 3 year old daughter, but I question whether I should have gotten medium firmness. I’ve gotten used to the issues that I described earlier regarding feeling the slats through the mattress, and my daughter definitely doesn’t notice anything. My 5 year old son has had a few sleep overs on the bed as well with no issues. All in all, seems like a very good deal for the price and would buy again.

Hi sleeplikeabear,

Just to add another thought … although girls tend to prefer softer than boys … a medium would be a “safe” choice for a child of either sex and a firm may be a suitable choice for a boy that is likely to grow into larger or heavier proportions because you can always add a softer topper as they grow older if and when they need it. In general … your best source of guidance for firmness choices will be a call to Arizona Premium so you can talk to them about your child’s needs and preferences and how large they are likely to grow.

Phoenix

Perfect! Thank you both for your responses. I love this forum. I am ordering the medium this evening, as I feel that this is probably the best option for my daughter. Thank you!

Hi sleeplikeabear,

Congratulations on your daughter’s new mattress :slight_smile:

You are certainly making a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it.

Phoenix