First of all want to thank you for your wonderfully informative website!! I have a question I was hoping you could weigh in on. I am looking at two latex/polyfoam mattresses that fall in the top of our budget for a King size at around $1200. They are the Cloudrest latex from Dixie Foam in NYC and the Bamboo Bliss from Brooklyn bedding. They are similar, both have 3" blended talalay latex comfort layer with the main differences being:
My husband and I were actually able to try out the Cloudrest at the showroom and found the latex topper which is standard at 13ILD to be just a little bit soft. Spoke with Mark and he is going to see about getting a slightly firmer one for us to try out (24ILD). Also Dixie Foam can do the base in either med-firm or firm (we tried med-firm in the showroom). We are both around 150lb.
Here is my dilemma, I really like some of the added features of the Bamboo Bliss (2" taller, wool layer, zipper for washing/potentially changing foam layer and option of easily pre-selecting an ILD level in the latex and changing it if neccessary without having to send back the whole mattress). I also like the very high quality base used in the Dixie Foam, the fact that we can actually try out the bed and their long standing reputation. In your option does the difference in quality between the 2.17lb Omalon and the 3lb Hi-Resilience Carbamate make a huge difference? I am not looking for a bed that necessarily lasts 20 years, but at this price point I would like to get at least 10 years out of it, with no sagging issues. I know Dixie Foam seems to have strong regional reputation for quality and longevity (however actual reviews are limited) and while Brooklyn Bedding generally gets good reviews, there are a handful of complaints out there about sagging nightmares, even on their beds with higher density base foam, although I have not found any negative reviews on the Bamboo Bliss specifically.
As for the warranties, I believe Dixie Foam’s seems a less restrictive (i.e. call us if you are not happy, we’ll try to make it right (Dixiefoam), as opposed to we’ll send out an inspector to determine if you have a valid claim or not based on depth of sagging(Brooklyn).
Thanks so much for “listening” and I guess my main question is really in regard to the base foam quality!
At your weight range the medium firm support core would probably have higher odds of success although your own personal testing will always be more reliable than “theory”. I would also agree that 13 ILD latex would probably be on the soft side for a comfort layer and with the larger transition between them from softer to firmer you may feel too much of the firmer support layer underneath it but again your own testing will be the most reliable way to know which one works best for you for certain.
I’m not sure what type or blend of latex they are using for the top layer and this would also help you make more “apples to apples” comparisons with other mattresses.
There is more about the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
Both of these use high quality and durable materials and once you are past about 2.2 lbs density then in “real life” terms there wouldn’t be a significant difference in terms of the durability of the base layer. In addition to this … the comfort layers are usually the weakest link in the durability and useful life of a mattress. In other words … neither one of them have any weak links in their design.
In terms of how each one feels however the different properties of each material could make some difference in how each mattress feels and performs compared to the other one and which one would be a better match for you in terms of PPP. HR polyfoam tends to be a more resilient, and more conforming foam with a higher compression modulus (how quickly a foam becomes firmer as you compress it more deeply) but the only way to know how much of this you would actually “feel” would be based on your own personal experience.
The quilting layer (wool and polyfoam) in the Bamboo Bliss will also make a difference in how each mattress “feels” and performs. There is more about quilting layers in post #12 here and the posts it links to.
I don’t pay a great deal of attention to reviews (either positive or negative) because they have little relevance to someone else’s experience on a mattress either in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, pressure relief, or Personal preferences) or in terms of the useful life of a mattress (see post #13 here). If someone for example chooses a mattress that is too soft for their body type or sleeping style then you will often see complaints about “sagging” (regardless of the manufacturer that makes it) when the real issue is that they chose a mattress that was too soft for them and the heavier parts of their body (hips and pelvis) are sinking down too far which they believe is “sagging” and they are confusing the suitability of their mattress with the durability of the materials inside it. If a mattress is “on the edge” of being too soft for someone then even the initial break in period may take them over the edge of the softness/firmness range that is suitable for them when for someone else where the same mattress was more inside the firmness range that is suitable for them that has a different body type or sleeping positions that same mattress may be suitable for them for much longer and last for many years (see post #2 here) Knowing the type and quality of the materials inside a mattress is a much more reliable way to identify the durability of a mattress and whether there are any weak links in the mattress relative to a particular person than reading reviews.
You can also read more about this in post #2 here. Durability certainly wouldn’t be an issue with any mattresses that has a good quality comfort layer that was suitable for a particular person with a 2.17 lb polyfoam base layer undereath it.
Outside of the differences in design … you have already identified the pros and cons of each of your finalists (you can test one in person for PPP and the other one you would be more reliant on a more detailed conversation on the phone to choose the firmness option that would have the best chance of success but which also has more options after a purchase to exchange the firmness of your comfort layer if you need to).
When you have narrowed down your finalists to choices that are between “good and good” and you are confident that both would be a good match for you in terms of PPP and there are no weak links in either one and there are no clear winners between them … then your final choice (see post #2 here) will really come down to a matter of “best judgement” based on your testing and conversations with each of them along with all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
You are in the fortunate position that either one of them would likely make a very good choice
