Hi missy,
I’m looking forward to your “report” 
Phoenix
hi phoenix ~ change of plans. i had planned to go to the mattress doctor to test the pure bliss mattresses but the do not have them on the floor yet. hopefully i can get out to the back store tomorrow to try them out.
in the meantime, i was researching the mattresses but cannot find what ild’s the layers are in the pure latex bliss.
is this a guarded secret???
also, the guy at the mattress doctor said that latex international owns pure latex bliss and will be selling their own mattresses instead of supplying retailers. true or false?? i know that you have all the info!!!
thanks again for all your help!
Hi missy,
[quote]in the meantime, i was researching the mattresses but cannot find what ild’s the layers are in the pure latex bliss.
is this a guarded secret???[/quote]
Perhaps a “semi guarded” secret but there are some online sources that give this information but they are also listed in a few places in the forum including post #1 here (for the blended talalay versions).
While it’s true that Latex International owns PLB, I don’t know where he is getting his information from about removing them from the stores or any plans to stop selling PLB through retailers. They are still expanding their distribution network and have even just released a new line and if they did this they would probably be cutting their own throat.
Phoenix
thanks ~ i knew you would know!
will update after testing tomorrow
alrighty! we went and did the testing ~ my husband likes the nature and i like the nutrition.
sooooo, how do you go about constructing a diy???
thanks so much phoenix!
Hi missy,
OK … now you have a couple of “guidelines” that you can use. Bear in mind that no two mattresses that use different layering will be exactly the same so you will need to “approximate” the feel and performance of one mattress into the closest model that a particular manufacturer offers.
This involves several things.
- Specific knowledge about every component of a particular mattress you are considering and knowing how it affects the mattress as a whole.
- The technical knowledge about how a particular material and layering may compare to what you have tested.
- The intuition to “translate” one type of layering into an approximation of the other.
- Customer feedback about particular mattress designs so that your body type and sleeping positions can be “matched” to other customers that are similar.
All of these are available from the manufacturer of a specific mattress … so your next step would be …
-
Go to the list of online manufacturers that are members here and do some preliminary research on their website to find the ones that offer Talalay latex mattresses with options that can customize them (there are different degrees of customization available).
-
Call the ones that meet your criteria and talk with them. They will want to know about your specifics and the details of any mattresses that you liked in your testing (have the layering ready in case they’re not familiar with them).
-
They will then give you some suggestions (and some of them can customize each side of a mattress to suit each of you separately) about which of their mattresses or layering options may come the closest to what you have tested and that would suit your body types and sleeping styles. they may also make other suggestions that they think you may want to take into account.
-
Now you will have a few “options” and some choices between “good and good”. Now it’s time to choose the one which you believe best fits your “value equation”. This would include all the things like price, service, how well they seemed to “get” what you wanted and needed, options available to you for any exchanges if your selection isn’t quite right and needs to be changed after you have slept on it etc.
This way … you do the “reporting” about your needs and preferences and any details of mattresses you like and ask the questions you need answered and that are important to you. They help you with the design and help you make choices between the options they offer that they believe will best suit your criteria. In other words … you do the reporting and ask the questions and they give you the benefit of their skills and knowledge about how particular choices may “fit” and help you make the best choices among the options that they have available.
Phoenix
hi again phoenix ~ one of the online stores (not one of the ones you list) shows the following for the pure latex bliss:
The Nature Mattress Layers, Features & Benefits:
10-inch Profile Natural Talalay Latex Mattress
2-inch ActiveFusion LayerActiveFusion Logo
Advanced Gel & Latex Temperature Regulating Technology
2-inch Pressure Relief Layer
Experience unsurpassed support with the Sleep on Air feeling that proper pressure relief offers.
6-inch Latex Support Core
Long-Lasting Bonded Foam & Latex Core
20-year Manufacturer Warranty (10-year full, 10-year prorated)
what in the world is “active fusion”???
Hi missy,
This is part of the new line of mattresses that were just released by Pure Latex Bliss called the Hybrid line. The mattresses use a form of Talalay latex than has phase change materials in it which helps to regulate temperature. They also use phase change materials in the cover. The latex material itself is called Talalay GL and it has a “fast response” version and a “slow response” version. In other words “active fusion” is just their trade name for the phase change temperature regulating materials. They were introduced earlier this year.
Phoenix
so, that online company was incorrect in saying that the nature had the active fusion layer???
Hi missy,
Yes … those are not the specs of the Nature and if you are referring to “this link” then the mattress name and the description (which talks about slow response latex which is in the Hybrid line) don’t match.
Phoenix
wow ~ all i can say is wow. how can this be???
omgoodness phoenix!!! the more research that i do the more confused i get! just read this post, https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/observations-a-qs-about-latex-mattresses and my brain is dizzy! :S :S :S
can you please help me unscramble my brain??? in the aforementioned research, i discovered the lanoodle mattress topper that is very very appealing to me. any thoughts on that?
and would it be wise or foolish to first order a base layer (and if so, what kind?) and a middle and then add from there?
and i saw where there are toppers for sale in their own covers. does having each layer in it’s own cover affect the feel? i am guessing so but how much?
the idea of the non-returnable toppers appeal to me since i feel i can rest assured that i am not getting a used piece. with all the exchanging of layers that i read about, my phobic-self is concerned about getting a used piece. 
as usual, will be anxiously awaiting your response ~ thanks again!
Hi missy,
Knowing how different types of materials interact and perform and the differences between similar materials and mattresses can be overwhelming and many manufacturers will tell you that it is a lifetime study that never ends :).
Most people who are more focused on “specs” or individual parts of a mattress (such as a topper) and not the mattress as a whole will become overwhelmed long before they learn enough to really come to a clear understanding about how different materials and combinations will perform for each person. Everything depends on what it is combined with.
The “best” description of the Lanoodles topper for example is on the manufacturers website which has a video about it and of course a call to CozyPure would also give you more information about how it feels but this only tells you about the topper itself and not about how it may work for you with different mattresses or combinations of materials underneath it.
This is the reason I would suggest to find the better manufacturers and outlets in your area (or choose a few online outlets that have the knowledge, skill, and experience to help you make your best possible online choices that can offset the risk of an online purchase) and focus on working with them instead of trying to design your own mattress or layering or figure out how each layer may work by itself when it will be affected by every layer both above and below it.
For the vast majority of people, trying to learn all about specs, individual components, or “mattress construction theory” beyond a basic understanding that will allow you to work more effectively with a manufacturer, can create more confusion and frustration than it may help you make better choices.
This is the reason for my suggestions in post #16 earlier in this thread. If you try to include too many options in your choices or build a mattress “component by component” then you first need to become an “expert” instead of using the expertise of the people who have been continuously learning for many years and already know how to do this with the components that they offer.
So I would choose a few outlets from the “online list” or from local choices that are available to you that meet your basic criteria and have each of them help you to choose or “design” a mattress from “top to bottom” that would be best for you. Then all you need to do is choose between “good and good” rather than trying to understand every detail that may become overwhelming in it’s complexity.
Don’t forget that the basic function of all mattresses is to provide the pressure relief and alignment that you need and everything else after that is preference (the “overall feel”, motion isolation, temperature regulation, type of materials, budget range etc).
In other words … all you have to do is “report” your local experiences and give them the information they need to make the best suggestions they can. Trying to do this “piece by piece” can be challenging and enjoyable but as soon as you feel the first “hints” of confusion or frustration … then it’s time to work with a few manufacturers or outlets so that each can suggest the complete mattress … top to bottom … that they believe would work best for you and then you can compare complete mattresses rather than each individual part.
This will make the whole experience far less frustrating and lead to much better choices in the end for those who don’t want to spend weeks, months or years becoming an expert before they buy a mattress when the experts who make or sell the mattresses have already done this
Trying to include too many choices or research too many options is not usually the most effective way to go.
Phoenix
hi phoenix ~ yesterday, i emailed several of the online retailers on the list and am waiting to hear back from them.
in the meantime, i was wondering about the toppers that come in their own covers. i assume you’re meant to leave the covers on and i was wondering if this would take away from the overall feel of the latex ~ make it less springy or something.
thanks again!
Hi missy,
Yes … if the toppers have foam in them then it’s important that they have a cover to protect the foam (especially with latex which can degrade with light and ozone as well as various body oils). If the topper you buy doesn’t already have one … then it’s important to add one unless the topper only uses a very low cost material where it isn’t really important how long it lasts and you don’t mind replacing it in which case having it under the sheets and/or protector would be fine (but still lower the life of the topper)
The best type of cover is one that is thick enough to protect the material and also stretchy enough (like a stretch knit material) to not interfere with the feel of the layer below it. Natural or "semi-natural fabrics (such as cotton or a bamboo cotton blend) will tend to be more breathable and regulate temperature better than synthetic fibers like polyester but are also more expensive.
As an added note as well … it’s usually far more effective to call the outlets rather than email them unless you have a question that can be fully answered with yes or no or perhaps in a single sentence or less. Many questions that are asked by consumers (such as your question about covers) can have far more complex answers than most consumers realize and email replies often lead to an exchange of followup questions which may still not really give you the depth of information that you may want. This usually leads to many email exchanges to get the information you are looking for … with each “exchange” taking a day or two when the same thing can usually be done in 10 minutes or so on a phone call.
Phoenix
i was wondering if was better to encase the toppers along with the base or encase the base and the toppers separately.
and also, is this foundation TwinXL Wood Foundation, Wood Foundations substantial enough to hold 6" of dunlop latex with either 2" or 3" of a topper? and does the foundation need a cover?
thanks again phoenix!
Hi missy,
I’m not quite sure I’m understanding you correctly here.
The “base” (the mattress itself) is already encased with the mattress ticking or cover and this is all it needs. If you added a topper then it should also have it’s own cover and then would go on the mattress. If you had a zip mattress cover that could hold say 9" of latex and you only had 6" of latex inside of it then you could put another 3’ layer inside the mattress cover without it having it’s own separate cover but you would need a mattress cover that had enough room in it to add the thickness of the topper.
On the page you linked it says (under description) …
So yes it would work with a 6" core and 2 or 3" comfort layer and it does have a cover
Phoenix
oh ~ oops!
okay then, how about these:
would these need a cover of some sort?
and would they work with the aforementioned configuration???
much gracias!!!
Hi missy,
Both of these are only the slats and would need a bed (like one of these) to go with them to put the slats on. Without a bed the slats would be on the floor. If you had the bed to put them on and the slats, then either would be fine and both of these would work well. With the combination you could put the mattress directly on the slats.
In general you would be looking for a slatted foundation (or a bed with slats) where the slats were a maximum of 3" apart. A steel grid foundation can also work well. There are quite a few posts in the forum that talk about the many different foundation options and the benefits or suitability of each so I amalgamated them in this thread so you can see all the different options and price ranges that are available.
Phoenix
can you put these slats on your bed frame? don’t know if i’m going this way, just wanted to know. still compiling facts.
have been looking into layering from rocky mountain and mattress.net.
have been looking for a stretch knit cover as you suggested and have found some from other places. also was looking for a mattress protector also as you suggested and have found some stretch ones that wrap the entire mattress (or layers).
i was wondering, why the need for the cover if you have a stretch knit protector that wraps around???
as always, waiting on your infinite mattress wisdom 