Just under a year ago we purchased a Sleep Ez Full 10" organic latex mattress, supported by a properly spaced sturdy wood slat frame, and we have never been able to make it work. I was lighter then, but currently I’m 145lbs, 5’2" tall. My partner is 5’6", and roughly 150lbs. I am a side/back sleeper, and he is a back/stomach sleeper. The first configuration we received was 3" Soft talalay (top), 3" Medium dunlop (middle), 3" firm dunlop (bottom). After a few weeks trial I found that the initial lower back relief I felt was replaced by a stiff neck because my shoulders weren’t sinking in enough. In fact, I noticed my hips were raised too, as there were minor gaps whether on my back or side. My partner had said he felt stiff in the shoulders at first too, just not as bad as me.
I had them send more foam, so that the bottom was now medium talalay, and the middle was split ½ firm dunlop, ½ medium dunlop. My side hammocked, so I returned to the original firm and medium dunop layers, and added a 2" soft talalay topper, hoping I could return to the original support but with a little more cushion for my shoulders. The hammocking never really went away on my side, in fact both of our sides have broken in significantly, compared to the center which is almost as firm as day one.
Once the trial period ran out, Sleep EZ became less communicative. The last advice they gave me was to take off the mattress covers so all the layers would relax around the edges. So I’m still sleeping in a hammocking uncovered mattress, and my lower back pain is steadily increasing. Admittedly, I’m not an easy body to support, I’m bottom heavy with wide shoulders, and my weight tends to wildly fluctuate. In coil mattresses of the past I would sit at the top of the bed to read until a dent was made that would inadvertently accommodate my shoulders. I remember really enjoying the Casper Wave when I tried it, though my partner was less keen. I considered going with Flobeds instead of Sleep EZ, and wonder if I should call on them to make us a custom layer. Other people on this site have suggested a diy hybrid, adding a shallow coil into the equation. OK experts, what should I do?
If the Sleep EZ mattress is not working out for you, I suggest you get a new mattress. If you have researched Flobeds and are happy with what they offer, I would contact them directly with the information you presented above and see what they recommend. If you can, I’d also suggest you go to their store in person to be able to try out some mattresses to make the correct choice. Good luck with your mattress shopping and please let us know what you decided to do,
Hi Mario, thanks for weighing in. One reason I’m looking into working with what I have is because for us this is all very expensive. Up until recently I always went for the cheap spring model somewhere local and made due. Now that Im older my body doesn’t tolerate that anymore, so Im experiencing a learning curve.
At first glance there doesn’t appear to be a location here in New England where I can try out a Flobed, but I’ll look again.
I understand mixing sleep systems requires crunching numbers, and the trial and error can be more expensive than the right mattress. But because of the pandemic I’m staying afloat with unemployment, so for the time being I need some guidance on how to tweak what I’ve already purchased.
As far as other brands go, while I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own personal preferences).
This being said, have you taken all the layers out of the mattress and placed them individually on the floor to see which layer is not offering support and may cause the hammock effect you describe?
I can try to do that, thanks for the suggestion. Though I still need to address the shoulder issue, and a zoned layer seems like the best way to go. I’m still waiting for Flobeds to get back to me, but in the mean time I was looking at other zoned latex options. Looks like there are a company called Take Ten that offers a three zone, and somebody called Cozypure offers five zones, for starters. Anyone have luck with this sort of construction? Maybe there’s a thread you can direct me to?
Also, for what it’s worth, I did ask Sleep EZ about the ILD of the layers I currently have, but all they could give me is an estimate: soft 19-22; medium 28-30; firm 38-40. Not sure if that helps at all.
I have a question about testing mattress layers. How do I tell the difference between normal breaking in and an actual defect? I was told by Sleep EZ to contact their warranty department, but I’m not sure how to make that case. Not to mention I’m not sure if that is worth pursuing over other options.
In the mean time, I have purchased what I was able to afford, which was a split layer made by Flobeds. My side is a “soft” zoned talelay, but I have been struggling with rearranging the components. So far it looks like I should have gotten the “medium” option, based on the configuration that hurts the least. At this point I only have a 9" mattress, as I removed the 2" soft layer from the the equation. I also took the firm dunlop layer out, so right now the medium dunlop is the base.
Im exhausted. I don’t have the bandwidth to become a mattress expert just so I can lay on something that isn’t going to mess me up. I did so much research on this so far, obsessively, and it still feels like an uphill battle that only people with more disposable income can tackle. I take it having latex mattress showrooms with various brands is complicated somehow?
It sure would be nice to dial in a mattress before purchasing it. Someone should invent a platform that measures all your stats, including personal preference, and then crunch the numbers to tabulate the mattress specs that would be right for each individual, something like a tailor would do with clothing.
The break in period takes about 3 months. If the mattress is not comfortable then contact the warranty department to see if they can figure out if indeed it’s a defect. If it’s not, then as suggested in my previous post you may want to look at the Flo Beds that you liked.
I genuinely appreciate that this website is a courtesy offered by volunteers, but I do feel like I’m falling through the cracks a bit. What is missing from my descriptions/questions? I feel like cumulatively I’ve been thorough and in accordance with guidelines. How do I present my situation to get a more diverse/robust response on this forum? Also, are there no consumers willing to chime in? Please advise.
When I listed beds I’d considered, I did so as a point of reference for what style of construction I was considering, not because I have the misconception that anyone can make decisions for me. I’m well aware of the 90 day trial period that came and went. That doesn’t answer my question about how to make an accurate assessment of my layers so I’m able to make the case to a warranty department that likely will be reluctant to offer a refund. Because it is a refund I would need in order to cut my losses and move on to a new mattress.
I’ve seen some pretty batty threads on here, from people adding yoga mats into their layers, all the way to cutting up diy mattresses. Meanwhile, I’m presenting a pretty straightforward situation. Nobody wants to talk idls with me? No one wants to share links to conversations that cover similar issues? This is not what I expected when I posted for the first time on this forum.
Welcome to the TMU Forum ! Thanks for your question.
Sorry to hear that you “feel like you’re falling through the cracks a bit,” JND. Following your initial post, you received multiple responses from TMU expert trusted member MFC/ @Mario offering suggestions to remedy your situation (BTW, thanks Mario for sharing your thoughts). As you mention correctly, this site is offered to consumers by volunteers and “lightly” moderated as per TMU Forum Rules. The TMU is a small organization serving a vast, international audience and works hard to ensure questions receive either a response or acknowledgement within a 24-48 hour period as much as possible. In your case, your first, second and third responses were all replied to within 24 hours.
Here are several thoughts for increasing the likelihood of response for a given topic. You may find that either using keywords in the Site Search directory to fine-tune the name of the topic (using the manufacturer name/ product name) will create a post name that’s more relevant/ draws more attention to your post question. If you’d like help choosing a topic name that offers a little more clarity, please let me know and I’ll gladly help.
In your initial post, you mention two TMU expert trusted members, Sleep EZ and FloBeds, each having their own forum space for direct conversations between manufacturer and consumer. You would get a more satisfactory response to your questions asking the manufacturers directly rather than asking moderators/ consumers to speculate on what better solutions could be for your individual preferences.
Another hold up in engagement happens when consumers add additional comments to their post, giving the appearance that what once seemed an unanswered question is cancelled out by an additional post comment. The platform the forum uses either recognizes a new post or another poster making a new comment on an existing thread. Anytime someone adds additional comments to their original post, it becomes more difficult to follow from the forum overview page that more help is perhaps being requested.
As far as other consumers sharing their thoughts, there are no guarantees of consumer engagement for every topic presented on the forum, JND. Folks come to the Mattress Underground seeking a better understanding of shopping for mattresses and all that entails. The “social” aspect evolves organically base on who’s looking for what kind of information or who has “been there/ done that” with a particular mattress, materials, manufacturer, etc. So suggestions here for you to try would be to consider a more specific name for your post question; consider a chat with the manufacturers of your mattress and topper; and do a site search regarding your mattress and topper by name to dial in on what conversations are going on and what other consumers may be saying, that is the most direct path for meeting them.
Hi Sensei! Thanks for setting me on the straight and narrow. I will see about adjusting my topic title and/or finding topics I can join in on. To clarify, (as I’ve already shown Mario my appreciation for his time and perspective), the reason I felt like I was ‘falling through the cracks’ is because regardless of how timely the response was, I was getting conflicting suggestions, suggestions that required follow up clarification that I didn’t receive, and suggestions that were merely making sure I wasn’t applying undo expectations on the forum (I’m sure that happens frequently enough to warrant that, so I understand the intention). My takeaway was:
-give up and spend money I don’t have on another expensive mattress, despite being on unemployment
-go to the manufacturers warranty department, presumably to get replacement parts instead of a refund, cause that’s how warranties tend to roll
If Mario was not able to follow up with clarification on either front, I was hoping for a second pair of eyes on the subject.
Have I mentioned I’m exhausted? I realise expressing sleeplessness and back pain in the form of half mast, crack of dawn venting is a sure way to muddy the waters here. But, as I’m sure you can appreciate, I (like many of us here) have nowhere else to go. I’m not going to get into customer service complaints, I’m pretty sure that’s not allowed on this forum. Suffice to say I wanted outside perspectives before approaching Sleep EZ again. Now I realize that may be easier said than done with the format of this forum, and I will bear that in mind going forward.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it crossed my mind to title this I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie, but wasn’t sure it would get past the moderators :lol:
And, to be clear, when I mention warranties, that includes needing clarification on how to even asses the faulty layers once I get them individually on the floor, as Mario suggested.
! Thanks for your question.
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