I have spent sometime reading through these forums and have yet to come across a question or answer that helps me solidify my decision. So I shall post my own!
I have been through… Three mattresses over the past few years and am currently on a Bear hybrid. It’s… Fine, but just not quite right as I wake up with pain in various areas. Lately it has been between my shoulder blades. So I have decided to try a latex hybrid after what feels like an incredible amount of research. I was directed to at least 3 inches of softer comfort layers so I have been looking at talalay initially, but did not have the chance to test out a latex mattress until last weekend. The store I visited had Berkeley Ergonomics and Eco Bedroom Solutions on the floor. They did not have ILD information to offer and their mattresses were just listed as either soft or firm. But they did have cutouts of the layers. One of the mattresses I liked the most (Berkeley) had three layers of coils and two layers of latex. Seemed a bit much and the cost matched. I also tried an entirely latex mattress which I surprisingly did not notice the difference between hybrid and non-hybrid. It was also nice, but quite expensive. I had assumed I would not like Dunlop as much based on what I’d read and the fact that I had a Dunlop topper at one point in my history, but I really liked the Eco Bedroom Pasadena which was one medium firmness, and two or three inches of Dunlop. I am a smaller, lighter, yet hippy female, so I thought talalay would be the superior choice, maybe I’m wrong?
So, I had narrowed it down initially to Luma hybrid and was going to go for 3 in of plush talalay, but it’s a little out of my price range and I started to reconsider the Brentwood home hybrid which I believe is 4" of Dunlop latex and seems pretty similar to the one I tried in the store. I see that Brentwood home is not trusted member here, and I’m wondering if I would be making a mistake to try their hybrid mattress in order to save a few hundred dollars and have a one-year trial, which is pretty cool, especially considering it took me almost a year to realize that I’m not really in love with my current mattress.
Any insight is greatly appreciated, this has been quite a journey and I’m hoping to be nearing the end!
That’s quite a bit of mattress activity in a short time and I can only imagine your frustration, Lydia. It is good to hear that you haven’t given up the search and are working towards a better understanding of what materials and combinations would be better suited for your body type and personal preferences. According to Bear Mattress’s site, the Bear Hybrid is “for sleepers who prefer a medium-firm feeling”, they position their brand in the athletic performance space. It could be that the upper foam comfort layers weren’t thick enough for your curvier body profile, resulting in the different pressure point pains you mention.
Other than describing your build as a “a smaller, lighter, yet hippy female”, could you share height/ weight specifics as knowing your BMI would be helpful. Your body type of a lighter weight combined with a curvier profile makes getting the right comfort layers a little more tricky as lighter weights tend to need softer and thinner comfort layers but curvier body profiles will need thicker and softer comfort layers. You may find Phoenix’s article, “The Role of Body Weight and Shape in Pressure Relief and Support” an interesting read on this topic. Talalay latex “could” be a good choice for your body type, with its superior pressure-relieving qualities but Dunlop could be equally satisfying, especially given your preference for a medium-firm feel with supportive pressure relieving properties.
Brentwood Home is a California-based mattress manufacturer with many years of experience in the industry. They have a Green/ Sustainable natural story and are also the parent company of the Avocado Mattress brand. Their site lists their products’ complete component specs, supporting natural certifications and 1 year sleep trial/ free shipping and free returns. While Brentwood Home is not a trusted member of the Mattress Underground and I cannot offer a personal endorsement of their products, they have an industry reputation for consumer satisfaction both of their products and service. You don’t say what size you’re considering, but a Brentwood Hybrid/ Queen sells for $1,099 and is available in one firmness only: medium. The Luma Natural Latex Hybrid with a 3" Talalay comfort layer is $1,359.99 and offers a choice of 3 firmnesses: plush, firm or medium. You can also use a TMU promo code to save another 5% on the current sale price, along with having an exchangeable comfort layer, free shipping and returns, as well as a 1 year sleep trial. While having generous exchange/ return policies are an important part of the online mattress purchase experience, in-store testing of materials and constructions is still critical in understanding your comfort preferences before purchase, as only you can “feel” what you feel in mattress comfort. Looking forward to hearing more on your research as your mattress shopping journey progresses… .
Thank you for your helpful response! The thickness and softness of comfort layers for my sleep and body type does create some confusion in me. So I am 5’2" and usually about 130 lbs, although my pandemic weight has increased a bit…maybe closer to 140 right now :(. But that said, I am generally an active build–with all of my weight/strength in my lower half–that is where the curves are! Butt and hips. Very small upper frame. And I am an everywhere sleeper (fall asleep side, wake up back, and turn on my stomach when I cannot sleep). And a light sleeper. And a restless legger. Which leads to your second query: I am looking for a king size to offset some of my restlessness and light sleeperness with the fact that I share a bed. I have grown tired of bumping knees and hot breath in my face! So that is part of the cost issue–king beds aint cheap.
On reading the body weight/shape article, it seems that I might need firmer support with softer comfort layers (although unsure of thickness) which is pretty much what I was aiming for and I think what my current two choices offer. And you made note at the end that testing the feel is the most important, which I agree with, but I must say, that part is what confused me! I was initially pretty confident (based on research only) that talalay was the right choice, and then I really couldn’t even notice a difference between the talalay and the dunlop mattresses I tried out. I was sure I would have to go with the Luma until I laid on a mattress that had such a similar build to the Brentwood Hybrid that I become confused about what to do again! I seems like every time I am sure I know which to go with, I learn one new piece of information that sends me back to the beginning. Exhausting for sure. I will add one more thought: when I spoke to the Luma peeps, they suggested the 3" of talalay, but maybe 2" would do? Or even be better… Yet again, I am still so tempted by a year long trial. Oy. I am really bad at making decisions.
! Thanks for your question.
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