First post here. Great site with lots of resources to compare products that you can’t easily try. Very helpful!
I know it’s hard to answer questions for people considering individual preferences, and I also know that each of the mattresses I’m considering are great quality and I likely can’t go wrong. I was hoping to get a little clarity on some specific aspects of the mattresses I’m considering:
Nest Love is described everywhere as “springy” or “bouncy.” Is it that much more so than the BME that it warrants all of the descriptions or is the difference in “springiness” a bit more subtle than that?
I am 225 lb side/back sleeper that prefers slightly more firm. My wife is 140 lb side sleeper preferring medium (but has slept on firm). I gather that “medium” is probably the way to go for us? Just wanted to make sure that “medium” should be supportive enough for 225.
Alexander vs Love - is the Alexander just a more “refined” or “luxurious” feeling mattress or does it excel in areas of support/durability or any other significant factor over the Love? Trying to decide if it’s worth justifying the extra cost.
While both of these mattresses use latex comfort layers … the BestMattressEver uses blended Talalay latex in the top layer (with synthetic Dunlop underneath it) and Talalay latex is generally a little more resilient or springy than Dunlop latex which is used in the Love Bed although these types of sensations are also somewhat subjective or subtle and it can also depend on the firmness of the layers and the design of the mattress. Both would have the general surface “springiness” and resilience that latex is known for. There is also more about the differences between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here.
Medium would generally be a more average choice that would fit the widest part of the bell curve so it’s generally the best choice for couples that have differences in their body types or their individual needs and preferences but when you can’t test a mattress in person or you aren’t confident in your firmness choice then the the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked that they are familiar with, any special considerations you may have, and the “averages” of other customers (or couples) that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs or firmness options to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or even to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.
A “luxurious feeling” is completely subjective and different people would have different definitions of how “luxurious” feels so there really isn’t any way to answer this outside of your own personal experience.
Whether it would be a better or worse “match” in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) would also depend on the specifics of the person and their body type, sleeping style, and their individual preferences and sensitivities. For some people one may provide better support/alignment and for a different person the other one may provide better support/alignment.
There are a few comments about the Alexander Signature Select mattress in post #2 here that may be helpful. It uses two layers of specialty foam (4 and 5 lb memory foam) that would be more costly than the single layer of specialty foam in the Love Bed (Synthetic Dunlop latex) and for some people it may have a “feel” and less resilience or “spring” that they prefer because of the slower sinking in and deeper comfort/transition layers compared to the Love Bed … but I would be cautious with convoluted 4 lb memory foam with higher body weights (more than the lower 200’s or so) because it can soften or break down more quickly than latex and while it has nothing to do with “feel” or how well someone will sleep on a mattress or how they will like it … I would give the durability advantage to the Love Bed (or the BestMattessEver).
There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists (based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
A more detailed conversation with Nest Bedding would also be your most reliable source of guidance about which of their two mattresses would be the best “match” for both of your needs and preferences since they will be more familiar with how they compare to each other than anyone else.