I think you are exactly on track and are making choices between good and good. Once you have eliminated all the worst options (which you have) then your final choices will really be dependent on your own personal value equation which nobody else can decide for you.
One part of this would be to decide on your confidence level that you are making the best possible choice in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) and ask yourself what your options would be if for some reason you make the wrong comfort choice. The ability to exchange a layer (or a topper) may be an important part of “value” for you and would be well worth considering as part of the “value” of your purchase. You can see more of my thoughts about making final choices between “good and good” that are along a similar line (but between different options) in post #2 here.
Overall … from a quality and value perspective … I don’t think that you could go wrong with any of your options and you are certainly have better choices than the vast majority of people who buy lower quality/value mattresses from major brands and chain stores.
I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding
Thanks for confirming my research so far and for the fast response.
The ability to exchange layers definitely adds some value to me. I don’t like the idea of buying the $600 dreamfoam sight unseen only to find that I bought something too soft. Likewise, I don’t want to buy something too firm then have to spend extra on a softening layer to put on top. The results might not be as predictable and I don’t want to put myself further from the support layers.
I’ll head to the local mattress stores this Friday to see what I find. I’ve found a couple nearby that sell mattresses with latex foam in them. Hopefully I’ll be able to determine their composition and work with Brooklyn Bedding to find a similar firmness level.
I’ve pretty much decided against buying an innerspring and topper separately. I’m sure it could work out well but I could also end up with an innerspring mattress that’s too firm on its own and a topper that feels out-of-place on top of it.
I agree with you here unless you have the chance to test the specific combination together in person. If you buy a mattress and a topper separately it can still be a better option than some of the worse choices many people have (such as if they are exchanging a mattress and there are few good quality/value options in the store) but in most cases when you buy a mattress and a topper separately you are introducing a variable that is difficult to predict when the components aren’t designed specifically to work together in terms of their progressive firmness levels and design unless exchanging the topper is as risk free as exchanging a layer in a mattress that offers it.
So it looks like I prefer plush mattresses. I like the combination of support and softness. I’m going to ask Restonic and Lebeda about the ILD of numbers 1) and 2). Midwest Mattress’ numbers were off the top of the salesperson’s head and I’d like to verify them. Lebeda dodged the issue and didn’t want to say.
I know I really do like latex because of my experience at Lebeda. The salesperson had me try a good number of mattresses to narrow it down. While I was back on a cheaper mattress I mentioned that I was looking into latex foam, and he mentioned that my favorite (#2) had a talalay layer in it. So I thought it was just a traditional innerspring when I had tried it but really liked it.
I was going to check the table at Brooklyn Bedding but their website blew up and every link tries to send me to a logo mug store. Strange. A quick whois search shows their domain to be parked…
I’m glad I did research online first. I was given a lot of misinformation- “memory foam is more durable than latex” for one. I did not like a single memory foam mattress. I was probably OK with 3) because it only has an inch of it.
It almost looks like their site has been hacked or something.
They have been around for many years and I have no doubt they plan to be here for many more but if I find out what is happening before their site comes back I’ll post it here.
I’m guessing they are probably more frustrated even than the people that are trying to reach their site.
I just received an email from Brooklyn Bedding and apparently their server crashed and they are in the process of moving to a dedicated server. They should be up and running by tomorrow.
i’m currently sleeping on a 2" talalay topper from BB on top of an innerspring - DON’T DO IT - it doesn’t work
for me it’s just a temporary setup until Arizona Premium Mattress gets off their ass and actually ships my foam which i ordered over 2 weeks ago … but as a permanent solution you will regret getting springs
it’s like going to medical school so you could shoot yourself in the foot and then operate on yourself - its absurd - why use springs to create pressure points and then use latex to try to pad them out - makes no sense
you would be far better off using regular poly foam all the way from top to bottom - it would only cost you about $400 and it would be much more comfortable than latex on top of springs
it basically doesn’t matter much which foam you use - you just need enough of it and of the right firmness - whether you use regular poly, latex or memory foam is just icing on the cake - just don’t use springs and you will be fine
finally, if you’re in such a tight financial squeeze that you have to consider springs you can simply go with memory foam foam mattress - it may not be as classy as latex but it will run circles around anything with springs
i know Phoenix will think i am giving you bad advice and it’s just my personal opinion - but no, sorry, the statistics back it up. innerspring mattress satisfaction statistics are abysmal - no other type of bed even comes close to being as bad. once again, Phoenix will say - oh those people they had bad springs, it doesn’t count - but that’s once again becoming a doctor so you can shoot yourself in the foot logic - creating problems just so you can solve them - fact of the matter is springs are worthless garbage - always were and always will be, and everybody knows it. Phoenix can be “objective” and “scientific” about springs all he wants but the facts are simple - they suck.
Just for clarity … ILD information is not part of what I would consider to be “necessary disclosure” and when you are testing mattresses locally it is not really meaningful because your own testing will tell you much more about the relative softness and firmness of a mattress and it’s suitability for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences in a much more meaningful way than any ILD information or any other “comfort specs”.
ILD is legitimate proprietary information about a mattress design because it has no connection with the quality of a mattress and there is no real reason for a local manufacturer to disclose them (although some of them do anyway).
Phoenix
PS: The Brooklyn Bedding site has been back up since this afternoon
Thank you! I suppose that makes sense. Lebeda has yet to provide any kind of reply but Restonic gave me this for their $1500 latex mattress:
It actually looks like a decent deal for a product from a local store. Nonetheless, it’s a bit out of reach price-wise. Jacob tells me a ‘6’ would be comparable and meet my needs the best.
Speaking of which - my “budget” latex mattress shopping is no longer really that. I’m now considering the 12" Bamboo Bliss. Jacob tells me that I would feel the difference and it’s a better mattress overall. I could see it lasting longer because of the use of Omalon foam and some compressed wool in the top layer. That combined with the bamboo rayon cover should make the mattress more breathable and temperature regulating as well.
The final deciding factor is that while the 12" has all the firmness levels available for exchange, the 10" only has ‘3’ and ‘6’. Jacob graciously offered take some of the price edge off of the jump from the 10" to the 12" mattress.
From here comes the decision on a mattress protector. I hate the idea of buying a mattress with a breathable top and smothering it with the protector. I was looking at the Luna Premium ($40) but I’ve read about the St. Dormeir ($160).
I do wake up sweaty more often than not. I’m mostly attributing that to the fact that I’m currently sleeping on firm ~6.5" polyurethane foam over plywood. That’s the pain-inducing bed the Department of Residence provides me with.
Is it worth the extra $120 for the St. Dormeir? Or should I keep my money and take the chance that the $40 protector will be breathable enough? I’m leaning towards shelling out for the St. Dormeir but every extra dollar spent at this point reduces how much I’ll be able to spend on other apartment furnishings. I’ve saved up over the years though and I can afford it if I have to.
I would agree with this for all the reasons you “and Jacob” mentioned.
[quote]From here comes the decision on a mattress protector. I hate the idea of buying a mattress with a breathable top and smothering it with the protector. I was looking at the Luna Premium ($40) but I’ve read about the St. Dormeir ($160).
I do wake up sweaty more often than not. I’m mostly attributing that to the fact that I’m currently sleeping on firm ~6.5" polyurethane foam over plywood. That’s the pain-inducing bed the Department of Residence provides me with.
Is it worth the extra $120 for the St. Dormeir? Or should I keep my money and take the chance that the $40 protector will be breathable enough? I’m leaning towards shelling out for the St. Dormeir but every extra dollar spent at this point reduces how much I’ll be able to spend on other apartment furnishings. I’ve saved up over the years though and I can afford it if I have to.[/quote]
Any questions about whether something is “worth it” really depends on person preferences and priorities and individual criteria or what I call your “personal value equation” but overall it would be “worth it” to me … although not perhaps to someone else.
You can read more about the many different factors that can affect the temperature regulation of a mattress in post #2 here and in post #29 here and more about the different types of mattress protectors and the pros and cons of each in post #89 here.
If you tend to sleep warm … then the Luna would have a “warming influence” while the St Dormeir would have a “cooling influence” but it would depend on how the combination of all the layers and bedding worked for you together and of course on budget which sometimes makes the best choices less attractive. For the small difference over the long term … I would personally say that performance and quality of sleep would trump the small differences in price factored over the years of use.
I ended up purchasing an Aloe Alexis in queen. I did further local testing and convinced myself that I wouldn’t be 100% happy with only 3" of talalay latex. I was able to come up with the money partly by opting to go with the Luna over the St. Dormeir protector (at least for now).
Brooklyn Bedding just bumped up the price on the queen to $1399, by the way. I was able to get the price I would have paid a few days ago but I doubt they will do that for long.
Thanks for all of your help! I’ll report back in the future after I’ve received it and I’m comfortable sharing my opinions.
Edit: I’d also like to add that Brooklyn Bedding has been amazing throughout the decision process. They’ve proven to be very flexible and answer emails promptly- even at night on the weekends. It’s been a very smooth experience so far.
I was given the chance to buy a very nice platform bed for $75 that’s already in the apartment I’m moving into. They just want it gone since it’s so heavy to move.
Further examination revealed that it has a solid foundation. I read here that this is bad as it can/will cause mold problems. The Savvy Rest bed rug is supposed to alleviate this issue but its material, coir, is listed as an allergen on Wikipedia. My girlfriend’s allergic to many things and even if I drilled holes in the foundation it would still not circulate out from underneath the bed.
It’s unfortunate that I have to pass this up. But I’m grateful that you mentioned this issue Phoenix- I would have ended up with a brand new ruined mattress. Thanks again for the wealth of information you provide here!
While I am not a fan of solid foundations unless it is a “necessary” choice that makes the tradeoff worth it such as those who want an adjustable bed, there are conflicting opinions about this issue and a solid foundation wouldn’t “guarantee” mold or other issues connected to lack of ventilation. It would really depend on several variables coming together and on your “risk tolerance” for the possibility of mold, mildew, and dust mites. You can read a little more in post #10 here.
I think that allergies to coir would be more likely for those who are involved in its production which produces a large amount of dust which can produce nasal bronchial allergies or astha with longer term exposure (see this article) but I tend to doubt that it would be likely to cause allergies with the product used in a mattress that had been cleaned and rubberized … although it’s of course possible that an allergy could occur. I would also think that it could help one of the more common allergies which is to dust mites because the greater ventilation could help reduce dust mite populations.
I just thought I would put the issues in some perspective so that it was more clear that it isn’t really a
“black and white” issue but more a matter of where in a range of risk you may be and that there is no real consensus among “experts” (although I think the majority would lean towards greater ventilation when possible).
Thanks again! I made the choice to go with the Malouf foundation. I didn’t want to take the risk with the solid foundation and coir. The person in question has had weekly allergy shots for 13 years and carries two epipens and inhalers.
The mattress arrived Monday but I haven’t had a chance to sleep a full night on it yet. I took a 20 minute nap earlier today and the Aloe Alexis felt amazing. After a few minutes I had to remind myself that I was in fact on a mattress and not floating in perfect suspension. I was initially worried after unpacking it on Monday as it felt very soft but it has become firmer since then.
The fit and finish is great and it looks impressive. A skeptical friend helped unpack it and quickly reversed his opinion after watching it inflate and learning about the 120 day trial period.
Interestingly enough, I received two shredded memory foam pillows instead of latex. The box was labeled “Shredded Talalay Latex Pillow - Queen - QTY-2” as expected but the law labels and contents say/show otherwise. They’re not what I was expecting and I haven’t had a chance to really decide if I’m going to like them yet. My first impression is that latex would probably be better for me. I’ll also have to see if my girlfriend’s sensitive to them- she doesn’t like memory foam to begin with. I’ve notified Brooklyn Bedding of the mixup so they can check their inventory. I don’t know how much I can complain, they were a bonus- although it was one that strongly factored into my purchasing decision.
Bonus or not I’m sure they will make things right and they probably appreciate you letting them know that they shipped out the memory foam pillow instead of the latex.
[quote=“amd20x6” post=18396]The mattress arrived Monday but I haven’t had a chance to sleep a full night on it yet. I took a 20 minute nap earlier today and the Aloe Alexis felt amazing. After a few minutes I had to remind myself that I was in fact on a mattress and not floating in perfect suspension. I was initially worried after unpacking it on Monday as it felt very soft but it has become firmer since then.
The fit and finish is great and it looks impressive. A skeptical friend helped unpack it and quickly reversed his opinion after watching it inflate and learning about the 120 day trial period.
Edit: The mattress I purchased is a ‘6’.[/quote]
Soooooo jealous. :D. I eagerly await your review whenever you feel it appropriate. : ).
I’m interested to hear your experience with the mattress protector. I just bought a latex mattress from BB (hasn’t arrived yet) and I too tend to sleep warm and sweat quite a bit. I noticed you purchased the Luna mattress protector. Are you happy with it? If you could do it over again, would you buy that or go with the St Dormeir?
