I am a 77 yr old woman, a side sleeper and a sit in bed reader. I am looking for a new mattress and have decided on natural latex. I think Dunlap core and Talalay top. My pressure points are at the shoulder and hip. I have slept on a natural latex bed that while rated medium, did not have a plusher layer on top and been comfortable but hot. I want a bed that breathes better and I think one that is a little plusher on the top and hence I thought the above mixture of Dunlap and Talalay might be best. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.
I live in Maine and have only been able to find one store, The Clean Bedroom, and they were not much help. The salesperson was not very knowledgable and the store did not have many beds to try. The one I liked best was the 8 in Flora Nouveau made by OMI. It’s level of firmness was Meduim but they provided no ILD. It was also more money than I wanted to spend at $3,495, had a six week wait for delivery, and an additional $200.00 delivery charge. Can you tell me if there are any other choices in Maine or in the surrounding area where I can try this kind of mattress?
Then I went on line and found a mattress that sounds good, but I know little about the company and am concerned about buying on line. Can you comment on this?
The company is Plushbeds and the mattresses I am interested in are in the Botanical Bliss line. They have a 9 inch model with a 6 inch Dunlap Core and 2 inch Talalay top, ILH 24-26. And a 10 in model with the same core and a 3 in top that is described as a little softer. They are both the same price, described as a discount price of $1999.00 and can be delivered free, or for a charge the extra set up help i would need.m I like this price better, but could pay more if i needed to. I am leaning toward the 9 in with a delivery and set up. Can you advise on the safety of buying on line and with this company and on the choice of 9 or 10 in?
One more piece of info. My current bed has a solid plywood layer that is well supported by slats I do not think I need to buy the foundation layer for any of these mattresses. Am I correct?
One more question. I would love to have an adjustable frame sometime in the future. Is this possible, advisable, with this kind of mattress?
Sounds like you are on the right path. Although it can be hard to shop online for a mattress the same can be said for trying mattresses in a large retail mattress store.
There are a few things to know when you are starting to shop. Latex is naturally a cooler material so you should generally not have any issues with heat. The talalay & dunlop combination is a great combination as it does give you just the right amount of support and softness. Typically the reason to purchase a natural latex mattress with a talalay comfort layer is the consistency of talalay allows you the option of choosing many comfort levels. Personal preference is a large part of purchasing a mattress but with some help many sleep specialist are able to help direct you on what might work best for you in their specific product line. It is always good to speak to someone to get a better idea of how their products feel as most sleep specialist sleep on mattresses made by their manufacturer. I hope this information is useful to you, and can help guide you on your journey to a better nights rest.
Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place I would start your research is the tutorial post here which includes the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best choices. It also includes a list of some of the manufacturing members of the site that sell latex mattresses or latex hybrids with a wide range of options, designs, features and return or exchange policies that are among the best quality/value in the industry.
Plushbeds uses good quality materials in their mattresses and are certainly better value than most of the mainstream choices in the industry (and they advertise heavily on the internet so many people come across them) but I would make some careful comparisons with some of the other choices that are available to the members here based on the criteria of your personal value equation that are most important to you because you have some of the best options in the industry to choose from. A forum search on Plushbeds (you can just click this) will bring up more information and feedback about them.
While a Dunlop core and a Talalay comfort layer is a popular combination … different people may have different preferences and both the Talalay and the Dunlop manufacturing methods can produce high quality latex that can be used in any layer of a mattress. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in this article and in post #6 here and there is more about the difference in “feel” between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here but the most effective way to know which combination you may prefer is with your own personal testing or experience.
If you are dealing with a reputable company then the “risk” of buying online will depend on the options they have available and how well your initial choice matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP along with the options you have available after a purchase to either re-arrange or exchange layers or to return the mattress itself and any costs involved.
There are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved to use “theory at a distance” or other people suggestions to choose a mattress (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). If you can’t test a mattress in person for PPP then the best way to choose which one is best for you would be with more detailed conversations with the manufacturer. They will know more about their mattresses than anyone else and are in the best position to help you choose which of their mattresses has the highest chance of success based on the “averages” of their customers and the information you provide them on the phone.
If it also has good center support to the floor and your beframe is strong enough to support the weight of a latex mattress and the people that are sleeping on it then it would probably be fine in terms of support and you wouldn’t need a foundation but a solid support surface would also be an additional risk factor in terms of ventilation and airflow under the mattress (see post #10 here).
Latex is the most flexible of all the foam materials and it is normally an ideal choice for an adjustable bed. There is more about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the adjustable bed thread it links to.
