we are trying to stay in the sub $600 range. We haven’t tried them out yet but plan to this weekend. are any of the above worth looking into further or are they not going to last and have a weak link?
also is it pointless to look elsewhere if I can get any Lady Americana Mattress i want at wholesale (family business) is that by far going to be a best value if i can find one with the right feel?
These are all the same mattresses (the Boyd Natural Flex 933) and I would be aware that “engineered latex” isn’t latex at all but polyfoam that has been “engineered” with various cutouts and surface modifications to “feel” somewhat like latex. I believe this is a very misleading description of this material and there are may people who will buy it believing that it’s some kind of latex when it’s actually a much lower quality and less durable material.
I would also want to know the blend of the Dunlop latex (synthetic Dunlop is much less costly than natural Dunlop and doesn’t have the same feel and performance) and the density of the polyfoam layers before I considered these. The information you need to assess a mattress and identify any weak links is in post #4 here. Boyd sells a lot of “cheap” mattresses with material names that make them sound like they are higher quality than they are although they also sell some higher quality mattresses that use “real” latex in thicker layers as well.
The second description includes the density of the polyfoam layers but I would want to confirm them with Boyd and also make sure that both of them were authorized dealers to make sure you aren’t considering a used or returned mattress. The 4" of 1.6 lb polyfoam is also on the low side for a one sided mattress and could be a potential weak link in the mattress in terms of durability although it’s in a low enough budget range that durability may not be as important to you.
The third ebay mattress you linked is also the same mattress but is mislisted as being in the Boyd flotation (waterbed) series. I would also want to know that they were authorized dealers as this type of mislisting may indicate that they know little about the mattresses they are selling and it could also be a used or returned mattress.
They have told me that their latex is OekoTex certified and that their foams are made in China by a CertiPur certified foam manufacturer but they aren’t listed on the CertiPur site here.
Post #6 here about mattresses that are sourced in China or Asia may also be worth reading.
A forum search on Boyd (you can just click this) will bring up more information and feedback about them. I would be cautious about these and while they are probably better “value” than many mainstream mattresses … I would make some careful value comparisons with some of the other mattresses that are available to you. I would also be cautious because when you are making an online purchase that you can’t test ahead of time and can’t be customized then it’s important to have a more detailed conversation or chat with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (rather than just being interested in “making the sale”) about whether a mattress has a good chance of being a good “match” for you in terms of PPP because if it turns out that it isn’t suitable for you to sleep on then no matter how much the mattress costs it would have little value to you and the return policy may also become one of the most important parts of your personal value equation.
Finally got to try out mattresses. at the Pure Latex Bliss display we liked the Pamper the best (6" blended talalay 40ILD, 2" blended talalay 21ILD) what we didn’t like was the price.
also tried a two sided innerspring Englander with latex on top that was pretty good, but wholesale price of $520 was great.d
what i’d really like to do is DIY the PLB Pamper. below is what I am looking at but since they aren’t exact I am wondering how different and in what way this would differ. I wouldn’t mind SLIGHTLY more firmness as on my stomach my hips sank SLIGHTLY. we are both 5’8-5’10 160#-170#
I’d spend just a little more to buy a full mattress that has the ability to swap layers. You will have the manufacturer help you get what you want. You may want to look at this thread for less costly options. this thread
Those all seem to be outside the price range. 750-800 for queen is probably the max. Any info on the diy route is appreciated. The englander was good enough to not warrant more than an extra $300
Post #9 here has more information about trying to “match” another mattress. If you have access to the same types of latex in the same thickness and firmness level and to a very similar cover as the PLB Pamper that you tested then your odds of success would be much higher (assuming that you are confident that the Pamper is a good match for you in terms of PPP) but it’s not likely that anything like this would be available in your budget range so you would need to consider other options that would be different from the “all Talalay latex” design of the Pamper.
A latex hybrid that used a layer of latex over a polyfoam support core would be more in line with your budget but it will be different from the Pamper.
The thread that jankdc linked (thanks jankdc :)) has some good latex or latex hybrid options in lower budget ranges.
I would read post #15 here before considering designing and building your own mattress that is in any way different from what you have specifically tested and confirmed is a good match for you so that you have realistic expectations of success and the cost that may be involved if you need to change any of the layers from your original configuration. The “best” approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” and a willingness to go through some trial and error and where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the DIY process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not turn out to be the case).
Different types of latex can have different properties and a different feel when the layers are put together (see post #6 here for more about the different types of latex) and making changes to a design you have tested can have some surprising or unpredictable results.
The most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is how suitable it is for you in terms of PPP because no matter what the cost of a purchase or a DIY design … if it’s not suitable for you to sleep on it would have little value to you.
Thanks Phoenix. DIY is the norm for me in all different area of life so I completely understand the possibility of unpredictability(remodeling 1880 house, electrical, new water main, cutting 60’ oak tree surrounded by power lines, European car mechanic work, musical instruments, fabbing washing machine replacement parts…). Like you said In another diy post I think talking with spindle is definitely the next step to get a better understanding of how this may differ. I know this will not be an exact match so continuing to gather more info to see the odds of success. Especially seeing that at least in theory this setup may provide the improvements I would like to see in the Pamper.
Also does anyone have suggestions for the cover? I don’t remember what the Pamper cover was like
I’m glad to see you have a “healthy” approach to a DIY mattress
The Pamper cover is an unquilted stretch cover (see here).
The mattress components/topper post here includes some sources where you can purchase unquilted stretch knit covers that would be fairly similar in terms of performance.
talked to Spindle Mattress. some good info for anyone wanting to DIY especially if looking to go with spindle (they have a lot of knowledge and are very helpful)
since I was trying to make something close to the PLB Pamper the 6" core needed to be similar to the 6" 40ILD talalay in the pamper.
the mass of the latex is important with the dunlop in getting a similar firmness. and the natural gives a firmer feel as i understand.
they expected 2 3" Firm (34-42)continuous pour synthetic dunlop toppers stacked to feel more like a 32 ILD 6" talalay.
the same in natural they expected to be much closer to feel of the 40ILD 6" talalay.
also another tip was that 2 3" toppers will not be as firm as a solid 6", so if you already have 2 layers and are close but want a tad firmer to glue them together using something like 3m spray adhesive, still not the same as a solid 6" but closer.
I’m still in the research phase but may be getting close to sourcing a solid 6" dunlop blend core.