i am having a dreadful time choosing a latex mattress. have done so much research but get more confused rather than less. Currently have a Leesa mattress (3" avena, plus 3" memory plus base) which i find very uncomfortable with increased pain in back & hips during night & upon awakening, and tossing & turning thru night. i weigh 100 pounds so just feels good at first, then more & more tense as night wears on; feels like i just sink into top layer but that there is no support beneath that. I need pressure relief as well as firm support beneath that. Have been searching Plushbed, Arizona Premium, Zenhaven, Saatva,Spindle (even Amerisleep Revere which is said to be excellent for back pain). Would prefer No memory foam, i sleep very hot; also have trouble with off-gassing from chemicals. I was surprised to hear from Spindle they they believed i would Not be happy with their all-latex mattress! - a conversation with the led to their saying that if someone has mattress troubles & has not tried the latex, they are Not likely to be comfortable on latexâŚso, would latex be best? if so, Which company/mattress? for a bad spine, would latex over pocketed coils be the answer? âŚwould appreciate some input as i am now frozen in decision-making process⌠have read much at this site but still cant focus in on one mattress⌠i know i am not alone. smichaels
Hi smichaels,
Just for reference for the sake of others that may be reading this ⌠the Avena and memory foam layers in the Leesa mattress are only 2".thick.
Comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment are the two most important functions of a mattress for everyone so you certainly arenât alone in this but the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress will be a suitable choice that provides you with both will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience when you sleep on it because different people can have very different needs and preferences in a mattress in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences).
While I can certainly help with âhowâ to choose ⌠Itâs not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first âruleâ of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best âmatchâ for you in terms of âcomfortâ, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will âfeelâ to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or âtheory at a distanceâ that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Iâm not sure what youâve read since you found the site but just in case you havenât read it yet ⌠the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ⌠and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youâve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best âmatchâ for you in terms of âcomfortâ, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnât turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the âvalueâ of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he 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 (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesnât turn out as well as you hoped for).
While again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will âfeelâ for someone else or whether it will be a good âmatchâ in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress ⌠outside of PPP (which is the most important part of âvalueâ), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you canât see or âfeelâ and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
There is no such thing as a mattress that is âgood for back painâ in general terms (just like there is no such thing as one mattress that is suitable for everyone) ⌠there is only a mattress that is good for âYOURâ back pain and this would be a mattress that keeps your spine in good alignment in all your sleeping positions over the course of the night and would be different for different people.
While I canât speak to whether any of them would be a good âmatchâ for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP ⌠Plushbed, Arizona Premium, Zenhaven, and Spindle all sell mattresses that use good quality and durable materials that would be suitable for your weight/BMI range and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of them that would be a cause for concern in terms of the durability and useful life of their mattresses.
I would be more cautious with Saatva and Amerisleep because they both tend to use some lower quality materials than I would normally suggest in the durability guidelines and than some of the other mattresses you mentioned or that are available to you.
Any specific mattress may be the âbestâ match for a relatively small percentage of people, a âgoodâ match for a larger percentage, and an âOKâ match for a larger percentage yet but the only way to know for certain whether a mattress you end up choosing will be a âgood enoughâ match for you to keep it (even if it isnât the âbest matchâ out of all the mattresses that you âcould have triedâ instead) will be based on careful testing in a store and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
One of the advantages of trying mattresses locally is that you can try many different types and styles and combinations of materials and components and firmness levels and compare them to each other in âreal timeâ based on your actual experience rather than just âtheoryâ instead of trying one online mattress at a time and not knowing how it compares to the other mattresses that you could have tried or purchased instead.
Some good local testing will also give you a much better sense of the many different types of materials and components that are used in mattresses and some reference points about the types of mattresses (see this article) and general firmness levels you tend to prefer which can help you narrow down your choices regardless of whether you end up purchasing locally or online.
When you canât test a mattress in person then 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 and who can help âtalk you throughâ the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and âfeelâ of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best âmatchâ for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the âaveragesâ of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about âmatchingâ their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.
A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally make suggestions that they honestly believe have the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but again ⌠at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you canât test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesnât turn out as well as you hoped for.
Of course if an online retailer or manufacturer only sells one mattress then thatâs the only one they can suggest (although some may have different firmness levels that they can help you choose between) so they will generally suggest trying it and then sending it back if itâs not âgood enoughâ for you to keep (assuming that they have a good trial period and return policy).
While itâs not possible to quantify or predict the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the âoven to icebergâ range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials ⌠there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
In very general terms ⌠the layers and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture wicking, and temperature regulation than layers and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses will tend to be more âinsulatingâ and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer mattresses.
The only reliable way to to assess the âsafetyâ of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable âsafetyâ certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable âsafetyâ certification then for most people they would certainly be âsafe enoughâ ⌠regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the durability guidelines here relative to your weight/BMI range ⌠the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a âbetter/worseâ choice (see this article). The best way to know which types of materials or mattresses or firmness levels you tend to prefer in very general terms will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.
Each mattress category can also include hundreds of different mattresses with a very wide range of different designs, different âfeelsâ, different characteristics, and different firmness levels. Every individual layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting material) will affect the feel and response of every other layer and component both above and below it and the mattress âas a wholeâ so each mattress category will generally include some mattresses that have a design that will be a good âmatchâ for you in terms of âcomfortâ, firmness, and PPP and others that use the same type of materials and components and are in the same category and may be just as durable but have a different design or firmness level that may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on ⌠even if it uses the same general type of materials and components.
Neal has a great deal of integrity and is one of the more knowledgeable people in the industry and he knows enough to know that people that have more difficulty finding a mattress with the right âbalanceâ between comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment or who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to âmatchâ to a mattress, more complex medical issues, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them may be better off choosing a local mattress that they can test in person before a purchase ⌠especially if they are considering a mattress that uses materials that they arenât familiar with.
They sell a component latex mattress that is a great quality/value choice and allows you to choose the firmness of each layer in the mattress and you can also rearrange the layers or purchase a new layer at a reduced cost to replace one of the layers in your mattress if you need to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress but one of the ways that they have reduced their prices to the degree that they have is by not offering a return policy (the cost of return/exchange policies are a hidden cost that is built in to the cost of a mattress) so this would also be a reason that he may have been reluctant to sell you one of his mattresses because he probably realized that your needs and preferences may be âoutside the averagesâ and that you hadnât tested a similar latex mattress in person so there would be no way for either him or you to know how well you may like latex.
If you are still considering an online choice in spite of the risks involved (which could range from the time and effort and trial and error involved in trying and returning mattresses until you find one that works well for you to any costs involved in returning each of them) then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options Iâm aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be well worth considering.
If you are interested specifically in latex or latex hybrid mattresses then this link in the tutorial is to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that may be worth considering. Post #3 here also includes a list of many of the online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses.
Again it would make a lot of sense to do some local testing to at least get a better sense of the types of materials and mattresses and the general firmness levels you tend to prefer and if you let me know your city or zip code Iâd be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities Iâm aware of in your area.
I know this was a great deal of information because it sounded like you were going deeper and deeper in the rabbit hole of information overload and paralysis by analysis that was rooted in the belief that there was a way to know for certain whether any mattress was suitable for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP or how two mattresses would compare for you (regardless of how they would compare for someone else that may have a very different experiences on the same mattresses than you do) other than your own careful testing or your own personal experience when you sleep on them.
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that donât involve what you will âfeelâ on a mattress, and help with âhowâ to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is âbest for youâ regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else has the same needs and preferences, criteria, or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Unfortunately nobody has a crystal ball that can predict which specific mattress or combination of materials and components you will like best or that you will sleep best on with any certainty based on specs or âtheory at a distanceâ and I would be very skeptical of anyone who claims that they do. It just doesnât exist.
In its simplest form ⌠choosing the âbest possibleâ mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then âŚ
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Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of âcomfortâ, firmness, and PPP ⌠and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or âfine tuneâ the mattress and any costs involved if you canât test a mattress in person or arenât confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
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Comparing your finalists for âvalueâ based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
thank you for your time, info & prompt response. and i will now remove saatva & Amerisleep from my list. i have been busy testing mattresses in stores; finding an in-store, somewhat- equivalent latex or latex-hybrid mattress (to one of those that i know to be excellent) has been a challenge. I will next place calls to Arizona Premium & Plushbed.to discuss options⌠by there way, Spindle notes at their site that if you answer one of their questions indicating you have a hard time finding a comfortable mattress, then their statistics tell them there is an 85% chance you will Not find their bed comfortable, even with a changeout in firmness levelâŚ
s michaels
Hi smichaels,
If you let me know your city or zip code Iâd be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities Iâm aware of in your area.
I would approach things from the other direction. I would first look for mattresses locally that use the type of materials and components that you are interested in testing and find one or even several that are a good âmatchâ for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP. Once you have a reference point that you have tested in person then if you want to broaden your research to online options I would look at online manufacturers or retailers that make mattresses that use the same type of materials and components in a similar firmness level and talk to them to find out which of the options they have available may be similar to the ones you tested locally.
Phoenix
i am in chicago, illinois. most of the mattress companies appear to be Outside the City of Chicago, in the suburbs. But zip codes could be 60601, 60610, 60614, 60654, 60642âŚwe have a Room & Board and i could check out latex over coil thereâŚi plan to call Bloomingdales & Macyâs tomorrowâŚif you know of other stores that carry Latex mattresses in the City/Chicago, i would really appreciate knowingâŚ
Hi smichaels,
Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines here ⌠the better options or possibilities Iâm aware of in and around the Chicago, IL area are listed in posts #2 and #4 here.
I would suggest making sure you include My Green Mattress/Quality Sleep in your research. They are a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
I wouldnât step foot in Bloomingdales and Macyâs or any other store that focuses on major brand mattresses or that wonât be able to tell you the information you need to know about the materials and components inside their mattresses.
Phoenix
i know, that is why i have not even bothered to go to a major department store but at least i might get an idea of the latex feeingâŚi have sampled gel memory over foam, temperapedic, BeautyRest line, etcâŚbut have not found latex âŚi will check out the posts you mention. and My Green Mattress as well, thanks.
Hi smichaels,
That would only be possible if what they call a âlatex mattressâ only includes latex in the top 3" - 6" of the mattress rather than including other types of foam materials (such as polyfoam or memory foam) in the mix. It may also be difficult or even impossible to find out enough information about what is inside their mattresses to make any meaningful comparisons with other latex mattresses or even to know if what you are feeling is actually latex or only thinner layers of latex that are buried inside the mattress mixed in with other types of âunknownâ foam layers.
Phoenix
well so it seems it doesnt even make sense to try a latex mattress in a store! because what i will be feeing may not even be âreal latexâ - i am trying to find a latex mattress in-store whose ingredients i can confirm but these mattress stores are out a great distance from the city meaning time off from my officeâŚso i may need to take my chances online; either a latex top over coil or a 9" - 12" latex mattress in layers that i could move around to get comfort/pressure relief. I spent some time at SavvyRest online where they address various kinds of back pain & make recommendations for what latex (dunlop/talayay, soft, med, firm, firm) layers might be best layered where & howâŚanother site also gave some âpopularâ layering styles, with variations listedâŚI am this week contacting Flexus and Foam order who seem experienced and used to making layer recommendations and personalizing the latex layered product. My choice may partially be based on their flexibility in layer returns/shipping. I believe i am in the right direction. âŚI would include Spindle but their sense seemed to be they have had little success with those with specific needs of a mattress; the other 2 companies seem prepared & ready to deal with such situations. i appreciate your time & help, both in assisting with companies you know to use excellent material & provide customer service & your willingness to help us know how to assess & evaluate what might be best for us⌠i hope our conversation here together will benefit others who have similar specific needs.
smichaels
Hi smichaels,
It makes no sense to try any mattress (latex or otherwise) in a store where they arenât able to tell you whatâs inside it. There are quite a number of stores in the Chicago list that carry latex but of course you would need to find the time to visit them if you wish to test some latex mattresses in person.
If you are committed to latex and there are no manufacturers or retailers that you would be able to visit in person then of course you would be limited to online sources. If this is the case then the tutorial includes this link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, firmness levels, return and exchange policies, and prices that would be well worth considering.
Post #3 here includes a list of many of the online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses
Outside of any additional options that may be available to you locally some of the better innerspring/latex options Iâm aware of are listed in post #2 here and the post it links to.
Every good online retailer or manufacturer will generally make suggestions that they honestly believe have the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but again ⌠at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you canât test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesnât turn out as well as you hoped for.
Good luck in your search and Iâm looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding.
Phoenix