Closest alternative to PLB Nutrition (or best way to re-create with layers)...

Hi there -

We’re looking to get new mattresses for the entire family – one King size for my wife and I, and two Full sized ones for our two kids. I went to a local mattress store and tried several beds; so far, the one that seemed to be the best fit is the Pure Latex Bliss Nutrition. But at about $3100 for the King and $2100 for each Full size, that would be a total of about $7200 for the three, which seems pretty crazy.

One option that I’m considering is to find a ready-made mattress from an online vendor that would be very close in feel (not necessarily in actual layers) to the PLB Nutrition. After researching on this site, I see that many people have had positive experiences with Brooklyn Bedding (or their sister site Dreamfoam Bedding). Their 10" “Total Latex” mattress seems to be the closest I could find to the PLB Nutrition, but I’d be curious to get feedback on how different it would be (I’m not looking for an exact match – just similar feel). And more generally, is there an online source for a ready-made mattress that is very similar to the PLB Nutrition but less expensive? And finally, I’m thinking that maybe we’d spend more on the King sized bed and try to find “value” alternatives for the Full sized beds. In that regard, are the less expensive Ultimate Dreams mattresses from Dreamfoam Bedding quite good? Their Ultimate Dreams EuroTop gets unbelievable reviews on Amazon, but I notice that it has a base layer of 1.5 lb HD Poly Foam and I thought I read in one of the articles here that it’s inadvisable to get a base foam of less than 2 lb.

As a second option, I notice that some users on this site have tried to re-create the PLB Nutrition by buying layers and assembling it together. If I’m not trying to get the least expensive layers but instead to get good value layers that are most similar to the PLB Nutrition, does anyone have a suggestion for where and which ones to get? Given the seeming popularity of the PLB mattresses, I’d think that this is an issue that someone has already solved (to some reasonable level of satisfaction) and that it doesn’t make sense for me to try to reinvent the wheel.

Thanks!

Hi cloudcover,

Pure Latex Bliss has MAP pricing which means that a retailer can’t advertise lower prices than the PLB guidelines but there are some retailers listed in post #32 here that you can use to make some value comparisons for the same mattress.

There is more in post #9 here about the many variables involved in trying to “match” one mattress to another. Once you have any differences in the type of materials and layers in a mattress (including the cover) then the differences in how a mattress compares for any specific person can become very uncertain because it can be so subjective and different people can have very different perceptions about how closely one mattress “matches” another one based on their body type, sleeping positions, and individual perceptions and their sensitivity to the differences between two mattresses. Some people may say that two mattresses feel the same or very close while others would tell you that the same two mattresses may feel very different.

The specs of the PLB Nutrition are here and in most cases the upper layers of a mattress (the cover and the top 5 - 6" or so depending on weight and sleeping positions) will have the biggest effect on the feel and performance of a mattress and how it compares to another one although every layer and component in a mattress will have some effect on all the other layers and in some cases the effect can be somewhat uncertain.

If you are considering an online purchase that is very different from the one you are using as a reference point then the best approach would be a more detailed conversation with a manufacturer who can help “talk you through” which of the options they have available would likely be the closest to the Nutrition. If they are familiar with the Nutrition then they could also draw on their own personal experience or the experiences of other customers but otherwise they would need to go by “specs” and “theory” and “best judgement” which can be more uncertain.

The tutorial post includes a link to the members here that sell online and many of these sell latex or latex hybrid mattresses that use different types of latex and include many different designs, features, and options to customize the mattress or individual layers in different price ranges that may also be worth considering

I would also keep in mind that a mattress that has a different design and “feel” from the Nutrition may still be a very good match for you and could also be even better in terms of PPP because the Nutrition itself may not be the “perfect” choice or the best possible “target” or design out of all the mattresses that are available to you.

Some of the other mattresses you are considering are latex/polyfoam hybrids and there is more in post #2 here about some of the general differences between an all latex mattress and a latex/polyfoam hybrid.

If you can’t test a mattress in person and the mattress you are considering is different from the one you are using as a reference then the options you have to customize the mattress after purchase by rearranging or exchanging individual layers may also become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case in spite of “best efforts” the mattress you choose is not your ideal and you need to make some changes.

You can see the foam quality guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here. In most cases the support core of a mattress wouldn’t be a weak link and for most people a 1.5 lb base foam would be fine with a high quality and durable comfort layer (such as latex) in an appropriate thickness on top of it but if you are in a higher weight range where you would compress the deeper layers more than someone that was lighter then it would be worth considering either thicker layers of latex or a higher density base foam (or both) although of course the cost would increase. These are all part of the tradeoffs that are part of each person’s personal value equation and individual circumstances.

If you are trying to “duplicate” the PLB Nutrition then I would suggest buying individual layers of the same type and blend of latex in the same thickness and firmness levels and using a very similar stretch cover. There may still be “some” difference because of the differences between glued and unglued layers that some people may feel but it would be very close. The better sources of individual layers and components I’m aware of are listed in the component post here and both KTT and Sleep Like a Bear supply the different types of Talalay latex that Latex International makes in different thicknesses and firmness levels. Once you start changing the type, thickness, or firmness of the layers or use a different cover then once again the results can be much more unpredictable.

Phoenix