Comparable SleepEz Mattress (to GreenSleep Serenity)?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

I found a Green Sleep Mattress locally that felt really good to both my husband and I, King Size Serenity, made up of 6 " of Dunlop Latex core, firm on one side, medium on the other with a 2" layer of soft Dunlop on top. Priced at $3,399.00 for just the mattress, ouch! There are limited latex options here in Victoria, BC but I have read about your upisland suggestions.

I’d really like to try to find a similar mattress and order from Sleep EZ, but I can’t tell from their website if their 8" mattress is customizable on each side. Are you able to tell me what your opinion is on a comparable Sleep EZ mattress to the Green Sleep Serenity? I can’t even find the exact specs. on the Serenity on Green Sleep’s site (but it wasn’t the Serentiy II - that was a different one altogether).

Thanks very much for any info,

2

Hi Rockfamily,

To “duplicate” a mattress you would need to know all the details of every component in the Green Sleep and then have access to the same or very similar materials in the entire “sleeping system” in the alternative you are buying. This means you would need to know the density and ILD of all the layers in the Green Sleep, the amount of wool and type of material they use in the cover, and any other details that may affect the performance and “feel” of one mattress vs another. This would include the type of flexible foundation under the Green Sleep if this is how you tested it because this would be an important part of it’s performance and feel.

It’s unlikely that you would be able to find out the detailed information you would need to be able to duplicate it and even if you did … SleepEz may not have the exact same materials as one of their options.

So normally the best you can do is put together a mattress that uses similar materials and has much better value that would provide the PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) that you need and prefer. While this would likely provide the same performance in terms of your “needs” (how well it relieves pressure and how well it keeps you in alignment) … because “feel” is very subjective … it may feel very different depending on how closely all the components matched.

You could for example use what you believe is the closest “match” to the Green Sleep in the SleepEz layering (keeping in mind that layer thickness is just as important as layer softness), use extra latex or a tension adjustable base to somewhat “approximate” the Green Sleep base (if you tested it on one) and add a wool mattress pad on top to come close to the same amount of wool in your overall sleeping system and this combination may have very similar performance, much better value, but feel differently (it could be better or worse by your perceptions).

So the real decision would be deciding how much it’s worth to you (and there is no right or wrong in this) to have the exact same PPP as the Green Sleep (in which case you would probably need to buy the Green sleep) or is it worth going in a different direction that would satisfy your needs and preferences and end up with just as high quality and a much better value sleeping system but may not feel the same.

There are also some very good latex options in Victoria that you could try and some have very good value available there as well. I’ve updated the Victoria list in post #2 here (in case you haven’t seen this one) to reflect a couple of conversations I had today.

Phoenix

3

Thanks very much for the feedback. I don’t believe Sleep EZ is an option now that I have determined their shipping costs to Canada, $125 per box, for a total of $375 plus any duty or import taxes assessed. Ouch.

Will be checking out some of the Vancouver Island foam shops you list in another post. Your site is a fabulous resource! Thanks again.

4

Well I’ve been to McGeachie’s foam in langford and Foam Zone in Victoria (I’ve never liked Thompson’s customer service personally). Both carry a 6" latex mattress, Foam Zone’s medium firm was talalay latex and felt less supportive and squishier than McGeachie’s 6" Dunlop. I felt that the Medium Dunlop at McGeachie’s was soft but ultimately very supportive. McGeachie’s covers their mattress in the aloe vera stretch fabric while Foam Zone covers theirs themselves in a very cheap looking ticking that doesn’t stretch and was already very wrinkled on the stock foam mattress sample and charges an additional $225 to cover a king in a stretch fabric.

My question, is Dunlop superior to Talalay?

Would a simple 6" mattress be sufficiently thick for a 240 lb. 6 foot male? I’m concerned my husband might “bottom out” on a medium 6" mattress but when I tried it with the 2" soft topper, I felt the mattress was far too soft and with the 2" medium topper there didn’t seem to be much, if any difference, between just the 6" base alone.

5

Hi Rockfamily,

No … Dunlop and Talalay are just different production methods. They each produce latex with different properties so the two are different in performance and feel but one is not “better” than the other. Dunlop produces a denser latex that has a higher compression modulus (gets firmer faster) while Talalay produces a slightly more consistent latex and comes in a wider range and in softer ILD’s than Dunlop. Both are available in a range of firmness levels from soft to firm and can be used in either comfort layers or support layers. There’s more about the different types of latex and blended vs natural (each type of production method can produce both) in this article.

I have also not experienced the best customer service at Thompsons either in person or on the phone. They are also not the best value in Victoria. I was most impressed with McGeachies in terms of their service and value.

This is “iffy”. While it may not actually bottom out and some would be OK with it … especially if it was Dunlop (which gets firmer faster than Talalay) … it may be too firm and not adaptive enough or perhaps just not as comfortable for someone of that weight but this would depend on his sleeping positions and preferences. Most people (and especially side sleepers) prefer a few inches of softer latex as a comfort layer but each person is different. I would make sure that you (and he) have tested the mattress (or layers) fully relaxed for 15 minutes or so in all your sleeping positions to make sure it was OK for pressure relief. The only way to know for sure would be for him to test it.

Phoenix

6

We didn’t find any of the layering combinations at McGeachies that we tried to be very comfortable when we went back out for a longer visit.

I’m wondering if you have any feedback or could give an opinion on the quality of the materials in this mattress that is on sale at Costco.ca right now?

http://www.costco.ca/Talora-King-Mattress.product.100002038.html

We currently have this one from costco but it will be returned once we find a suitable replacement, I’ve found that it’s developed a deep body impression after only 3 months:

http://www.costco.ca/Dandelion--Cushion-Firm-King-Set.product.10348473.html

I know you recommend against the big box stores but you just can’t beat Costco’s return policy.

Thanks for your help!

7

Hi Rockfamily,

Here is the layering of the Talora from top to botton and my comments …

3.3-cm (1.3-in.) firm EcoFoam uses Natural Foam Technology to offer enhanced comfort, support, conformability and durability:

This is polyfoam used in the quilting and it’s around the thickness range I would consider to be OK. (@ 1")

1.3-cm (0.5-in.) 5-zone ObusForme® Ergo Layer™ - 5 alternating cushioning layers of resilient natural latex and memory foam:

This is a very thin zoning layer. The latex is good and it is also thin enough that I wouldn’t worry too much about the density of the memory foam. It makes the total layers subject to softening a little thicker (added to the quilting layers) but it would still be OK IMO because softening of the memory foam in the zoning layer won’t likely be an issue (it’s meant to be soft anyway just like the quilting layer).

7.6-cm (3-in.) ObusForme® latex responds to your body and is extremely breathable, allowing for a more comfortable night’s sleep:

This is probably a good quality material but I would want to know the type of latex (Dunlop or Talalay and whether it was natural or blended).

17.8-cm (7-in.) soy-based foam core provides superior support and resilience:

This is the polyfoam support layer and i would want to know the density of the polyfoam. Hopefully it will be 1.8 lb or more.

Once these questions are answered then it would be possible to make some kind of assessment about “value”.

Overall though … it has a reasonable amount of foam that would be subject to softening (1.8" including the memory foam in the zoned layer) which isn’t too bad and with layers this thin and that are meant to be soft anyway … then foam softening isn’t as much of an issue.

If the base foam and the latex are both good quality … then it would be reasonable value IMO.

Of course there is no way with a Costco purchase to know if the mattress is suitable for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal Preferences) but with the return policy of Costco some people are OK with the risk of buying a mattress where there is no way to know how well it may work … and at least with a latex comfort layer the risk of foam softening is less (assuming the unknown layers are OK) so there is less chance of having a problem in a couple of years when you can’t return it any more.

The Dandelion top to bottom and my comments …

3.8 cm (1.5 in.) Supersoft™ StayTrue™ convoluted foam
1.3 cm (0.5 in.) Supersoft™ StayTrue™ foam

This one is not starting off too well because there is already too much soft polyfoam on top. I would definitely want to know the foam density of these layers … especially since there is even more polyfoam underneath them.

2.5-cm (1-in.) latex foam
5.1-cm (2-in.) StayTrue™ soy based foam ;
5.1-cm (2-in.) Supersoft™ StayTrue™ soy based foam Base layer:
2.5-cm (1-in.) StayTrue™ foam

One inch of latex but then there is 5 more inches of polyfoam. Again it would be essential to know the density to make sure that you don’t have a total of &’ of polyfoam subject to softening.

15.2 cm (6-in.) Smart Latex® foam core

This is synthetic latex and is the lowest cost/quality of latex available. While it probably won’t be an issue with softening because it is under 7" of foam … it certainly isn’t the highest quality of latex available.

I would be very very skeptical of this mattress especially considering the thick layers of what is almost certainly lower quality polyfoam in the most important upper layers of the mattress and also because it’s not very likely that anyone will tell you the density information you would need to know. I would avoid this one completely regardless of any return policy.

Phoenix

8

Thanks Phoenix, I’ve emailed for specifics regarding the type of latex layer and the density of the polyfoam layer but haven’t heard back yet. I did discover that the Talora is actually manufactured by Natura World and have heard good things about their materials.

Hopefully they’ll get back to me.

9

Hi Rockfamily,

The Obusforme is actually manufactured by Spring Air which has a license to use their name. Natura recently went bankrupt and were purchased by Spring Air so perhaps they were mixing up the two and meant to say that the manufacturer of the ObusForme was the same as Natura.

I hope they provide you with the information you asked for.

Phoenix

10

Well I have a response to the specs of the Talora

3" latex layer:

It is a Talalay Latex and it is a Blended Latex 20% Natural, 80% Synthetic. The latex is a Soft latex and has an ILD of 19 (firmness level).

First reply regarding the foam core was:

The Foam Core is a Firm for the proper support, 2nd reply is as follows: Foam is not measured in density - but in lbs. The Foam in the mattress is a 5 lbs rating (I double checked this with a follow up question and was assured “Yes - the 5 lbs is correct. It’s firm piece of foam. Very supportive.”

I’m thinking that this mattress looks like a good buy at $1050.00, what is your opinion?

The closest we’ve come to finding something comfortable at foam shops is a 9" 2 lb. foam mattress topped with a “soft” 2" dunlop latex topper however I still found some pressure soreness in my shoulder with that combination.

Thanks again for all your feedback, you are a wonderful resource!

11

Hi Rockfamily,

Well the specs don’t seem to be quite correct but it’s probably the best you will get.

The 3" of blended Talalay is a good quality material and is probably fine based on the 2" of Dunlop being too firm for you (although there is usually more natural latex content in the blended Talalay).

Their answer about how foam is measured is a little mixed up (meaning the person who answered your email doesn’t know a lot) because density is expressed in lbs/cu ft (or kg/cu m) which is usually shortened to just “lbs”. 5 lbs is also more in the range of latex or memory foam than polyfoam so there may be some memory foam in the mattress which they think is the support core (memory foam is never used as a support core in a mattress).

Either way though … if all that is in the mattress is 3" of 19 ILD blended Talalay and this is over a firm support core of some kind (probably polyfoam) … then it would be reasonable value (depending on what the density of the polyfoam in the support core really is and even more importantly the size you are buying) but there are probably some “missing layers” in the description which could be the weak link of the mattress because it doesn’t seem to me that the mattress has only two layers of foam. There are also many Spring air mattresses which use lower than average density foam in their support layers (in the range of 1.5 lbs) and often in the comfort layers as well.

So I don’t think the answer you were given is correct and you may well be buying some lower quality materials somewhere in the mix which could create an issue down the road when they soften. Incomplete or inaccurate descriptions would be “normal” from an outlet like Costco … as frustrating as that is.

The mattress you were describing at the foam shop may work well with a 3" topper instead of 2 (depending on your body type or sleeping style) or with a softer type of latex.

Phoenix

12

Hi Rockfamily,

I have been considering purchasing the ObusForme Talora mattress from Costco and really appreciate the information in your conversation with Phoenix. Did you end up purchasing this mattress? If so, I would love to know what you thought of it.

Thanks,
Janice

13

Hi Janice,

Yes we did purchase this mattress last October and it will be going back as soon as we can find a suitable replacement. It held up pretty well for the first few months but after maybe 4 months the body impressions started and now there is no lower back support, just a hammocky feeling.

We actually just turned our King sideways last weekend so now we have the hump in the middle for back support and our toes are cold but it’s summer here in BC so it’ll work this way for a few weeks.

So ultimately I would NOT recommend this mattress if you need to rely on consistent lower back support, the foam in the top layers must be of inferior quality and has given out before a year’s time.

Good luck with your search. We are going up to Nanaimo to the Foam Guy in two weeks to give his mattresses a try.

Kim

14

Hi Rockfamily and Janice,

Thanks for the update Rockfamily … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

I took a look at the description and it seems they’ve made it more complete which also explains why the foam is softening and impressions are happening.

The top layer is an “antimicrobial blend” which is likely some type of synthetic fiber which will compress over time under the heavier areas of the body (and sometimes fairly quickly).

The next layer down is 1.3" of “firm ecofoam” which means polyfoam and would be a lower density material. If this was all the lower quality materials in the upper layers of the mattress it would probably be OK … but unfortunately it’s not since there are layers both above and below it that are also lower quality.

The next layer down is a .5" zoned layer which includes memory foam in some of the zones which is likely lower density and will soften in the very areas they need to maintain their firmness.

The next layer down is what they call “obusform latex” which is likely a good quality material although Spring Air doesn’t disclose the type or blend of the latex and in some cases they have a “latex enhanced layer” which is a lower density polyfoam with a very small percentage of latex in the mix.

The base layer is polyfoam of an unknown density (likely on the low side) but this will have the least effect on foam softening and impressions because the upper layers are what absorb most of the compression forces.

The softness of the 3" latex layer will also make a difference in the overall effects of foam softening in the mattress as a whole both because softer layers of any material will soften more than firmer layers and also because when the foam above it softens it will be more noticeable with softer layers underneath it than it would if the layers were firmer.

This type of construction where higher quality materials are mixed in with too much lower quality materials in the comfort layers (which become the weak link of the mattress) is unfortunately far too common in the mainstream industry.

Phoenix

15

Thank you Kim - you’ve saved me some time. Very much appreciated! Best of luck with your next try. I’d be interested to hear how you make out.

Phoenix, thanks for your input as well. This forum is chock full of valuable information! It’s terrible that finding and buying a decent mattress has to be soooo time consuming. When I have more time I think I’ll send you details on my situation and search so far - perhaps you can steer me in the right direction.

16

Hi jwind55,

I agree it can be frustrating … especially if you go where most consumers go to buy a mattress. In an hour or two on this site you will probably know more meaningful information about mattresses than most of the people who sell them in the mainstream industry.

Post #1 here is the best place to start your research and has the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you bypass most of the worst choices (in terms of mattresses and retailers) and focus on the better ones … and know how to tell the difference. If you follow the steps one by one you won’t go far wrong :slight_smile:

Phoenix