After doing extensive research on line, we’ve decided to buy our first latex mattress to replace our embarrassingly old innerspring mattress.
Our details are as follows: 6’3" 230lbs,and 5’6 190lbs. Both primarily back and side sleepers . Both in our 60’s, I have a history of back pain which acts up from time to time and we live in NY (LI).
We went to the only local mattress company that carries Latex mattresses in our area and we loved the feel but that particular dealer doesn’t get the best reviews. They purchase their mattresses from Bedding Industries of America in NJ which also does not get good ratings. Now I know you can’t always believe those reviews on line, however we are already cautious about buying a product that has so very many variables, we’d like to do so from a source we can depend upon. A few weeks of research kept leading me back here. So here we are.
We liked the feel of Nature’s Bed (?)/ Natural Dreams (?)/Natural Rest(?) (see? they referred to the mattress under three different names!) which was 4" Talalay over a “High Density Plant Based” bottom (they couldn’t tell me what was in that plant based foam, referred me to manufacturer site which didn’t help much- hmm) and a Chittenden and Eastman “Elite” which is also a hybrid but innerspring + Talalay (I want to say 3") with a more plush top. I’d say they were both medium in firmness.
Is there a better option out there that mimics the feel of either of these and is durable, natural with certifications, healthy and reasonably priced? If not, has anyone ever heard of either of these mattresses? Are they any good? Which one would be more durable?
I know It sounds like I am looking for a unicorn( at least according to my spouse) however, I know that is not the case having read testimonials on this site so very many times. So, any insight and assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Want2rest and welcome to the forums! Based on the information you’ve provided, I think the 10" organic latex mattress by Sleep EZ will be ideal! They’re fully customizable, meaning you can order the mattress to be as soft or as firm as you’d like. They’re also fully adjustable, meaning you can change the softness, firmness, back support, pressure relief, etc. AFTER you get the mattress in your home. To be more specific, the 10” is our most popular, and these mattresses normally go out with three 3" layers of different firmnesses - normally the softest layer (or the cushion & contour layer) is on top and the supportive layers are on the bottom. This helps ensure our customers get the right balance of contour for their hips and shoulders but also support for their lower back. If you start with a certain setup and find that it’s too soft, you can unzip the cover and rearrange the layers to get a firmer feel out of the mattress, or you can exchange a layer to make it softer. Additionally, latex mattresses typically last 20 years. If, in 5 or 10 or 15 years you decide you want a softer or firmer mattress you would only have to buy a new layer instead of an entirely new mattress. Lastly, if the mattress starts to break down in 15 – 20 years, it’s normally the top layer that breaks down first, and at that point you can likely just buy a new top layer of latex instead of a whole new mattress and get an additional 8-10 years out of the mattress.
Furthermore, queen, king, and cal king mattresses are available with what we call “split layers,” which means you can have us cut the layers down the middle (from head to foot) so that you can have a different feel / firmness on your side versus your partner’s side, and you can adjust each side independently over the 20 year lifetime of the mattress. About 95% of our mattresses go out with all split layers from top to bottom, and we get zero complaints on being able to feel the split and we get zero complaints about the layers shifting or anything like that, even if you sleep right on the middle of the mattress.
Based on your heights and weights and preferences, we would normally recommend the 10" with soft Talalay over medium Dunlop over firm Dunlop for one side, and medium Talalay over medium Dunlop over firm Dunlop for the other side. The top Talalay layer should provide all the contour and pressure relief needed to avoid any pressure point issues and will add secondary support to the mattress. Secondary support is needed to fill in the gaps between your body and the mattress – back sleepers normally need secondary support to fill in the gaps between the small of their back and the mattress; side sleepers normally need secondary support to fill in the gaps between their mid-section and the mattress. If these parts of a person’s body aren’t supported by the mattress, their muscles will work throughout the night to hold these parts of the body up, and by the time they wake up they’ve got back pain. So the top 3” of Talalay latex will provide contour, pressure relief, and secondary support. The remaining Dunlop layers should provide all the support needed to maintain proper spinal alignment and avoid back pain. Please keep in mind that our initial recommendations have a 90% success rate (we only have a 10% layer exchange rate and a 3%-4% return rate) so there’s a 90% chance that the above recommendation works perfectly for you.
Thank you so much for your reply. I actually spent quite a while on your site and reached a similar conclusion. I’m just curious what your suggestion for the 13" would be and are there benefits to getting the thicker mattress? Also thinking of adjustable base…
The 13" isn’t a “better” mattress, it’s just a taller mattress. The 13" is more money than you need to spend unless you weigh 300 pounds or more or just want a taller mattress. Nonetheless, my recommendation would be the same, you would just add a 3" extra firm Dunlop layer as the bottom layer.
The 10" and 13" work just fine on adjustable bases, but the 10" will bend at sharper angles than the 13" just because it’s thinner, but that’s a pretty small consideration / difference.
I placed the order last night after the plumber left and I can not wait to get a good nights’ sleep!
With all of the options out there in the latex mattress world, this was turning into one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in a very long time. You made it so much easier ( and you may have saved my marriage in the process !).
Well that’s excellent news! Thank you so much for the order and thanks for the kind words! If there’s anything else we can help with, please don’t hesitate to reach out, we’re always happy to help!