Deciding between a few beds

[bboy389]

Hi!

Just wanted to mention great forum you guys have here. I’ve learned quite a bit about mattresses here and love the feedback and attention that every single forum post seems to get from the moderator!

Originally my family had wanted me to purchase a Stearns and Foster Estate Queen sized bed but when the friend who recommended the bed to us had her bed collapse on arrival, we quickly decided to look for better alternative.

After some delving, I had decided on between a few Queen sized beds…

The Sleep EZ Natural 7000 Med over Firm

Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams Latex Bed (Most likely Firm)

Brooklyn Bedding 12" Bamboo Bliss

IKEA SULTAN FJORDGARD

Now I’m mostly a back/side sleeper at 135 lbs 5’9", and so I know thickness of the bed shouldn’t be much of a problem for me with latex. Ikea is there because lying on it in person, it felt perfectly comfortable (and even a little soft) to me, as I thought prefer firm beds.

However, I’ve also tried some Pure Latex Bliss, and though those seemed soft in comparuison, they didn’t run hot so I could see myself adjusting to the comfort. The owner of that particular store who showed me the pure Latex Bliss also mentioned that even though I might like firm, as a side sleeper, I prob am hurting my hips by not allowing myself to sink in enough. She had recommended the “medium” firmness Pure Latex Bliss instead of the firmest model. Is this typically true from your experience? I know when I do sleep on my sides I do twist my hips forward which stresses my back, which is something I’ve been trying to correct as of late.

Now I’m leaning towards Sleep EZ mainly because of the idea of it being made of the “best value” since it’s made of pure Talalay; I’ve tried Latexpedic blocks of 6" pure talalay and they were quite comfortable. Amazon worries me, which is why I’m afraid of purchasing the Dreamfoam. However, I thought the Ikea Fjorgard felt wonderful, so I’d imagine the dreamfoam would feel just as nice, though I know Ikea uses Dunlop and not Talalay. However, the difference in return policy and support through Amazon shies me away from that purchase.

From your experience, you seem to think very highly of Sleep EZ, so I guess your recommendation would be to go for that one if I’m having some indecision? I’m just a bit afraid, since having 7" talalay on talalay is not something I could readily find in my area (Orange County).

[phoenix]

Hi bboy389,

She had recommended the “medium” firmness Pure Latex Bliss instead of the firmest model. Is this typically true from your experience? I know when I do sleep on my sides I do twist my hips forward which stresses my back, which is something I’ve been trying to correct as of late.

Yes … side sleepers typically need a little thicker comfort layers and lower weights typically need softer comfort layers to relieve pressure, allow the shoulders to sink in far enough, and prevent “twisting” away from pressure points. This will also allow you to sink in enough to fill in the recessed gaps in your sleeping profile(the waist on your side or the small of your back on your back) which can help support the recessed part of the lumbar spine. The “primary” support that prevents the heavier pelvis from sinking in too far comes from the deeper layers of the mattress. The key with pressure relief is to have “just enough” in terms of the thickness and softness of your comfort layer in your most pressure prone position so that you are as close as possible to your deeper support layers and there is less risk of alignment issues.

From your experience, you seem to think very highly of Sleep EZ, so I guess your recommendation would be to go for that one if I’m having some indecision? I’m just a bit afraid, since having 7" talalay on talalay is not something I could readily find in my area (Orange County).

There are too many variables and unknowns for anyone to recommend a specific mattress for someone else that can be more accurate than your own experience so the suggestions on the site are much more about “how” to choose rather than “what” to choose. Post #2 here has links to some of the “theory” involved in choosing a mattress design but these are only generic and not specific to any individual person. It really boils down to choices based on your actual local testing for PPP (Posture and alignment pressure relief, and personal preferences) or more detailed phone conversations with an online manufacturer or retailer who can help you make a choice that has the best odds of being suitable for you based on the “averages” of other people. Because “averages” may not be as accurate as your own testing … the options you have after a purchase to exchange or re-arrange layers can be an important part of your “personal value equation” when you are making an online purchase.

The mattresses you are looking at are quite different in terms of their construction and range from an all latex two layer component mattress that can be adjusted or the layers can be exchanged after a purchase (SleepEz), An all latex mattress that is a single layer and can’t be adjusted outside of adding a topper (Ikea), a latex hybrid where you can choose your comfort layer but can’t be changed after the purchase (the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams), and a latex hybrid where you can exchange the comfort layer if you need to (Brooklyn Bedding Bamboo Bliss). You can see some of my thoughts about a latex hybrid vs an all latex mattress in post #2 here and your risk tolerance and the importance of local testing vs an online purchase and the importance of being able to make adjustments or exchanges after an online purchase may all be important parts of your decision outside of the mattress itself.

SleepEz along with Dreamfoam and Brooklyn Bedding (who are sister companies) are all members of this site which means I believe they are among the best quality/value available and I wouldn’t hesitate to make a purchase from any of them. Amazon is just a marketplace of individual merchants (outside of the products they fulfill themselves) so you are really dealing with the mechant not with Amazon. Ikea can also be a good choice for those who place a higher value on a local purchase that they have tested for PPP in person.

When you are down to final choices between “good and good” and there is no longer any clear winners or “better and worse” in your final choices then “best value” really depends on all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. None of your final choices have any obvious weak links and are all in a good value range which means you’ve done some good research. Since none of your final choices would be bad ones in terms of quality and value post #2 here may help you make a final choice based on what is most important to you.

Phoenix