DIY All-Latex Questions

[phoenix]

Hi mosh513,

Tried out some beds and decided on my firmness combinations. Really like the Savvy Rest configuration with Med Talalay over Med Dunlop over Firm Dunlop. Glad I tried them as the All-Talalay was way to “bouncy” and the All-Dunlop was too “dead”.

That is a common description that people have of Dunlop versus Talalay. The covering on the Savvy Rest also has an impact on the feel of the product, being a bit thicker/stiffer than many of the covers used on all-latex mattresses.

My biggest challenge is that my husband recently lost his job, but we REALLY need a new mattress

I’m sorry to hear about that. I hope he has good luck in finding a new job.

I have some money set aside, but I don’t want to spend more than necessary. The mattress store salesman where I went yesterday (not associated with this website) was so pushy about using financing. It was such a big turn-off

Unfortunately, too many retail stores are more interested in selling you financing than actually helping you find a mattress that meets your needs!

A couple of weeks ago I visited Jeff at Mattress To Go, and he was fantastic. He pointed me to SleepEZ and Brooklyn Bedding instead of trying to convince me to spend more than I was comfortable with.

I’m glad you were able to get some good advice from Jeff. He is a member here, which means that I think highly of him. If you’re looking for more affordable latex options than Savvy Rest, his recommendations for SleepEZ or Brooklyn Bedding were certainly good ones. Both of these companies are members here, and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.

Our king bed currently has box springs on the bottom, with peg board mounted to slats to flatten and firm out the surface.

Please make sure that your bed set slats are properly reinforced, as if they aren’t they will still sag under the weight of a mattress, even with pegboard on top of it. If you need help with that, feel free to post photos of what the support looks like under your mattress and I can offer some suggestions.

Additionally, you’ll need to make sure that your foundation (what you’re referring to as the box springs) are flat and firm and do not flex. Box springs contain actual coiled springs on the inside, and while these would be inappropriate for almost all latex mattresses, I’m guessing you don’t have this. More than likely you have some sort of a foundation made of wood with 6-9 slats on top (perhaps with a cardboard deck on top of the slats) wrapped in fabric, or you have a version of a metal “semi-flex” metal cage that is rigid wrapped in fabric. Again, if you are unsure, feel free to attach photos of what you have and I can do my best to decipher it for you.

Mayers bedding has a great price on the NR Talalay layer. I sent them a message to see if they can also order the Dunlop, but haven’t heard back yet.

I believe all they offer is Talalay layers from Talalay Global.

I like the cotton/wool cover that SleepEZ carriers. Might see if I can find something a little bit less expensive.

If you’re considering making your own mattress and want Dunlop, SleepEZ you mentioned earlier does have Dunlop options. If you want to mix components from different companies, you may wish to look at the different vendors in the component post here. There is a separate section for latex layers as well as mattress covers.

I’ll be interested to learn about your progress and the direction you decide to head.

Phoenix