I need some help decided between which sleepez latex mattress to buy. I’m leaning towards the natural select layer mattress since we don’t have any latex allergies and according to some of your posts, it’s not worth spending the extra money for the blended tally unless needed. This will be my first latex mattress purchase as I’ve always slept on innerspring mattresses - the latest, a 10 yr old Stearns & Foster that needs to be replaced soon.
I’ve narrowed my choices to either the 9" or 10" natural select model consisting of:
S/M/F or M/M/F
I’m 35, 5’7", 170lbs and a side sleeper. My partner is 35, 5’, 105lbs and side/stomach sleeper. Would you recommend the 9" or 10" based on our weight and sleep position. My only concern is if the top layer will be too soft for the both of us. I tried the 9" organic botanical bliss latex mattress from plush beds and the 2" medium talalay (24-26 ILD), 6" med-firm dunlop (29-31 ILD) seemed comfortable.
Also, is there any disadvantages/advantages if I purchase split layers. Maybe merging the bottom two layers and splitting the top one in case one of us likes a harder/softer feel.
I’m guessing you meant “it’s not worth spending the extra money for the 100% natural Talalay unless needed” because the SleepEZ Natural Select mattresses give you a choice between 100% natural Dunlop or blended Talalay in each of the layers.
There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and there is more about some of the general differences between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here but the choice between different types and blends of latex in either comfort, transition, or base layers is more of a preference and budget choice than a “better/worse” choice because any type or blend of latex is a good quality and durable material relative to other types of foam such as memory foam or polyfoam. The best way to know which type or blend of latex or the general firmness levels you tend to prefer would be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels and the different options they have available to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.
A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally make suggestions that they honestly believe have the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but once again … at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (or how it compares to another mattress) will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress (or individual layers or components in some cases) or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of most people’s personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
The main advantage of a side to side split is that you can choose a different initial design and firmness level with different levels of comfort and/or support for each side of the mattress which can certainly be beneficial for couples that are in different weight ranges or that have different needs and preferences in a mattress. Having a side to side split also allows you to “fine tune” the comfort and/or support on each side of the mattress separately from the other side by rearranging layers or replacing a layer on one side of the mattress without affecting the other side. There is more about the pros and cons of a split layer mattress in post #2 here.
As you probably know SleepEZ is one of the members of the site which means that I think highly of them and that I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency and you are certainly looking at a great quality/value choice.
Besides what was already mentioned by Phoenix, I really like the splits if for nothing else the convenience. It is a lot easier to assemble/disassemble a mattress using the split left and right sides, and you don’t notice the seam where they meet in the middle.
Thank you both for your prompt responses. I gave sleepez a call and they answered alot of my questions. I think I’m going to pull the trigger on the 9" natural Select model with the following configuration: S/M/F with split layers. The representative said I can rearrange the layers, ie. M/F/S or M/S/F if I find the soft talalay top layer too soft for my liking. I was under the impression that the soft layer would have to used as either the top or middle layer for support but he said it should be fine for the bottom core layer. Phoenix, could you clarify for me if I can use any arrangement?
It would be unusual to use a soft layer on the bottom and in some cases it can have a negative effect on whether the deeper layers are firm enough to keep your spine in good alignment over the course of the night but any arrangement that is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP would be OK.
As you know you are making a great quality/value choice … and congratulations on your new mattress :).
I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Do you have a list of online manufacturers that you recommend for purchasing natural & organic latex toppers from 1"-3". I looked at foamorder.com and there prices were reasonable.
Also, during the weekend, I got a chance to test a few latex mattresses to see what I like. I tried the pure bliss talalay mattress (2" soft, 3" medium, 4" hard) & (3" soft, 3" medium, 4" hard) and also the savvyrest dunlop latex mattress (3" medium, 3" medium, 3" firm) & (3" soft, 3" soft, 3" firm). So far, I think a 2" soft comfort layer is ideal although I wasn’t as comfy as I thought I would be. A 3" soft comfort layer was too much for me as my shoulders were fine but my hips would sink in alot making the mattress uncomfortable.
After trying all of them, I think I would like in all dunlop
2" soft (ILD 18-20),
1" med (ILD 23-25)
3" med-firm (ILD 28-31),
3" firm (ILD 34-36)
Since the 2" soft wasn’t bad and the 3" soft was too much, I figured the 1" med layer I can use on top or as the 2nd layer for a little more softness.
Thanks for helping me with my purchase of my sleepez natural latex mattress I purchased back in Oct. of last year. Up until recently I’ve been sleeping ok, occasional waking up at night, but for the last few months I can hardly sleep. I purchased the 10" natural king size latex mattress from sleepez. This is how my bed is configured:
1" polyester topper
sleepz wool cover
3" soft talalay split
3" medium natural dunlop split
3" hard natural dunlop split
sleepez 8" foundation
easy breather king latex pillow
My partner occasionally sleeps on the other side once a week, 5’ 0" 110 lbs, but I’m the one who sleeps (side sleeper, 5’ 7’’, 170lbs) it on every night on the right side of the bed. Initially, I found the bed too hard with soft talalay on top so I added the 1" topper to make it alittle softer. After a few months, I rotated the top talalay layer bc my hips were sinking in too much on the right side of the bed. This worked for the first 6 months but now I can’t sleep at all. My hips are thinking in way too much, much more than my shoudlers, and I wake up every morning with lower back pain. If I move to the middle or left side of the bed I toss and turn alot bc my shoulders and hips are not sinking in enough. What do you recommend I should do and is it normal to develop “soft spots” in the mattress if you sleep on the same side of the bed every night?
Welcome back! And thanks for the update on your configuration.
To answer your question, yes, it is normal for some softening to happen in the area where you sleep with any foam, even latex. The largest mechanical stress occurs in the uppermost layers of any mattress, and the softer foams will tend to be less durable than firmer foams. Latex changes less than other foams in loss of support factor, and Talalay Global rates their ILD loss in the 6%-10% range in some testing I’ve seen, with a compression set of 3%-4% in testing. I do not know the ILD of the foams used in these tests, but these are results that tend to be superior to most other foams. You may also wish to read post#2 here.
With your configuration, you’re using 4" of quite plush Talalay right now in the upper layers. I know that SleepEZ had mentioned in your earlier conversations that you could try mixing the order of the layers if the S/M/F turned out to be a bit too plush over time, and you may wish to try out the (top to bottom) M/S/F combination, with the 1" plush topper above that. Where you initially needed a bit more plushness when the mattress was new, now that the foams and covering have softened a bit (and maybe even you have changed a bit ) it may be that you desire just a bit more surface firmness, so this rearranging may do the trick. It certainly would be worth a try, and is one of the great benefits of having a component-style latex system where you can rearrange and change layers over time.
Also, just because I can’t recall, what are you using underneath your mattress for a foundation and support?
I’ll be interested to learn of any experimentation you may with the layers.
I haven’t experimented with moving the layers around yet but I’ll give it a shot. I’m using the 8" wood foundation from sleepez. Would you recommend sleeping in diff. areas of the bed to “soften” or “break-in” the top layer of the bed. I can’t seem to find a happy place anywhere I sleep. The right side, I’m sinking in causing lower back pain and rest of the bed is too hard right now. Is there any benefit of using a 1" or 2" memory foam topper instead of the 1" polyester topper that I’m currently using?
I’m sorry I missed that in your previous reply. :S Thanks for reminding me!
You certainly can do this, but in your earlier post you stated that “If I move to the middle or left side of the bed I toss and turn alot bc my shoulders and hips are not sinking in enough”, so I thought that you had ruled that out. The other areas where the mattress hasn’t be used as much will still retain much of their “false firmness” and I believe this is why you purchased your 1" polyester topper in the first place.
I would still try rearranging the layers on the side you normally use to the M/S/F and give that a try for at least a few weeks. Your other option would be to sleep on the other side of the mattress with the S/M/F combination where the foams are not used as much, but as the mattress “breaks in” over time this may also result in a comfort that is too soft for you. You could use a memory foam topper if you desired on the side of the mattress that hasn’t been used much and that will create more surface plushness than your 1" polyester topper. I would not use the memory foam topper on the side of your mattress that you’re already saying is too soft, as it will only accentuate this plushness.
) it may be that you desire just a bit more surface firmness, so this rearranging may do the trick. It certainly would be worth a try, and is one of the great benefits of having a component-style latex system where you can rearrange and change layers over time.