Hello, this is my first post on this forum. I’m so glad to have found this forum and it’s wealth of information. I have been mattress shopping for a while now, and having a really hard time making up my mind. Latex sounded appealing, but I basically ruled it out early on because I thought it would be too expensive (we’re on a budget). I looked into the all foam bed in a box type beds, traditional coil springs from sealy, and hybrid designs to name a few. I was drawn to the Ghostbed mostly due to the latex layer it contained, but ultimately after reading many reviews, decided that an all (poly)foam mattress wouldn’t be durable enough for us. Then I found this forum, and in it some more affordable latex options, and more information about the benefits of latex. So, here I am about to embark on a journey of potentially building my own DIY all latex or latex hybrid bed.
I have been looking around, but mostly finding what I think I’ll need at an affordable price at Arizona Premium Mattress. I have a spreadsheet with 8 different configurations of layers and prices of each one, and am also considering the Eco Sleep Hybrid. We’d like to keep our price down to about $1000, but would be willing to go up to $1250 or so if it seemed worth it.
Here’s our sleepers’ profile: We need a king size.
My husband is 6’5" and 245lbs with very broad shoulders, he sleeps on his side. It would be worth mentioning that he carries most of his weight in his upper body, and is more muscle than fat. He is very hard on furniture (i’ve seen him accidently break many a chair), and his side of our mattresses tends to get saggy and way bent out of shape. He works as a blacksmith and at times has trouble with his back. He sleeps hot, having a breathable and supportive mattress are priority to him.
I’m 5’9" my normal weight is 165lbs with relatively broad shoulders for a woman, I sleep on my side. I am currently pregnant, and weighing in at 170lbs right now. I am not too picky about firmness vs softness (or I actually just don’t know what I like), but I know I have had situations where my shoulder gets numb from sleeping on my side while camping or on a very firm (old worn-out) mattress. We also have a 3 year old and 5 year old who occasionally sleep with us. The baby will be sleeping with us full-time once she is born. So, I need a set-up that won’t cause her to roll into me, one that reduces motion transfer (so when hubby rolls over it won’t wake the baby), and will also need a waterproof mattress cover.
I would love to hear y’all’s recommendation on a configuration that would be best for us, and also for a waterproof mattress cover. I will list some options I am considering, please tell me if there are any obvious concerns with any options, and which ones you think would fit our needs best. I want to strike the balance between firmness to support my heavier husband, and softness so I will be comfortable side sleeping. I don’t think we want to do a split topper with different firmnesses on either side since we will have an infant sleeping in the middle, and i worry the crack would pose safety issues.
First of all, of all the configurations I’m considering, the Eco Sleep is still the most affordable. Would an Eco Sleep with Medium latex layer be supportive enough for husband and soft enough for me? Also, if we go this route would you recommend the Caliber or Bolsa springs? I see the Bolsa springs would be more conforming for side sleeping, but wondering if the lower gauge of the Caliber would make them more durable?
Now on to my custom configuration options, I believe I would like to use the bamboo and wool cover for any of these (I love wool!).
a. Eco sleep (caliber or bolsa)
medium
b. 6" coils (caliber or bolsa)
2" medium blended talalay
2" soft natural talalay
c. 6" coils (caliber or bolsa)
3" medium blended talalay
2" soft natural talalay
d. 6" dunlop medium
3" medium blended talalay
e. 6" dunlop firm
2" medium blended talalay
2" soft natural talalay
f. 3" firm blended talalay
3" medium blended talalay
3" soft blended talalay
g. 3" extra firm blended talalay
3" firm blended talalay
3" medium blended talalay
h. 3" extra firm blended talalay
2" firm blended talalay
2" medium blended talalay
2" soft natural talalay
Thanks for any input you have on these configuration options. Will the 3 X 3" toppers configurations work, or would I need a 6" core piece for the base? I will admit, I have not been to any mattress stores to try out mattresses, much less a latex mattress. I saw Ken from APM recommended looking for a Savvy Rest location to try out the latex feel. Their flagship store is about an hour and a half from me. I would like to go in and try out to see how the hybrid feels compared to an all latex, and see how the different firmnesses feel. How do I politely go about visiting their showroom knowing that all of their mattresses are out of my price range?
I want to get a new bed as soon as possible because ours is terrible, my husband can’t even sleep on it any more because it causes him so much back pain. But I also want to take my time on this decision and find a bed that will be comfortable and durable enough to last us a decade. I do need to have the bed, and all the kinks worked out well before my baby arrives in March. Looking forward to hearing from y’all. Thanks in advance!
Stacey