Hello, new member from Excelsior Springs, MO here. Wow what a wealth of information this place is! Currently in the midst of trying to find a new mattress to replace our 5 year old Restonic memory foam model. Felt pretty good the first few years but I have progressively developed more and more lower back pain as the foam has broken down and become overly soft and developed body impressions. Spouse and I are both about 5ā7", One of us on the heavy side, maybe 300 or so. Both side sleepers. Hoping to get a mattress with proper support without being punished with something too firm. Currently thinking a hybrid pocket coil / latex like the āUltimate Hybridā at mattresses.net might be a good choice (with their KD foundation). Likely in a Cal King since our Queen is just too small for us and our āfurry kidā and our MBR would not fit an Eastern King very well (long and narrow room). Canāt decide if āonlyā 3" of latex would be enough over the coils and which firmness to choose for each side. Thanks for reading and hope to take advantage of the 5% discount when I pull the trigger.
Hi William17,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
I hope the information presented here is useful. Be sure to take a few minutes and read through the mattress shopping tutorial to assist you as you go through the mattress buying process.
Iām sorry your current mattress is breaking down so soon.
A higher BMI presents special challenges and generally requires firmer materials (in the support layers especially). This could be firmer latex or innersprings (the type of support component would be a personal preference and in the right design either could be suitable) or even a zoned construction. The same overall guidelines apply with higher weights though that PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) along with using high quality durable materials that will maintain their feel and performance for longer periods of time are the way to make the best choices. Heavier people in general will need firmer and thicker comfort layers and firmer support layers than those who are lighter and because no materials will last as long with much higher weights the quality and durability of the materials and components is even more important than normal. I wouldnāt ārule outā any types of mattress and base your choices on your own personal testing. Post #3 here has more information and suggestions about heavier weights that is worth reading.
Youād certainly be considering an item that used higher quality materials with the hybrid model. For the best advice as to whether the 3" of latex would ābe enoughā for you, I suggest a phone call to mattresses.net (a site member here, which means that I think highly of them and their advice and products) and explain to them your current situation and what youāre attempting to accomplish. Their detailed knowledge of their mattresses and how they fit with different body types and sleeping positions along with your feedback from any local testing, a customer base of many people that they can use as reference points, and any exchange, return, or any options they have available to customize a mattress after a purchase can help lower the risk of an online purchase. These online retailers or manufacturers can also be a good āvalue referenceā for local purchases to make sure that if you are paying a āpremiumā for a local purchase (in exchange for the kind of āin personā guidance, service, and value that comes with dealing with a local retailer that can help you make more āaccurateā choices that you have tested in person) is not too high.
If you wish to look at some items locally (near Kansas City), subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you wish to deal with is completely transparent (see this article ) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here ā¦ the better options or possibilities Iām aware of in and around the Kansas City area are listed in post #2 here .
Iāll look forward to learning about your progress and any other specific questions that you may have.
Phoenix
Thank you for the add. We are in the market for a new mattressā¦leaning toward the SleepEZ due to its cutomizable layers. We currently have an original Nautilus air bed which we purchased in 2002, but the air chambers donāt pump up like they used to, and I think the foam layers have compressed over time. They have a 20 year warranty, but to the best of my knowledge, they are no longer in business.
Hi picklepot,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
SleepEZ is a site member here, which means that I think highly of them, their product and their advice, and I believe that the compete well with the best in the industry. A phone call to them would be my best advice should you wish to consider them for a purchase, as their detailed knowledge of their mattresses and how they fit with different body types and sleeping positions along with your feedback from local testing and your current air mattress, a customer base of many people that they can use as reference points, and any exchange, return, or any options they have available to customize a mattress after a purchase can help lower the risk of an online purchase. A component-style system is a popular choice for those who wish to extend the life of their mattress by being able to replace layers over time, as well as those who wish to be able to fine-tune their comfort.
While the Nautilus brand air mattress line is no longer offered, I believe that American National Manufacturing has taken over their warranty claims, or at the very least can provide replacement parts. You are correct that your foam layers generally would have lost quite a bit of their useful comfort life quite some time ago.
Iām looking forward to learning about any future decisions you make and any questions you may have.
Phoenix
Thank you! We live in Vancouver WA (just north of Portland OR)ā¦and we would like to actually try out some different beds. I saw the post about Portland, but it hasnāt been updated in a few years. For some backgroundā¦I am a side to back sleeper (135-140lbs) and hubs starts on his side, but is mostly a stomach sleeper (175-180lbs)ā¦so the ability to have different firmness/softness levels is important I think (Which is why we went with the air bed in the first place). When I did the SleepEZ configurator for the 13", it recommended for me (Top-Soft, Medium, Firm, Extra Firm-Bottom) and for him (Top-Medium, Firm, Extra Firm, Extra Firm-bottom). Are any of the local stores even going to have the type of flexibility that this givesā¦or how to we test drive anything comparable in the stores? Thank you in advance.
Hi picklepot,
The better options or possibilities Iām aware of in and around the Portland, OR area including Salem (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here ) are listed in post #2 here . I did go through the list and update some of the information and add a few more stores.
As for latex on that list, initially I would phone these businesses and see if they have any items available that you may wish to try out:
Mulligan
Mattress Lot
Bedtime
Cotton Cloud ā a few
Parklane. Few all latex and latex/memory foam. Not sure if can do custom latex products.
I donāt know if any of these stores will offer the specific style of customizable mattress youāre considering.
Those combinations certainly would āgenerallyā be suitable for what you described, but I would still take the time for a detailed phone conversation before placing any order with SleepEZ.
Phoenix
Amazing work Phoenix and thank you for helping to demystify the mattress industry. I have immensely enjoyed reading your mattress forums and creating a place for people who want to work towards an educated approach to purchasing an important piece of their health and happiness.
-Kryph
Thank you for your quick replies!
HI picklepot,
Youāre very welcome.
Phoenix
Just a quick update from my post #1361. I did decide to go with the hybrid mattress from Arizona Premium Mattress Co. I should get it in a couple of weeks. After a month of sleeping on it I will post another update on what we think of it. I did talk to Ken on the phone for a good 30 minutes. He was very friendly and professional. I never felt pressured during the call, he simply asked me some questions about our situation and preferences and addressed my questions and concerns. I decided to go with a ādouble topperā version of the āUltimate Hybridā in a split California King configuration. This was not an āup-sellā. I was the one that even mentioned it in the first place. One of the advantages will be having the ability to adjust the firmness by how the layers are arranged. I mentioned I was a member here and he accepted the 5% discount without any problem.
Hi William17,
Thank you for your update, and congratulations on your new mattress! :cheer: You certainly did make a good quality/value decision. And thanks again for taking the time to phone the manufacturer before placing your order. Iām glad that you had a good discussion with Ken and between the two of you came up with a design that he things will work well for you.
Iām looking forward to your future updates.
Phoenix
Thanks so much for all the great information on this site. It has really helped me narrow down the best options that suit my needs. Leaning towards Sleep EZ or Foam Sweet Foam at this point. The 5% discount is a wonderful bonus.
Hi sryef001,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
Youāre certainly considering two products that use high quality and durable materials, and I think highly of both of site members SleepEZ and Foam Sweet Foam.
I look forward to learning about and future decisions you might make, as well as any questions that you may have.
Phoenix
Just another āthank you very much for putting all this information out thereā post. Registering and posting to make sure I ask for the MU discount when Iāve decided.
Thanks again!
Hi ElbowRocker,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
Iām glad youāve found us, and Iām looking forward to learning about your mattress shopping experience and any decisions that you may make, as well as any questions you may have.
Phoenix
Going to check out the Spindle Natural Latex Mattress in Acton MA. I like my Gardner Mattress with latex top built in so we are going to try an all latex from Spindle for the guest room. We like to support our local business. Thanks for all the great info here on your site, and a discount is not too shabby either!
Iāve been reading and gathering information from your site for about two years now and after setting it aside for so long, Iām finally going to bite the bullet and get a new mattress. Today Iām heading to Dixie Foam beds and Iām confident that Iāll be able to find something that works for me and that will last, thanks entirely to the work that youāve put into this site. Thanks a lot, your help has been invaluable!
Hi tyny,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
Iām glad the information here has been helpful. As youāre aware, Dixie Foam Beds is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
Iāll look forward to learning about what you decide to do and anything that you may end up purchasing.
Phoenix
Thank you so much for the valuable info here, and the discount.
Weāll be going to Texas Mattress Makers today for a set for our daughter.
Thanks,
Masta