Thanks for all the information compiled in this site Phoenix. We have been searching for a mattress and were really interested in the Pranasleep until I found this site. Today I plan to visit some local manufacturers. Keep up the good fight!
Warm greetings, dear Phoenix.
I have been reading some of your postings and it is very kind of you to help people with such valuable information regarding the purchase of a good mattress. This is my first posting with which I would like for you or anyone here to help me decide from the 3 companies I selected after extensive research. You guys seem to know much better than I, thus, I would appreciate your opinion. I am looking for a full size botanical latex (preferably talalay) mattress. I am a 63 years young lady who weights about 130 lbs.
- Arizona Premium 9" Naturalux mattress 1 (6" layer Talalay M 32ild) + 1 (3" layer Talalay S 19ild) with organic cotton - $1,280
- Sleep EZ Organic Latex 9000 2 (3" Talalay F & M layers) + 1 (2" Talalay S layer) with Damask cotton cover - $1,650
- Foam Sweet Foam - 9" Urban Green mattress 3(3" Talalay layers) with cotton cover - &1,899
Which would be best (price and quality) purchase?
In none of their webpages I read if these mattress could be placed on platform beds. Does anyone know this? I went to a Healthy Back Mattress store and they told me these kinds of mattresses need to be placed over a solid surface not slats in order to comply with the warranty. Is this true?
One more thing: There is another company called Plushbeds that although the core layer is Dunlop they are offering a good sale for $1,900 plus 2 latex pillows, cotton sheets set and mattress protection cover. This is:
10" full mattress 1 (6" Dunlop F layer) + 1 (3" Talalay layer) + 1" layer of cotton
I wonder if this too, can be the best purchase.
Please, help.
Thank you kindly,
Providence
Hi Prvndc,
I split your post into a new topic so your questions donāt get mixed up with other posts in a more āgeneralā topic.
All of these would make good choices and there is no ābest choiceā except the one that is ābest for youā based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (regardless of what may be important for someone else).
The most important part of the āvalueā of a purchase is your confidence that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). When you canāt test a mattress in person or a mattress that is very similar ā¦ then more detailed conversations on the phone with each online manufacturer or retailer you are considering that can help you decide whether a mattress is likely to be a good āmatchā for you is one of the most important parts of an online purchase (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
The next most important part of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase is to make sure you know the type and quality of all the materials inside the specific mattress you are considering so you can identify any weak links in the mattress and make more meaningful āapples to applesā comparisons with other mattresses. All of the options you are considering use latex which is a high quality material. There is also more information about the different types and blends of latex in this article and post #6 here. Since latex is among the most durable materials in the industry ā¦ none of the mattresses you are considering have any weak links in terms of durability. The SleepEz 9000 uses an inch less latex in the comfort layer than the other two you are considering so their 10000 model would be a more āapples to applesā comparison in terms of the thickness of the latex layers.
Outside of PPP and the quality of the materials ā¦ the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you would also be significant parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase and which one would be the best choice for you including the price (and any shipping costs) and the options you have to customize the mattress either before or after a purchase or to return it and the costs involved.
Post #2 here also has more information about making āfinal choicesā when your are comparing āgood and goodā and there are no clear winners between them.
There is more information about the type of foundation or platform bed that would be best for different types of mattresses in the foundation post here and the posts it links to. In general though ā¦ an all latex mattress usually does best on a slatted foundation or platform bed which has a rigid non flexing surface and slats that are no more than 3" apart. You can read more about a solid surface foundation in post #10 here.
Plushbeds (and other retailers as well) have ongoing sales that are meant to create a false sense of urgency. They are always on sale.
They also use good quality materials and are certainly a ābetter than averageā choice compared to most of the mainstream mattresses you will encounter but they may not be in the same āvalue rangeā as some of the other options you are considering either in terms of the options they have available or in terms of price but of course the āvalueā of a mattress purchase always depends on all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. They certainly spend a great deal more on online advertising than any of the other options you are considering. A forum search on āPlushbedsā (you can just click this) will bring up more information and feedback about them.
You are certainly looking at some very good options and none of them would be a āmistakeā in terms of quality or value.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
I recently found this website and have read through a few posts. There is a ton of great info here, thanks. My wife and I are looking for a new cal king mattress and after a recent trip to the Aria Hotel in Vegas, we are thinking about getting that mattress (we slept great on it). I have noticed a few posts that say the Aria mattress is great at first, but does not hold up after some time. We like a fairly firm mattress. I am a pretty big guy (6ā4" 240) so overall durability is a concern. Do you have any recommendations? We live in Valencia, Ca and have all the main stream mattress stores in our area, but want to make sure we get the right mattress.
Thanks.
Topper
Oh, what a gem of a person you are taking so much of your time to answer all of our questions!
After having read more thoroughly over your postings, I feel confident that I can buy from any of these companies. My next question is: do you know if everyone is getting the same price for these mattresses or do the companies reduce the prices to those who know how to bargain? Is $1,900 a reasonable price? To me it sounds like a ludicrous amount but if this is what most companies charge, then I may decide for Arizona Premium which has the lowest price.
Thank you a million times, dear Phoenix.
Hi Topper,
Youāre certainly correct about this and the Aria (along with other hotel mattresses made by major manufacturers) are just lower quality and inflated price versions of similar consumer mattresses made by the same manufacturers which in turn are themselves lower quality/value mattresses compared to many other alternatives that use higher quality materials in the same or lower budget ranges. There is more about hotel mattresses in post #3 here and the posts it links to.
The first place I would start your research is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choices ā¦ and know how and why to avoid the worst ones (including hotel mattresses).
Once you reach step 3 in the tutorial post ā¦ the better options and possibilities Iām aware of in your area are listed in post #2 here for the Greater Los Angeles region or post #2 here for the Santa Barbara/Ventura area.
Phoenix
Hi Prvdnc,
The ability to ābargainā is usually a warning sign not a benefit and only leads to a false sense of getting a good ādealā and a false idea of the āvalueā of a purchase. Retailers that negotiate are much better at it than their customers and in almost all cases the ānegotiationsā donāt reach the price which is as low as they will go so most of their customers pay more than they need to and itās just a matter of āhow much moreā they paid. With better retailers or manufacturers you will receive the best prices they have available every day without any ābargainingā and they donāt need the āhypeā of bargaining to create the impression that you made a great value purchase. They sell their their mattresses at their best price every day of the year.
The only way to make meaningful comparisons between mattresses it to compare similar mattresses ā¦ not a ānegotiated priceā to a āregular priceā at a retailer that negotiates since their listed prices are usually fake anyway. There is more about fake sale prices in post #5 here and more about negotiating in post #6 here.
None of the manufacturers you are considering negotiate their prices although 2 of them are members here and provide a 5% discount to the members of this forum.
Iām not sure which size or mattress you are referring to but if you are referring to the price of a full size 10" Botanical Bliss at Plushbeds then it would certainly be a reasonable price compared to most mainstream mattresses that were similar but it would also be the most costly option out of the 4 similar mattresses you mentioned and there are also less options available to customize the mattress before and after a purchase than some of the others as well. The āvalueā of a mattress purchase is always relative to what you are comparing it to that is similar (not how much it is discounted from its regular price) and the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
This site has been very helpful, Iām getting a quote from KTT for a Talalay topper today, do they have a MU discount?
Hi sactown,
No they arenāt a member here (they donāt make mattresses at least at the moment) but I do think highly of them.
Phoenix
[quote=āPhoenixā post=36573]Hi sactown,
No they arenāt a member here (they donāt make mattresses at least at the moment) but I do think highly of them.
Phoenix[/quote]
Well for what its worth I mentioned this site to them so they know who to thank assuming I buy from them.
This is a great website and very informative. I wish I knew about it before I bought my last mattress.
Hi ramer2014,
It would have been great if you had found us before you made a purchase but hopefully you made a good quality/value choice anyway.
In any case ā¦ welcome to the forum ā¦ even if itās a little belatedly 
Phoenix
So after reading more reviews and getting some price quotes it looks like Iām going to go with Brooklyn Bedding for a talalay topper, is there a MU promo code to enter? Not sure how the discount works.
Hi sactown,
All you have to do for the discount is let them know that you are a member here on chat, email, or on the phone.
The discounts from most of the members here apply to mattresses only though ā¦ not to peripherals.
Phoenix
My wife and I ended up deciding to go with this one.
https://www.texasmattressmakers.com/index.php/en/london-gel-euro-top-dlx
Texas Mattress Makers is also running a deal this month that you can get any where from 5-50% off by choosing a ball out of a bucket. I ended up getting a 10% one and then asked if I could tack on the 5% from here and he wouldnāt go for it, didnāt figure he would but was going to try anyways. We are suppose to get the mattress delivered next week.
Hi texag05,
Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding ā¦ and congratulations on your new mattress
As you mentioned ā¦ the TMU discount or bonus for the members of the site are on their regular mattress prices ā¦ not on occasional sale prices that are more than the discount ā¦ but of course it never hurts to ask. Most smaller manufacturers donāt have the margins to be able to provide both and even their regular prices with no discount at all are better value than most of the mainstream manufacturers that dominate the industry.
I noticed your mattress uses a microcoil in the Eurotop which is a very durable component and it certainly seems to me that you made a great choice.
Iām looking forward to your feedback when youāve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix
Thanks for your website and information. it has been invaluable for my wife and I on our mattress decision.
Thanks!
Kenny
Hi MadeInTaiwan,
Iām glad you found us and that the site could help you ā¦ welcome
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Thank you for this valuable information that will assist me with the purchase of a mattress. Keep up the great work!
Luis
Hi Luisignacio923,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
I noticed that you registered with your email as your username and this can result in some of the online spambots finding your email and adding it to their spam lists. If youād like I can change it to the part before the @. Just let me know.
Phoenix