Eco pur by dreameasy vs. locally made mattress by Waterloo Mattress for 5 yr boy

Big boy bed ready to deliver and need mattress. Would like some feedback on two models in particular…1) Eco-pur 4400 cushion firm tight top, wanting to know if the pure latex is near the top and if so, how much is actually there and if the remainder of the foam is suitable for child…ie. is it polyfoam or soybased and does it still contain chemicals…quilting on top is bamboo. 2)Second choice is from waterloo mattress and is made locally here. It is their classic. Purchased simiar model for older child in 2008, it was a tight top with continuous coil. Had felt, cotton and wool layers I believe. Nice firm mattress and first child loves his bed. Top was quilted cotton that we specifically requested with no fire retardents. Looking at same mattress but now it has a pillow top. Believe layers are still felt, cotton and wool. Not sure if pillow top has foam…do you recommend us asking. Top quilting is bamboo and they did indicate that this had no fire retardents on it. Also, the rest of the materials are natural as well. Are there any other questions we should be asking regarding this mattress? It will be placed on wood slat foundation of new bed. This model felf very comfortable and not squishy soft, it had a nice firmness to it… Children like me to periodically lay with them. Older child’s bed very uncomfortable for me due to pressure points etc. This mattress does not have an overly plush pillow top but just comfortable enough. Your comments are very welcome as we are struggling with the best choice. Both are comparable in price…

Hi sweetdreams,

The Dreameasy website doesn’t have the layering of the Ecopur 4400 but you can see it in post #3 here which indicates a layer of polyfoam (probably in the quilting) along with the wool above the 2" of latex. I would want to know how thick this was.

Their site doesn’t list any of their specific mattresses so I would need to know the specific layering of this mattress (with foam densities) to make any comments or meaningful comparisons. Most smaller local manufacturers are happy to provide it for you.

As you can see from the second guideline here … I personally wouldn’t buy any mattress unless I knew the details of every layer (including form density) because that’s the only way to know its quality or value or identify any potential weak links in the mattress.

You can read more about ecofoams or plant base foams in post #2 here. Basically they are just polyfoam with a small part of one of the two main chemicals replaced with some highly modified plant oils. I would treat them as being equivalent to polyfoam.

Post #2 here has links to all the better forum posts and threads about mattresses for children. Children need firmer mattresses than most adults and what is usually best for them would not be particularly comfortable for most adults. I would not choose a “plush” or pillowtop mattress for a child that was still growing. About 1 - 2" of soft foam is the most I would consider and I would go with a medium or firmer comfort layer with only a little bit of sinking in.

Phoenix

Have called waterloo mattress to get the specs on the coil mattress: I was actually surprised b/c they have made some changes in the last 5 years or so. Apparently they can’t get the really good cotton anymore.

Classic: From top down
quilting/ticking top - bamboo fabric
3" polyfoam (1.9 pound MEDIUM softness but can but changed to firm)
The above is the pillow top portion
3/4" polyfoam (1.9 pound firm)
2 layers of cotton felt insulator pad - 1/2"

If there are any extra details you require that I may have missed, please let me know.

They used to lay the foam pad on top of the cotton layer as the cotton overtime would compress. There is no longer the natural cotton layer. I was told to that a 2" compression in the top over time would be normal…and that the extra layer of foam further down helps with the overall comfort of the mattress as well

Eco-pur 4400 : I have read the post you offered. Has anyone yet to determine what the comfort foam is made o and how thickf, and what type of latex is in the mattress. Do we know what percentage of soy is in the base of the poyfoam…

We are wanting to stick in the 800 range for a good double mattress (no box spring included). I beleive the Zed beds will take us to about 1200 for a mattress alone and I believe the Natura sunshine will be about 1200 as well. Any other sugguestions…

Hi sweetdreams,

1.9 lb polyfoam is a good quality material but 3" of it may be a little on the soft side and I would personally prefer a higher latex content if I had the choice (all else being equal)

I don’t know the thickness of the Dreameasy quilting layer (but it would be likely be less than the 3" of polyfoam in this mattress). The soy content is not that relevant (more soy isn’t much better than no soy) but Dreameasy may be able to tell you both if you call them (or have your retailer call).
.

You’ve probably seen post #2 here with the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the area but I just added Ikea to the list as well (which would be a bit of a drive from Waterloo) which also has some good choices in your price range (such as the Sultan Edsele or the Sultan Heggedal).

Phoenix

Hi there, so if I’m understanding correctly, you are indicating that it would be better to have some natural latex in the mattress in comparision to a mattress with only the 1.9 pound polyfoam? In that case, would the dreameasy be a better quality bed depending upon the thickness of the natural latex layer and the wool/foam quilting layer. I will contact the company and Monday and ask for clarification of all their materials for the layers.

With the coil and foam mattress from Waterloo Mattress - would you have them change the pillow top layer to a thinner polyfoam ie. less than 3" and go with something with a stronger density? If yes, what density and thickness would you recommend?

How do you rate the dreameasy with the two ikea models. I was on their website today, and I believe one of those models was a mix of natural and synthetic latex approx 85/15%.

Hi sweetdreams,

Latex is a higher quality, better performing, more durable, more “natural” (in most cases), and more costly material than polyfoam even though 1.9 lb polyfoam is itself higher quality polyfoam than you usually find in the comfort layers of a mattress (particularly mainstream mattresses). Since the weak link of a mattress in terms of foam softening and the loss of comfort and support is in the upper layers of a mattress, if a mattress uses latex as a majority of the materials in the upper layers and if all the other factors that contributed to the “value” of a mattress were equal or very similar then I would choose it yes.

The polyfoam in this mattress is already a higher than normal density so this isn’t really an issue unless you decide to use the next grade up of polyfoam which is HR polyfoam (which starts at 2.5 lbs and also has a compression modulus of 2.4 or higher and a resilience of 60%) which is a higher performance foam and has some latex like qualities but is also more costly. It’s still doesn’t have the same quality or performance as latex though for the most part although it’s still a less costly material. If the mattress is quite firm then the polyfoam may be firm enough (I can’t feel it so you would need to use your best estimate and the guidance of the manufacturer) but I would make sure that it was firmer than you would normally be comfortable with and that there wasn’t a lot of sinking in.

The latex in the DreamEasy is 100% natural (I believe Dunlop) which is a higher quality latex than the latex used in the Ikea Edsele or Heggedal both of which use 85% natural (and are probably produced through a continuous pour on a belt rather than a mold) but having said that … the Dreameasy only has 2" and the Ikea Edsele has 7" and also has wool in the quilting. The Heggedal doesn’t say the thickness of the latex but it also includes other more natural materials (wool, horsehair, coir). The coil count is a little lower than you would normally see in a pocket coil mattress but they are firm and this is a support component. Coir is also a good and durable insulator material to even out the compression of the coils. An innerspring is not normally the weak link anyway (and the coils are certainly adequate). The materials in both are certainly more “natural” and less “chemical” than polyfoam and from a quality of materials perspective I would say they were both better value.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, Have been expanding our search. Looking for a great mattress is crazy.

Went and tried out the Natura Beds, Your thoughts on the tranquil? Also, checked a local company that has made foam bed for 30 years or so, using firm polyfoam with a 2.5lbs. The had a display model of 6" of firm 2.5 lbs with a 2" soft 2.5 lbs. Their foams are definately top notch. Just thinking outloud here…the have a 6" polyfoam 2.5 lbs in a firm density that they often use for children’s bed…by thought…That provides a really solid and firm core…since some beds on the market only have 2" of natural latex, what about placing a Natura Latex topper on the Polyfoam bed? The Latex topper has 2" of talalay latex with cotton, wool etc. What are your thoughts on the Natura Tranquil and the foam Mattress that would be from Beam Bedding that has been around since 1932 and really knows their foams?

Also, wanting to know if you have ever checked out a company at www.galaxybedding.ca? Would love your feedback on their upper end mattresses…

And the search continues. I see that someone has had luck with the Sultan Heggedal, perhaps we’ll check it out. Just wish I knew the more the specs on that mattress.

Lastly, called and emailed Eco-pur by Dreameasy today and have left message asking for more detailed information in their levels…I also asked if they would ever consider bumping up their latex layer.

Your mattress forum and help is greatly appreciated.

Hi sweetdreams,

It’s not really possible to make a meaningful assessment on the Tranquil because they don’t list the density of the polyfoam they use but I can tell you in more general terms that Natura tends to use higher quality materials but are not as good in terms of their value (they tend to be more than other mattresses that use the same quality of materials but this would also depend on the prices that are charged by a particular retailer).

I only talked with Dreambedding once and it was quite some time ago (see post #2 here) but it was enough to know that they are clearly knowledgeable and transparent and have good quality and value. 2.5 lb polyfoam is a high quality material and if it is an HR polyfoam then it would have many similar qualities to latex (although still not in the same quality or performance range).

The Natura topper could be more costly than other 2 latex toppers (again depending on the prices charged by the retailer that is selling it) but it could be a good choice if it was on top of the 6" polyfoam core alone. I wouldn’t put it on on top of the 6" core and the 2" soft comfort layer. I would also make sure it wasn’t too soft and would tend towards medium firmness rather than soft.

Phoenix

Thank you Pheonix, purchasing a mattress sure entails many decisions…

Regarding the Beam Bedding foam mattress, they can also make the core any height that we would like in the firm 2.5 lbs, and we are considering a little higher since the new bed will have side rails and wouldn’t want the mattress to be too flat. Instead the the 6" core with 2" soft 2.5 lbs, we can use a 7" firm core (2.5) and the medium firmness (2.5 lbs)for the 2" top layer. Would this be a better recommendation?

Believe me, there is nothing soft and squishy about a Beam foam bed. Even with the firm 2.5 and the 2" layer of the soft 2.5, you are still lying on someone far more solid than we have seen elsewhere. Far too firm for my liking!

Also, regarding layering on a latex topper, do you have any recommendations for brands other than Natura in our area of Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph? I do know that Natura tends to really outprice themselves. I have felt this for a very long time.

Also, regarding a topper, how exactly do they stay on top of the bed? Is there anything to help secure them to the top of the mattress.

For readers out there, had a email back from Eco-Pur, the 4400 is discontinued and will be replaced with the 4410. FYI, I did receive further specs and was fairly disappointed: Soybased poly of 9" at 1.8 lbs with ILD of 30, 2" of natural latex in CENTRE SUPPORT, 16 oz wool and 1" poly topper. Still yet to receive density of 1" but I’m pretty sure it will be 1.8. Also, emailed back for clarification of the latex layer…was shocked to here only in CENTRE? The 5500 is being replaced with the 5510, and it has the sames specs with the addition of a full 2" latex layer. Still do not know what is in the pillow top. Also, for anyone wanting to know just how much soy is in products…these beds on 10%!

Lastly, were you able to check out www.galaxybedding.ca. Not sure if there is anything on it worth pursuing…there was one model call Bio Plush: Core: 7" 1.8 lbs soypoly, 3" foam support stabilizer (same density?), 3" natural latex, 2" supersoft foam (density missing), 2 1/2" decking (what the heck is that?), quilting 1 1/2" ultra firm foam with tack n jump quilting, 40 oz high resilient poly (density missing), pure organic pava ticking. Do you think this is worth contacting regarding desnities? Apparently made in Toronot.

Lastly, we have always loved our continuous coil mattresses, and when I received the specs from Waterloo Mattress, there was an error. Here is the listing of the correct specs: From bottom up: continuous coil, 1/2" cotton felt insulator pad, 3/4" HR41 2.5 lbs FIRM polyfoam (here is where the correction is…previously stated only 1.9 lbs in HD foam), 3" HD 1.9 lbs MEDIUM poly, bamboo quilt. They do not use any soft polys. The reason they are now using the 3" is that they can no longer get the good quality cotton that was placed direclty below the comfort 1.9 foam to aid with compression. They apparently changed this comfort layer about 3 years ago and have had no complaints and still over a 10 year non-prorated warranty.

The question…from a coil perspective, with completely removing the idea of foam and latex, what would be your opinion of this particular continuous coil mattress. They indicated that the can change the bottom HR to an 1" from 3/4 and can do what we would like in the comfort layer at the top with this 3" HD 1.9 MEDIUM poly…any recommendations?

I think we are getting closer to are ideal mattress.

Thank you so very much!
Thank you,

Hi sweetdreams,

There is sometimes a fine line between too little information (which is where most people start and carries the risk of buying an unsuitable mattress that has poor quality or value) and too much information (which carries the risk of “paralysis by analysis” and giving in to the temptation to make comfort specs more exact or important than they need to be or more important than personal testing). The middle ground is always the “best” place to stay. As soon as you start feeling that information is becoming too complex or overwhelming … then you are probably crossing the line into “too much information” and I would go by the knowledge and experience of the people you are working with.

Step 1 of the process in post #1 here is to gather some basic information about mattress materials so you are armed with some good basic information and can recognize when a retailer or manufacturer is providing you with good information or they are focused more on marketing information.

Step 2 of the process is to know what to eliminate and what to focus on. I would suggest eliminating any mainstream mattress or any mattress where you can’t find the quality information you need.

Step 3 is to research retailers before you look at mattresses. They are the link between you and the manufacturers who make the mattresses and if you talk to them before you visit them then you can confirm that they will provide you with the information you need about the mattresses they sell so you don’t have to track down the specs of every mattress you look at (and probably get overwhelmed and frustrated doing what they need to do). If they can’t or won’t provide this … I would look elsewhere. The goal of this step is to find the people who already know what you would otherwise have to learn … or find out.

Step 4 is where you test mattresses at the retailers that will provide you with the information you need and choose the “finalist” at each one. This is also where you would include online options if it seems to be justified.

Step 5 is to make your final choice between the “finalists”.

None of these steps involves you tracking down or translating mattress specs … this is the job of the retailer or manufacturer you are working with. Your “job” is to test mattresses in your budget range for PPP (or in any budget if you want to test higher cost and quality materials). Their job is to help you make sure that the “finalists” that you are considering use the highest possible quality materials in the price range you are looking at and providing you with the information you need to make meaningful comparisons.

The thickness and softness of a layer and the mattress as a whole go hand in hand and affect each other and the overall softness and firmness of a mattress but in general terms this would work well IMO yes.

I understand. The thickness and softness of the top layer will have a big effect on how the mattress feels for different people (depending on ther weight and height and body shape). with soft layers this thin … an adult will “go through” the comfort layer and feel more of the firmness of the layers below it. If you were to make the top 2" even softer for exammple … many people would “feel” that the mattress was even firmer because they would feel more of the firmness of the deeper layers.

No … I don’t know who carries toppers in the area and it may take some calling around on the phone to ask. I would also consider ordering a latex topper online if they aren’t available locally at a reasonable cost once you have a general idea of the firmness you want. Some of the online options that are available in Canada are in post #21 here and several of these carry latex toppers.

They normally just sit on top with the mattress protector and sheets over them. They don’t tend to shift to any significant degree.

The top inch of polyfoam could well be lower density (don’t forget that density and firmness are not related) but I normally suggest that around an inch of soft polyfoam is acceptable as far as not knowing the density because it’s generally soft anyway and only there for hand feel and further softening won’t have a significant effect on the mattress with quilting of top layers this thin. 1.8 lb polyfoam is at the bottom of what I would consider acceptable density for a support layer in anything except the lowest price ranges. ILD information is not that important when you are testing a mattress because it only has to do with comfort and support (which you will feel with testing) not quality.

The EcoPur 4400 doesn’t have a pillowtop I’m guessing you mean the content of the tri zone layer. If the 2" of latex is in the center only, it would seem logical that the top and bottom third of the layer was the rest of the trizone and had 2" of polyfoam in each section so there wasn’t a big hump in the middle of the mattress. Regardless though … I would want to know the specifics before I considered it. It’s the job of the person selling the mattress to find this out for their customers so it is an “easy” job rather than requiring customers to communicate directly with the factory.

Soy is not really a factor in how “green” a foam is or have much to do with how it feels or performs or how “safe” it is so I would tend to treat them all as equal to regular polyfoam. For the most part they will all be under 20% and they are more about greenwashing than anything else.

If you talk with them and then list all the layers of any mattress you are considering on the forum … I’d be happy to share my thoughts about a particular mattress. They are a wholesale manufacturer that only sells through retailers and while I’ve talked with them and would consider them to be well worth a call to describe a mattress you were looking for to see if they had a retailer near you that sold something similar … I would need more information about any particular mattress to provide any meaningful feedback about any of their mattresses.

According to the specifications on their site … the Bio Plush has the following layers (from top to bottom and assuming the order of the layers is listed top to bottom in each section) …

1 1/2" ultra firm foam tack 'n jump quilting: This is polyfoam with density missing.

1/2" ultra dynamic foam: Foam density missing.

40 OZ high resilient poly: This would probably be 2.5 lb HR polyfoam … which is high quality.

3" natural latex foam: This is a good quality material but there is too much questionable “polyfoam” over it.

2" supersoft foam: More polyfoam that needs density information

2 1/2 oz decking: This is the fabric layer (it’s oz not inches) under the top foam eurotop.

7" 1.8 lb Ultra comfort soybean foam: This is also polyfoam and the density is on the low end of acceptable for a base layer.

3" foam support stabilizer: This is typically very firm foam which acts as a stabilizer layer at the bottom. Density information missing.

Overall there would be way too much missing information for me to consider this I personally wouldn’t go to the trouble of finding out the missing information unless there was a retailer nearby where you could test this mattress as well and they confirmed they would fill in the missing information if you liked it.

So just to make sure I have this right from top to bottom …

Bamboo quilt: This is also a good ticking.
3" 1.9 lb this is HD polyfoam and is better quality than you would normally find in the comfort layers of mainstream mattresses. The firmness rating of “medium” is not part of its quality but part of the “comfort” of the mattress. This density polyfoam would be much less likely to soften and impress than the typical 1.5 lb polyfoam or lower that is typically used in comfort layers but it’s not the same quality as latex or HR polyfoam.
3/4" 2.5 lb HR polyfoam: This is a good quality HR polyfoam and used to help create firm support.
1/2" cotton felt insulator pad: Good quality
Continuous coil. Details missing but generally found in lower cost mattresses.

These specs seem reasonable to me for a good “budget” mattress that didn’t use premium foams (latex, HR polyfoam, good quality memory foam). Continuous coils are generally the lowest cost type of coil but the foam layers are better quality which is the part that would be most important to me (besides PPP of course) because its the weak link of the mattress.

Continuous coils provide good support because they are connected to each other but they need good quality comfort layers over them because they are usually less conforming than other higher quality coils. An innerspring is not normally the weak link of a mattress though.

As far as changing the layers in terms of how it feels and performs or layer thickness … that is preference and would be part of your testing for PPP and not a quality issue.

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix,

I completely understanding what you r saying regarding the mattress test and research because, theoretically, that is how is should be… But just wanted to highlight some issues that may happen in smaller towns. Each retailer that we have gone to doesn’t want us to ask about the mattress we like (yet, to find anything other than big brands to lay on)…they want you to lay on and just say I’ll take it and most of these only offer options to test out those big brand names. They only will discuss the information on the glossy marketing materials. We I have asked questions, just even simple questions before finding this forum (like regarding fire retardents). They looked surprised that you would even ask and usually don’t get back to you. I don’t have a retailer that can find the info for me, if I want it, I will have to do it. Of course, that is with the retailers.

Also, we tried to find some models of mattresses at retailers that were not the mainstream biggies (simmons,sealy,serta,sterns,kingsdown,temper etc). This has seemed almost impossible to do. Thus that is how we happened upon the eco-pur dreameasy beds, natura and galaxy. We are truly wanting to lay on models and test them but it is hard to find those kinds of options. In the Natura line, most retailers only bring in the high end expensive ones starting at 1900 for a double. We have yet to find the tranquil to lay on (entry level bed), or the sunshine kids latex. We have nothing to gage anything with…

The only success we have had with receiving info willingly on the beds is from our 2 manufacturers…one is strictly foam, and the other does coil, and foam. They have been upfront…however, this doesn’t allow for much testing as the don’t not have a lot of models for us to test. Even one of these manufacturers is now bringing in other manufacturers products like ZedBed and Natura…but yet again, only bring in those mattresses thay are priced way above where we want to go for a double child’s mattress.

I am not opposed to IKEA, but what we really wanted to do, was find some non-mainstream models here in our price range of up to 1000 and actually lay on them for comfort (then check out specs). Once we were able to do that, we were planning on heading to IKEA for a test. However, our search for the ability to lay on anything other than topend Natura, or the big brands has left us with very little to try out.

Regarding, the galaxy beds, we do have one retailer in town that has just started carrying them. However, I do not believe he has any of the latex models to test. I am planning on calling this morning. We were in there briefly and we led to believe everything was coil and foam. Again, the sales rep looked shocked that we would want to try out a latex or latex/foam option.

Our initial plan, was to try and find 3 beds we liked by acutally testing them…then we could compare the specs for quality and value. The foam bed that we tried out sure has great quality foam and is well made, but it is so firm and never having had foam before, it is difficult to wrap our heads around it regarding comfort. Even the manufacturer explained that they are an acquired taste unless you have grown up on them.I know personally, if in the end we go with this option, we will definately have to place a comfort layer on top (hopefully latex). This is not our love it option. The only other bed we have been able to try out was the coil and foam that you considered a good budget option. And again, this is not a wow, gotta have it.

So, are you able to recommend some brands of beds to look for in our area rather than the mainstream top biggies…(of course, we know about the IKEA…just wanted to try somethingelse for comparison’s sake before taking the drive, as it is about an hour or so away).

Thank you for the helpful information.

Hi sweetdreams,

Unfortunately this is not only an issue with smaller towns but an even bigger issue in larger cities across America and canada where chain stores that operate exactly like you are describing dominate the market. This is the main reason why I started this site. You are not alone in your frustration.

Again … your frustrations are shared in many cities across the continent and some places have even fewer options than you do. You at least have two factory direct manufacturers that are very close that you can visit and have choices of better quality and value products even than many people in some of the larger cities in Canada and the US.

If I was in your shoes I would just focus on the choices you have at Beam Bedding and Waterloo Mattress and possibly Ikea. For a 5 year old, a basic polyfoam mattress with a 2" layer of “medium” latex (either in the mattress or as a topper) would probably work well and if you wanted something a little more comfortable for you as well then adding a 3" layer instead of 2" would make it a little softer.

I would probably tend to focus on what was likely to be best for your 5 year old rather than spending a lot of time testing a mattress yourself and then just “shift” the comfort a bit (such as using 3" of latex vs 2") to make it a little more comfortable for you as well without making it too soft for your child. If it’s a little too firm for you it would probably work well.

The choices that I linked in the Cambridge/Kitchener/Waterloo list in post #2 here that are close to you are the manufacturers and retailers I would consider working with. I don’t think you would have to look beyond these and there are several that are close enough to you that you should have good options and choices.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

It has been a while since I posted. We have been testing and checking out mattresses. We had narrowed our choice down to 4 models

  1. CLASSIC PILLOW TOP from waterloo mattress for 650.00 before taxes
    From top to bottom
    ticking: Bamboo
    3" 1.9# poly - medium
    Above makes up pillow top
    3/4" HR41 2.5# HR foam - Firm
    1/2" cotton insulator pad
    continuous coil

Felt this was comfortable, but was just concerned about the quality for longevity for comfort from the top layer

  1. checked out some Dreamstar models made in Toronto - best price 800.00 before taxes
    OMEGA LATEX - 14" mattress
    From top to botton
    knit organic bamboo
    1/4" polyester hollowfill
    1" 1.9# polyfoam - soft/medium
    2" dunlop latex
    8" 2.2# soy based polyfoam - medium/firm

This mattress was actually quite comfortable, didn’t have a springy feel which we aren’t keen on, and seemed to have a nice firmness.
This company would not disclose whether the dunlop was blended or what the blend was…just kept saying it was natural. Also, would not give IDL for the latex. I believe this foam is encased in a 2.2# foam as well

  1. Dreamstar SIMPLY NATURAL made in T.O. for 800 before taxes - 14" mattress
    from top to bottom
    Knit organic bamboo
    30 oz wool fibre blend
    1 1/2" 1.9# soybased eco polyfoam - soft/medium
    2" natural latex (they say it is dunlop, but again wouldn’t give IDL/ or specs on latex)
    3/4" cotton insulator pads
    968 continous coils 13 guage encased in 2.2# polyfoam - firm

Again, this mattress was very comfortable, not quite as firm as the above OMEGA, and of course a lot springy than the above due to the pocket coils I assume. We have no experience with pocket coils…not sure how the will work on the bed that has a slat roll…more on that later.

  1. NATURAL ESCAPE BY Dreamstar - 12" mattress for about 1100.00 before taxes
    Organic bamboo ticking
    wool fibre blend
    eco foam comfort layer - wouldn’t dislose density or firmness or thickness
    4" Talalay latex - says it 100% natural - wouldn’t disclose IDL
    6" 2.2# eco polyfoam medium encased in 2.2# firm bio foam

We didnt’ care for this bed from a comfort perspective. It was way too squishy and springy. Didn’t feel firm enough for us so we ruled it out.

Prior to today, our two top choice for comfort were the OMEGA and the SIMPLY NATURAL. We coulcn’t make a choice so we were taking some time before retesting again. Which brings me to my question regarding a base…we are purchasing a bed for our 5 yr old that has a slat roll base. We have actually measure the distance between the slats and it is about 2 - 2.5 inches. The manufacturer explained that we should a mindy board below each of them (although not necessary). But his mindy board is a solid piece of plywood - where is the ability for the faom to breath…wouldn’t it be better on the slats? That said, we hadn’t yet leaned towards the pocket coil due to the fact that we weren’t sure about adding yet another 4" base to the already 14" mattress…so we pondered

Then today, we decided to pay a visit to the Natura Factory (which has been sold as I am sure you are aware). It is a warehouse sale and many items are being sold. We all know that Natura mattresses are quite pricey. We actually tried some out a few weeks about but didn’t want to spend 1600 to 1800 on a mattress. They were quite comfortable.

We laid on a double on the floor. With construction as follows:
65/35 poly/cotton cover
wool
4" dunlop latex - he explained that is wasn’t as firm as other dunlops so that the confort would be better. Didn’t give the IDL but rather tried to explain some other process we really didnt’ understand. Said it is 100% natural and not a blend.
4" of 2.0# soy foam in a medium/firm comfort

This bed seemed quite comfortable for my child…nothing squishy about it. Firmness level seemed just right from a comfort perspective.But we really didnt’ like the top layer so he asked us if we’d like to pick from a pile of cut top layers. Well, we chose a ticking that was 100% natural organic knit cotton, natural wool, 1"-1 1/2" or so of talalay latex, cotton, cover on botom. This will be added to the 4" 2.0#soy foam and 4" dunlop latex instead of the poly/cotton cover. So, this will provide just a little more comfort over the dunlop.

Well, I am not an impulsive shopper and am extremely cautious…but when you can pay 650.00 all inclusive for a natura mattress…well we sprang for it. It will be stitched up and avail for pickup next week. Just thought you could provide some thoughts on the above 4 mattresses as we may consider them for other purchases. Also want to know what you think regarding the Natura snag with the foam/dunlop and top consisting of the organic cotton, wool, and talalay latex for 650.00? Looking forward to your response.

Also, he indicated the foam mattress would be just fine on the slat roll bed…as he as sold the slat rolls for the beds and that a platform was not necessary. He even had the flex wood frames from Germany but only in a twin and Queen.

Also checked out a website somabedding…or something like that in toronto that makes their foundations…looks very well constructed with 2" slats and no chemicals etc. with a cotton layer over the entire top. Not sure how much this option would be but if we find that the new mattress is too far down into the rails of the bed, we can raise it with something like this…it is 3.5". I think we wil wait and see how things look before going with another foundation. I also assume that if we add something like this, we will need to remove the existing slat roll?

Thanks,

Hi sweetdreams,

It certainly seems that you eliminated all your “worst” choices and narrowed things down to final choices between “good and good” which is of course the main goal of the site. From this point, final choices are all about preferences and the tradeoffs between all the objective, subjective, and intangible factors in every mattress purchase and the parts of your own “personal value equation” that are most important to you. From here you are past the point of making “bad” decisions from the perspective or quality or value ad any of your choices would be good ones.

A few comments.

There are really 3 types of specs. One is “quality specs” which are the specs which determine the quality and durability of a material. I believe this is important for a manufacturer or retailer to disclose. The second is “value” specs which are all about how much of each material are in the mattress or the other components that make up a mattress (such as wool quilting vs synthetic fiber quilting or better quality fabrics in the ticking). These are also important to know. Finally, the third type of specs are the “comfort specs” or the “proprietary design” of a mattress which are all about the firmness or softness of the materials or the specifics of the design which are not necessary to know at all for a local purchase because your body can tell you much more about the PPP (Pressure relief, posture and alignment, or Personal preferences) of a mattress than any “comfort specs”. I would not expect any retailer to disclose these for genuine competitive reasons (although some do anyway).

While 1.9 lb polyfoam in a comfort layer is not in the same quality or durability class as latex (of any type) … it is certainly a high quality polyfoam and is a good quality and durable material compared to the quality of polyfoam that most larger manufacturers use in their mattresses. I would consider this to be high quality material especially in a lower budget mattress although I would still not choose very thick layers of this or even soft latex if it wasn’t necessary. Of course 2.0 lb or higher polyfoam in the base layer is also high quality and would not be a durability issue.

2.5 lb or HR polyfoam is a higher quality material yet and has some properties that are similar to latex … even though I would also not put this in the same quality class as latex either. I would consider this to be a premium foam and a good way to save some money compared to latex with less “tradeoffs” than would be involved in HD polyfoam.

If they were saying it was natural then it probably was and they may not have known what you meant (they may have thought you were asking about the specific formula of the latex). The easiest way is to ask if it has any synthetic latex in it or if it is all natural latex. In many cases if it is blended they may not know the blend … but i would also keep in mind that any type of latex is a high quality material … natural, blended, talalay, or dunlop and that the latex comparisons on the site are relative to each other … not to other materials.

At least it’s clear from the specs that the ecofoam (which is just polyfoam) is less than 2" and given the other materials probably less than 1’ (the ticking and the fibers would also be part of the missing 2") so this would not be significant to me. I normally consider that an inch or so of 'unknown" polyfoam in the quilting is generally not a significant issue in terms of durability. Of course you didn’t like this one as much so this is only a generic comment to provide some insights into making comparisons.

These are all good quality materials as well … just like your other choices. Again … Soy foam is just polyfoam.

It would normally make no difference to me what the regular price of a mattress was because this would not be reflective of it’s real value anyway and I would always make comparisons with other mattresses … not with regular prices. The amount of a discount over a “regular” price is generally meaningless to me.

Having said that … based on the materials in the mattress and on what they are offering to add to the comfort and quilting layers and the ticking it certainly seems like great value to me and on this basis I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it if it “fits” in terms of PPP and your own personal value equation and you are OK with any other restrictions that may go with it (such as any comfort adjustments available, warranty or lack of it, or any other parts of the purchase that may or may not be important to you).

I personally would have no problem putting a latex hybrid mattress on a firm slatted surface where the gaps between the slats were less than 3" and there was good center support to the floor. I would prefer this over a solid surface personally. With a polyfoam base … it would be fine if the slat distance was even wider (polyfoam is not as flexible or elastic as latex and doesn’t have the same tendency to sink into the gaps)

So it seems to me that you had narrowed things down to “all good” choices and none of the mattresses you were considering had any weak links or would have been a “mistake” IMO but it also seems from a quality and value perspective you made the best “value” choice as long as you are comfortable with the firmness level and the overall suitability of the mattress.

Overall … I think you did some great research, made some good comparisons, left some good “tracks” behind for others to follow, and ended up doing very well. Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix, Just a few final comments and ONE last question:

Although I was quite hesitant today, my husband felt that based upon the quality and comfort that it was a steal he couldn’t pass up. Your are correct to point out that there will be no comfort exchange or warranty. But you know, with careful consideration, after purchasing 2 mattresses in the past (coil with no latex etc) that we are still currently using, we have never had to make a warranty claim or have anything changed for comfort. Just so people know though, they were never big brand mattresses but rather ones made locally in our city.

If the deal hadn’t been so sweet and it hadn’t been for my 5 year old, I probably would have chosen the SIMPLY NATURAL latex and pocket coil combo by DREAMSTAR based upon my PPP.Excellent quality in a mattress that ranged in price from 800-1000. But I image I would have needed to put that onto a boxspring, which would have made the height of a child’s bed insane. Just would love some feed back some time if anyone has purchased one like this and how it has been for them for future reference. This mattress felt so amazing but I do think for a child, it had a little too much spring to it and I wasn’t sure how stable the pocket coils would be for a child.

Under normal retail circumstances, we would have NEVER been able to change the comfort layer and ticking on a Natura mattress…it really was great that he made us the offer to look through the pile of comfort layers due to the fact the he knew we had something specific in mind… He actually chuckled when I asked about the insides of the mattress and said it was great that I did my research. When we picked out the comfort layer and ticking, he smiled and said we knew how to pick the best as that layer was reserved for the most expensive natura mattresses. So, I guess if we had wanted that top from a retail point of view, we would have had to pay top dollar for the Natura mattress. He joked and said he should probably add some more bucks to it. All double mattresses were 650, so if you knew what to look for in a comfort layer, you could really score. I believe, they even had some comfort layers done with memory foam it that was your thing. We actually picked up the entire comfort layer and placed it onto the display model and laid on it for a rough idea. I believe it will certainly be a very comfortable mattress for my child with the right amount of firmness for a developing child. Thanks to your website, we were able to make a good choice.

I also wanted to point out, that with the sale of Natura, the old website has been taken down. It used to be terrific with regard to specs on the mattress and actual photos of the layers inside. It really was quite detailed compared to other manufacturers. The new company that has purchased them has done a marketing disservice to the brand. The photos are now very generic and contain very little information. When discussing this with the old owner today, he was very dissapointed from the marketing point of view as well. He couldn’t believe what they had done to the information on the site. The new company, of course, changed all the names of the mattresses to different things just to further confuse consumers.

Lastly, the only question left is…our double bed that has been purchased does NOT have a support in the middle of the bed to the floor. The frame is open and the slat roll is obviously rolled out across it and supported on the edges. How can we add support in the middle of this bed? Do you have any suggestions or recommendations? Is it completely necessary? Currently, my child is 44 pounds and that will be the bulk of the weight on top of the mattress. We will only lay for approx 1 hr each night with him…

Thanks!

P.S. I feel we did choose the best value…Was there a particular mattress from our 5 finalists that might of have been the best quality option?
I

Latex bed for a 5 year old ? kids today ! LOL.

i remember when i was about 8 years old we were driving about 15 hours from a resort back home ( this was back in USSR ) and my parents decided to buy a bunch of watermelons along the way and put them on the back seat ( i guess the trunk was already full ) - so i ended up sitting on top of the watermelons the entire time. needless to say - it wasn’t very comfortable at all, but i was supposed to endure it because that’s what kids back in the days did - at least in USSR. i guess i can relate to Romney’s dog on this one.

that said, if i still remember it that means my parents made a major mistake - because i’m not going to forgive them :slight_smile:

your boy doesn’t know how lucky he is.

Gee, Thanks g1981c…he is lucky isn’t he?..but of course we did get it for a bargoon at 650! Not so sure he would have gotten a Natura Mattress otherwise! Certainly wasnt’ going to spend between 1600-2000 for my 5 year old (although we do love him immensely). We’ll see how he likes it when we get it next week! Of course, his only requirement was that the mattress be in his favourite colour of green…well needless to say, that didn’t happen for him. So, some disappoint will be unavoidable next week LOL!