First off, thanks to Phoenix and the top posters for excellent information on mattresses. It’s so hard to find objective information about this industry!
Back story: I am a disabled veteran that injured my back in the line of duty. I spend a considerable amount of time in my bed due to pain and limited mobility. During the day, I like to have my head and feet elevated as I work on the laptop, read or watch TV. At night, I sleep exclusively on my right side - no changing during the night (physiology and pain prevent position changes). For this reason, pressure point pain and heat retention are a huge issue for me. Too much of either, no sleep. Having said that, spinal alignment is CRITICAL. A non-linear sleeping position is a go / no-go issue when evaluating mattresses.
I need to get a new mattress and, after weeks of study and showroom visits, I am considering a purchase of an all-latex mattress or a hybrid latex / innerspring mattress - either retail or online. Furthermore, I plan on getting an adjustable foundation base. My goal is to buy a mattress that will easily last 10 years. Price is a consideration, but not a major factor.
Between those two choices, considering durability and use on an adjustable foundation, what are the similarities? What are the differences? is one better (long-term) on an adjustable foundation than the other? Why?
Thanks!
Eagle
P.S. I’ve read all the sticky threads - many times.
As you probably know from your reading here … 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 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 would be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing or personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
There is also more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you actually sleep on your mattress.
If your mattress is well inside the comfort support range that is suitable for you and not “on the edge” of being too soft (see post #2 here) and meets the quality/durability guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect that it will last for 7 - 10 years and if the materials are better than just the minimum in the guidelines it would likely be closer to 10 or in some cases even longer. I would also keep in mind that if you are using a mattress for extended periods of time in a sitting position on a regular basis where your weight on the mattress is more concentrated in the middle then this will reduce the durability and useful life of any mattress to some extent as well.
There is more about the differences between an innerspring/latex hybrid and an all latex mattress in post #28 here. I would treat the choice between them as a preference choice rather than a better/worse choice. A pocket coil/latex hybrid and an all latex mattress will both work well on an adjustable bed as long as long as they aren’t too thick to conform easily. This would generally mean choosing a mattress in the range of about 12" or less although there isn’t a “fixed” thickness that going over would suddenly make a mattress unsuitable because it would also depend on the specifics of the mattress so I would make sure you let your retailer or manufacturer know how you are planning to use it so that they can let you know whether the mattress would be a suitable choice for an adjustable bed.
In addition to any latex/innerspring hybrids that may be available to you locally, there are some links to some innerspring/latex mattresses in post #2 here that may be useful as well if you decide to go in this direction.
There is also more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). I would keep in mind that online advertised prices are often controlled so make sure you call them rather than just looking at websites.
Thank you for the quick reply! Once again, you offered some great points to consider. One in particular got me thinking - sitting in one area could also impact the durability and longevity of any mattress. An excellent point! Since I am the only one using the mattress, by sitting on one side and one particular spot, I will be applying asymmetric stress on one area of the mattress. Could I mitigate this issue by mattress rotation? Flipping the mattress? Depends on the mattress.
Most could be rotated, especially the ones that I am considering. However, most could not be flipped (wouldn’t want to flip a latex top and inner spring bottom type mattress!). There are all-latex mattresses (Sleep EZ, for example) that are tiered in their construction and have divided sides by design. This would allow for rotation of the mattress as a whole AND rotation of each side segment within the mattress cover.
I appreciate the advice! You’ve given me more to consider.
Yes , this could be reduced or mitigated to some degree with regular rotation for a one sided mattress or by flipping a two sided mattress or to a lesser degree with component mattress where the individual layers can be flipped (see post #2 here) but of course the effect on durability of constant bending at the same point and uneven compression can’t be eliminated completely.
More durable and flexible materials such as latex will also be affected less than materials that are less durable or flexible.
After reading your replies and weeks of both researching and testing mattresses, I finally made a purchasing decision. Based on my needs and personal value assessment, I called Sleep EZ and ordered an all-latex mattress.
I called late on Monday night and spoke to Shawn (company president? Wow!). He was extremely helpful, answered all my questions and spent a considerable amount of time with me. I described my day- and night-time habits and my medical issues. We also discussed all the features and uses of their adjustable bases. I was surprised at his candidness about his products and their pros AND cons. You won’t have any trouble finding someone praising their own products … but finding someone that is forthright about the weaknesses or downsides? Rare indeed.
I purchased the Natural Select Latex mattress, model 10,000 (10" height), queen size, with the following configuration:
Top 3" - Soft/Soft Talalay
Midddle 3" - Med/Med Dunlop
Bottom 3" - Firm/Firm Dunlop
I also purchased the Reverie adjustable base, model 5D. It seemed to offer all the features I need - and a few nice to haves that I may or may not use much. Another pleasant surprise - their already competitive price inlcudes ‘white glove’ delivery and set-up!
I mentioned MUG and he gave me the discount - on top of the current sale price - for the mattress.
I expect to receive and set-up the mattress tomorrow (base to follow in a couple of weeks). I will write more soon about my experience with the mattress. Thanks again for your help, Phoenix!
Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress and the adjustable bed as well
As you know I think you made a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive them and have had the chance to sleep on them for a bit.
