Factory Direct Latex source near NW Indiana?

Hi Jim,

will update when I get home tonight.

Also, check your PM’s

I’m also in Northwest Indiana and looking for a new mattress. We currently have a 7 year old spring mattress that is sagging considerably in the middle. I actually put a pillow down the center of the bed to keep my husband from rolling onto me during the night!! I am a side sleeper sleeper with my knees pulled up close (in line with my hips) and my husband sleeps in every direction possible. I am noticing that I’m having a much harder time falling asleep nowadays and waking up feeling sore and tired. Besides my back hurting, my hips and shoulder are now starting to bother me. My husband works an odd shift so he never feels well rested anyways, but I’m hoping that a new, better suited for us mattress will help him sleep more soundly so that I too can sleep more soundly. Right now, he’s all over the place besides the snoring. He also gets very hot! There are several times a month that he gets up and sleeps on our leather couch because he gets too hot. Also, we are both the 5’ 6" and medium build so there isn’t much diffence there.

If anyone can give me some good suggestions on what type of mattresses I should start checking into first I would appreciate it. I know everyone is different, but there are so many options and variations, I’m not sure where to start or if I should rule anything out right from the start. I looked at qualitysleepshop.com but I didn’t really see anything regarding the gel foam and there are about 75 miles from me right now…I’m in the southern area of NW Indiana.

Thanks for you help in advance!

I looked at the local options and can tell you the drive to Quality Sleep Shop is WELL worth the trouble. They have a wide range of choices. It is 42 miles from me and I made it in under 50 minutes. The gel mattress is a new offering at Quality Sleep Shop, so they just probably have not got around to adding to their web site.

Another option that I considered was a place in Lafayette–that may be closer from description of your location:

http://www.holderbeddinglafayette.com/

As for general advice, troll around the forum and you will probably find answers to most of your questions–lots of good information and advice abounds.

I did find a photo and mention of the gel mattress on their facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quality-Sleep-Shop/160928310598923

Thanks! How does the pricing compare? I was originally looking at an icomfort but couldn’t believe their pricing. Even throughsams club it was outrageous!!

I think the King set was $1549–not sure how that compares to the icomfort.

Thanks!!! I will definitely check it out!!!

Jim,

My wife and I came to the same conclusions on the latex mattresses. Kind of springy.

Like you, I also liked the Emily. My 3 choices where the 3 layer talalay latex, mi-comfort, and the Emily. In that order, due to construction of each. On the My Green Mattress website Tim shows a 3 layer latex mattress with a Dunlop middle layer, but he said he does not carry the Dunlop anymore. So I had to decide if I wanted the 3 layer talalay, which is more expensive compared to the Dunlop middle layer. To me, I would have liked the choice of the Dunlop middle layer and saved a few dollars.

In the end, it came down to the feel of the mi-comfort Gel. We just liked the feel of it better than the others,. IMO, this is the most comfortable mattress I have slept on. And I agree with your assessment: The foam does recover quickly, and It does not have that sinking in and rolling out of a hole feeling. It is firm enough to support me sleeping on my stomach which I do more often than not. To me, this mattress feels more like sleeping on the mattress than in it. And there is very little motion transfer which I also like. And as far as sleeping hot like regular memory foam, I have not noticed it expect when my wife decides to throw an extra comforter on the bed. I end up kicking it off and I’m fine.

But like memory foam, It does off-gas. We did take the sheets off the bed every morning for the first two weeks to let it air out.

The construction of the mattress I received is as I have stated before. Although Tim at Quality Sleep Shop did tell me there is a 1" blended latex layer, but on the invoice I just noticed it says 2 inches. I guess I should measure it.

Overall, so far(only being 2 months), I am very happy with the mi-comfort gel.

Dino

Hello all,

Thanks for all the tremendous feedback in this thread. You make my “job” really easy :slight_smile:

@ mkay2805,

I think that half the battle is knowing where to shop and if you find good outlets (that actually know and will tell you accurately and truthfully what is in their mattresses) … then the other half of actually choosing a mattress is much easier. There are some guidelines here which can help prevent most of the traps and pitfalls of mattress shopping and then the outlets and choices that are left are almost always your best quality and value. Even though they may not be in your back yard … you have some of the best value in the country within reasonable driving distance.

About the only think I can add to this thread is to reinforce that if I was in your shoes … I would likely call http://www.holderbeddinglafayette.com/ (assuming they are close enough to you for a quick drive) and other than that I would put my focus on My Green Mattress and Quality Sleep. High quality factory direct manufacturers like these make mattresses that use much higher quality materials and sell them at much more reasonable prices than any of the mainstream outlets.

I notice you were looking at the iComforts and you can see an analysis and review of the lineup here. They certainly don’t compete in quality of materials with the mi-comfort and of course in value they aren’t even in the ballpark.

Even if the drive is longer … a good outlet where you can believe what they say and have the skills, ability, quality, and value to help you make your best choices all in one location can save you many hours of frustration and confusion … not to mention a significant amount of money … both now and down the road :slight_smile:

Phoenix

[quote=“Dino” post=3186]Jim,

My wife and I came to the same conclusions on the latex mattresses. Kind of springy.

Like you, I also liked the Emily. My 3 choices where the 3 layer talalay latex, mi-comfort, and the Emily. In that order, due to construction of each. On the My Green Mattress website Tim shows a 3 layer latex mattress with a Dunlop middle layer, but he said he does not carry the Dunlop anymore. So I had to decide if I wanted the 3 layer talalay, which is more expensive compared to the Dunlop middle layer. To me, I would have liked the choice of the Dunlop middle layer and saved a few dollars.

In the end, it came down to the feel of the mi-comfort Gel. We just liked the feel of it better than the others,. IMO, this is the most comfortable mattress I have slept on. And I agree with your assessment: The foam does recover quickly, and It does not have that sinking in and rolling out of a hole feeling. It is firm enough to support me sleeping on my stomach which I do more often than not. To me, this mattress feels more like sleeping on the mattress than in it. And there is very little motion transfer which I also like. And as far as sleeping hot like regular memory foam, I have not noticed it expect when my wife decides to throw an extra comforter on the bed. I end up kicking it off and I’m fine.

But like memory foam, It does off-gas. We did take the sheets off the bed every morning for the first two weeks to let it air out.

The construction of the mattress I received is as I have stated before. Although Tim at Quality Sleep Shop did tell me there is a 1" blended latex layer, but on the invoice I just noticed it says 2 inches. I guess I should measure it.

Overall, so far(only being 2 months), I am very happy with the mi-comfort gel.

Dino[/quote]

Thanks for the feedback, Dino. I think we came to the same conclusion on top 3 for the short list, but in a different order. I really wanted to like the latex due to the durability and quality of materials from research on this forum, but could not get past the “spring”. I was, and still am, torn between the Emily and mi-comfort–still have not pulled the trigger. I MAY make another trip up and make sure Tim is there this time–really would like to talk with him before finalizing.

As for the gel construction layers as mentioned, I think there was a discrepancy between the description on the mattress description card on display at the bed foot and the cutaway sample sitting next to it. Guess I should ask Tim what gives.

[quote=“Phoenix” post=3191]Hello all,

Thanks for all the tremendous feedback in this thread. You make my “job” really easy :slight_smile:

@ mkay2805,

I think that half the battle is knowing where to shop and if you find good outlets (that actually know and will tell you accurately and truthfully what is in their mattresses) … then the other half of actually choosing a mattress is much easier. There are some guidelines here which can help prevent most of the traps and pitfalls of mattress shopping and then the outlets and choices that are left are almost always your best quality and value. Even though they may not be in your back yard … you have some of the best value in the country within reasonable driving distance.

About the only think I can add to this thread is to reinforce that if I was in your shoes … I would likely call http://www.holderbeddinglafayette.com/ (assuming they are close enough to you for a quick drive) and other than that I would put my focus on My Green Mattress and Quality Sleep. High quality factory direct manufacturers like these make mattresses that use much higher quality materials and sell them at much more reasonable prices than any of the mainstream outlets.

I notice you were looking at the iComforts and you can see an analysis and review of the lineup here. They certainly don’t compete in quality of materials with the mi-comfort and of course in value they aren’t even in the ballpark.

Even if the drive is longer … a good outlet where you can believe what they say and have the skills, ability, quality, and value to help you make your best choices all in one location can save you many hours of frustration and confusion … not to mention a significant amount of money … both now and down the road :slight_smile:

Phoenix[/quote]

Thanks for your comments, Phoenix.

I will say that it is definitely worth a drive to find an independent that provides quality, value, and transparency. That tip was probably the most crucial one of what was gleaned from the forum.

Holder: I may make a visit there this week to scope it out. (Will be in Lafayette for an annual conference–seems timely and an omen to check them out.) Unless something really catches my eye, I’ll probably stick with Quality Sleep Shop–not sure if the wife will let me drag her down to Lafayette later unless it is pretty compelling. I’ll post some comments if the visit works out.

Say, Phoenix, could you give me some advice on the merit of considering an “upgrade” modification to the Emily if that is the route we go? They apparently do custom changes regularly–thought I’d run it by the forum before asking Tim for his opinion.

Here is the spec for the Emily (http://www.qualitysleepshop.com/emily/):

Build Specifications

Innerspring:
904 Pocketed Coil Spring System
14-guage, 7 turn coil
Posturized - coils are tighter through center third to support the heaviest part of your body

Comfort Layers:
Upholstered on one side with:
One inch of pound 1.8, 32 ild heavy density foam
One inch of very soft blended latex, 14 ild
A one inch, pound 1.5 quilted cover
Class A fabric

Foundation
PowerStack – our premium foundation.

My question is whether there is any merit to considering an “upgrade” to the polyfoam layer to latex? I am interested in durability–would replacing the ploy with latex be a viable option? Do you think that would affect the feel at all if the latex had the same 32 ILD? Bad idea? Good idea? “It all depends” idea?

hi jim1274,

Since it is the third layer down it will affect the feel less than if it was on top but IMO it would make a difference. 1.8 lb is higher quality than you would normally see in a mattress in this price range but the latex would be a little softer, more compliant, and more durable (will soften less over time). If it was me and the upgrade was available at a reasonable cost … I would probably go for it.

Phoenix

The upgrade is $78, so I am going for it. Just waiting for Tim to finalize the delivery cost and timeframe. Overall good experience with Quality Sleep Shop, with the only minor issue of slow on responding via email.

Hi jim1274,

There’s no doubt in my mind that I would have made the same choice … especially at that price.

I also know from my own experience with smaller manufacturers who wear many hats and have much less staff and time … that emails are often a lower priority and that voice communications are much easier, more complete, and many times faster. This is not uncommon at times with almost all smaller manufacturers. Most of the time an email question (except for the most basic and specific that has a black and white or few word answer such as “what is the price of this mattress of this size with this base delivered to this address” has so many implications and “connected” questions that need to be asked before the first one can be answered that a simple answer can do more to unintentionally mislead than help. A question such as “I weight this much and would I be better off with this or that?” can lead to an essay if all the variables and possibilities aren’t asked or included in the reply. Even on this forum it often takes me several hours to answer what seems to be a simple question because the question itself has so many implications and grey areas that the answer has to include all the “unasked” questions that aren’t included in the question itself and that the “asker” doesn’t even know is an important part of what they are asking. Written communication can often take an hour or more to think about and compose what verbal communication can accomplish in a few minutes.

This is not to “excuse” slow email communications but only to recognize that with smaller outlets with fewer staff and that deal with complex questions that their customers believe are more simple and straightforward than they really are (nothing with mattresses is as simple as most people suspect :)) … a written answer can often take much longer to compose than people may suspect and because they also know that they will usually lead to multiple rounds of further emails that will each take just as long … it’s often becomes a lower priority.

I’m looking forward to your feedback when you’ve had a chance to sleep on it for a few nights :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Any updates on gel foam? Im thinking about a 1" top cover over an all latex bed.

Hi vince,

I’m not sure if your question was meant in general or was specific to Quality Sleep?

If it was about gel foams in general then post #2 here has some information about different types and post #4 here includes some sources for various types of gel foam toppers outside of course of any local sources that may be available.

Phoenix

I apologize for not following up with my review and comments on the products and experience with Quality Sleep Shop. Was enjoying the mattress too much maybe…anyway…

I did end up INITIALLY purchasing the Emily mattress. Since I requested latex top layer upgrade, the order became a custom build. The mattress builders misunderstood the order and made me a latex pillow top instead. I noted that to Tim when it arrived, but we decided to give it a test since it was in my driveway already. While it was better than my broken down current mattress, the comfort was not to my tastes (a little soft with the added pillow top) and my back complained.

When we went to Tim’s shop to test mattresses on the floor, one of the short-list picks was the then new gel model. The wife seemed to prefer the Emily, so we went that route. When the Emily with the incorrect build did not work out, Tim brought out the gel model to replace it–I never looked back.

The gel mattress far exceeded my expectations. I did not think a mattress could be this comfortable, and will NEVER go back to an innerspring mattress again. I LOVE the mattress. A bargain to my mind for the comfort and quality. Admittedly, a latex or regular memory foam mattress may have some similarities, but the layering and material combo on this gel hit it out of the park for me. Highest possible recommendation on the product and on the shop–no hassle at all on replacing the Emily and a fair trade-up price.

I took a look at their web site and the gel line has expanded to 3 models–not sure what that is all about. My suggestion is to ask Tim which one is the “original” gel and give that a test. Or maybe others have some guidance or experience on comparisons between the 3 configurations.

Hope this helps.

Hi jim1274,

Thanks for the feedback and for sharing the rest of the story with us.

I’m not sure what the differences are between the gel models are but they would give people who like the materials but have different needs and preferences (or budgets) a chance to try different versions although it sure sounds like the original version was your “match”.

It’s great to see your story has such a happy ending :slight_smile:

Phoenix

If not for this forum and Phoenix help and advice along the way, I would never have went to an independent like Quality Sleep Shop, would have spent more and got less, would not have had an incredibly comfortable mattress, but still had a sore back.