Thanks for all the help here! I finally pulled the trigger on a new mattress. It’s a BB aloe alexis. After talking with Phoenix here and Mario with BB I felt that the thicker mattress would suit my size better. I didn’t want to spend the money but I figured I’d rather spend it once than buy another mattress that I can’t sleep on for more than 6 months. I talked with Mario a bit and after test driving some mattresses locally I seemed to prefer a firmer mattress. I went with a 5 hoping it wouldn’t be too firm.
I received the mattress quickly enough, actually a couple days earlier than I thought I would. Lugging those boxes was a bit of pain though! I found it easier to pull the rolled up mattress and topper out of the boxes they came it and just bear hug them and walk them where I needed them. lol. They sat for a week since I’ve been super busy and hadn’t picked up my bed frame yet. I bought a cheap platform bed since I thought it looked nicer than just getting the metal high rise frame. Its a frame basically with imitation leather and a slatted bed base. Upon assembly it could probably use a few more slats. I’ll work on that, in the meantime it should suffice.
I finally set it all up yesterday and I couldn’t be happier so far. I actually think I could have gone firmer as the foams for the level 5 still seem pretty plush. I like how easily customizable this bed is if I need to change something. And the split upper levels make it easy to custom tailor the firmness for each side of the bed (I bought a king size) I only got to put it all together and went to sleep hopefully for the last time on the awful cheap full size bed I’ve been making due on since I moved back out of my parents house and bought my own house. Very nice quality materials, didn’t smell too bad and the free pillows are very nice as well. I got the high profile since I tend to sleep on my side but maybe should have done the low profile as on my back they are too high for me. Maybe I can pull some foam out. Nice pillows though. And I shouldn’t have to fluff them all the time.
First impressions after fully assembling it are I really like the darn thing! I left it to air out and come to full height, though it looked pretty much fully expanded right after unwrapping. Looks great! When I get off work today it will have had about 22 hours to air out and expand. Probably throw my new king sheets on it and try sleeping on it today.
I will report back once I’ve actually slept on the dern thing! lol So far though I’m very happy with the whole buying experience from Brooklyn Bedding, the free pillows and discount were a bonus. If this thing sleeps anywhere near as good as I hope it will, its a bargain.
Congratulations Mike,
I felt better after only one night on my Aloe Alexis but it took about 3 weeks to really get acquainted. I’ve had it for almost a month and like it more each day. I choose level 3 firmness. It is really firm but I like it.
Let us know how things go…hopefully you will be pleased.
Jeff
I like it kinda firm myself … and was debating between the 3 and 5 … Chuck at BB said there really wasn’t a ‘4’ - or else I would’ve gotten that. So I went with the ‘5’ because ‘3’ seemed like it might be too firm. I’m 185 lbs, so not too big, but not too small - so we’ll see if that plays into it. Still waiting to get it, so we’ll see how it goes. I got the Bamboo Bliss, so I don’t know if there will be minor differences there too.
I believe the main difference is BB has one 3" comfort layer and AA has two 3" layers. The more minor difference is bamboo vs. aloe. Being that you are not real heavy it may not make that much of a difference to you.
I hope you like it but please post your findings either way… I’m interested in the BB for my son.
Jeff, You replied a few times to my posts. Thanks. I am now considering the Aloe A. from B.B. I was thinking about going with an all natural 6" core (talalay) an 2" topper from Arizona M. I read posts here that scared me, saying that the medium core, which is what was recommended to me, was way too soft. I do prefer a rather firm mattress so I thought I’d ask you about your Aloe A. You stated that you have a level 3… do you know the ILD’s for the layers? I think I would like a 3 or a 5 level of firmness. Also, did the mattress have any odors? Not sure about the HD core and what it is exactly. Do you know if this core is also hypoallergenic like a latex layer?
How is the quality of the cover?
Hello Diane,
I can answer some of your questions…
My Level 3 has a bottom comfort layer at 36 ILD while the top is 32ILD.
The level 5 has a bottom comfort layer at 32 ILD while the top is 28 ILD.
I did not detect much odor from the mattress (Maybe very faint but that is all). The shredded latex pillows are a different story - I could smell those for two weeks. I slept on one of them anyway because it was very comfortable - easy to fluff or flatten a little.
I cannot answer about the core…I don’t know the answer.
The cover feels really good and appears to be of the highest quality.
Overall - I am very pleased to have picked the Aloe Alexis. It was good on day one and I continue to sleep a little better as the days pass.
You should talk on the phone with one of the BB guys to get their answer about the core.
I think you made a great quality/value choice and with two exchangeable latex layers the Alexis is also more flexible in terms of design and exchanging layers than some of their other choices. Thanks for your feedback and congratulations on your new mattress :). I’m looking forward to any updates you have the chance to share with the forum.
@ Diane37,
Just as food for thought … I would keep in mind that softness and firmness is relative to each person and their body type, sleeping style, individual preferences and perceptions, and the specific design of the mattress. What is too soft for one person can be too firm for the next even with similar body types and sleeping styles. Outside of personal testing on a mattress … the most effective way to make a comfort choice is with a more detailed conversation with a manufacturer or retailer who knows more about their mattresses than anyone and is in the best position to match their customers to the options that have the best odds of working well based on their experience with thousands of people and the “averages” of their customers who may be similar to you.
If you go to the Aloe Alexis page and click on the “construction” tab you will see the details of the construction for each firmness level. I would also keep in mind that every difference in the thickness of layers, the softness of layers, or the type of materials in a base layer or quilting layer will have just as big an effect as ILD on how your mattress feels and performs. A 3" layer of a certain ILD with different materials above and below it and a different cover will be very different from a 2" latex layer of the same ILD with different materials above and below it and a different cover so I would aboid making comparisons based on any spec including ILD by itself without taking into account the effect of every other layer and component in the mattress.
The best answers to these types of questions will usually come from the manufacturers themselves. Their base layer is HD polyfoam (2.17 lbs) which is CertiPur certified. “Hypoallergenic” is relative to each person and there are people who are allergic or sensitive to latex and others who are allergic or sensitive to polyfoam (or any other material). Neither is an issue for the large majority of people.
I would also keep in mind that the quality of a material usually has little to do with how it feels. In general … higher quality materials will last longer not necessarily feel better.
okay so I got to sleep on it for a whole 4 hous BUT I slept great. The pillows are too tall, i tired flattening them out but no luck. I should have went with the low profile ones, and may get a couple anyway. Or maybe I’ll pull some foam and then try. They are comfy though. I used my normal pillow and crashed. When I got up there where no achy shoulders or back. I tend to sleep on my side and my arm/should is usually killing me after a couple hours and tends to wake me up. None of that with this mattress. Its does feel a bit plush but I sink a little then I feel that I’m not sinking after that. Probably just through the top layer, and from just my short stint on it yesterday it seems to be very comfortable. I’ll put some more hours on it and see how it does. The 5 may end up being the perfect blend of support and softness.
day 2 - I got a little over 6 hours of great sleep on this thing yesterday. I didn’t wake up once and actually felt rested when I got up to go to work. I’m usually just wanting to stay in bed, even though it wasnt comfortable enough to actually sleep well in. I had a little lower back soreness, but not as bad as I usually have. I do think I may go firmer in this case, I woke up kinda feeling like my hips had sunk a bit too much. The current firmness feels fine everywhere else though.
Other thing to note is this mattress sleeps very cool, pretty much like a normal spring mattress. Even on my old mattress I would wake up and little warm, I’m just a warm sleeper anyway. This bed seems to do a great job of dissipating the heat. I just have some pretty standard damask 400 thread count sheets on it right now. I keep forgetting to get the mattress protector out of the box. Hopefully it doesn’t change anything about the mattress.
so its been a few days now that I’ve been sleeping on my new mattress. after a couple days I did notice my lower back pain or soreness was back after waking up. Maybe because I as sleeping longer than 4-5 hours. Wasn’t sure if I need more support or less so I moved my upper layers around. I took the split layers and put both 32 ild pieces on one side and both 28s on the other side so basically I have a split top 6" of 32 ild on one side and 6" of 28 ild on the other side. I slept on the 32 side one night and felt stiffer and more uncomfortable. Very supportive but not enough give I guess. Last two nights I’ve slept on the 28 side and woke up with no pain or stiffness. Its a little cushy and I do feel like I’m sinking in it more like a memory foam mattress but its very comfortable. Not sure if it is common for someone to use double layers of the same ild, as most seem to stagger up a bit for the support on the deeper layer. I’m thinking about just going back to the original setup of 28 on top with the 32 under layer. Maybe when it breaks in it will be a bit better, or my back gets used to it. its only been like a full week of sleeping on it so far. Any thoughts? Probably call the guys ar BB this week to get their opinion too
I’m really glad you guys have been posting so this went to the top of the index because I’m hoping to purchase an AA from BB tomorrow, but I’m still a little up in the air about which firmness to get for each side of a king.
Based on a post in another thread, it sounds like I’m about 25 lbs. heavier than mykvr6 and was also hoping the level 5 would be about right. I want to sink a little at first but have the support kick in pretty quickly. It’s tough to attempt to figure out what each person means by “firm” and “soft” because it’s so subjective and also depends on weight and other factors.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’m getting level 5 for my half and either level 3 or a custom 28-over-36 for my g/f’s half. She starts on her stomach but doesn’t want something too firm, so I’m hoping that combo works. If not, I’ll mix and match to see what works or at least comes close so I can exchange for exactly what we need.
One thing you could try is putting the higher ILD over the lower ILD. For instance, Mario suggested that 32-over-28 would be somewhat in between the level 3 (32-over-36) and level 5 (28-over-32). I know it doesn’t seem to make sense, but I’ve seen that show up in a couple of forum posts. It sounds like the reps at BB suggest that if someone wants just a little more firmness.
Phoenix spoke to the materials. I can add that I asked Mario about the perceived firmness of the 7-inch HD foam core, and he said they estimate it feels roughly similar to a 34 or 36 ILD latex core.
I’m definitely planning to try this tactic if needed, but I think I might try the custom 28-over-36 for one side to see if that gives my g/f the softness she wants with the support she needs for laying on her stomach. I haven’t asked any of the guys at BB about that, so perhaps I’m crazy thinking it would work.
I think I’m well beyond the point of over-thinking all this and need to just pull the trigger! As long as I have options to try different combinations, I should be able to find something that works. All the feedback in this thread is very helpful, but even if I need a $75 exchange, it’s a pretty low-risk move because I’m still saving hundreds of dollars over buying an inferior product in a showroom.
Hello JDG0928,
If you like latex the AA seems to be a great and flexible choice. With our 5% discount taking off ~69.99 (Queen size), two free Latex pillows plus free shipping the total cost isn’t that bad.
I can only tell you that I like the one I have and given the option would not undo this purchase - no remorse whatsoever.
Whatever you choose to do I wish you well and a great nights sleep.
Jeff
PS. I may buy another from BB in the next 6 months
Your own body will be the most reliable guide about what is best for you and there is absolutely nothing “wrong” with using 2 28 ILD layers on top of each other. It would be very sightly softer than a single layer of the same ILD because the layers “act” a little more independently.
The only other suggestion I have is to make sure you test any combination for several days at a minimum to make sure that what you are feeling is more predictive of your longer term experience and not just an anomaly based on the circumstances of a day or two.
I think that jeg0928 made some good suggestions and a firmer layer over a softer layer is also well worth trying. 32 over 28 would also be somewhat “in between” 32 over 32 and 28 over 32 in terms of softness but it will also have a different “feel” from sleeping on a firmer surface with some of the softness coming from underneath instead of the surface of the mattress.
As you also know … there will be some initial softening of the mattress as the foams lose some of their initial stiffness and the covers stretch and you will also go through an initial adjustment period as well during the same time so as you are considering changes these two processes will also be continuing and can also change your perceptions and response to the mattress.
In the end … what works best is what is best regardless of any “theory”.
Thanks for the ongoing updates as you “dial in” your ideal combination
Well, I pulled the trigger on an AA with both sides level 5 (28-over-32).
After speaking with Mario, he felt the level 3 (32-over-36) and the 28-over-36 might be just a little too firm for my partner because she has stated that she wants something that has some softness in the feel. As a result, he wanted me to be able to have her try 32-over-32 if 28-over-32 doesn’t work for her.
My head is still spinning from all the numbers and options I’ve thought about the last few days, but just about everything I’ve considered has included three of the four foam pieces I’m ordering. Mentally, I’m counting on paying for an exchange, so it will be icing on the cake if it’s not needed.
Mario told me they prefer folks sleep on the bed for 30 days before making a decision about exchanging. The latex breaks in over 30 to 45 days, so this is the best way to get a better idea of the long-term comfort.
Finally, thanks to jefmoody, mykvr6 and, of course, Phoenix for all the help and ideas. I’ll definitely return when I have some time with our mattress and do my best to help others who are researching for a new one.
This is certainly true … and my comments for “at least a few days” was more about the length of time someone that is more actively involved in adjusting layers tries each combination before changing it again. A mattress will break in and each person will also go through an adjustment period as their body gets used to a new sleeping surface over the first few weeks of sleeping on a new mattress.
Congratulations on your new mattress
I think you made a great choice and I’m looking forward to your feedback when you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
I am almost at 2 months on the Aloe Alexis (32ILD over 36ILD) and I am very happy with the mattress. It seems that I’m thinking less about pain and more about sleep than before - this is a great thing!
I am sleeping better than ever and still recommend Latex for its ability to support but not make me sweat.
If you are on the fence about which to buy and are scared to buy online just choose a company listed here that has an exchange and/or return policy. BB has exchange only on my model (Aloe Alexis) but it didn’t matter as I am exchanging nothing!
Good night all, it’s bedtime.
Jeff
Thought I would bump this up since I have had my Aloe Alexis for over a year now. I ended up putting the bed back to its as bought configuration. I think I was just worrying about it too much and overthinking it! lol. I was still having back pain for a couple months but I think once it broke in and my body got used to it, I pretty much have no pain now after sleeping. The pillows I thought were too high profile have broken in as well and being a side sleeper they seem to keep my back in alignment better which I think has also helped with my back pain. I love this bed, I don’t even think about it anymore. I just lay down and sleep. I did use the mattress protector for a bit and in my experience it didn’t change the feel of the bed but it definitely trapped heat. So I took it back off and I sleep comfortably. Ideally I wish I could use a mattress protector but I havent had any issues with stains or anything and honestly I don’t want to mess with how well my bed sleeps. My girlfriend has gotten used to it as well. At first she was not impressed or was indifferent to it but I think as shes gotten used to it shes sleeps much better than before. Shes had trouble sleeping well for years but she seems to sleep a lot longer and deeper on this mattress. I usually rotate it every couple times we wash the sheets and it has broken in well and is holding up great. I love this mattress. I’ve gone through so many over the years and wasted so much money, even if it fell apart tomorrow I’d buy another one in a heartbeat if I knew I’d get a good year of sleep out of it. But I know it will last much longer than that and honestly its great to know at least I have the bed thing covered for awhile.
Long story short…best mattress I’ve ever owned by leaps and bounds.
- so we’ll see if that plays into it. Still waiting to get it, so we’ll see how it goes. I got the Bamboo Bliss, so I don’t know if there will be minor differences there too.
BUT I slept great. The pillows are too tall, i tired flattening them out but no luck. I should have went with the low profile ones, and may get a couple anyway. Or maybe I’ll pull some foam and then try. They are comfy though. I used my normal pillow and crashed. When I got up there where no achy shoulders or back. I tend to sleep on my side and my arm/should is usually killing me after a couple hours and tends to wake me up. None of that with this mattress. Its does feel a bit plush but I sink a little then I feel that I’m not sinking after that. Probably just through the top layer, and from just my short stint on it yesterday it seems to be very comfortable. I’ll put some more hours on it and see how it does. The 5 may end up being the perfect blend of support and softness.