Well after months of research and prying information out of as many people as I could, I finally bit the bullet. Decided to go with Valerie at mattresses247. Ironically ended up in a totally different direction than when I started. Originally planned a diy build with poly foam and latex, then decided on all latex, then decided to go with talalay over dunlop and ended up choosing one of the simplest configurations out there. 9" of talalay in soft/med/firm with the cotton/wool cover. Delivery will take a few weeks but that works in my favor since it gives me some time to get a platform bed built.
For my own situation, everything worked as well as possible. It’s a thinner mattress than some and Valerie’s latex is slightly higher ild all the way around for better support - the soft still softer than what I’ve tested in person (that gave me pressure against shoulders and hips). Finished mattress height will be around 10" which is preferable since I’m planning space under my bed and don’t want a ladder to get into bed. It worked out to less than I could buy the individual layers and cover for separately. Valerie is really nice, down to earth and I feel better supporting one of the smaller businesses vs a large corporation. Split firmness core feature for some adjustability (in queen) and split vs solid core means less breaking my back moving the latex around (as opposed to one large 6" slab). Fire retardant wool in the cover (no having to try and figure out fire safety with a diy). Ended up being a bit over what I originally had budgeted for a new mattress, but considering other options I think it was a good investment and definitely money better spent than on another S brand for durability. A simple straightforward design, hopefully less likely to get trapped in layering micromanaging hell. Not to mention a sigh of relief (so far) after so much research. And as an added bonus, will be arriving right around my bday, so can’t beat that. lol
Whew … it’s been a long journey and you’ve asked lots of great questions and done some incredibly detailed and technical research but best of all it led to making a great choice (which ironically is “back to the basics”).
Congratulations on your new mattress
I’m also really looking forward to any updates you have the chance to share about your “real life” experience once you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix, lol yes it’s been a long journey to say the least. I had no idea how involved it could be. Prior to learning anything about latex I didn’t even know it existed. Like many others, a new bed meant going to the local place airing commercials. There was no asking the salesman what was IN the bed, it was a matter of how soft or firm it is and what’s the best price I can get it for. Unless you’re in the business in some form or another, there’s roughly a decade that goes by between mattress purchases so a lot changes. I’m already aware many things aren’t “made like they used to be” but had no idea mattresses had gone downhill to the point where people complaining of sagging or body impressions were the standard, not the exception.
In a sense it can be one of the more scary investments anyone makes. I for one anyway took for granted that at the end of the day, there’s a bed I can fall asleep on. It’s not like a tool that doesn’t work out for $50 or $100 and you just take it back, it’s a major part of a person’s life that often gets taken for granted. It’s not like trying a different type of food and oh well, that meal wasn’t what I expected tomorrow is another day. Whether the up front cost is several hundred or several thousand, it’s the matter of depending on something to get a basic good night’s sleep. And I think regardless of anyone’s walk of life people don’t have the resources to just randomly purchase one bed after another - we all desperately need something to work for us if what we have isn’t.
Your advice has been incredibly helpful and the time you’ve spent answering just my questions personally, let alone everyone else’s has been immense. Not to mention the advice given by several of the vendors here that aided in my own decisions. Ken over at Arizona Premium Mattress, Jacob and Mario at Brooklyn Bedding, even Neal over at Spindle Mattress despite our differences (lol)… My final decision to purchase from Valerie at Mattresses247 had nothing to do with any of those people or their products, it just happened to be the best fit for me. Obviously I haven’t dealt with every vendor on the list here, but for those I have they were really pleasant, helpful and more interested in finding a solution than making a sale. Which is a far cry from most chain salesmen who would tell you anything to get your signature.
Hopefully anyone who reads this thread realizes that these thanks are genuine, not kissing up. Every one of these people took time out of their day that they didn’t have to in order to help someone they owed nothing to. Someone that was a total stranger. I’ve been on this forum several months and between the help I’ve gotten personally and the information given to others it truly is amazing. The discounts with the vendors is just an added perk, the real value is the information. Not to mention, probably the most unbiased since I’ve seen advice given equally whether someone was looking for an innerspring, memory foam, latex, air type mattresses… and a safe environment for people to be able to give their stats without rude commentary. Says a lot about the members of this forum as well. At the end of the day whether we’re 6’6 and 150lbs or 5’1 and 400lbs, we all want a comfortable good night’s sleep without feeling ridiculed in the process or afraid to ask for what suits our individual needs.
I’ll be sure to follow up once I’m able to sleep on the new mattress for a bit and try to get some photos. Now I just have to get the materials together and finalize my bed frame plans
