Yesterday, I went to Sleepworks in Massapequa, NY to find a bed. After trying out several beds, my wife and I finally found one that we both wanted to buy. It’s called the Natural Elegance Paradise by King Coil. It’s a hybrid bed that’s a combination of 54% Poly Foam and 41% Latex (combination of Talalay and Dunlop). At this juncture, I’m waiting for an email from the salesman with the exact specs of the bed. My gut, once again, is telling me that the email will never come.
Phoenix, I searched through the forum and saw that you had a very unpleasant experience with Blue Bell Mattress company trying to find out the specs of the Natural Elegance Lineup. I have feeling that I am going to be in the same boat as you were with Sleepworks.
Needless to say, my frustration level in the trying to buy a quality bed from independent retailers in NY is dwindling. Last night, after spending a few more hours researching the “Underground Membership list,” I found 3 members that sell the type of that I want to buy. They are:
1 - Brooklyn Bedding – The Bamboo Bliss or the Aloe Alexis.
2 - EZ – The Luxerion or the Isleep Euro Top
3 - Rocky Mountain Mattress – The Rendezvous or the Cloud Craft.
In your opinion, out of the three members on your list, which member has a bed that is the closest to the feel of the Natural Elegance bed at Sleepworks? I’m ready to pull the trigger within the next two days and I would appreciate your feedback before talking to the 3 vendors on your list.
You could very well be right and if you aren’t able to find out the specs of the mattress I would pass it by. If the polyfoam is low quality and is in the upper layers of the mattress it can be the weak link of a mattress in terms of durability and will reduce the useful life of the mattress.
In most cases the retailer should be the one to research the information you need and provide it to their customers. This is part of the job of all good retailers when their customers know enough to ask about the quality of the materials in a mattress.
Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the New York City area are listed in post #2 here and there is also a more categorized list with more details about some of them in post #7 here. Some of the possibilities in the Long Island area are listed in post #4 here.
All of these are knowledgeable and experienced online manufacturers that compete well with the best in the industry and all of them (along with some of the other online members here) make latex mattresses in different designs and with different options and features and would be well worth considering. They are all included in the list of members here that sell mattresses online (see post #21 here) that are linked in the tutorial post.
There is more information about trying to “match” one mattress to another in post #9 here but it’s not likely you will be able to find out enough information about the Natural Elegance Paradise and there are too many differences between them and too many unknowns that one of them would even be able to guess at which of their mattresses may be similar when you talk with them (and they would be the best source of guidance about “approximating” any of their mattresses to a local mattress you are considering). If you can’t test a mattress in person then a more detailed conversation with an online retailer or manufacturer is the best way to decide which of their mattresses would be the best “match” for you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
If by chance you settle on buying from BB… The Aloe Alexis offers two slices of Latex vs. just one on the Bamboo Bliss.
This means it is more flexible in accommodating your personal preference in the comfort layer.
I don’t have any experience with the others you listed but I own 2 queen sized Aloe Alexis Mattresses and I have recommended that model about 50 times or more…so you can see I am happy with my choice.
Whatever you choose I wish you a pleasant night’s sleep.
Jeff
Phoenix, here are the specs that Sleepworks just emailed me for the Natural Elegance Paradise by King Koil:
Paradise Box Pillow Top
Natural Bamboo Cover quilted to 2" of soft soy based high density Poly foam Antimicrobial Safeguard Fiber
1" 2lb density soft soy based foam
1" layer of talalay latex
1" Talalay Latex
1" 2lb density soft soy based foam
2" Medium Dunlop Latex
6.5" High Density Soy Based Foam Core
Reinforced 18 Slat Nordic Grid Wood Foundation
At this time, I’m a little surprised that the density measurement of the Soy Based Core wasn’t included. Right?
When you get the chance, please review the specs and let me know what you think.
I would want to know the density of the polyfoam core as well for comparison purposes (soy based foam isn’t actually “soy based” as you can see in post #2 here) although it won’t be a weak link in the mattress with 6" of foam above it.
I would be more cautious with the 2" quilting layer on top of the mattress which also doesn’t include the density and is in the top 5" or 6" of the mattress where the durability of the materials is a more important issue. The quilting would make it more durable than a “loose layer” but once you have 2" or more of lower density and less durable materials in the comfort layers I would want to know the density of that as well (see the guidelines in post #4 here) because 2" is “on the edge” of being a potential weak link that could affect some people (especially if they were heavier or their weight was less evenly distributed). The rest of the comfort layers are all good quality materials (2 lb density polyfoam and Talalay latex) but I would also keep in mind that 2 lb polyfoam isn’t as durable as latex and it’s also a lower cost material.
The Luxurion for example uses 1.5" in the quilting and then has 6" of latex under that although I believe it’s only available locally. Their Roma two sided mattress and their Special (which can be customized before and after a purchase) can both be shipped across the country.
The Brooklyn Bedding latex hybrid options (the Perfect Top series) are here and they use either 3" of blended Talalay latex or in the case of the Alexis there are two 3" layers of Talalay latex in the top of the mattress. The latex layers in all of these can also be customized both before and after a purchase.
The Rocky Mountain Mattress Rendevous or Cloud Croft are both memory foam mattresses (although both of them use latex in either the transition or support layers) so they would be an “apples to oranges” comparison with a mattress that has latex comfort layers although neither of these have any “weak links” either. These would be more suitable for those who preferred to sleep on memory foam comfort layers vs latex.