April 11 - Saturday
Someone had asked about the Flexus Comfort mattress cover. So I took a picture and here it is. You can see that what they ship is quilted on top and on the sides. It does not have the grey fabric on the sides as shown on their website.
They raised the price once word got out that it was Phoenixās current pillow of choice.
Hi electricrelish,
Itās not even my āpillow of choiceā at the moment so at least they could lower the price again :unsure:
Phoenix
Well I had ordered a Z pillow knockoff, but there was some sort of shipping snafu and then they sold out. So the vendor emailed me today saying he was shipping a Z to me instead at no extra charge, and that the Z was definitely higher quality. Soā¦ hey, itās taking a little while but I guess Iāll be getting a pretty decent deal on a Z. 
Hi LJGMDAD,
Thatās good news ā¦ I guess sometimes shipping delays can work in your favor
Phoenix
April 17 - Friday
I received a Malouf Z Pillow yesterday and used it last night. I had previously been using a Tempurpedic memory foam pillow and as a back sleeper it had too much loft and not enough give. I was also sweating on it. So I now have a low loft firm Z. Initial observations: Itās bouncy. This is often mentioned and I agree. However I donāt see this is a problem at all. I donāt bounce around when sleeping and didnāt notice this at night once. The low loft firm latex results in an improved neck posture for me on my back. This was the goal. Iām now in a position where Iām looking straight up at the ceiling instead of slightly cocked forward as before. And this pillow is supportive. Though it is low loft, it doesnāt ābottom outā with my head on it, and I can feel the support under my neck. I also woke up without a sweaty head, so this is good. Lastly, the smell is pretty strong. Iām sure it will subside, and itās not a chemical smell - just a latex smell, but I find it a bit odd that the pillowās latex smell fills a room where my brand new natural latex mattress did not. Any thoughts on that? Anyhow, overall, it seems to have been a good purchase.
One more update - I think my lower back stiffness is starting to improve on the new mattress. Itās still there, but I am sleeping longer at night now before waking up with stiffness and the urge to roll over to get off my backā¦ This is a slow process indeed. Still being patientā¦
Hi LJGMDAD,
There is more about the typical smell of latex in post #2 here. Some batches of natural latex can be stronger than others and the smell can also be more noticeable to some people than others. It can also depend on the specifics of the latex foam formulations used by different manufacturers and on how long it has been wrapped (which prevents the material from airing out and can concentrate the smell). My Malouf pillow for example had very little smell when it was new but it should subside fairly rapidly.
Phoenix
April 27 - Monday
Well Iām at just about the 45 day point with the new mattress. I can say that the latex has indeed softened since day 1, however it seems to have reached a point now where it is no longer softening. Further, my lower back stiffness has improved but is still there. Iāve recently started using a new set of sheets that are bamboo viscose and I actually think theyāve made a difference. Iām not sure, but they do seem a bit more stretchy and conforming than my previous cotton sheets. I think this makes them a better match for a latex mattress and I donāt notice the sheets getting taut underneath my back and I think this makes them more comfortable. Not to mention softā¦ Itās not exaggeration that bamboo viscose is softer than 1000-thread cotton sheets.
So anyhow, in another week or two I am going to re-evaluate my posture on this mattress and be sure itās still where it should be while Iām still within the layer swap 90-day window at Flexus. Will report back around the 60-day point.
Hi LJGMDAD,
Thanks for sharing another update.
How is the smell of your pillow?
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
The pillow still smells. The smell has subsided such that when you walk in the room, you donāt get the immediate latex smell. But on the bed, the smell is still there. I was thinking I should wash the cover and try to air out the latex for a bit. But I havenāt tried that yet.
Thanks.
Hi LGMDAD,
Thatās probably a good idea because the smell may have permeated the cover and it would give the inner pillow a chance to air out. Itās odd that your pillow seems to smell so much stronger than ours did.
Phoenix
I just ordered a 10ā inch (soft/medium/firm) mattress and foundation from Flexus today, canāt wait to get it!
Thanks Phoenix for this site, without your help I wouldāve likely spent way too much money on an inferior product. You really helped me down the path of making a strong informed decision. Cheers!
Hi thisisajs,
I switched your post to a new topic of your own so that your posts and any feedback wonāt get mixed in with the comments from another member.
Congratulations on your new mattress
As you know I think you made a great choice and Iām looking forward to any comments and feedback you have the chance to share as well.
Phoenix
Will do, it should be here next week sometime, the countdown begins!
Bed was delivered yesterday and since I live in LA the person who came was a Flexus employee. He helped me get everything set up and took away my old bed.
First impressions: HUGE improvement over my old worn out spring mattress. It feels much more supportive, and the 3 inches of āsoftā on top is comfy.
I slept through the night just fine but when I woke up, I noticed some slight lower back stiffness which went away after a couple of hours. Itās normal to have a transition period when adjusting to a new mattress, correct? I verified that my spine was in good alignment the night before, maybe my body isnāt used to being in the correct position?
Just curious how long the typical adjustment period is, 1 week? 1 month?
Hi thisisajs,
There will be a break in and adjustment period for every new mattress that can vary from person to person so this would be completely normal. Some people donāt seem to notice it at all but it will normally be less than 30 days in most cases (see post #3 here).
While you have good options to change the layering of your mattress either by rearranging or exchanging layers if it turns out to be necessary ā¦ it would be preferable to wait about 30 days or so or at least a minimum of two weeks whenever possible before deciding to make any changes to your mattress.
Phoenix
This is precisely what I encountered with my new latex mattress (also from Flexus). Lower back stiffness. The issue essentially for me is/was that my previous mattress was like a hammock and very unsupportive. But thatās what my back was used to. Enter the latex and literally overnight the support was there. For weeks, it felt unnatural and like there was a hump under my lower back. Iād wake up with stiffness in the lumbar region, but not pain. Slowly it is subsiding, but 45 days in, I can not say it is gone completely. One thing that helps alot is to sleep with a pillow under your knees - assuming you sleep on your back. This helps a lot in relieving lower back pressure.
So anyhow, stick it out. Itās a long process, and itās easy to get discouraged. But it does gradually improve.
May 21, 2015 - Thursday
Just popping in here to provide an update. I now feel that my mattress is fully broken in. I have not done any layer exchanges, and at this point it is not looking like I will. The initial discomfort in my lumbar region (back sleeper) is mostly gone now. Iām actually wondering if the mattress has softened in that region and is now providing less resistance, or if my body has finally become accustomed to the mattress. Iām suspecting itās a combination of both.
In any event, Iām quite happy with my purchase from Flexus. The Talalay / Dunlop combination really seems to fit me well. And that Z Pillow was really the final touch needed for alignment. In fact, Iām now waking up in the same position on some mornings that I fell asleep the night before. This is rather remarkable for me. So at this point, I think the āif it aint broken, donāt fix itā principle applies, and I was lucky enough to get the layer configuration correct the first time. Yes, it did take some time to adjust - longer than I expected - and yes I strongly considered altering the configuration before getting to this point. But instead, patience was the recipe for success. Word to the wise.
Hi LJGMDAD,
Thanks for the update ā¦ I appreciate it
Your āword to the wiseā is very appropriate IMO because many people donāt fully realize the changes in their experience that can happen during the first few weeks that they sleep on a new mattress ā¦ partly from adjusting to a new mattress that is different from what their body has become used to and partly from the mattress breaking in ā¦ and in some cases the break in and adjustment period can even take a few months.
Phoenix
So very true, Phoenix. And perhaps the older we get, the longer the adjustment period becomes!! :lol: