Hi y’all! I’m about to make a pretty significant move and felt it right to get rid of my 10+ year old mattress. I’ve come across this community and want to thank all of you for your candid questions and Phoenix for a truly jaw-dropping, encyclopedic knowledge of all things bed.
I’ve been focusing on the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress for its strong reviews and excellent price point and thought it would be helpful to share my attempts to understand the feel of latex mattresses. (My conversations with Chuck have started me off on a 4 on their scale of firmness.)
About me:
[li]5’ 11", 170 lbs., late 20s active male of average physical build.[/li]
[li]Suffer minor discomfort in my back and left shoulder from previous injuries.[/li]
[li]I tend to sleep either on my right side or on my back. I usually sleep and awake on my side and occasionally start on my back.[/li]
[li]I find I prefer beds that have a “firm core” but a top layer of softness for my shoulders.[/li]
What I have tried:
IKEA Sultan Elsfjord - Way too firm. It’s a few degrees softer than those floor/wall mats they used to line elementary gymnasiums with. Great support when on my back but there was zero to no give. Laying on my side would require one very thick, very firm pillow. Shallowness aside, there is simply not enough cushioning support for my shoulders or hips.
IKEA Sultan Edsele - I sank very deeply into this when I sat on it. My hips sank a bit below my shoulders when laying on my back. For me, this would be too uncomfortable on my back but felt excellent on my side. I tested this after the Elsfjord, and left wanting a combination of the cushion of the Edsele for side sleeping but a more firm core/supportive feel that I got from the Elsfjord when moving around.
pure LatexBLISS Beautiful - This mattress was too soft for me and had very little edge support. It was easily a higher quality than the IKEA Edsele with a greater sense of buoyancy and what seemed like faster foam recovery as I moved around. This support gave way laterally as I moved out from the center of the mattress. I sank comfortably in all positions and felt my pressure points disappear. The give was a bit much for me as I felt the surface outside my body brush against me (like a half hug from the mattress). This was a very nice mattress, but lacked a certain firmness for me (think of that wonderfully worn in mattress at a Bed and Breakfast).
pure LatexBLISS Nature - This was my favorite of the five I have tested, albeit slightly too firm for side sleeping. If the Beautiful was a half hug, the Nature was less than a quarter. I could feel myself rest as opposed to sink into the surface of this mattress and sensed much more edge support and consequentially less lateral variation. I definitely sensed a “supportive core” when laying on this bed but didn’t notice as much dissipation of my pressure points as on the Beautiful. This one struck me immediately and I am hoping that Chuck can help me approximate a good value on his scale for this mattress. Nature specs show a 3" layer of 28 ILD latex underneath 2" of 19 ILD foam. According to Chuck, their Ultimate Dreams Latex “6” is a 28 ILD.
pure LatexBLISS Celebrate - The Celebrate felt like a slightly cozier version of the Nature. My impression at the store was that the Celebrate is the perfect balance of sinking into and resting upon a mattress. The initial give when resting in all positions “falls” a little more than the Nature, giving the sensation of the Beautiful, but catches and sustains much sooner than the Beautiful. This mattress fell solidly between the characteristics of the Nature and Beautiful. It was a bit too soft throughout – if I could fall a little less into the mattress this would be the winner for me. Otherwise, I am afraid there’s not enough support for my spine.
So there’s my running log thus far! I left the store knowing exactly what kind of feeling I wanted out of a mattress and when Googling the two brands came upon this particular thread:https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/anyone-w-the-ultimate-dream-latex-mattress-chime-in
I’m left with the impression that a 5 or a 6 will do for me, a bit softer than what my initial estimates were and something I hope to clarify with Chuck later on. This is by no means a reflection on Chuck, but my unfamiliarity with other mattresses. I am rather confident in my new range though, as user dmg had almost identical impressions about the PLB he tested as well as somewhat similar dimensions and sleeping habits.
I hope this can be of use to someone later down the road, thanks again everyone for being a part of such an awesome community!