As a preface: this is my first post on The Underground. I’ve been lurking for the last month, and I registered for the site earlier this week.
My fiancee and I are looking for a new mattress–a “good one.” Specifically, an Eastern King large enough for both of us to sleep on without waking the other. Until I found this website a few weeks ago, I thought that my only options for a non-innerspring mattress were a memory foam mattress, such as a Tempurpedic, which I was prepared to buy. I thought that I had no choice. I did not know that latex existed, and I did not know that there were non-Tempurpedic alternatives, aside from the house brand at Costco.
Then I found The Mattress Underground. Now, I feel like I can see the Matrix. I now know about the premium prices that brand name mattresses command. I now know that there are smaller factory outlets that sell mattresses of comparable (or superior) quality for better prices, at the cost of a nigh-meaningless brand name. I now know that latex mattresses exist, and that latex is generally a more durable material than memory foam, and it runs cooler. I now know how progressive construction works, the differences between Dunlop and Talalay, and the differences between fewer thick layers or many thin layers. I now know that a mattress must be firm enough to keep my spine in alignment while at the same time soft enough to relieve pressure from all the parts of my body. Finally, I now have a list of all mattress stores recommended by The Underground. I’m still a newbie, but I have basic working knowledge.
This information led me to today’s experience. I decided that my fiancee and I would begin our search at two stores: FlexusComfort in Covina, and FoamSweetFoam in Anaheim. Latex appealed to us more than memory foam because I always run warm, and she often runs warm. Because Phoenix recommended Flexus so highly, I wanted to start there first. We visited Flexus this morning. We met Henry and James, and Henry showed us their latex mattresses. As most of you probably know, their mattresses have a 6" Dunlop core (31 ILD) and a 2" or 3" Talalay top layer (22-24 ILD). Because I’m a big guy (6’1", 280 lbs, present powerlifter and former collegiate offensive lineman), I knew that I would need at least 9" of mattress; accordingly, I opted for the 3" Talalay top layer. My fiancee immediately loved it: she’s 5’7", 140 lbs, and has been sleeping on innerspring mattresses her entire life, so she thought it was amazing. I thought it was very nice–a big upgrade from an innerspring mattress, but I could still feel the mattress “bottoming out” when I sat up, or when I otherwise placed my entire bodyweight in a small area (eg: pushing my elbow into the mattress to roll over).
I immediately knew that this bottoming out was an issue. Although I don’t need the mattress to be perfectly supportive when I’m sitting up, the fact that it was bottoming out when I sat up made it likely that awkward movements could lead to me feeling a temporary bottoming out while moving in the middle of the night. Because I am planning on spending thousands of dollars on a mattress that will hopefully last for a decade, this realization made me uneasy. Upon my inquiry, Henry explained that such bottoming out was unusual, and he agreed with me that my bodyweight was to blame. I asked Henry if I should be exploring 12" mattress options (recalling that Phoenix had written that persons over 250 lbs should consider mattresses thicker than 9"). Henry agreed.
“Damn,” I thought to myself, “now I’m stuck with FSF as my only option because Flexus doesn’t do 12” mattresses."
But my silent concerns were instantly obliterated: Henry explained that Flexus could construct a 12" mattress by adding a 3" Dunlop bottom layer. I asked him how soon we could try out such a mattress. Henry said that they didn’t generally keep firm 3" Dunlop in stock, but that they might have a 3" extra firm Dunlop layer in stock. He promptly walked out of the showroom and into the factory next door. Two minutes later, he popped back through the door, a 3" roll of extra-firm Dunlop in tow. He and another gentleman placed it under the 9" mattress, and our jury rigged 12" mattress was ready to try out.
The 12" mattress did not disappoint. We now had a 3" soft Talalay comfort layer, a 6" medium-firm Dunlop middle layer, and a 3" extra-firm Dunlop base layer. This was now arguably the most comfortable mattress I had ever lain on. The mattress no longer bottomed out when I made awkward movements, or when I sat down. In addition, the extra compression distance (is that the right term?) allowed me to sink down just a little bit more–or so I thought–making my preferred side-sleeper position that much more comfortable. When we were done testing the mattress, Henry quoted me a great price, including the 5% Underground discount. I took his card and told him that I would call him within the week, after we visit FSF on Sunday.
I can’t stress enough what a great job Henry did today. He was gentlemanly and courteous–he never pushed the hard sale. He was knowledgeable and informative, giving me straight answers to questions that must be awkward for most people (eg: “Is it because I’m 280 lbs?” “Yes.”) Most importantly, he went above and beyond what I expected by telling me that they could in fact do a 12" mattress, and then running to the factory to grab the extra 3" layer so that we could try out the mattress that very moment.
Phoenix–and the rest of you who make up this community–thank you so much for your help. Without you, I would have been ignorant to the very existence of both Flexus and latex mattresses. You have shown me the code of the Matrix, and I will never be able to un-see it.
I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on our experience at FSF. Based on their website, I’m expecting a similar mattress (though with 4 layers instead of 3) at a higher price. Although I felt compelled to pull the trigger at Flexus earlier today, I restrained myself and followed Phoenix’s advice: we need to sample more than 2 mattresses before finalizing a decade-long investment. Having said that, after today’s experience at Flexus, FSF is going to need to make a strong showing.
Thank you again,
Chris
