Habitat Furnishings 8" Natural Latex vs Sleep EZ 10000-HELP!!

We have narrowed down our choices to either the HF 8" Natural Latex with their EZ Sleep foundation or the EZ Sleep 10000 series with their basic foundation. We would be using our existing metal frame and put some extra boards across for added support. The HF is pretty straightforward and I’d say 90+% of their reviews are good, but they are a bit pricier. EZ Sleep also sounds good, but much more confusing. The man I spoke with said he would recommend the 10000 with low, med, firm layers for me (I sleep either on my side or stomach) and a med, firm, extra firm for my husband (he sleeps on back or stomach, and has a herniated disk in his lower back). He also said we would have a choice between Dunlop or Talahay and our choice of 2 companies to get the foam from. I’m not sure which of these to do either. Does anyone have experience with either of these beds or companies?? Did the basic metal fram with slats work? I am exhausted from researching and any personal opinions would be great!

Hi reneegavin,

There are several references to Habitat that you can find with a forum search on “habitat” (without the quotes) but in essence they boil down to “good quality poor value” compared to manufacturers like SleepEZ or other manufacturing members of this site. The five members that currently specialize in shipping mattresses across the country are in post #21 here. (NOTE: there are now eight)

I would also not use a solid surface for a latex mattress and IMO this advice would result in a mattress that wouldn’t have good ventilation and increases the odds that you could have issues with “unwanted guests” such as mold, mildew, and would also reduce the ability of the mattress to breathe and provide a healthy and temperature regulating microclimate. They probably give this advice because they don’t sell a foundation. There are several inexpensive foundations available which would be much more suitable for a latex mattress than a sheet of plywood across innersprings or worse yet a frame which is meant to hold a foundation above the ground not to actually be part of one.

To give you a direct comparison … the SleepEz has many more options in terms of layering (and they are very good at recommending a suitable layering arrangement), and they give you the ability to choose between different types of latex rather than trying to tell you one is “better” than another (which it isn’t … it’s just different) because they (Habitat) don’t sell the other options. The SleepEz 9000 is their mattress that would be comparable to the 8" Habitat and is as good quality or better in every way yet it is $600 less. It also offers layer exchanges and more options both before and after the sale than habitat in case you don’t quite get it right.

The SleepEz 10,000 would be comparable to the Habitat 9" model and in queen would be over $800 less.

Manufacturers like Arizona Premium (also a member here) offers even greater savings at the “tradeoff” of less options to make adjustments after purchase than the SleepEz (and the same as Habitat).

So overall … Habitat makes some nice mattresses that are significantly higher priced than other options that use the same or better materials and have more options both before and after purchase.

One other option that may be worth considering is if there is a local manufacturer close to you then you may be able to get similar value but actually lie on the mattress first before purchase. If you let me know the city you live in I’d be happy to look and see if I know of any close by.

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

I have a few concern with the SleepEZ. First, it was recomended that my husband and I each have different layers. I have read some complaints that this can cause a bit of a crater where the 2 sides of layers meet. Our configurations wouldn’t allow for a single top layer. Also, figuring out the whole belly/side/back sleeping thing isn’t straightforward for us. I LOVE to slee on my belly, but I know it’s bad, so I try to fall asleep on my side, but wake up either on belly OR back. My husband likes to sleep on his belly, but he has sleep apnea, and is trying to get used to the CPAP machine, which would require him to sleep on his back. Another issue is putting the bed together. It seems like it would be tough to line up all those pieces of heavy foam and wrap them up??

I do believe the foundation Habitat sells is a slatted one? Again, I’m not 100% sure on that.

Hi reneegavin,

Having a split configuration won’t result in a “crater” because the ticking fits around the latex layers very tightly and the latex itself is rubbery and “squishes” together tightly so there is no noticeable gap. The wool quilting in the cover also serves to “even out” the surface. Having said that … if the ILD difference between the layers was significantly different … then there would be a more noticeable difference between one side of the mattress and the other in the middle “transition” area. For most circumstances this is not an issue and the benefits of “split” layers when it’s needed far outweigh the feeling of any difference between the sides.

One of the challenges of belly combination sleeping is that the needs of stomach sleepers are directly opposed to the needs of side sleepers. Stomach sleeping carries the risk of sleeping in a swayback position (the heavier pelvic area sinks in too far and hyperextends the back). Because of this … it normally requires thinner comfort layers in the mattress because the most important priority is to keep the back in the best possible alignment. Side sleeping on the other hand requires thicker comfort layers to conform to the more curvy body profile of side sleepers to fill in the gaps and relieve pressure on the more pointy parts of the side sleeping profile. Thin pillows … or no pillows at all … are also best for stomach sleeping to keep the head as low as possible and keep the neck in good alignment while side sleeping needs thicker pillows to hold the head up higher to get the best alignment. Combination sleepers need a pillow that can be both flat enough for stomach sleeping and “scrunched up” to give enough support for side sleeping.

As far as putting the bed together … with two people it is not that difficult a job. The trick is to “wave” the foam into position rather than pulling and tugging at it (latex is “sticky” and can also tear if you pull on it too much). Most people have no problem putting it all together and it can actually be quite fun. It can also be a bit of a “chore” re-arranging layers but that too is a side effect of the benefit of having layers to re-arrange and once you have the best layering then it doesn’t need to be done again.

Sometimes it makes sense to do some testing on latex mattresses that are available locally to get a better sense of the layering that may work best for you and use that as a guideline for ordering online. Without that though … Shawn is good at recommending what most other people with a similar weight and circumstances would normally end up preferring.

You’re right about the slatted KD foundation that Habitat sells. I seemed to “remember” that they didn’t sell one but they have had the KD slatted foundation (which is also widely available in many places) available for some time. Either way though, IMO a sheet of plywood on a metal frame is not the best idea. If you were meaning to buy slats and add them to a basic metal frame … then of course the height would be very low and you would want to make sure the slats were well secured so they didn’t fall through and “surprise” you. In general … you need a slatted system where the gaps between the slats are no more than 3" apart (at the most and preferably less) or a wire grid type of foundation.

I also realize I didn’t answer your comment about the different types of latex in your previous post and there is an article here which will explain the differences between Dunlop and Talalay … and blended and all natural. There is more information in post #2 here as well. SleepEz also uses different suppliers for it’s latex but unless you have a strong preference for one supplier over another then I wouldn’t make that an issue because all of their suppliers are good ones for both their Talalay and Dunlop latex.

Phoenix