Thanks Phoenix, I think I get what you are saying about my personal value equation. Also thanks for the tip about how to spell savvy. I have been spelling it wrong this whole time. I’ll keep thinking on this issue, I guess, and maybe someone else will post, though I guess the info you provided as well as the links more or less tells me what I need to know.
Out of curiosity, what are you comparing these two particular companies Savvy Rest with Sleep EZ? It appears that Savvy Rest has been around since 2003 and Sleep EZ has been around since 1935, but began making latex mattresses in 1992. Are their mattresses comparable?
Well, it was Savvy Rest that I found first. I had been looking for a natural mattress, googled retailers in my area, found a Savvy Rest store, and went to check it out. I liked the product a lot, but it’s quite expensive, and I felt I needed to do some research before even thinking about making a purchase. I started doing research on the internet, found this site, and quickly found many posts that mentioned SleepEZ as an affordable alternative to Savvy Rest.
To me, the products that they offer seem very similar/analagous, so it seems natural to compare them. If you check out their sites, you will see that both offer more or less the same options for mattresses - a 2 layer version, a 3 layer version, a 4 layer version, and so on. Both offer the same types of latex, allow you to pick your firmness levels and create whatever combinations you desire, and offer split options so you can have the right side of your bed be different than the left. Both have a cover made of organic cotton and wool. And both offer the same types of mattress toppers - a less expense version in a stretchy cover, and a more expensive version in a cotton and wool cover.
Anyhow, if you check out both sites I think you will see that they do indeed offer very similar products.
Hi electricrelish,
Outside of significant differences in their prices and the fact that SleepEZ has a better return/exchange policy … the short answer is that they are closely comparable in terms of their design, the type and quality of the latex they use, and their cover yes. I should also mention that SleepEZ also has more options for the type of latex they offer (they have blended Talalay) and have 4 firmness levels available vs 3 and also have a wider range of designs.
Phoenix
Just heard that Savvy Rest prices are going up June 1. As if they are not already overpriced!
It’s hard for me to understand how that is possible.
The weirdest thing about all this is that at the moment, I have no mattress at all, as none of the options out there seem to make sense for me and I am incapable of making a decision and apparently I am just never going to have a real bed again. In the meantime, I’ve been sleeping on an Aero Bed air mattress that is many years old and that I stole from some friends. And I think it is the most comfortable thing ever and wake up in the morning pretty pain free, even though I’ve had chronic back and neck pain for years. I love the way it seems to cradle my body. How is this possible? How can a $100 air mattress seem to work so well for me? And what is the take home message? Should I just commit to sleeping on a portable blow up mattress forever?
Hi somecows,
There is a whole community of people who prefer to sleep on hammocks (see here) and another community of people who sleep directly on the ground or on a wooden or carpeted floor (see the links in post #2 here) and there are some cultures that tend to prefer very firm sleeping surfaces that would be much too firm for most people in other cultures to sleep well on (see post #2 here).
The bottom line is that it’s not as important “why” it works as “that” it works and personal experience always trumps “theory” although your comment about waking up “pretty pain free” may indicate that there is still room for improvement.
There is also more information in post #2 here about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them.
Buying a mattress that you haven’t tested in person (or even that you have) that provides you with good options after a purchase to make changes to the comfort and support of the mattress by rearranging layers or exchanging individual layers or the mattress itself or that has a good return/refund policy has much less risk and gives you the chance to test a mattress in “real life” with little risk which in the end is the only way to know for certain whether it will be a good match for you.
If you decide that you want to purchase a mattress other than your air mattress then if you’ve done all the research that you can the time will always come when further research reaches a point of diminishing returns and the only way you will know for sure whether a particular mattress will work well for you is to hold your breath, grit your teeth, and pull the trigger on the one that you believe would be the best match for all your criteria … and sleep on it in person .
Phoenix
I’m not even gonna go into why I’m asking this question, but does anyone have any idea how realistic it is to cut latex? i.e. if you had a king sized sheet and wanted it to be split, would it be super hard to cut yourself?
Hi somecows,
All you need to cut latex is an electric carving knife and a straight edge for a guide and just go carefully and slowly and move the knife in one direction (not a sawing motion).
There are some great instructions in post #3 here and you can also see some pictures here of a home setup that was used to make some more complex cuts using an electric knife.
Phoenix
Ugh, I just talked to someone at sleep ez on the phone and honestly want to cry, I think this whole latex layering thing / ordering over the internet is making mattress buying even more complicated than the traditional mattress stores. and the whole reason i am trying to avoid traditional mattress stores is that they themselves are too complicated! but building a bed on my own is proving impossible, because everyone i talk to says something different, and im very limited in what i can test out locally.
the guy at sleep ez says they obviously cant guarantee what will be comfortable for any individual person, but that they have it down to a “science” and that i should start with soft over medium over firm. but he didnt even ask me any questions about myself, such as how i sleep, how tall i am, if i have any pain issues, etc. if everyone takes a soft over medium over firm mattress, that doesnt rally sound like much of a science. it just sounds like everyone is the same.
he also said that most people get all talalay, which i was very surprised by. at the local savvy rest store where I’ve been testing out mattresses, the default seems to be dunlop, perhaps with a talalay comfort layer, so i sort of assumed that was true everywhere. but the sleep ez guy said that dunlop is so inconsistent, that its impossible to try it one place and order it from somewhere else and have it feel the same, and that even if you ordered two identical dunlop beds from the same company, they would feel totally different.
i replied that i thought dunlop and talalay had a different “feel”, and that people were choosing one over the other based on which feel they prefer. but he said no, that people choose talalay because it’s so consistent, or they choose dunlop because its the most organic.
anyhow after this conversation i just had to get off the phone because i feel like i am totally back at square 1 and have no idea what im doing. i feel like i had been making some progress in figuring out what i wanted by trying out combinations at savvy rest, but now i feel like i was totally off track.
this is not a question, i guess, im just complaining. sorry.
Hi somecows,
You may be making this much more complicated than it needs to be.
You are getting accurate information and in reality once they know your weight range most people in a similar (fairly wide) weight range will do best with the same layering options that they suggest. Don’t forget that they have many years of experience and I would guess that their suggestions probably have a success rate of well over 90%.
With the soft/medium/firm combination you would have the option of the basic configuration (which would be the most common) but if you discover that you would prefer a firmer sleeping surface then you can interchange the soft and medium layers and if you need firmer support you can interchange the medium and firm layers. This would cover the needs and preferences of the large majority of people in your weight range.
In addition to the options that are possible by rearranging your layers … if you are well “outside the averages” then you would also have the option of exchanging a layer for a firmer or softer layer if you need it as well. In the worst case they also have a great return policy but this would only be needed by a very small percentage of their customers.
I would also keep in mind that with the number of years of experience that they have that they will suggest the layers that in their experience is what most people “actually” need rather than what most people “think” they need … and they are usually right.
Overall … when you are choosing a component latex mattress then it’s usually best to go with the layers that are suggested by the manufacturer you are dealing with which will generally give you the best chance for long term success out of the options they have available either with one of the combinations that are possible with their suggested layers or in a smaller percentage of cases with a layer exchange unless there is a very compelling reason for you to choose otherwise and you are confident that your choice would be better than their suggestions.
Phoenix
I’m sure I AM making it more complicated than it has to be, because I always do that. I think my personality does not do well with options, I freak out and can’t decide,
What about the issue of talalay vs dunlop though? At my local store I had been trying out a S talalay topper on top of S/M/F dunlop. the sleep ez guy suggested I order all talalay (S topper on top of M and F talalay). I don’t know what all talalya feels like, should I just trust him?
Hi somecows,
Unless you have a compelling reason to choose something different from what they are suggesting or you know you have a strong preference for Dunlop layers vs Talalay I would go with their suggestions yes.
The worst case would be either a layer exchange or a refund with only minimal costs involved with either one so there is only a small risk when you consider their record of success.
The biggest reason that so many Savvy Rest dealers usually suggest Dunlop layers and a Talalay layer on top is because their costs are so much higher for all 100% natural Talalay layers than for the Dunlop and it would put their mattress in an even higher budget range than it already is.
In “real life” most people that like latex would probably be quite happy with either one in a suitable combination of layers.
Phoenix
SleepEZ has a Guided Configuration on their website that makes a recommendation of layers (soft, med, firm) based on your height and weight. You just enter this info in and it tells you whether you should have 2 layers of med or 1 layer soft, 1 med, 1 firm, etc. You will see the feature once you choose to Build the bed.
I did see that tool on their website, thanks for the tip, I appreciate it.
I guess I had figured that trying things out in person would ultimately be better than relying on their website tool, so I had spent a good amount of time testing out configurations locally. But hadn’t tried all talalay, so when the sleep ez guy suggested that, it kind of threw me for a loop…
If you can try a mattress in person, then that is way better, but at least, the guidance tool on their website is a starting point, but I would trust your feelings about how a bed feels in person.
Phoenix has repeatedly said that Dunlop vs. Talalay Latex is a personal preference with one not necessarily being better than the other. I would agree personal preference is the deciding factor whether it be polyurethane, memory foam, horsehair, etc. SleepEZ is not going to tell you that you’re wrong if you prefer one latex over the other, but SleepEZ makes no secret that they believe that Talalay Latex is a better value for your money.
"In the case of latex I believe the very best value in terms of comfort, consistency, durability is still blended talalay latex. " The quote above is from their Mattress Buying Guide, which is consistent with what SleepEZ advised you as well.
Your post was extremely informative as I wasn’t aware that consistency was an issue with Dunlop, but it explains why Talalay latex is usually more expensive. That and the fact that it’s more expensive to make, I would read the guide as it does a good job explaining the different types of latex.
By the way, an all Talalay ,mattress is what I purchased a couple of months ago from my local manufacturer, so it’s not unusual or outside of the norm. In fact, I can’t even find a place in my area that sells a Dunlop latex mattress or even a hybrid.
I was considering one of the one comfort for all mattresses, but due to the Wife Factor, :unsure: I am now researching the SleepEZ mattress. The current suggested split configuration (using the online tool) is:
S/M blended Talalay over M/F/XF 100% Dunlop.
I’m going to call them today for other options and perhaps the layers may change.
At least with a split configuration I can try the wife’s soft for two weeks and if soft works for me too, I can take advantage of the inexpensive layer exchange.
Edited to add: When converting to the 10" mattress, the configuration is the same for both sides. S/S, M/M, F/F. That pretty much makes it very similar to a Booklyn Bedding mattress at half the cost. Now I have to weigh the convenience and cost of layering (if/when needed). Hmmmmm.
Hi PapaMike,
I’m not sure which mattress you are comparing it to but just for the same of clarity Brooklyn Bedding doesn’t make a 3 layer component latex mattress that uses either Talalay or 100% natural Dunlop. They did have two all latex mattresses (the Total Latex Mattress and the Essence) that contained 9" of either blended Talalay or 100% natural Dunlop latex but it was a different design and they weren’t half the cost of SleepEZ.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Brooklyn Bedding has a new offering that includes 2" of Talalay over 2" of Dunlop over a high density poly foam. I do realize the poly foam isn’t comparable to the support layer of latex but this combination may provide similar comfort for $700.00.
Perhaps that’s a poor assumption on my part.
The more I research the more fog drifts in. 
Hi PapaMike,
Yes … they have been working on their new mattress for some time (see my comments in posts #6 - #10 here).
It’s certainly a great quality/value choice and there is little to no risk in trying it because of their free return policy but it’s an apples to oranges comparison and would be very different from an all latex component mattress both in terms of feel and performance and in the ability to customize the mattress after a purchase. There is more about the differences between a latex/polyfoam hybrid and an all latex mattress in post #2 here.
The only way to know whether any mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP with any certainty will be based on your own actual experience.
Phoenix