Hi Dahl,
A few comments about your 3 options.
[quote]Prana Vinyasa plush. Pros- felt really good, cloud like but with good support for us at our size/weight. I like that they use outlast in the cover material. I use outllast sheets and a blanket and really like them. While the Oulast stuff didn’t solve the Tempur heat problem, I think they are a good product.
Cons- Cost. Its the most expensive of the 3 options. Also, they require 1.5 inch dip before they will do a warranty exchange. I this the norn for latex?[/quote]
These all use fairly thick (3") layers of polyfoam above the latex which is probably the reason for the 1.5" exclusion. You wouldn’t really be sleeping on latex with these mattresses and as you mentioned they are considerably overpriced IMO. You can see more comments about them in Post #3 here
Outlast can be one piece of the sleeping cool puzzle but by itself it may not be enough with some types of mattresses depending on the the type of foam used and on how far you sink into it (as well of course on the type of protector, sheets, and bedding you use as you mentioned). The polyfoam in the upper layers of the Vinyasa would be cooler than Tempur memory foam, all other factors being equal, and the Talalay latex in your other two choices would be more breathable and cooler yet (especially if therer was wool in a quilting layer).
[quote]Pure latex Bliss (PLB). Pros- This is the mattress that showed me that latex done right can offer pressure relief without bounce/my technical term for push back. My recollection of latex from years ago was that it was like being on a trampoline. While the PBL doesn’t have a quilted top like the other two options, it’s top layer is just soft enough that it seemed to give side sleepers enough pressure relief. And, what a relief not to have to fight against slow acting MF just trying to move. The price is very reasonable. I also like that your mattress is covered by the actual manufacturer.
Cons- no quilted top. [/quote]
These at least use only Talalay latex from top to bottom and are good quality even though they are probably in the “better than average” value range but certainly not the best. Of course this will depend on the prices charged by a retailer you are dealing with because even though their advertised prices are controlled, there will often be a real difference in actual selling prices. This is especially true for retailers that are still selling the previous models and are looking to sell their remaining stock before switching over to the new active fusion models. Some people prefer the unquilted cover because it will let you sleep directly on the latex while others prefer some type of quilting layer over their latex (particularly wool but thin polyfoam quilting as well). They certainly do it right for the most part and I think that part of the reason for their existence is to show others how to do it “right” as well (especially removing the thick layers of polyfoam over many latex mattresses).
[quote]Arizonza Mattress Co. Pros- It appears that Greg can possibly make me the best of both worlds. By that I mean, I can give him the specs for the PLB Beautiful, have him produce that in all talalay, including the top layer in active fusion/talalay GL or what ever new name they come out with before you read this and, cover it with a cotton/wool quilted zippered mattress cover. This could be the Prana Vinyasa version with the quilted top of the PLB Beautiful mattress.
Cons- none so far. Only in the planning stages of the process. [/quote]
There is no doubt that these are the best value of your three choices IMO and you also have the advantage of working directly with an actual manufacturer who can make your mattress any way you wish (within the limits of what they have available) for lower prices than your other two options.
Cotton fabrics are a great material and I would prefer it over a synthetic or synthetic blend fabric. Wool quilting can actually help a mattress cover keep its shape better than an unquilted cover which can stretch and become looser than a quilted cover. Wool will also provide higher levels of ventilation and humidity and temperature control and will slightly firm up the feeling of the latex which will compress slightly less than it will with an unquilted stretch knit cover. Wool can also be used to pass the fire regulations so you don’t need to use another type of fire barrier in the mattress.
Overall it’s a matter of preference but a wool quilted cover can certainly be a great choice IMO.
Phoenix