First of all - thank you for this site. It was very helpful before we set out into the jungle :blink:
Here is what we have found so far.
We went to Hawn Bedding in Kansas City because we live close and have purchased from them in the past. 20 years ago we purchased 2 twin mattresses for our then 2 year old (one mattress was for the trundel bed.) the other mattress was a custom made mattress for our antique Murphy Bed in the guest room. All mattresses are still perfect (except for the urin stains on one).
My husband and I slept on a water bed for 30 years (free flow bladder for 10 yrs with hard sides - then we switched to a soft side with stuff in it that makes if firmer as well as having a pillow top). The soft side mattress lasted 20 years but developed a leak - everything else held up. At first we thought we would simply patch it and continue on; however we realized upon stripping it down to repair it that there is black mold on the mattress and foundation (it must have been leaking a tiny amount for some time before we realized the bed skirt was soaking wet). So we will be throwing out the moldy mattress and getting a new one.
We have decided upon a latex mattress.
As I said, we went to Hawn Bedding. Out of everything they had we liked their “soft” latex on a box spring - it was the best in the show room for what we like. They still make two sided mattresses and my husband likes that concept.
We would need a king.
In my search on this site I discovered Sleep EZ as well.
Hawn Bedding: set = $ 2149.00 ($1570 for the mattress) $80 each for king latex pillows and 15.oo for delivery and pick-up of old mattress. Latex DUnlop 9-9.5 inch mattress and the box spings is a around 10 inches.
Sleep EZ set: $2375.00 (mattress $1995.00 / foundation $380.00 with free pillows and delivery as long as you do not need to exchange any layers - not sure if that would be king pillows though as the site is not clear on that). Mattress 10" with foundation 19"
We are planning a trip to Lawerance tomorrow to try out the ? (forgot brand) layered mattresses there to try them out but we have a couple of questions in the mean time:
Would a two sided latex mattress be better because you can flip it or is that unnecessary for latex? I know it would help prolong the life of the covering of course but what about the latex?
Would layers of latex last as long as a solid piece or not ?
I don’t know the specifics of the Hawn Bedding mattress you are looking at (type and blend of the latex or thickness of the layers and the type of cover) but assuming that it’s latex then both of these would be good quality choices with no obvious weak links but they are different types of mattresses. The mattress at Hawn Bedding is a sleeping system that is probably a thinner latex mattress but includes an “active” box spring which will be a significant part of how the mattress feels and performs. As you mentioned it is also two sided. The advantage here is that you can test the set in person for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
The SleepEz mattress is a different design that you can’t test in person ahead of time so there is a little more risk but it also uses layer combinations that can be customized and can also be re-arranged or exchanged after a purchase to fine tune the mattress to your specific needs and preferences. They can also be replaced without having to replace the entire mattress if your needs or preferences change or if one layers softens before the others.
Both of these use good quality materials that have no obvious “weak link” in the mattress. If you are choosing between these then you would be choosing between “good and good” and your final choice (see post #2 here) would depend on all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that were most important to you. Both of these could make very good choices IMO.
Assuming all the other factors that contribute to durability are equal … then any two sided mattress will last longer than the equivalent one sided mattress … even with a material as durable as latex. There is more about the pros and cons of one sided vs two sided mattresses in posts #2 and #3 here.
If the type of latex and the ILD of the latex was the same then in practical terms yes. While a single layer may have a slight advantage over multiple layers in “theoretical” terms … It wouldn’t really translate into much of a measurable difference if any in real life if both are enclosed in a suitable cover. For example … two 3" layers of latex in the same ILD would last about the same length of time in practical terms as the same type and blend of latex in the same ILD in a 6" layer. Softer latex (or any material) will be less durable than a firmer version of the same material. There is more about the many factors that affect the relative durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.
Thank you for the helpful response - I’ve spent almost two days on this site reading and looking up companies that are mentioned and then reading more.
We have been sleeping on an air mattress (the type you take camping - at least we already had that when we noticed the water mattress leaking) for over two weeks and I’m ready to move on!
We will be going to Eagle’s Rest in Lawerance KS to try out the Savvy Rest brand as it was recommended on here to try Savvy Rest as a comparrison to Sleep EZ - to see if we were interested in Sleep EZ.
Do you have any other recommendations / sources for latex ? I’m going to search some of the member’s sites next.
Here are a few comments about the Hawn Mattress …
6" Dunlop latex (in either firmness level): This is a good quality material but they don’t mention whether the Dunlop is 100% natural or a blend (which is a less costly version of Dunlop latex). The 4.5 lb ILD ratings apear to be in the range I would expect but I think the 5.5 lb density would probably be firmer than 26 - 28 but ILD doesn’t really matter when you are testing a mattress locally because you can tell from your testing whether the mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP.
cover material 1/2 dacron fiber polyester: These are both synthetic materials. Polyester fabrics are generally less costly and don’t regulate moisture or temperature as well as fabrics that are made from natural fibers like cotton or viscose fabrics like bamboo. Dacron fiber also adds to the softness of the sleeping surface and is also breathable but not as costly as natural quilting fibers such as wool.
fire proof fabric layer - no chemicals: They don’t say what type this is but it’s probably a viscose / silica type of fire barrier which is non toxic and safe.
1/2" foam: This is added for surface softness and to change the feel of the mattress. They don’t mention the density of the polyfoam but it’s under the guidelines I would usually suggest of “around an inch or so” so it wouldn’t have a practical effect on the durability of the mattress.
sides and ends - 4 inches of polyester foam around edges of mattress to make edges stiffer. You can see some thoughts about using edge support with a latex mattress in post #33 here. I would want to know the density of the polyfoam because if it’s a lower density then it can soften faster than the latex if you use the edge of your mattress for sitting.
Outside of the unkown foam density of the edge support … overall there are no obvious weak links in the mattress and it would make a good quality choice if it was suitable for you in terms of PPP.
The value of any mattress purchase would be relative to what mattress you are comparing it to and the criteria that were the most important parts of your personal value equation. It would also depend on the size and on whether this was a “mattress only” purchase or whether it included a foundation or box spring as part of a set.
King set - box spring foundation total for set $2149.00
And we have to have a set as we are switching from a soft sided waterbed mattress set which is 20 years old and held up very well until it sprung a leak - the thing with a waterbed is it never had a weak spot, in that you could always add more water or take some out. We are used to keeping things a long time even vehicles.
I would say that the price for a king mattress is certainly reasonable yes and of course the box spring would also be part of the sleeping system and is part of how the mattress will feel and perform. I would personally want to know the type and blend of the latex though just for reference.
Even though they are different … you are certainly looking at final choices between “good and good” IMO.
The one that is the best match for your personal value equation. Only you can decide on all the objective, subjective, and intangible criteria that define “great” when you are making final choices and there are no clear winners between them.