I recently purchased a Helix Sleep custom mattress based on a variety of criteria that I filled out and as part of the checkout process was given the opportunity to send a friend a $50 discount code.
My friend (who received my gift via email) told me he already had a better mattress, the Sleep EZ 10000 and provided me a link to review it as well as extol the magical healing powers of Talalay latex over Dunlop and preached that microcoils were mere marketing B.S. and that I need to checkout this site to find out what the actual differences were between the two products.
While a mattress choice is personal based on 3Ps, can you please explain some of the differences and offer why one might choose one mattress over the other? From what I understand the Sleep EZ may use more durable foam that could possibly last longer than my 10 year warranty (Sleep EZ offers a 20 year warranty but at a purchase price 2x that of Helix). Also from my limited research, it looked like the microcoils do offer benefits such as better ventilation and air flow compared to the structure of the Sleep EZ, is this correct or is my friend correct when it comes to being just marketing B.S. dreamed up by a few PhD’s that founded the company? (My instinct is to trust the 3 PhD’s over my buddy).
Finally given the price differences between Queen size $850 for Helix vs. $1795 for the Sleep EZ 10000, can you confidently state the Sleep EZ is twice the bed (better value) than the Helix? I have never had a mattress for more than a few years, generally less than 5 and I like the idea of not buying into a 20 year bed as my needs will likely change after 10 years (if not sooner).
Just to clarify the group of PhD’s they consulted with when they were designing their mattresses are not the owners of the company.
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). The best way to know which types of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.
While price is certainly important of course … the “value” of a mattress purchase is what is most important and price is just one of many factors that can affect the “value” of a mattress purchase. There isn’t a “formula” that can be used to assess or “calculate” the value of a mattress because there are so many different variables and criteria involved that can affect the price of a mattress that can each be more or less important to some people and not to others who may have completely different criteria or definitions of “value”. The value of a mattress purchase is also relative to how a mattress compares to the other finalists you are considering or to other mattresses that are available to you in your area (or online if you are also considering online options). There are many reasons that a mattress that may be “good value” for one person or in one area of the country may not be good value for someone else that has very different needs and preferences or that lives in a different area.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
It’s also not possible to quantify or predict the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials but there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
In very general terms … the layers and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture wicking, and temperature regulation than layers and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer mattresses.
Some specifics …
Durability …
While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them to sleep on (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs relative to your BMI range that are suggested in the durability guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years. With materials that just meet the minimum guidelines (in the upper layers in particular) it would be reasonable to expect the lower end of the range and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (again in the upper layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” beyond that would be higher as well.
The Helix mattress includes 2" of 1.8 lb polyfoam in the comfort layers which is the minimum polyfoam density I would suggest for those that are in more average weight/BMI ranges. They also use 1.5 lb polyfoam in the base layers of the mattress which is a little under the minimum density I would normally suggest and while it’s true that the deeper layers will have less effect on the durability and useful life of a mattress … it’s still a little lower than I would normally like to see in a mattress in this budget range. The deeper layers can still have “some” effect on the durability and useful life of the mattress but the effect would be more for those that are in higher weight ranges and/or that tend to compress the deeper layers of the mattress more than most people.
The SleepEZ 10000 uses latex in all the layers (you have a choice between Dunlop or Talalay) and latex (regardless of the type or blend of latex) is a very high quality material that is among the most durable materials used in the industry. It would certainly be a more durable choice than the materials in the Helix mattress. One additional advantage of a component mattress is that you can
The bottom line is that the SleepEZ mattress would be significantly more durable than the Helix.
Temperature regulation …
The Helix mattress uses microcoils are a very breathable component but depending on the configuration of the mattress there will also be one or more foam layers (either polyfoam or latex) on top of the microcoils that would be closer to your skin but even if there is a polyfoam or latex layer (or both) above the microcois which would be less breathable it’s unlikely that most people would have any temperature regulation issues on this mattress.
SleepEZ uses latex which is the most breathable of all the foam materials and Talalay latex in general tends to be more breathable than Dunlop. It also has a cotton cover quilted with wool and wool is among the best temperature regulators in the industry (in both directions). It’s also very unlikely that anyone would have any temperature regulation issues on this mattress either.
Choosing your mattress design …
Both of them have an online configurator that can help you decide on the options or layering combinations they have available that may be the most suitable choice for any particular person but I personally wouldn’t fully trust any automated configurator and when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else and in some cases may provide different suggestions than the online configurator based on your comversation…
A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally suggest a mattress that they honestly believe has the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but again at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Design and firmness options …
The Helix design allows for quite a number of design options based on the order and firmness of each layer in the mattress and they use an algorithm to help decide on which of the different layer and component combinations they have available would have the highest chance of success. Having said that … while this type of algorithm (either by itself or in combination with a more detailed conversation with Helix) will have a good chance of success … not everyone will fit inside the “averages” of other people that appear to be similar which is what the algorithm is based on so for some people the mattress they choose won’t be as good a “match” for them in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP as they hoped for so the only option in this case would be to return it for a refund during their 100 day trial.
The SleepEZ design also allows for a wide range of custom options before a purchase because you can choose different types of latex and different firmness levels for each layer of the mattress. Where a component mattress like SleepEZ differers from a finished mattress like Helix is that you also have a wide range of options to further customize the mattress after a purchase as well either by rearranging layers or exchanging a layer to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress. A layer exchange costs $30 and if every layering combination you try still doesn’t work for you then you can also return the complete mattress before the end of their 90 day trial period for a cost of $99.
Both of them have the option for side to side spit layering so a couple can each choose their own design and firmness level for their side of the mattress.
A component mattress also has the advantage of being able to replace just a single layer (generally the top layer) if it softens or breaks down before the others or if your needs and preferences change over time rather than replacing the whole mattress. There is also more information about the pros and cons of a component latex mattress with a zip cover and loose layers vs a finished mattress with glued layers in post #15 here and post #2 here.
Hopefully this will help you decide on whether the additional cost of the SleepEZ mattress would be worth the additional durability and other benefits it provides.
This is one of the threads I appreciated reading as I embark on my own new mattress purchase. I went through the Helix configurator since it is so easy to use whereas the multiple layers for latex mattresses seems like a design choice that requires experience and insight. Having said that, I think we are going to go certified organic Latex and rely on the vendor and their policies to deliver a product.
I would probably talk with a manufacturer rather than using any online configurator anyway if for no other reason than to confirm the “automated” choice.
Most people that are looking for an “organic” mattress or materials are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification and they usually aren’t aware that an organic certification isn’t the same thing as a safety certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications such as Oeko-tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold, C2C, and CertiPUR-US in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are also some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.
The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs (regardless of whether they are organic or natural or synthetic) so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification. If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.
All the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will also have a reliable certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold or C2C and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex (regardless of whether it is synthetic, natural, or blended) to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s (offgassing).
In other words … with latex the benefits of an organic certification are often exaggerated or in many cases based on misleading or inaccurate information and are often just a justification to charge much more for a mattress compared to other similar mattresses that would be just as suitable, just as durable, and just as safe but use natural or blended latex instead of organic latex and are in much lower budget ranges.
Just to follow up on this topic, I appreciate the length Phoenix has gone in his replies, he is certainly very knowledgeable on this subject and thorough in his responses.
I have read many of the links posted here and sometimes links posted in the linked content. From what I gathered what the SleepEZ has going for it compared to Helix is more configurability in initial material choices, as well as adjustability of design after the purchase by interchanging layers and “tweaking” the bedding formula used to construct the optimal individual preferences. I assume these changes all come at a cost which will add to the final price (above and beyond the initial 2x entry point).
I did fail to do adequate testing prior to making my purchase, I was under short time constraints with a new move being dropped on me, fortunately I think the 100 day free testing phase should protect me in case I am overly-dissatisfied in my purchase (10 days longer than SleepEZ and without a $99 restocking fee!). That being said, with regards to the durability concerns from the links previously posted this is what I learned:
Given the Helix warranty is only for 10 years, it seems even if the quality of the latex in Helix was inferior to that of the SleepEZ 10000 or even below-average compared to the rest of the industry (which I doubt is the case) then even in a worst case scenario we are talking about a breakdown in quality after +70% of the useful lifetime of the warranty. I am not suggesting Helix’s warranty would cover such a breakdown, just that by the time the materials breakdown to the point that the support/comfort of the Helix begins to suffer I will likely be in the market for a new bed.
I still feel like price is understated in a lot of the mattress comparisons I see on the internet. I don’t know if this is a marketing ploy to get people to invest in more expensive brands or an oversight. I am not suggesting such deception occurs on this site, this is more of an observation of other sites that list charts and ratings of side by side comparisons like Sleep Like the Dead. Price is very important to most if not all people. By saving a thousand dollars on the purchase price of a Helix compared to a similarly equipped SleepEZ 10000 I can easily afford to purchase an upgraded foundation like the Reverie 5D over the Reverie 3E (about a $4-500 difference), with plenty of money left over for upgraded sheets/pillows/comforter/any other bedding purchases needed without worrying about my total outlay breaking the bank.
The only additional costs involved would be a $30 cost if you need to exchange a latex layer (vs rearranging the layers which has no cost involved) and a $99 cost if you need to return the mattress for a refund. The current cost of a Helix mattress in a queen is $900 and the current cost of a Select Sleep 10" mattress is $1650 (both excluding any discounts that may be available) and of course SleepEZ also have other “all latex” mattresses that are significantly less than this as well…
I would keep in mind that mattress warranties only cover manufacturing defects in the materials and components in a mattress and don’t cover foam softening and the gradual loss of comfort and support in the materials and components over time (or more rapid in the case of less durable materials) that would be normal for any mattress and which is the most likely reason that someone would need to replace their mattress. They also don’t cover visible impressions that are less than the warranty exclusion. In other words warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long it may be until you need to buy a new mattress. If there is an actual defect in the materials it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress is always a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
I would also keep in mind that Helix mattress isn’t a latex mattress (it only has a single 2" layer of latex) and the weakest link in their mattress would be the polyfoam … not the latex (1.5 - 1.8 lb polyfoam is a much less durable material than latex) so it would be reasonable to “expect” it to have a useful lifetime in the lower end of the 7 - 10 year range I mentioned in my earlier reply while it would be reasonable to expect an all latex mattress like SleepEZ to last for 10+ years and there would probably be some “bonus time” (or possibly even extended bonus time) after that as well.
While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular store or business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress so I would be very cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews (which is SLTD’s source of statistics) on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
I’m not quite clear what you mean here because Helix doesn’t offer a mattress that is “similarly equipped” to any of the SleepEZ mattresses. They are completely different types of mattresses with very different materials, designs, and options.
[quote=“Phoenix” post=66154]Hi Sve The Snorer,
I would also keep in mind that Helix mattress isn’t a latex mattress (it only has a single 2" layer of latex) and the weakest link in their mattress would be the polyfoam … not the latex (1.5 - 1.8 lb polyfoam is a much less durable material than latex) so it would be reasonable to “expect” it to have a useful lifetime in the lower end of the 7 - 10 year range I mentioned in my earlier reply while it would be reasonable to expect an all latex mattress like SleepEZ to last for 10+ years and there would probably be some “bonus time” (or possibly even extended bonus time) after that as well.
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This sums up my point. No one can accurately forecast lifetime of a mattress. Warranties do not cover breakdown in materials nor the other factors you mention, so realistically speaking the difference between a 10-year warranty and a 20-year warranty is negligible in the majority of circumstances and does not necessarily favor the SleepEZ with it’s 20 year warranty since a breakdown in materials prior to 20 years would not be covered… If I can get a similar quality of sleep on a Helix compared to a SleepEZ at half the price for a product that lasts 2/3rds as long (using your estimate of 7 years worst case of the polyfoam breaking down) vs. 10 years for SleepEZ, from purely an economical standpoint, I come out ahead value-wise. Now you can come back and say how do you know the sleep experience/quality will be the same between the two and you would be correct, it would be subjective based on user.
FWIW $1795 is the price quoted from the link my friend sent me. He got a split king, but changing size to Queen yields this price. Granted not a full $1k difference, but about $900, close enough.
As I mentioned in my last reply … warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of the mattress and only cover defects which are most likely to happen early in the life of a mattress. The only meaningful way to assess the relative durability of a mattress is based on the quality and durability of the materials inside it … not based on the warranty.
A mattress that has a 20 year warranty may contain some significant weak links in its design and may last some people only a few years while a mattress that has a 10 year warranty may contain very high quality materials that would last significantly longer. Again it’s the materials in the mattress that matters … not the warranty. Overall though … the durability of latex is significantly better than the durability of 1.5 - 1.8 lb density polyfoam.
I would certainly agree that how well you sleep is the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase followed by how long you sleep well followed by all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. The criteria that are the most important part of your personal value equation may be very different from someone else so a mattress that is a good value choice for one person may not be a good value choice for someone else. You can only assess or predict how well you will sleep based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience on both of them which as you mentioned is much more subjective but assessing the durability and useful life of the mattress and most of the other parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase is much easier and more “objective”.
That’s the price of their Organic Select 10000 which has the option to choose 100% natural Talalay latex in any of the layers and I used the price for the Natural Select which has the option to choose blended Talalay in any of the layers because the Talalay latex in the Natural Select is just as durable (or perhaps a little more durable in the softer ILD’s) and the “feel” of blended Talalay and 100% natural Talalay is very similar as well. Either way though … a comparison between them is really an apples to oranges comparison and whichever one you consider to be the “best value” is all that is important regardless of whether someone else would make the same choice.