So our Jamison latex has 2 sag spots where we sleep. It’s 13 years old and warranty voided due to a few stains. 55 180 lb side sleeper with 50 130 lb stomach sleeper. Im starting to get back pain I suspect due to sag and some recent arthritis in lower back due to golf. Ive look at wink and saavta however im open to any bed. We’ve enjoyed the latex on top feeling and no bed movement but are open to trying other mattresses now if it helps back. My shoulders are arms are having pain and numbness due to sleep on side and circulation. My wife also has some neck issues but probably due to fusion. Before I spend up to 3k on a King bed I need help. We don’t have a box spring but rather an adjustable bed frame.
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Hey MikeK.
Welcome back to the forum!
Thirteen years is an excellent run for a mattress, but those sag spots are definitely what’s driving your lower back pain, while the excessive pressure on your shoulder is causing that arm numbness.
Your situation has two distinct support and comfort needs:
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You (5’5", 180 lbs, side sleeper): You need deeper pressure relief to cushion your shoulder and hips so blood flow isn’t cut off, paired with enough support underneath to keep your spine straight and protect your lower back and arthritis.
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Your Wife (130 lbs, stomach sleeper): Stomach sleepers need a firmer, flatter surface to keep their hips from sinking in, which would otherwise arch the lower back and strain the neck/cervical spine (especially important with a neck fusion).
Mainstream marketing brands like Saatva or WinkBeds use pre-built, sewn-together layers. If you buy a standard mattress firm enough to keep your wife’s hips supported on her stomach, it will likely be too hard on your shoulder. If you buy one soft enough to relieve your shoulder pressure, her hips will sink and hurt her back and neck.
What to look for instead
1. Dual-firmness / Split-internal configuration Since you have an adjustable base, a King bed gives you the option for a split internal setup (or even two Twin XLs on your adjustable base if your frame articulates independently). Brands like @Sleep_EZ, @FloBeds, or @CST (Custom Sleep Technology) build split-comfort King mattresses inside a single cover. You can have a Plush or Medium layer on your side to relieve shoulder pressure, while your wife gets a Medium or Firm setup on her side for proper stomach-sleeping alignment.
2. Stick with (or upgrade) natural latex Since you already enjoy the quick response, temperature regulation, and motion isolation of latex, sticking with it makes sense.
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Talalay latex on your top comfort layer will offer softer, more plush pressure relief for your shoulder numbness than Dunlop latex.
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Dunlop latex or a pocket coil core underneath will provide the solid support both of you need.
3. Check your adjustable base foundation Latex mattresses need a flat, solid, or closely slatted foundation. Make sure the deck of your adjustable base is solid or that any slats are no more than 3 inches apart so a new latex mattress won’t sag between the gaps.
Instead of spending $3,000 on a one-size-fits-all bed, look into customizable latex or hybrid builders (like Sleep EZ, FloBeds, or @Arizona_Premium ). Reach out to them directly with your exact height, weight, sleep positions, and medical concerns so they can build a split-firmness King tailored to both of your needs.
NikkiTMU
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Hi MikeK,
Dewey from FloBeds here. Thanks for the mention, Nikki.
You’re a textbook case for our vZone: a side sleeper with shoulder and arm numbness plus a sore lower back, sharing a bed with a lighter stomach sleeper who needs something different. Since you both like the feel of latex and the lack of motion transfer, I’d stay with all-latex and build each side separately inside one King cover.
Here is the King vZone layout I’d start you with, top to bottom:
| Layer | Your side (180 lb, side sleeper) | Your wife’s side (130 lb, stomach sleeper) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort layer | Convoluted Talalay, 2" | Convoluted Talalay, 2" |
| Zoned layer | vZone Medium, 3" | vZone Soft, 3" |
| Core | Firm (32 ILD), 3" | Medium (28 ILD), 3" |
| Base core | X-Firm (36 ILD), 3" | Firm (32 ILD), 3" |
Your side: vZone Medium
Your wife’s side: vZone Soft
The vZone layer has six zones from head to toe, each its own piece of Talalay latex. That lets us go softer under your shoulder and hips to take the pressure off, and firmer under the lumbar to hold your lower back up, instead of picking one firmness for your whole body. Your wife is about 50 lb lighter, so her side uses softer latex overall while still keeping her hips from sinking when she’s on her stomach.
Nobody gets every detail right on paper, so this is a starting point. During your first 100 nights you can ask for any zone in a different firmness and we ship it free. If the shoulder still isn’t right after a few weeks, we change that zone, not the whole bed. After that, our 20-year Goldilocks Guarantee covers firmness changes as your needs change, so you aren’t stuck with a mattress that has stopped working for you.
All-latex layers also flex easily on an adjustable base, so your frame is fine.
As a golfer with my own back to look after, I know how a bad night shows up the next day. You can build this exact layout with the Firmness Advisor at flobeds.com, or call us at 1-800-356-2337 (a live person answers 8am to 5pm Pacific) and we’ll talk it through with both of you.
Dewey
FloBeds
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