We went mattress shopping over the weekend, and tried out some Pure Latex Bliss mattresses at a local mattress store. The one that my husband and I could agree on was the Nature model with a 2" topper. I prefer a softer mattress, maybe even a little softer than the Nature model, and he likes a bit firmer, what he calls a medium.
I’m not sure why mattress shopping is so mind boggling, but I’m glad that this forum is here to educate and help!
We are both side sleepers, I’m 5’2 135 lb, he is 5’10" 195 lb. We both have shoulder and neck pain.
The salesman at the local store said that for the mattress, the topper and a standard metal frame, it would be $2,950, which is a lot more than I feel comfortable spending.
I did a lot of reading on this forum and elsewhere, and we are considering a SleepEZ 10,000 in all talalay.
I’m thinking my side s/m/m and his side s/m/f. For the base, we are considering the Ikea Sultan Laxeby, set in our current metal bed frame. Any thoughts or advice on this type of configuration?
Bear in mind that most of the Pure Latex Bliss Natural lineup (Beautiful, Nutrition, Nature, Pamper) is on the soft side and they all include various layers of softer latex (@ 19 ILD) in the comfort layers.
For example … the specs of the Nature are listed here (these are the old versions which have recently changed but would be comparable to the new “active fusion” versions). These specs may also not be completely accurate because they don’t agree with the PLB “plushness scale” which is listed here (which says the Nature is slightly softer than the Nutrition but slightly firmer than the Beautiful). They also use a stretch knit cover which will change the feel and performance of the mattress compared to a mattress that uses a wool quilted cover. In addition to this … the toppers will add a layer of even softer latex (the softest latex available) to a mattress that is already softer than many other latex choices.
The best way to use the “feel” of the Nature as a guideline is as part of a discussion with an online manufacturer who will use your height and weight and sleeping positions along with your testing experiences to make the best possible recommendations within the choices they have available. Specs of mattresses that have different types of layering can be misleading when you try to “translate” them into different types of mattresses.
Even though the PLB lineup tends to be on the soft side … they may feel firmer than many mattresses that use the supersoft lower density polyfoam that is so common in the comfort layers or pillowtops of most of the mainstream mattresses in the industry and which may be some people’s “reference point” for what feels soft or firm. Given your preferences … you may be used to very soft mattresses and I would be a little careful with choosing a mattress that is softer than you may really need and risking poor alignment (although there is more room for error here with latex than with other types of foam because it is so resilient and supportive).
You can always add softness to a mattress if you need it but it’s much more difficult to “fix” a mattress where the layers are already too soft and/or thick for your long term needs and preferences. In addition to this … because of your lighter weight …similar foams may feel softer to your husband and firmer to you. With some of the online manufacturers … you also have the option of a side to side split where each side can be built differently to take the preferences of each person into account.
So I would first see if you have any local manufacturers or better sleep shops available locally where you have both good value available and the ability to test the mattresses locally. If you let me know your city or zip … I’d be happy to let you know of any I know of that may be close to you.
If there are no local choices that offer a combination of performance, quality, and value that you want, then I would start looking online . The PLB can act as a guideline here (but not as a target that you will be able to duplicate) and indicates at least that you prefer softer comfort layers if you go in the direction of an online mattress purchase. If your choice isn’t soft enough (the “soft” at SleepEz for example is 22-24 ILD) … then you can always add a softer topper to this as well.
I don’t know what size this is for but the PLB in general has better value and uses higher quality materials than most other mainstream mattresses in the same price range. I would choose it over most of the mattresses that a “typical” consumer ends up buying in this or even higher price ranges. Many smaller local manufacturers though are better value yet as are many of the better online manufacturers. Each person would have a different point where any savings and extra risk of an online purchase for a mattress that is an “apples to apples” comparison would be worth “trading” for the safety, accuracy, service, and price that is part of a local purchase.
As you probably know from your reading … I think very highly of the manufacturing members of the site including SleepEz who have great quality, service and value. They are well worth talking to and discussing what they think would work best for you.
The Sultan Laxeby is a good way to add some fine tuning under a mattress (softer and firmer areas of the support base) as long as the mattress is not too thick. It is made though to go on an Ikea bed and I have my doubts that it would fit properly and securely on either a metal frame (which I think would be quite risky and unstable) or even another bed. In other words … they are made specifically to go on an Ikea platform bed and not on a metal frame. If you use them in any other way or on another brand of platform bed … I would measure and carefully check to make sure that the Laxeby was fully supported all around the perimeter and along the center beam and that what it was sitting on was fully supported down to the floor (including in the center). I would also make sure that it fit securely enough that it won’t shift or “fall through” the base you were using and that the overall height was also what you wanted.
It would be wonderful to find a reputable local manufacturer or shop. We are in Sonoma County, CA. We’d be willing to go most anywhere in the San Francisco bay area. Who do you recommend in our area.
Post#2 here has a lost of the better possibilities I know of in your area.
I would call the ones that are in reasonable driving distance to see what they have that they think would be worth testing given your experiences and preferences and then visit the ones that you think are the most promising.
You have some very good quality and value in the general area
Thanks, Phoenix!
We are going to start the next phase of our search by checking out some Diamond Ethos mattresses. I read some previous threads on the subject here, and it turns out there are three Diamond retailers in our town, one with one model on the floor and one with three.
I’ll report back. And maybe I should change the name of my post, since my husband would really prefer to buy a mattress that he can test out first, and not shop on the internet for one.
I’m looking forward to hearing about your local testing and how you make out.
I’m comfortable with any thread title you think is appropriate but if you think it would better reflect your experiences and overall direction … then editing the title (especially the first post which is the one that shows up in the forum listings) would probably better reflect your experiences and be more helpful to others that are looking in the same area or have similar reservations about online ordering as you.
