Help, confused after tryinng latex mattresses

Talk To The Experts Sleep EZ
1

Hello SleepEZ,

I’m new to the site after luckily stumbling upon it while looking for mattresses information. I’ve spent the past weeks reading as much as I can. What an amazing wealth of knowledge! Thank you to all that contribute to this site! I have learnt a lot, although not quite enough, so I would continue reading and learning, but giving the nature of my specific situation, I thought that it could be more hopefully getting some answers from the experts members of this forum.

I’m hoping you can help me on my search for a mattress that will match my PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).

My previous experience with coil mattresses with low quality components and with memory foam mattresses together with what I’ve learnt so far, led me to explore all latex mattresses. And since getting the right PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) takes some time and some trial and error, I feel that maybe going the DIY rout will not only be the best immediate solution but also the best for long term satisfaction.

For some background information, I’m 52, 5’ 9", 182 lbs, average built, shoulders somewhat wither then my hips, mostly side sleeper, occasionally on my stomach, almost never on my back.

Since I did not want to purchase a DIY latex mattress solely based on information learnt on this forum, to test how latex feels, I visited City Mattress to take a look at the PranaSleep models, I did not lay on any of them for too long because I saw samples of the componentry and even on the most expensive models like the OM, the quilted top is not made with latex, it is made with thing layers of foam, and although it feels nice, I’m concern about the durability of that component. And it seems that due to the cover construction it would be difficult to get the same “feel” on a DIY mattress. Is my assumption correct?

Then I found Mattress Xperts that sells Pure Talalay Bliss. Searching through the forum I found some information regarding the componentry of some Pure Talalay Bliss models https://mattressunderground.com/talk-to-the-experts/sleep-ez/22711-latex-layering-strategy. Since this is from 2019, it is possible that the componentry in the current models in not the same, and it would be great to know what the current configuration is, in order to address my issue (described below).

Based on my body, sleep position, and the Pure Talalay Bliss mattresses componentry (above from 2019), and some other information I’ve found about the Pure Talalay Bliss models, I thought that the Beautiful could be too soft for me and hammock, and the Pamper would be too hard, so I went straight to try the Nutrition and the Nature. My alignment was off on the Nature, but it was very good on the Nutrition. I laid for 15 minutes on each of them, one on my right side and the other one on my left side, and unfortunately to my surprise and disappointment both of them caused shoulder pain like I’ve never experienced before in any mattress. I roam around the store for a while hopping that the shoulder pain would go away so I could try the Beautiful or something else, but after ½ an hour the pain and discomfort in my shoulder and neck was still there, so I laid on the Beautiful on my back for 5 minutes, and although I wouldn’t say it hammocks, I definitely felt my butt sinking, perhaps this is OK since I mostly sleep on my side, but somehow I feel that the Beautiful could become too soft down the road and affect my alignment.
Based on research, reviews and comments regarding the Pure Talalay Bliss Beautiful, Nature and Nutrition, I thought I was on the right track and I was hopeful that any of this mattresses would be an approximate match for my PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences), so then I could purchase “similar” components to DIY a mattress that would feel “similar” to the one in the store. But after my experience at the mattress store I’m very frustrated and confuse.

I would also consider a hybrid rather than an all latex mattress, but based on all that I have read so far, I’m not sure if one vs the other will have any significant impact in achieving a match for my PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). It seems that it is all about getting the “right” layers combination regardless of whether the support layer is made out of coils or latex. If my assumption correct?

Assuming that my assumption is right, I would rather go with an all latex mattress based on the fact that it would be easier to maneuver the mattress components by myself. Handling the coil layer of a queen size matters will be a hustle. However, it’s easier to deal with split latex layers that are manageable in both weight and size.

I’m trying to stay positive and hopeful that I can find the right components combination that matches my PPP, but so far this seems to be one of those tricky ones in which a mattress either feels too soft or too hard for me.

Hopefully you can shine a light on the Pure Talalay Bliss models componentry and why they did not work for my PPP, and can also suggest a layers combination that could work for me.

Thank you in advance for any help and advice.

2

Hello Leguizamon

Thank you so much for your inquiry! We are more than happy to offer up some suggestions on what may work for you.

Based on the information you so kindly provided, I would recommend either our 9" or 10" Organic latex mattress models. Both models are three layers, encased in an organic cotton and wool zippered cover. The 9" model consists of a 2" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of GOLS Dunlop. The 10" model consists of a 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of GOLS Dunlop. As a side sleeper, at 5’9" and 182lbs I recommend a Soft Talalay as your contour and pressure relieving surface layer on top, over Medium and Firm Dunlop layers for gradual support below. The Latex Bliss Beautiful consist(ed) of a low ILD Talalay layer (14-18 if I remember correctly) on top, which is why it felt very soft and plush. Our Natural Talalay has a slightly higher ILD rating (19-20) than that of the Bliss Beautiful model, and should contour to your body much better.

Although both the 9" and 10" models consists of three layers of latex, they will differ slightly in feel due to the difference in the thickness of the top contour layer. For example, if you were to try both models with the exact same Soft over Medium over Firm configuration, the 9" would feel a bit firmer and more supportive due to its thinner contour layer on top. However, if you prefer a more plush/soft feel, the 10" is recommended due the the top layer being 3".

We offer a 90-day comfort exchange guarantee for our layered mattress models. If your initial configuration is not quite right for you, you can not only rearrange your layers within the cover encasement to change the overall feel of the mattress, but also exchange any one of your layers with us at the cost of shipping. Your first exchange would be a flat fee of $30 and any exchange thereafter, if need be, would be cost of shipping both ways. Our comfort exchange policy takes most of the risk out of purchasing a mattress sight unseen.

Should you have more questions, please feel free to call our office as well. Thanks again, and good luck to you!

SleepEZ
480-966-8731

3

Hello SleepEZ

Thank you so much for your response and recommendation!

While I trust your record and experience, there are still things that are not clear to me, and I don’t fell comfortable ordering a mattress until I’m a little surer.

Although having the option to exchange layers is great, I still would like to get it “right” from the get go, and I think that with a little more knowledge perhaps we can find something that would be as close as possible to matching my PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences), so that if there is a need for exchanging layers, it would only require one or two exchanges at the most.

With that in mind, would you be so kind as to answer the following questions?

  1. What is the componentry (materials, thickness and IDL) of the Pure Talalay Bliss Beautiful, Nutrition and Nature? (Knowing this will help to answer question #2)

  2. Why did laying on my shoulder for 15 minutes on the Nature, and laying on my other shoulder for another 15 minutes on the Nutrition caused pain in both shoulders, even when my spine alignment was very good on the Nutrition? For the record, I have never experienced shoulder pain on any mattress, so this was a big surprise for me, and if it wasn’t for the latex mattress’s knowledge that I’ve acquired before trying the mattresses in the store, I would be very concern about laying on a latex mattress again.

  3. For your recommended 10" model consisting of a 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of GOLS Dunlop, what is the IDL for each layer? I’m guessing that for the top Talalay layer the ILD rating is (19-20), since you mentioned it in your comparison with the Beautiful, but just want to confirm, and also know the ILD for the Dunlop Layers.

  4. Which kind of Talalay and Dunlop (Synthetic, Bended, ALL Natural, Certify Organic) does your recommended 10" model consist of? Do you have/offer more than one type of Talalay and Dunlop?

  5. What is different about your recommended 10" mattress, when compared to the Nature and the Nutrition that will lead to believe that won’t cause shoulder pain when I lay on my side?

  6. What is the reason for recommending one 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of GOLS Dunlop, instead of one 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of Natural Talalay (an all Talalay Mattress), or one 3" layer of Natural Talalay over another 3" layer of Natural Talalay over one 3" layerof GOLS Dunlop, etc?

Looking forward to your answers and expert advice.

Thanks again!

4

Hello Leguizamon

Thanks again for reaching out! To ensure that I answer every question you have listed in your most recent inquiry, I will quote each question and follow it up with an answer:

  1. What is the componentry (materials, thickness and IDL) of the Pure Talalay Bliss Beautiful, Nutrition and Nature? (Knowing this will help to answer question #2)
    Answer- Unfortunately Pure Latex Bliss does not specify what ILD ratings they use for these three mattress models. They simply list them as follows:
    The Beautiful consists of a 3" Active Fusion Talalay layer on top (I assume this layer is around 14ILD) over a 3" Pressure relief Talalay layer (not sure of the ILD rating) over a 6" Talalay support layer (don’t know the ILD rating.
    The Nutrition model consists of a 3" Active Fusion Talalay layer on top (again, maybe the 14ILD range) over a 2" Talalay pressure relief layer over a 6" Talalay support Layer.
    The Nature model consists of a 2" Active Fusion Talalay layer over a 2" pressure relief layer over the 6" Talalay support layer.

  1. Why did laying on my shoulder for 15 minutes on the Nature, and laying on my other shoulder for another 15 minutes on the Nutrition caused pain in both shoulders, even when my spine alignment was very good on the Nutrition? For the record, I have never experienced shoulder pain on any mattress, so this was a big surprise for me, and if it wasn’t for the latex mattress’s knowledge that I’ve acquired before trying the mattresses in the store, I would be very concern about laying on a latex mattress again.
    **If a mattress surface is too soft for you, you can push through it right to the firmer layers below, which can cause pressure point pains at the hips and/or shoulders. This may have happened with you when you were laying on these mattress models.

  2. For your recommended 10" model consisting of a 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of GOLS Dunlop, what is the IDL for each layer? I’m guessing that for the top Talalay layer the ILD rating is (19-20), since you mentioned it in your comparison with the Beautiful, but just want to confirm, and also know the ILD for the Dunlop Layers.
    **Our ILD ratings are as follows: Soft: 19-20, Medium: 30-32, Firm: 37-40 and Extra Firm is 44. Our soft ILD ratings have always been a bit firmer than that of what Pure Latex Bliss offers for their contour layers.

  3. Which kind of Talalay and Dunlop (Synthetic, Bended, ALL Natural, Certify Organic) does your recommended 10" model consist of? Do you have/offer more than one type of Talalay and Dunlop?
    **I recommended the 10" model for you. This organic model consists of a 3" Natural Talalay layer over 3" GOLS organic Dunlop layers. SleepEZ does not offer or carry blended Talalay latex. Our Natural line consists of all natural Dunlop latex.

  4. What is different about your recommended 10" mattress, when compared to the Nature and the Nutrition that will lead to believe that won’t cause shoulder pain when I lay on my side?
    **As I stated in my original reply, I believe that you will not ‘push’ through our soft Talalay as easily as you did in the Latex Bliss models due to our soft having a higher ILD rating. I higher 19-20ILD will push back just a bit more than a 14ILD soft. This may alleviate the shoulder pain you were experiencing when trying the models that you listed.

  5. What is the reason for recommending one 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of GOLS Dunlop, instead of one 3" layer of Natural Talalay over two 3" layers of Natural Talalay (an all Talalay Mattress), or one 3" layer of Natural Talalay over another 3" layer of Natural Talalay over one 3" layerof GOLS Dunlop, etc?
    **Three inches of Talalay on top is ideal for contour on your sleep surface due to Talalay being a softer and more plush latex compared to that of Dunlop. Dunlop latex is great for support due to it being firmer and a denser foam compared to Talalay. For these reasons, Talalay over Dunlop is a great configuration to achieve both contour on top, and gradual support below.

Should you have more questions, please feel free to call our office as well. Thanks again, happy mattress hunting!

Jeremy

5

Hello Jeremy,

Thank you so much for answering all my questions!

I went to your website and it seems that buying components separately is less expensive than buying the whole mattress, for example:
Recommended 10" Organic Mattress:

Price $1,799.00 (Includes 2 Shredded Latex Pillows $99 + SlumberLuxe Mattress Protector $79)
Price is the same whether the layers are split or not.

Mattress Componentry:

Top: 3" layer of Natural Talalay, Soft: 19-20 ILD – Price as single component $450

Middle: 3" layer of 3" GOLS organic Dunlop, Medium: 30-32 ILD – Price as single component $311

Bottom: 3" layer of 3" GOLS organic Dunlop, Firm: 37-40 ILD – Price as single component $311

Hand-sewn cover made of 100% organic cotton that has been quilted to Eco Wool, with 360° zipper Price as single component $395

Adding the prices of the four components comes to $1,467

Even after adding the “Free” Pillows at $99 and the Mattress Protector at $79, it ends up being $1,645

Not a huge different after adding the pillows and the cover but still, the confusing part for me is that usually it is the other way around, things are less expensive when the components are bundle up together and the item is bought as a whole than if the components are purchase separately.

I checked another website that also sells similar mattress’ componentry and the price comes out a little lower than the $1,467 above. So I don’t understand why buying the whole mattress is more expensive than buying components separately.

Am I missing something?

As I understand layer exchanges are $30 for the first time, and full shipping cost for any exchanges after the first one. My zip code is 33432. What would the full shipping price range for a layer exchange be?

Looking forward to your answers, and thank you again for your prompt responses, they are very helpful!

6

Hello Leguizamon

Thanks again for your inquiries!

When purchasing a mattress model in either the Organic or Natural lines, you are also purchasing the 90 day layer exchange policy, as well as the 20 year warranty on the mattress. Should you decide to purchase components to build your mattress, you will indeed save a bit of money initially, however components do not come with a warranty or exchange policy. This would be the primary reason purchasing a mattress model would cost a bit more than ordering individual components to build a mattress.

I hope this information helps. Please come back should you have more questions. Thanks again, have a terrific day!!

Jeremy

7

Hello Jeremy,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.

I guess I was really missing something!

While browsing through the forum I stumble upon your Kiss mattress. Could this be an option for me?
How does the Kiss mattress compare with the 10" organic mattress (Top: 3" layer of Natural Talalay, Soft: 19-20 ILD, Middle: 3" layer of 3" GOLS organic Dunlop, Medium: 30-32 ILD, Bottom: 3" layer of 3" GOLS organic Dunlop, Firm: 37-40 ILD) that you recommended?

Can you please tell me the height of each of the layers on the Kiss mattress?

What is the density of the base foam and the float memory foam, and what is the Talalay latex top IDL?

Thanks again.

8

Leguizamon

Unfortunately our Kiss mattresses are not currently available due to our foam supplier being completely out of the Kiss components. We do not know how long they will be out of these products. They have explained that due to lingering pandemic-related issues throughout the supply chain, they will be out of certain components indefinitely. I do apologize for any inconvenience.

Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to call our office as well. Thanks again, have a terrific evening.

Jeremy

9

Hello Jeremy,

Just an FYI, before inquiring about the Kiss mattress, I went to the website to gather some info, and the website does not say anything about the mattress being unavailable or out of stock, as a matter of fact one can select a mattress, add it to the cart, and go all the way up to the checkout page. So either you still have some mattress in stock or the website’s information has not been updated. Just though you would want to know.

Thanks to your help and advice, I think I may be getting closer to making a decision.