help me choose?

[goldilocks12]

I’m trying to decide between the Dormio Stratus and the Cozypure 12" for our king mattress that we will put on an adjustable base (with the king mattress having split layers, but one cover so it looks and feels like a king size bed, not two twin XL’s). I have not seen either of them in person, but only online and I’ve spoken with knowledgeable and helpful people there, so I feel these are both good mattresses, and I’m hoping anyone here with experience or knowledge can help me make this decision or help me think about differences that might or might not be important.

The Dormio Stratus (made by Donan Marketing in Van Couver, Canada) is 12" overall, and is made of organic, GOLS certified Dunlop from Sri Lanka (the same place Sleeptek gets their Dunlop latex. Their ILDs are soft 20-22, med 32-35, firm 38-42). From bottom to top, there is 3" firm, 3" medium, 3’ soft, and then 2" extra soft, all unwrapped layers encased in a zippered cover made of organic cotton quilted to 1" wool/alpaca on the top and upper sides of the mattress to where the zipper is located; the bottom and lower sides (below the zipper that runs along the bottom of the sides of the mattress) of the cover is organic cotton canvas without wool quilting. The zipper looks medium in weight, but salespeople say there have not been problems with them. The mattress has a 20 year warranty and there is a 90 day comfort guarantee where I can exchange a layer: I would buy another layer at cost, they would ship it to me and then credit me when they receive my returned layer. I would pay for shipping back to Canada.

Cozypure’s all Dunlop latex (also from Sri Lanka) 12" mattress is made of, from bottom to top, a 6" layer of firm, 3" medium (but this layer is customizable to soft, med, or firm), 2" soft sculpted (egg-crate style) Dunlop, then a thin layer of carded wool quilted to the organic stretch knit cotton cover, which also covers the bottom of the mattress (and maybe the sides, too?). I think the wool on the bottom quilting is good for mattress breathability, but I don’t know. Their latex seems softer and their ILDs are soft 19, med 24-26, firm 28-30 (which is softer than even the medium on the Dormio Stratus). All Cozypure’s latex ILDs are softer than the Dormio, so I think this mattress would be very soft, even though it has a 6" layer of “firm” (which is more like a Dormio’s medium) at the base. The zipper is located just under the top edge of the mattress, along the top of the sides. The zipper looks heavy duty and strong. There is a lifetime comfort guarantee where I can always buy new layers of Dunlop at a good discount and keep the old ones in case I want them later. Then I would be in the Cuddle Up Club and get a 20% discount on sheets and bedding (except mattresses) for life. This mattress is made of Dunlop latex from Sri Lanka and is available in organic or natural. The organic has the certifications and is more expensive, but is otherwise similar to the natural. Is that upcharge worth it?

Is a 6" layer of firm at the base on the Cozypure better than the 3" firm and 3" medium of the Dormio Stratus?
The 6" layer would be very heavy (so harder to rearrange if I ever wanted to) and possibly firmer, but the ILD is in the medium range. Would one work better than the other on a adjustable base?

I’ve tested Sleeptek with 4" firm (ILD 28-30) on the bottom, 4" medium (ILD 32-35), and 2" soft (ILD 20-22) with a wool-quilted-under cotton stretch knit cover and liked the support and softness combination. Would the Cozypure or Dormio Stratus be too soft or too firm for me?

Is Donan Marketing as good as Cozypure in terms of quality?

The Cozypure has an option of zoning for the firm layer, so it could be a little firmer under the torso/hip area. Is this a significant feature? I have not tried this, but have heard somewhere that in a 12" mattress, you don’t really feel it anyway…?

Can someone (whose head is not spinning from information overload like mine is!) help me weight these pro’s and con’s? Which company would be better in the long term? I live between Ontario and Virginia, so I’m not really close to either store. Is the alpaca/wool mix really superior to the carded wool only that is used in the Cozypure, or are they too similar to notice a difference?

Phoenix, can you share your thoughts on my dilemma or help me?

Thanks to everyone. I am so grateful to this forum!

[phoenix]

Hi goldilocks12,

I’m trying to decide between the Dormio Stratus and the Cozypure 12" for our king mattress that we will put on an adjustable base (with the king mattress having split layers, but one cover so it looks and feels like a king size bed, not two twin XL’s). I have not seen either of them in person, but only online and I’ve spoken with knowledgeable and helpful people there, so I feel these are both good mattresses, and I’m hoping anyone here with experience or knowledge can help me make this decision or help me think about differences that might or might not be important.

I would keep in mind that the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for someone else in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than their own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or if they can’t test a mattress in person then their own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be helpful … I always suggest being very cautious about about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) 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 and 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 may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).

I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of whether anyone else has the same criteria or would make the same choice.

[quote]Is a 6" layer of firm at the base on the Cozypure better than the 3" firm and 3" medium of the Dormio Stratus?
The 6" layer would be very heavy (so harder to rearrange if I ever wanted to) and possibly firmer, but the ILD is in the medium range. Would one work better than the other on a adjustable base?[/quote]

There is more about the pros and cons of two 3" layers vs a single 6" layer in post #2 here but It would depend entirely on which complete mattress (including the comfort layers and the cover) was the best “match” for you in terms of PPP. Neither one is inherently better than the other and both would work well on an adjustable base.

The Cozypure has an option of zoning for the firm layer, so it could be a little firmer under the torso/hip area. Is this a significant feature? I have not tried this, but have heard somewhere that in a 12" mattress, you don’t really feel it anyway…?

Various zoning systems can be very useful and worth considering for people who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to “match” to a mattress, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here.

Having said that … the only way to know whether any particular zoning system (or any mattress) will be a good “match” for you (whether it is zoned or not) will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience.

Once you are down to a list of finalists and you are confident that they would all be a good match for you in terms of PPP (or you have good options after a purchase if you aren’t) and that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of them in terms of durability (which there aren’t) then you would be down to finalists that are comparing “good to good”. If there are no clear winners between them at this point (which is usually a good indication that you have done some very good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely make a good quality/value choice and (post #2 here) can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations with each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional “value” extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. Sometimes a final choice may even come down to very minor differences or can sometimes just be a matter of “gut feel” or “educated best judgement”.

Phoenix

[Dishdok]

First time, hope I’m doing this correctly. I to am looking for 2 memory foam mattresses, XL’s for a split king adjustable frame, which I don’t have yet. We like the Lucid 12" and Gel Memory Foam 10"" by Exceptional Sheets. Will these bend sufficiently and hold up to the movement over time? Any suggestions on other similar mattresses and adjustable frames?

Thanks, Jim

[phoenix]

Hi Dishdok,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

I switched your post to a new topic of it’s own so your questions wouldn’t get mixed in with another member’s topic.

First time, hope I’m doing this correctly. I to am looking for 2 memory foam mattresses, XL’s for a split king adjustable frame, which I don’t have yet. We like the Lucid 12" and Gel Memory Foam 10"" by Exceptional Sheets. Will these bend sufficiently and hold up to the movement over time? Any suggestions on other similar mattresses and adjustable frames?

The best place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).

The first “rule” of mattress shopping is to remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Lucid 12"

While I can’t speak to how a mattress will feel for someone else or how two mattresses will compare in terms of comfort and PPP … outside of PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing all the specifics of its design and construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to confirm that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

You can see some comments about Lucid and other Chinese mattresses that are shipped compressed from overseas in post #6 here. I would also avoid any mattress that used 2" of 3 lb memory foam in the comfort layers of the mattress. A forum search on Lucid (you can just click the link) will also bring up more comments and feedback about them as well. This certainly isn’t a mattress that I would consider.

Gel Memory Foam 10"" by Exceptional Sheets

The 3" of 3 lb gel memory foam in this mattress is also a lower quality and less durable material that I would consider to be a weak link and I would avoid this mattress as well.

Will these bend sufficiently and hold up to the movement over time? Any suggestions on other similar mattresses and adjustable frames?

If you are considering an online mattress then the tutorial includes several links to lists of some of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step).

There is also more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). Of course there are many other sources as well and prices can change on a regular basis so I would also include some internet searching in your research and I would also keep in mind that online advertised prices are often price controlled so make sure you call the stores you are considering to find out their best prices rather than just looking at the prices that are listed on websites.

Phoenix