I’m interested in SleepEZ and they’ve been really helpful through a few emails. However, they don’t seem to carry lighter-ILD talalay. SleepingOrganic, however, seems to carry a lot of different firmnesses, including an extra soft talalay (which I think I might want). In fact, they are the only ones I see listing extra soft. I thought pure talalay only came from 1 or 2 manufacturs worldwide…how is this possible?
I’d call and ask them but it sounds like Charleston is now flooding in a bad way thanks to Hurricane Florence. Eek. Hope they’re okay out there…
Here’s what I’ve found:
SLEEP EZ / SLEEPING ORGANIC
Extra soft na / 14-19 (SleepEZ doesn’t seem to have extra soft…most companies don’t)
soft 19-20 / 19-23 (similar)
medium 30-32 / 24-28 (big difference!)
firm 38-40 / 32-35 (noting that SO’s “firm” is really more SleepEZ’s “medium”)
extra firm 44 / 32-35 (nothing that SO’s extra firm is almost the same as SleepEZ’s medium)
I posted the same question (above) weeks ago when I joined. I had hoped for a reply from ‘Phoenix,’ but no luck on that, and no responses other than what you see above from others asking the same question about how to start a new topic.
[quote]
I thought pure talalay only came from 1 or 2 manufacturs worldwide…how is this possible? …
SLEEP EZ / SLEEPING ORGANIC
Extra soft na / 14-19 (SleepEZ doesn’t seem to have extra soft…most companies don’t)
soft 19-20 / 19-23 (similar)
medium 30-32 / 24-28 (big difference!)
firm 38-40 / 32-35 (noting that SO’s “firm” is really more SleepEZ’s “medium”)
extra firm 44 / 32-35 (nothing that SO’s extra firm is almost the same as SleepEZ’s medium)[/quote]
Talalay is one of the 2 processes used for making latex foam, Talalay and Dunlop. There is no such thing as “pure Talalay”. It’s either Talalay or Dunlop. The 2 manufacturers of Talalay are Talalay Global (US) and Radium Foam (Netherlands). You can see the ILD range for Radium100%naturalandblendedtalalayhere.Forhttps://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/0https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/1https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/2https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/3https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/4https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/5https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/6https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/7https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/8https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/966/NewRadiumILD1_2014-04-17.gif]Radium0thetargetILD’sfortheirblendedTalalayhttps://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/0https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/1https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/2https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/3https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/4https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/5https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/6https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/7https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/8
In addition to all of this … the “word” ratings can vary widely between different sources and different people have different ideas of what firm or soft is so I would take these with a grain of salt. Either ILD in Talalay or ILD (if it’s accurate) or density for Dunlop (see post #2 here as a reference) would probably be the best way to compare relative firmness between different Dunlop layers and sources if they are the same type and blend of latex. If two layers are a different type or blend of latex then ILD ratings may not be comparable between different layers. There are also different testing protocols for ILD so in some cases the ILD would be tested at 40% compression instead of 25% compression which would also produce a different resuls.
The Xtra-soft Talalay material is very plush but lacks sufficient latex rubber material mass to provide much, if any, support. This range of material is generally considered “pillow” soft and, if used in a mattress, should only be used on the very top, and in 1-2" max. This is why many/most companies do not carry/sell it. Both Radium and Talalay Global make 14 ILD latex.
Sleep EZ’s ILD numbers reflect the range average of the +/- 2 ILD variation across the surface used by Talalay Global (e.g. a 28 ILD rated layer can have an avg. ILD between 26-30). SO does not carry Talalay at 36 -44 ILD (this is generally referred to as the firm – extra firm range). It appears SO wants its customers to use Dunlop for this range. Please see the attached screenshot for reference
The different companies use different qualitative terms; I suggest comparing the ILD ratingsfrom the same type of latex (NR, Blended, SR) from the same foam producers when making your decisions.
No, it looked to me that each of those ‘experts’ was connected with one or another mattress merchant. I was more anxious for unbiased advice as to the Avocado Green mattress I mentioned above.
I’ve been a member on here for awhile and when I first joined you could create a new topic, but recently that option has been taken away. I emailed PHOENIX about it and was told you have to “ask an expert” or search through old topics and reply under those. Not sure if their server memory was overloaded or if they wanted to force people to “ask an expert” for whatever reason.
WIth all due respect I honestly don’t understand why this appears to be so misunderstood, since it’s explained in a thread titled “How to… use Our Forum to research or seek assistance.” which is pinned to the front page of the forum. It’s different than it used to be and not how most forums operate, but is clearly explained in that post.
[quote=“Sweet Dreams” post=79068]WIth all due respect I honestly don’t understand why this appears to be so misunderstood, since it’s explained in a thread titled “How to… use Our Forum to research or seek assistance” which is pinned to the front page of the forum. It is different than it used to be and not how most forums operate, but is clearly explained in that post.
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Because over the course of the entire history of internet forums, a thread like that is only for noobs to read who don’t understand how to use a forum. Typically, especially for those of us who have used the internet since it was new, we’re used to the standard of having a new topic button in a more general area of the forum instead of being forced to select a specific brand name category to ask a general question about mattresses.
When something is out of the ordinary it’s reasonable that people are going to be left confused after a couple decades of something working fine a certain way.
We are indeed creatures of habit! I hope that the linked post helps to clear up the confusion so that you can get your question addressed. Even though you may be asking about a brand that is not represented as a member of this forum, the panel of experts assembled seem very willing to offer their advice about other products. You should try to select an expert forum whose products might have some similarity to what you are asking about. Good luck in your search!
[quote=“Sweet Dreams” post=79071]We are indeed creatures of habit! I hope that the linked post helps to clear up the confusion so that you can get your question addressed. Even though you may be asking about a brand that is not represented as a member of this forum, the panel of experts assembled seem very willing to offer their advice about other products. You should try to select an expert forum whose products might have some similarity to what you are asking about. Good luck in your search!
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Yeah, as strange as it was to ask a specific company about other company’s products I gave it a try. Many didn’t respond at all and the ones who did pretty much said “this isn’t my brand so I don’t know” or other general information available on the site.
Latex products do generally have a natural scent when new (some describe it as vanilla like) but most find it to dissipate in a reasonable amount of time. It’s nothing like the chemical smells which are common from memory foam which give many people headaches.
I cannot figure out how to start a new topic. Please help.
This text does not help: “Once you have confirmed your registration you will be able to log in and start new topics by clicking the “new topic” tab or the “new topic” button (in some forum views), adding the title of your topic, and typing in the content and clicking “submit”.”
I do a search ([Alt]+[F]) on the page for “new topic” and all it highlights is more comments on this page of this thread about people with the same question I have. (except for yours, mattress310, since it seems like you are saying I have to go into some sub-area of the site to find any “new topic” button…which is crazy if true. I have a fairly general question.)
You can only start a new topic once you’re in a particular forum of the Ask an Expert section which is accessible at the top of this page. Alternatively you can respond to an existing thread you may find with a search which has related content, but otherwise just try to select a forum from the Ask an Expert section which might be related to your question. I suppose you could also ask a general question in this thread if you can’t find another better suited option.
Still cannot figure out how to start a thread so I am going to post here. Bought the Arizona Mattress Ultimate Hybrid in Plush. I am a stomach and side sleeper, 5’7" and weigh 130lbs. I am glad I bought the plush because it is pretty firm. I actually like it and the support except for when I sleep on my side, it hurts my hips and I think it is the coil system. I emailed Arizona Mattress Co. and they recommended purchasing a soft talalay in either all natural or blended (they leaned towards the natural since it is softer). My concern is that it will make it too soft then. The reason I am fearful of this is because before we purchased the Ultimate Hybrid my husband and I drove quite a distance to a Savvy Rest store to try out latex. They had latex toppers on some of their beds and they seemed way too soft that we sunk right in. I am not sure what they were but they were VERY soft. I don’t want to feel that way. Just want a little bit more cushion for my hip but still enough firmness for sleeping on my stomach. Also, do I need a cover or will it fit inside my existing mattress cover? I know their bamboo/cotton cover seemed to firm up the latex. So basically, I am wondering what topper I should put on. Talalay? Natural? Blended? Dunlop? Firmness?
Just to add to this, I think the Savvy Rest topper was all natural and was 3 inches (from what I see on their website). I know the Arizona Mattress topper recommended to me was 2 inches.
It looks like you are in the latest stages of finetuning your mattress and your experience with SavvyRest’s toppers is helpful … they offer two 3" toppers both Talalay (NR) and Organic Dunlop and it looks like you tried their very soft vitality topper which I wouldn’t recommend for a prone sleeper. You may wish to review the guidelines in this Sleep Positions Article so that you avoid hyperextension in a swayback position that can cause back issues. You are correct the difference between a 2" and a 3" comfort layer can be quite dramatic and also depends on a person’s weight, shape, and sleeping positions. Side sleepers will notice it more (they are more likely to go “through” a thinner comfort layer) and feel more of the properties of the layers below it. The thinner a layer is … the more you will feel the properties of the layers below it. Thickness and softness are connected and a thicker topper will “act” softer for most people.
I would certainly follow Ken’s advice and select a 2" latex (or even less) instead of the 3" especially in combination with the plush version of the Ultimate Dreams and your stomach sleeping postition which would need a firmer sleeping surface. Also In your case being a thinner and lighter body type, you could also do better with thinner and softer comfort layers than heavier body types. The topper will add to the comfort layers that are already part of the mattress. You can read some of the topper guidelines in post #8 here that may be useful as a guide.
Yes you would need a separate cover for your topper. While Ultimate Dreams’ cover is zippered it wouldn’t accommodate the insertion of extra 2" latex layer (UD has a 12" cover encasing 8" pocket coil, 3" latex comfort layer and the remaining 1" accounts for quilted wool/bamboo cover).
Dunlop would feel firmer and it is denser than its Talalay counterpart in the same ILD. Blended latex (such as 70% SBR and 30% Natural latex or NR) is not as elastic and resilient as Natural latex and not as stretchy. SBR or blend is more abrasion resistant and can be made more resistant to aging degradation, NR is more expensive than SBR. It really all comes down to your preferences and particular needs. The decision of “what” to choose in terms of either a mattress or the balance between comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment that may be suitable for a specific person is always up to the only person who can feel what they feel on a mattress and best left to personal testing and your own experiences or more detailed discussions with Arizona Premium. Overall you seem to be on the right track with adding a bit of plushness to your mattress but being careful to not compromise the support you need for your prone sleeping.
I’ll be interested in learning about your final decision.
