Help with latex mattress decision

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

First off I would like to thank Phoenix for this great resource. I have been down way too many rabbit holes in the last couple of weeks trying to find a mattress that will work for my wife and I, and this seems to be one of the few places you can get good unbiased information from.

We have decided to go with an all natural latex mattress, but we are having trouble figuring out how much thickness or how many layers we really need. We went to a local store (European sleep design in Sacramento) and we seemed to be comfortable on their 8" mattress that consisted of a 6" firm Talalay layer (ILD 36) and a softer 2" Talalay layer (ILD 22) with quilted wool on top. My concern is that we were only on the mattress for a couple minutes, and it may not have sufficient support over time or for how we sleep. Also the mattress was priced at $2700 (cal king) and there seems to be more affordable options available online. I am 6’3" and 235lbs and my wife is 5’11" and around 160lbs. She tends to sleep right against me, so we are sort of a combined mass on the mattress. We both sleep mostly on our backs but occasionally on our sides.

I am currently looking at mattresses from Plushbeds, SleepEZ, and Foam sweet Foam but I am suffering from option overload. I am concerned more about comfort than price, but I also don’t want to waste money on things of dubious value. Are there any recommendations on appropriate thickness and layers for a natural latex mattress given the information described above?

Thank you!

2

Hi jacoro1,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

You’re very welcome, and I’m happy that you’ve found us.

Your question about thickness is a good one, but the thickness of a mattress is just a side effect of the design and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful because whether a thicker or thinner mattress would be better or worse for any particular person will depend on the specifics of the materials (type, firmness, etc.) and on all the other layers in the mattress. Thickness is only one of many specs that are used to make different mattresses that perform and feel differently and that makes a mattress suitable for one person and not another. There is more about the effect of thickness in post #14 here. Regardless of how thick or thin a mattress may be, the most important part of the “value” of a mattress is how suitable it is “as a whole” for your particular body type, sleeping positions, and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) regardless of how thick it may be.

The main benefit of a thicker latex mattress is that it can be more adaptable for heavier weights and multiple sleeping positions. It will compress from softer to firmer more gradually which means that there is more “range” of compression without the mattress becoming too firm for heavier weights (or parts of the body). A thicker mattress can also be part of a specific design that requires it such as some types of zoning or layering that needs more layers to accomplish the design goal of the mattress. It can even just be a matter of preference rather than “need”.

In the large majority of cases, 8" - 9" of latex is easily enough to include the combination softer layers (or sometimes sections) for pressure relief and firmer layers for support that most people of average or even higher weights would need. In some cases, people that have higher body weights or larger body types may choose more than the “average” thickness and may prefer the feel and extra adaptability of say 12" of latex. Thicker mattresses can also use firmer materials because thickness and softness are very related and work together.

These are all good questions to ask the manufacturer or retailer of a mattress so they can discuss the differences between the different options they have available in terms that are more specific to the layers they use or options they provide. They will know about the differences in the products they offer and based upon the information you provide them in a phone conversation and their experience with similar somatotypes and sleeping postures they can best recommend a configuration using their componentry that they think will suit your particular needs. And one of the nice things with a component-style system is the ability to customize your comfort over time but rearranging and even switching out particular layers.

Post #2 here has some generic guidelines for different body types and sleeping positions, the first part of post #2 here also has more information about couples that have a larger weight differential and post #14 here has more about the benefits of thicker comfort layers and thicker mattresses.

Regarding your choice of materials, latex is certainly quite durable and can work well with various weight ranges and sleeping styles. Without getting you back down into the “rabbit hole”, there is a post here that consolidates and describes the differences between the two styles of latex, Dunlop and Talalay, and the different blends that you may find as a useful reference.

The brands you mentioned do offer good latex options, and SleepEZ and Foam Sweet Foam are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration. You may also wish to take a look at other site members here, many which offer very good values on latex mattresses.

Overall, the steps involved in choosing a mattress are outlined here and you may find these useful as well.

Phoenix

3

I ended up calling Sleep EZ and ordered a 10" Organic Select in Cal King. Based on their recommendation I went with medium Talalay on the top 2 layers and firm Dunlop on bottom. I used the code from this site which brought the price down to $2085 out the door with free pillows and sheets.

Thanks for the reply and all the good info!

4

Hi jacoro1,

Congratulations on your new mattress purchase! :cheer: As you are aware, you made a purchase of a product using higher quality materials, and I’ll be interested to learn about your new mattress once you’ve had a chance to sleep upon it for a while.

Phoenix

5

Hi there! I have recently purchased a Zinus Deluxe bed frame (Queen size - 87.5 x 65 x 44.5 inches) for our new apartment, and currently, we are looking for a good-quality mattress. The price tag doesn’t matter, cause we hope to use for a long time so quality is our main priority. All help and suggestions will be much appreciated.

6

For this bed fits a maximum of 13 Inches of the mattress Zinus manufacturers . Mattress 14 Inches will be large.

7

Hi trip2space448,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because 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 you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable 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).

Begin by reading the mattress shopping tutorial here but 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”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own 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 (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

While again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next 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 see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its 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 quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure 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.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

In its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

  1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

  2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

  3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

8

Hi Tim5852,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

This upholstered headboard would have approximately 29" of the headboard exposed to view above the top of the side rails, so the mattress thickness would be more of a preference of the overall appearance, and the height off of the floor (slat deck approximately 14" off of the floor). If someone chose to go with a thicker mattress the bed set would still accommodate that product.

Phoenix

9

Hi Phoenix. Regarding your comment, “The brands you mentioned do offer good latex options, and SleepEZ and Plushbeds are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.” I have been doing a lot of research on latex mattresses and I agree with your statement; however, I do not see Plushbeds listed as a member of your site on this page: Our Manufacturer Memberships :: The Mattress Underground

10

Hi J Grillo,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Thank you for catching that mistake! Too many posts, too much research. I’ve made the correction in the original reply. You are definitely correct that Plushbeds is not a site member here, and I meant to reference that both… “SleepEZ and Foam Sweet Foam are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.”

Thank you for pointing out my error. I think I needed a nap that day. :lol:

Phoenix

11

Well in all honesty, they 100% should be! I have done a lot of research and I can tell you the BEST quality organic and 100% natural latex mattresses are: Naturpedic; PlushBeds; OMI and Saavy Rest. Why do you only have lower end companies on your list, who use inferior quality materials? Do you receive a commission from the companies on your list? The Old Bed Guy says that you do. It’s a shame because you are knowledgeable but your recommendations blow the lid off your setup here.

12

Hi J Grillo,

While I appreciate your opinion, your arguments are laughable, incredibly inaccurate and don’t being to veil you true intent to be promotional (as I’ve seen you do elsewhere online), argumentative and to troll. All are unacceptable on this forum and I will caution you that if you continue to misrepresent, provide further advice that is not accurate or misleading, or continue in this same argumentative tone then I will delete your posts and remove them from the threads you post in (you would be one of the very few members here where I have had to do this). Consider this your one and only warning.

Phoenix

13

Phoenix, I see that you recommend Saavy Rest’s foundation but you do not recommend their 100% natural latex mattress since they are not a member on your site? Why is this? It’s a top quality mattress.

14

Hi J Grillo,

Savvy Rest is not a recommended member of this site. You can conduct a forum search on Savvy Rest to read about them here in the forum and see my commentary, which you are misrepresenting. They use good quality materials but can be in a bit of a higher price range so people considering them would want to make some personal value equations.

Manufacturing or retail membership to the forum is discussed here. I expect the current membership to grow once I have completed other more pressing projects with the forum. Just because a manufacturer has products using better quality materials, and you have an opinion about them, doesn’t automatically qualify them for the extension of membership to the forum.

Phoenix