Help with partial or full latex bed under 2K for a king

Have spent countless hours reviewing this site and manufacturers sites and am more confused than when I started. Do know I would like a full latex mattress or partial latex mattress. Wife is side sleeper, I switch from side to stomach. We would prefer something with softer top but with good support. Since we live in an area that has very little selection I will have to order online or by phone. My budget could go up to 2k but would prefer to stay closer to 1.5k. Would appreciate feedback from any owners of beds that fit this criteria. Brooklyn Bedding, Dreamfoam, Purecrafted, Sleep on Latex, Spindle, Dixie foam all seem to have good options. Any thoughts from owners of these brands would be greatly appreciated.

Just a mattress or a foundation too?

Hi bubbasleep,

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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) 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).

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly 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 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.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). The best way to know which type of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer at least in very general terms (regardless of anyone else’s preferences) will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience.

There is also more about the pros and cons of a latex/polyfoam hybrid vs an all latex mattress in post #2 here.

Since some of the latex mattresses that are available to you are component mattresses and some of them are “finished” mattresses … there is more about the pros and cons of a component latex mattress with a zip cover and loose layers vs a finished mattress with glued layers in post #15 here and post #2 here.

These are certainly reasonable criteria but they are so common that they really aren’t specific enough to help you decide since almost every manufacturer would make a mattress that fits this very general description.

If you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

If you are considering online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that would be well worth considering. Post #3 here also includes a list of many online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses as well (with some overlap with the members list).

Any type or blend of latex (either Dunlop or Talalay and made with synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or a blend of both) is a high quality and durable material so the choice between them would also be more of a preference and a budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about how Dunlop compares to Talalay in general in post #7 here but the best way to know which type or blend of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own testing or your own personal experience.

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.

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind that once again you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general 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. 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 in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).

All of the manufacturers you mentioned are members of this site which means that I think highly of all of them and that I believe they all compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.

Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your more detailed conversations with each of them, your personal preferences, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers and any costs involved, any additional 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.

Phoenix

Read your links, was very helpful - thanks. Plan on calling some manufacturers today. Live in area code 31904. BTW was born and raised in Phoenix, sure miss the excellent mexican food! Thanks again for the help.

bubbasleep,

Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Columbus, GA area are listed in post #2 here.

The closest factory direct manufacturers I’m aware of would be in the Atlanta, GA list here or in the Birmingham, AL list here.

My username is from the mythical “phoenix” bird rather than the city but I’ve been to Phoenix a couple of times (although it was long ago) and a few of the members of the site are based there as well. My biggest memory of Phoenix was how hot it was :slight_smile:

Phoenix