I am looking for some help in narrowing down options on an all latex mattress.
My personal stats:
5’10"
170 lb
Athletic/slim build
Mostly stomach sleeper. Will sometimes start on my back but migrate to stomach sleeping. Rarely or never side sleep
No history of injuries/alignment issues
Platform bed with "European-style" bowed slats that are ~2.75 inches apart
Prefer to sleep cool
I have visited a few stores in the area, including Denver Mattress, Original Mattress Factory, and a local company.
I currently sleep on an “extra firm” Sealy innerspring and box spring combo that was a hand me down from my aunt and is probably 20+ years old.
In trying mattresses, I have found that I generally like “firm” or “extra firm” mattresses, and I like the springiness/responsive feel that an innerspring or 100% latex provides. I did not like memory foam at all, and didn’t have an opportunity to try any “good” hybrid mattresses.
I am trying to narrow my search down to 100% latex mattresses.
The best option I found in my local area is a blended talalay mattress. It is a “component” mattress with 3 different layers of latex and a zippered cover (I believe synthetic material). It has a 1.5 in “soft” comfort layer (ILD 24), 2 inch medium transition layer (ILD 28), and 6 inch firm base layer (ILD 36). The layers can be rearranged to change the feel of the mattress. Asking price is $2099. They would also want the mattress on a bunk board, as they are not comfortable with slats more than 1.5 inches apart. This would be another $100.
Questions:
Does this mattress seem firm by relative (ILD) standards? This was their firmest all latex product, and it felt fairly comfortable, but not as firm as a latex/poly option
What other mattresses, including online options, should I be comparing this to? I was also looking at Avocado’s all latex product, which is 2" 100% Organic Contour Dunlop Latex (Grooves Point Down) D65/ILD 14-19, 3" 100% Organic Dunlop Latex D75/ILD 20-25, 100% Organic Cotton (Thin Layer), and 4" 100% Organic Dunlop Latex- D85/ILD 38. I am not certain how this mattresses would compare for firmness, and also concerned about the zoning it has
I think the local talalay mattress is high quality, but it seems somewhat overpriced to me. Looking at a mattress like Avocado, they are similarly priced for a Queen, but the Avocado is organic (not a big point for me, but an extra), has free shipping, would not require a bunk board, and also has a 1 year trial (which the local company will not match).
Is there really an issue with the European-style slat system, even if the gaps between the slats are only 2.75 inches? The local company seems extreme in requiring less than 1.5 inches between the slats
Thank you for sharing your stats and some of your personal preferences! It is great that you’ve been able to do some in person testing to get realistic data points as it pertains to what you are looking for comfort and support wise from your mattress.
Our general recommendation for latex is a slatted base that has no more than 3" between slats. It is possible they are worried that the firmness you like in the showroom may feel “softer” on a base that has wider slats, as some of the latex will sink ever so slightly between them. But, you could certainly try the configuration out and see for yourself. If you find it too soft, you can move the mattress to the floor to see if that changes anything and, if so, add the bunkie board.
I would say yes, that this mattress is a firm/medium-firm mattress based on the ILD. You can get firmer (for example, some people have base foam of 44 ILD). 24 ILD is really classified more as a medium than a soft, and 28 is a medium-firm, and then 36 is firm.
The ILD of the Dunlop mattress you shared is certainly much softer in the comfort layer, however Dunlop and Talalay are often described as pound cake vs angel food cake, for what that is worth to you. It’s probably also good to mention that some people have very strong preferences over which feel they prefer between the two. Often what you will find is a Talalay comfort layer followed by Dunlop transition and base layers, or just a Dunlop base layer with Talalay transition and comfort layers.
I’m not sure if I’ve effectively answered any of your questions, but I do hope I’ve helped clarify some of your concerns.
Please do let me know if you have additional questions!
NikkiTMU
Do you have any thoughts on the value of the mattress? Overall, I think it is a quality product, but $2099 + $85 delivery fee + $100 bunkie (potentially) maybe felt a touch on the high side for blended talalay.
Do you have any suggestions on other retailers, including online, that I should be looking at for similar products?
I can’t remember if you mentioned what size mattress you are looking for. Are you in the market for a queen size?
The Sleep EZ Roma all latex flippable queen (medium/firm) is in the $1000 range (or $1300ish if you buy a base)
The Arizona Premium Naturalux is $1400 and the 10" Foam Sweet Foam mattress is closer to the $1800 range. These are all mattress that use components comprised of natural (non blended) latex. So, maybe those comparisons will help a bit in terms of determining value. You may also want to look at FloBeds and Cozy Pure. There is also the Hope Latex and Nest Bedding’s Natural All Latex.
