Wow thank you for the quick response. I did read that post. Very informative but itās left me even more nervous about shelling out my cash on something that isnāt absolutely perfect for me and my wife. Iād love to get in touch with a reputable dealer who could help us. We live in Columbia, md 21045 and at this point Iām more than happy to travel if I have to. Thanks!
Hi dk410,
Itās probably a good thing to be a little nervous about buying a mattress considering all the misinformation and lower quality/value choices out there ā¦ in the mainstream market expecially.
The better options and possibilities Iām aware of near you are listed in post #2 here.
If you follow all the steps in the tutorial post one by one, test each mattress carefully and objectively for PPP, make sure you know or can find out the type and quality of all the materials and components in any mattress you are considering or testing, and focus on retailers or manufacturers that are knowledgeable and comfortable talking about the materials in their mattresses and providing you with specific information and good guidance (instead of just generic or marketing information for the sake of making the sale) your odds of success will be very high.
Phoenix
Not sure how I missed that but thank you so much. Iām going to visit healthyback, mattress fame, md mattress man, and discount mattress outlet next week. I need to purchase something by months end. I already feel much better knowing there are reputable dealers near me that carry good product. Iāll let you know what I end up going with!
Great guide, as someone who just moved out on their own and never purchased a mattress before, this really helped. I like to do a lot of research before a big purchase in order to try to make the most of it and Iām glad I stumbled across this resource.
About to pull the trigger on a queen size 11" pure latex bliss at mattress fame. Will this be the same mattress as the one carried in the healthy back store? And does $1945 delivered with platform sound like a fair price? Thanks so much for the help!
Hi dk410,
It has the same materials as the Healthy Back models (Talalay latex and Talalay Gl fast response) but it may be a different combination of the same materials and may have a different āfeelā than one of the specific mattresses at Healthy Back. I donāt think that Healthy Back has a similar model to the Nutrition as far as I know.
That depends on which mattress you are considering and what else you are comparing it to and on your own āpersonal value equationā (I look more at the āvalueā of the complete purchase rather than just the āmaterial valueā of the mattress itself). If this is the PLB Nutrition though and you are purchasing the set then it seems to be good āmaterial valueā to me yes.
You can also use some of the stores in post #32 here that also sell the PLB mattresses online as a value comparison.
Phoenix
so happy i found this site. it has definitely helped build confidence in me to make an online mattress purchase.
at this time, weāre going to give extra weight to the budget side of things and get a dreamfoam - ultimate dreams from amazon.
thanks for all of the information on this site.
Hi mcaliste,
Iām glad you found us ā¦ and congratulations on your new mattress 
Youāve certainly made a very good quality/value choice.
I hope you have the chance to share your feedback when youāve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix
Dream Foam Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress on Amazon for $600. or Organic Latex Mattress 10000 Queen by Sleep EZ for $2000. Is there that much different between these two? I want to buy soon but am a little unsure.
Hi Howego,
Yes there is a significant difference between them. The Ultimate Dreams is a latex/polyfoam hybrid with a 3" latex comfort layer, 1.5" of polyfoam in the quilting, and a polyfoam base layer. The SleepEz 10000 is an all latex mattress with three 3" layers of latex and a wool quilted cover. You can read about some of the differences between a latex/polyfoam hybrid and an all latex mattress in post #2 here.
The Ultimate Dreams is one of the Dreamfoam mattresses that can be customized before a purchase (you can choose the firmness of the comfort layer) but not afterwards while with the SleepEz 10000 all the layers can be customized both before and after a purchase either by re-arranging them or exchanging a layer.
Both Dreamfoam and SleepEz are members of this site which means I consider both of them to be great choices and they both compete well with the best in the industry. Both would make great choices in their budget range and which one would be the final choice that was best for you would depend on the criteria of your personal value equation that were most important to you.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix! I am glad i found this forum. Nice information available on here. I am looking to purchase a new mattress and was wondering if there is info for locations in Southern IL area including St. Louis area. Thanks in advance Jason
Hi Jmiester3,
The better options and possibilities Iām aware of in and around the Carbondale, IL and the St Louis, MO areas are listed in post #6 hereand this thread has some feedback about some of them from one of the members here.
Post #18 here also has a list that is centered around the Evansville, IN area although that may be a bit far away.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
First, let me echo the accolades that many a cornfused mattress hunter has already written. Thank you.
My wife and I have shopped the local retail stores and discussed, or tried to discuss, many of your suggestions with local salespersons. Some have been kind enough to understand our plight, others, not so much. This adventure has been arduous and terminal. We still have no idea if we are getting good value if we decide to pull the trigger on one of the big Sās,
Without belaboring prose already documented numerous timesā¦ HELP! We live in the Tallahassee area and would appreciate a list of any local companies you would recommend.
Happy New Year!
Cornfused
Hi Cornfused,
While there is no way to know this without knowing the specifics of all the layers and components in any mattress you are considering (and the major brands donāt usually provide this) ā¦ the odds are high that the answer would be NO.
Your best odds of success would be to follow the steps in the tutorial post one by one. The better options and possibilities Iām aware of in the Tallahassee area are listed in post #2 here.
Of course if you have any questions along the way feel free to post them here
Phoenix
First off I would like to say, this is by far the best forum I have ever found! We have been considering buying a new tempurpedic mattress and adjustable frame for some time, and feel completely confused and concerned about making this large purchase for a while. After reading many of the pages on this forum, I actually already feel better about the purchase Iām about to make! I would truly like your advice about what might be best for our needsā¦ We live in Mooresville NC and I noticed that Rocky Mountain mattress is on your member list of reputable retailers. They also suggested to go to lake mattress in Mooresville to physically try out some latex and foam mattresses. Iāll say that Iāve only tried a tempurpedic and have never known about or tried latex. Iām going to lake mattress this week to try out the latex, especially because after reading this forum, latex may actually be the best purchase for us!
I need your help in comparing what lake mattress offers vs Rocky Mountain mattress?
My husband has had 3 back operations, one being a major fusion, and has shoulder trouble. He is a side and back sleeper, 6ā tall and 195 pounds.
Iām a side and back sleeper, with lower back and neck problems, plus some arthritis in my knees. Iām 5ā7" and 160 pounds.
We are both suffering from pressure point pain on our current 12 year old mattress, so itās definitely time to make this purchase.
It seems from the forum, latex May be the best for pressure point relief?
If I choose latex with an adjustable base, should is go with Rocky Mountain or lake mattress in mooresville?
They are completely different products. Lake mattress has 100% talalay, as well as talalay with soy base??
Rocky Mountain has talalay with Dunlop, and their thickest appears to be 9"??
Very confused on which is the better product, especially because I did not see anything mentioned in forum regarding soy based?
Please help!
Laura
Hi Saitta3,
Iām glad you found us ā¦ welcome
Just in case you havenāt read it yet ā¦ the first place I would start is the tutorial post here (the first post in this thread) which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices based on the criteria that are most important to you.
I would need to know the specifics of two mattress you are considering to make any meaningful comparisons. They both use similar āraw materialsā but have different designs and options.
If you have tested mattresses at Lake Mattress then with a more detailed conversation with Rocky Mountain mattress they would be able to give you more detailed information about how their mattresses compare to the ones you tested and were the best āmatchā for you and provide good guidance about which of their mattresses would likely be the best choice. They are familiar with the materials and options available at Lake Mattress.
Latex is a great material but itās certainly not the only material that can provide pressure relief in a mattress. Memory foam, polyfoam, microcoils, natural fibers, buckling column gel, and other materials can also provide good pressure relief depending on the specific design of the mattress. The choice between the āfeelā and performance of different materials is really a personal preference.
Outside of making sure there are no obvious weak links in a mattress in terms of durability (and all materials have more or less durable versions) ā¦ which mattress is ābest for youā (regardless of whether itās best for someone else) or which retailer or manufacturer that you choose to deal with would really depend on all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your āpersonal value equationā that are most important to you. āBetterā is really a matter of which mattress is ābest for youā.
If you follow the steps in the tutorial post one at a time you will end up with some great āfinal choicesā that have no āweak linksā that will all be good quality and value.
Phoenix
WOW! I just have to say it!..WOWā¦
What an incredible amount of information you have provided on a subject so important to our welfare and health!
I have been researching bedding for sleep for quite a while before tripping on to this site, and I have to say, over the weeks and hours I have spent in a plethora of other sites, this ONE site has provided more information, in a (mostly) unbiased format, than all the others combined! All in an easy, step by step method that will lead to the promised land! A bed that can provide a great opportunity to sleep thus leading to a more healthy, active life. Free from drugs that help one sleep on a totally inadequate surface, and even then fighting thru aches and pains the next day. I know the story well. Bought a āhigh end mattressā less than 3 years ago on the āstoryā of a salesman that promised me 20-25 years of comfort and support. Here I am today struggling to decrease back pain thru a chiropractor and the āhigh end bedā is mostly to blame! No MORE stories for me. Now Iām armed with the knowledge to go out and make a high dollar decision with confidence. Thank you so much and I believe my journey to finding the āgoldenā bed will be fruitful.
Iām planning to start my field tests soon, and would like to know places in central Ohio, (Columbus, 43026), to visit where I can talk facts with educated people that realize what Iām looking for. Thereās an OMF down the street from me, and I plan on going there tomorrow, but would like to broaden my search just in case THE bed is not there for me. Thanks again and Iāll be waiting your reply.
Hi mcvicker,
Thanks for the kind words and comments ā¦ I appreciate them all
Some of the better options or āpossibilitiesā Iām aware of in the general Columbus, OH area are listed in post #2 here.
Good luck with your testing and Iām looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing and of course any feedback or questions you may have along the way.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for the reply!
Iām considering 3 of the mattresses from Rocky Mountain. Keep in mind this is just based on countless hours of reading your mattress forum last night. I have not been able to go to Lake mattress and physically try any out yet, due to the severe weather we have had. I will however, get there before I pull the trigger and purchase!
Could you please compare these 3 for me, with the most important thing being, pressure point relief, longevity, and comfort! I will be purchasing an adjustable frame to accompany this.
- The Cloudcroft 12"
2" of pressure-reducing Bayer Ultracel Supersoft Foam
4" of five pound Bayer Softcel Memory Foam
6" of Talalay latex base for ultimate lower and upper back support
CoolMax by DuPont
European box pillow top
Reinforced edge support for sitting
Increased memory foam comfort
12 inch mattress profile
- Rendezvous 14" ( is this to high for an adjustable frame)
2" of Bayer Softcel Supersoft Foam
4" of five pound Bayer Softcel Memory Foam
1.5" of Bayer Ultracel Convoluted Foam
1" of Firm Talalay Latex
5.5" of Bayer Ultracel Extra Firm Polyurethane for Lumbar Support
European box pillow top
Reinforced edge support for sitting
NASA engineered Bayer Memory Foam & Support Foam
Breathable microfiber imported damask
14 inch mattress profile
- Talalay natural latex 9" ( is 9" enough for longevity )
1" of pure organic Juma wool under a cotton/bamboo cover.
2" Crest of Talalay latex,choose from 24,32, and 40 ILD
6" of 100% certified-natural Dunlop latex.
Cotton/bamboo cover for superior comfort and enhanced coolness.
Iām confused about how these 3 compare to each otherā¦is the rendezvous overkill? Is the natural latex not enough?
I really appreciate your help and advice!
Hi aitta3,
Comfort and pressure point relief are the parts of mattress research that you will need to do (either with personal testing or more detailed conversations with a manufacturer) because I donāt know all the ācomfort specsā of each mattress, I canāt feel what you feel on a mattress, and I have no personal experience with any of these mattresses (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). A knowledgeable manufacturer or retailer that has your best interests at heart is always the best source of guidance about comfort or support choices when you canāt test a mattress in person because they know more about their mattresses and which ones have the best chance of fitting different body types, sleeping styles, and preferences based on āaveragesā than anyone else.
In terms of durability post #4 here has the information I would need about each mattress to make any meaningful comments or identify any potential weak links in any of the mattresses.
1) The Cloudcroft 12"
I would want to know the density of the 2" supersoft foam but if itās 1.8 lbs density or higher (which I believe it is) then there would be no obvious weak links in this mattress.
2) Rendezvous 14" ( is this to high for an adjustable frame)
I would want to know the density of the 2" supersoft foam and the 1.5" convoluted foam but if they are also both 1.8 lb density or higher (which I believe they are) then there would be no obvious weak links in this mattress either. Because of the thickness of the mattress and the firmness or āstiffnessā of the polyfoam base layer this may not work as well or conform as well to an adjustable bed so I would make sure you ask about this because they will know more about the specific properties of all the materials and how well it will work on an adjustable.
The 9" Talalay natural latex
There are no weak links in this mattress and because itās all latex it would likely be the most durable of the 3. The thickness of the mattress has more to do with how the mattress will feel (along with the type of latex and the firmness of each latex layer) than it does with durability or longevity. A 6 inch mattress and a 12" mattress can both last just as long as each other if the materials are the same (there is more about the factors that can affect the relative durability of a mattress in post #4 here).
Phoenix