Hey there Phoenix,
Completed first day of field testing and felt great, thanks to all the info provided herein. Felt I was treated with more respect, knowing the lingo of mattresses has something to do with that I suppose. Had some interesting experiences, and would appreciate your professional opinion on value and durability.
Stop 1, Mattress Mart, where the owner Kevin was there since his guy called in sick. He was patient with me, allowed me all the time I wanted to do comfort testing and support testing, and answered questions with the facts.
Pure Bliss Latex, 'The Best mattress in the World' (yes, that's its name), Is an all latex mattress, with 6" of HR NR talaylay latex core for support, then 3' of 17 ILD NR Talalay latex combined with another 3' of 19 ILD talaylay latex for comfort. Felt very cushy, (which I like), allowing plenty of 'sink-in' for shoulders and hips for my preferred side position. No pressure points detected there or when flipping over onto my back. no discernible gaps in the lower back, or armpit area or waist when on my side. Spinal alignment with zero deviation, (according to Kevin), on my side or back. (I did not detect any gross deviations myself, and have to take his word for it otherwise). In all, very comfortable and supportive. The only thing that caught my attention was in dealing with prices. Originally marked @ $4200.00, but 'on sale' for $3800.00. I am interested in an adjustable frame, which he had, originally $1800.00, but he sells for $1300.00. So total for both $5100.00 plus tax. First, he said he'd take the mattress and the adjustable frame down to $4,000.00 plus ~$300.00 tax, and would throw in 2 latex (chopped up) pillows and a superior mattress cover, (all total value ~$450.00), then, if I paid cash, (which I always do), he would deduct the $300.00 tax. So, all that for $4,000.00. Is this a good value, and will the support be durable, (lasting for 10 years or so)?
The "Beautiful" mattress had the same support core, and the 2 comfort layers were both talaylay NR latex with a 19 ILD rating. It wasn't quite as cushy as the other, so did not pursue pricing, but the sale price was listed as $3600.00. I felt the same support as the other, (and expected to since they had the same cores.
I also checked out the Anatomical Global Gel memory foam, which I felt was supportive, but not as comfortable as the latex, (plus I read somewhere that the gel memory foams were not as durable as the straight forward memory foam, which kind of turned me off). Anyway, when shifting from side to back, needing more push out of the nice cradle it did produce, felt a twinge in my back due to the effort needed. So I crossed it off my list. (I have a long history of lower back problems).
Stop 2, the OMF, and salesman Jason, also very knowledgable, friendly, and patient.
Serenity plush, which has 6" of HD polyfoam core, ILD rating 28-32 (?) for support. Then, 2" of 8 lbs memory foam with a 10-16 ILD rating on TOP of 2" of 5 lbs memory foam with 8-14 ILD rating, and sandwiched between the two layers, a 1/2 inch 'breathing layer, (2 thin plastic pieces separated by millions of perpendicular plastic like strands, when pushed with a finger, collapses easily and springs back but when pressed between two palms, will not collapse). Also, the 8 lbs memory foam was perforated, (much like latex), which caused a more cushy feel than the non perforated (regular) serenity mattress. (otherwise, both constructed of same materials. I liked the cushy feel of the plush, and somehow, when changing position, seemed less of an effort than it did on the AG gel mattress. Support was good, (once again relying on them for visual), with no discernible deviation in spinal alignment, and I personally felt none either. The regular serenity was not quite as 'cushy', but just as comfortable and supportive, but did take more effort to change positions. Price with an adjustable base, for regular serenity, $2600.00. The Plush, $2800.00. (actually quite impressive as I had tried the Temporpedic Could Supreme 11", which felt very similar, but priced $2750.00...with no adjustable base).
Serenity Latex, a dual sided mattress with a 6" 26-34ILD 2.5 lbs polyfoam core, and 3" of talaylay latex composed of 1" of 16-22 ILD 3 lbs density latex on top of 2' of 21-27 ILD 3.25 lbs density latex. Support felt was excellent, with no discernible shift in spinal alignment on sides or back, and very cushy feel, filling all gaps adequately. Price with adjustable base, $2900.00.
So, I am sold on the latex mattresses. Both tested had good support and comfort I was looking for, but will the different cores make much difference in durability, and if so, how much? BTW, I'm ~ 6' 230 lbs, stocky build with an lowly enlarging abdomen as the years go by. I spend ~ 8 hrs sleeping, and ~1 hour reading/watching tv on bed per day. (although, with my bed being more comfy than my easy chair now, that may well increase).
Also, is Kevin 'making' me a great deal, or can I get even better value elsewhere with similar designs?
The OMF gave me ILD ratings which were 'ballpark', (i.e.: 16-22). Is this acceptable or could my support/comfort differ on which ILD I end up with?
I didn't see any sections about adjustable bases. I did feel some pressure changes with the various angle changes, support was pretty consistent though. Do you have any info on an adjustable bases effects on mattresses, and how they may affect durability issues?
Overall, feel ready to but, or do I keep testing, is there something even better out there, support/comfort/durability or price wise? It all felt so easy this time......
Thanks for checking....I'll wait for response.