Thanks for the quick reply,
I did some more reading on what you have posted but I do have one question. Main stream companies like tempurpedic offer a great warranty like in tempurpedics case 10 years non prorated and the 15 years prorated there after. Would i still be able to get that type of a warranty from a small local retailer like factory mattress?
Hi Manboy,
Yes ā¦ all manufacturers have a warranty on their mattresses and 10 years is a very common warranty term for a good quality mattress (the prorated part of a warranty isnāt particularly meaningful). In most cases ā¦ smaller manufacturers are actually more responsive to consumers and warranty claims than larger manufacturers because their name and local reputation is on the line while the major manufacturers are more responsive to corporate shareholders, investors, and maintaining profit margins than to consumers and most of their warranty claims are denied because of the warranty exclusions.
I would also keep in mind that knowing the quality of the materials inside your mattress is much more important than the length of the warranty and mattress warranties only cover defects in materials and construction and not the foam softening and the loss of comfort and support from the use of lower quality materials that is the most common reason people need to replace their mattress long before the warranty is expired. In other words ā¦ they have little to nothing to do with the useful life of a mattress (see post #174 here).
Phoenix
Thanks for the reply once again. Alright Iām definitely going to look into some of my local factory direct companies. My only question now is generally am i looking for a mattress that has a HR polyfoam base with 1-2 layers of high density memory foam? and then there is also latex options as well. Im just really overwhelmed. Overall I just want something that gives my mom the same support and softness as the rhapsody breeze but with all the high quality materials. Sorry for bugging you so much and thanks for all the help
Hi Manboy,
What you are looking for is a mattress that your mother tests in the store and that her testing indicates is a good match for her in terms of PPP (or that she thinks is similar to the Rhapsody if thatās what is most important to her) and that doesnāt have any weak links in the materials.
I would avoid trying to design the mattress or figure out what she needs ahead of time because her testing will tell you that much better than ātheoryā.
If you follow the steps in the tutorial post one by one you will be fine.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Sorry to bother you again. I was just wondering if it matters where the latex material is produced. Ive been doing reading and know that when comes to poly and memory foams, having the north american stuff seems to be better (unless Iām being mislead). Now for latex as long as it is the natural NR latex does it matter where it come from. When of my local dealers uses NR latex from various areas (like italy and sri lanka). Also what does PPP stand for? Also the retailer uses a 7" base layer of all natural belgium imported latex. The thing is it apparently has 7 different āzonesā. Is this more of a gimmick to justify an expensive price ?
Hi Manboy,
Itās in the tutorial post (and I really would make sure that you read it first) but it means Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences.
North American materials arenāt always better (it depends on the specifics and the quality of what you are comparing) and in the case of latex the type and blend of latex and your own personal criteria and preferences are more important than where the latex is made. I would also be aware that natural latex isnāt always ābetterā (depending on how you define ābetterā). There is more about the different types of latex in post #6 here.
Zoning can certainly be useful for those that are more difficult to āfitā to a mattress or when it is an improvement in terms of PPP compared to a single firmness but it depends on whether your testing or experience indicates that a specific zoning scheme is a good match for your body type and sleeping positions. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here.
Phoenix
Hello Phoenix,
Well, the search is over, the deal made, the new mattress and adjustable platform delivered, set up, and operational for the past 4 days. Iām glad to announce that I went with the āBeautifulā mattress by Pure Latex Bliss. The WBB was just a bit too soft in my final determination, with the ābeautifulā providing enough comfort, (bless the salesman who tolerated me lying on the floor model for > an hour to determine this), and measured/determined proper spinal alignment, (has same support core as the WBB). I figured I have 120 days to determine if I want the WBB instead of the Beautiful. (I dealt for a waver of the 10% restocking fee too). Bought the whole thing for 3500.00 out the door, plus 2 pure latex scrunchy latex pillows, a formed pure latex neck pillow, and upgraded mattress pad, plus 10% restocking fee waver. Along with what I determined to be a more ācomfortableā latex core,(if there is such a beast), as opposed to the polyfoam core in OMFās latex mattress.
I am more than happy to report that the morning after the first nightsā sleep was the first morning for a long time I woke with absolutely NO BACK PAIN! I was amazed for the whole day, waiting for a twinge or ache, but it never came! could a properly assessed mattress be that powerful to relieve years of daily pain? Each day since has yielded similar results, despite the overuse of my back by detailing all 3 of my salt covered automobiles, including 2 coats of old fashioned waxing on each car. Sure my back ached after each 3+ hour job, but after a night on the new mattress, good as new again! To this I owe you a ton of thanks for all your factual knowledge.
One thing I was wondering, Do latex mattresses need ābreak inā time kind of like the memory foam mattresses? I did notice my shoulder was a bit sore in the morning, (probably due to the repetitive motion of āwax on, wax offā ), but for some reason the mattress did not feel quite as soft as the floor model as I recall. All is the same as the floor model, (had them put on the same adjustable platform to assess). I have looked thru many of the topics in these forums, but havenāt found any answer. If the comfort layer will eventually get even a bit softer, it would be cool. Otherwise I may want to switch to the softer WBB.
Thanks again, and I have already told several people at work about your site that are currently ālearningā, and evaluating new bedding based on factual knowledge you provided me. Keep up the good work, and bless you and your family for providing a great service to all that take advantage of it. You have made 1/3rd of my life, (the sleeping portion) much better, which has impacted the other 2/3rds, (the waking portion) as well! I also teach āsleep hygieneā where I work, and would like to refer my students to your website for accurate info on choosing the right mattress to get the best night sleep, if you donāt mind.
Hi mcvicker,
All new mattresses will go through a break in period where the foam loses any of its āfalse firmnessā, materials settle, and the cover loses any of its initial stiffness. Post #2 here has more about the initial break in and adjustment period with a new latex mattress and some suggestions that can help with a new mattress that is too firm (although yours seems to be very close to your ideal but just a bit firmer than the floor model) but in most cases the ābestā course of action for the first few weeks is to do nothing. The length of time will vary with different people and different mattress designs and materials and the amount of softening will generally be less with latex than other materials but there will still be some break in (and adjustment) over the course of the first few weeks.
Thanks for all your feedback and the kind words ā¦ and I think it would be great if the site can also help others that you know or that you feel would benefit from the information here. Thatās what itās here for 
Most importantly of all ā¦ congratulations on your new mattress ā¦ it sounds to me like you made a great choice!
Phoenix
Thanks so much for all the valuable information! You have an invaluable site which must take lots of work to run & reply to all our questions. :silly:
Hi eelynek,
Welcome ā¦ and Iām glad you found us.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
My wife and I purchased a king size 3 - 3 inch sets 100% talalay latex mattress two weeks ago. It is a two sided mattress with 32, 40, 32 which was highly suggested by the factory salesperson for side sleepers, approx. 200 lbs apiece. My research suggested much softer than medium, firm, and medium, but, it was highly suggested we go with this as people had been complaining of it being to soft with other settings. We have to have this adjusted and would very much appreciate your suggestion as to comfort levels for side sleepers.
thank you in advance for your prompt response.
Bcook
Hi Bcook,
Comfort levels are very subjective and individual and depend on many variables (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). Your own testing and experience will be a much more reliable way to assess whether a mattress is a good match for you or how it needs to be adjusted than any ātheory at a distanceā.
Iām not clear from the information you provided what you are looking to adjust or what you are experiencing on your mattress but there is more about some of the more common āsymptomsā on a mattress in post #2 here and the other posts it links to that may be helpful.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix!
I sent you a PM but probably should have posted here:( I read your tutorial, great information! My wife and I live in Grand Junction, CO and are looking for a good local shop. Any recommendations?
What do you think of this one from Denver mattress?
Thanks!!!
Hi bgreen19,
I switched your post to a new topic so that itās on its own and easier for others in the area to find.
There arenāt a lot of great choices in the Grand Junction area but the better options and possibilities Iām aware of are listed in post #2 here (including Denver Mattress which youāve already found).
The guidelines I use to evaluate a mattress for the quality of the materials inside it are in post #4 here.
The iChoice only has 1" of lower quality material (the 1.35 lb polyfoam) and thatās inside the guidelines I would suggest (@ an inch or so of lower quality or unknown materials) so there are no weak links in the mattress and if you have tested it and itās a good match for you in terms of PPP then it would be well worth considering as one of your finalists.
Phoenix
My wife and I went and tried the iChoice yesterday and loved it. It passed both of our PPPās. The salesperson we worked with was very knowledgeable and helpful. Overall it was a great experience and weāre excited to make our new purchase. BUTā¦not so excited that itās not work asking your opinion on negotiating the price. Is this acceptable practice in the mattress industry? We ended up leaving yesterday so we could talk about our decision a little further, but like you said, choices are somewhat limited here in GJ and we both love the mattress.
I donāt want to be āthat guyā and beat them up over the price but I also would like to get a good deal and not pay full retail price. Any advice? Thanks again!
Hi bgreen19,
There are many factory direct manufacturers that sell their mattresses for their best price every day and donāt negotiate (unlike many retailers who have sales or ānegotiateā based on inflated prices). There is more about negotiating in post #6 here and while itās always worth a try ā¦ I certainly wouldnāt be disappointed if they say no and the mattress you are considering is your best option out of all your finalists.
Phoenix
Check out this additional blog post from The Organic Mattress Store
They have tips and tricks for testing your mattress to make sure itās the best possible quality. This comes in handy while shopping in stores!
Hi Bethopia,
I deleted your other two posts because they were overly promotional and not directly related to the topics you posted them in and I removed one of the links in your post here as well.
The forum rules here include the guidelines for posting on the forum.
Your posts were more like āadvertising copyā than informative or just posting about your own personal experience (which is always welcome) which often indicates that a poster is connected to the store they are posting about so if you have any direct or indirect connection to The East Coast Organic Mattress Store itās also required to disclose it as well.
Phoenix
I just wanted to thank everyone on this forum for sharing their thoughts and experiences. This forum has provided TONS of information for me and a host of others. The amount of information here is invaluable to someone who is looking to step out of the ābig brandā hype and marketing. Iām glad I found this forum.
Iām getting ready to order a sleep ez select sleep 13000, in what seems like a pretty standard s-m-f-xf. Hopefully I get it right the first time!
Once again thank you Phoenix and everyone else on this forum!
Cycopen, I decided to look at the Sleep EZ that you selected on their website. I have to admit that it sounds like it meets most of the criteria that weāve established. My two concerns are 1) ordering online without trying it first, and 2) figuring out the layers. Weāre going to go out on our first āfield tripā this week. Maybe that will help allay some of my concerns. More likely it will create a whole lot more questions!
I just canāt read any more about mattresses until we go try out a few!