How to look for and find the best mattress ... for YOU! ***READ FIRST***


Hello,
What retailers would you recommend in the 40299 ZIP code? Thanks!

Hi nascarnole,

Just for clarity, I donā€™t make recommendations for stores unless they are a vetted member here of the site.

Aside from that, and 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 ā€¦ the better options or possibilities Iā€™m aware of in and around the Louisville, KY area are listed in post #3 here.

Phoenix

Thank you, I was trying to determine if any vetted retailers are in my area. I will review that list. Also, I know that forum members get discounts at your online vetted retailers. Where do I find the discount codes? I am ordering something from Sleep on Latex but couldnā€™t figure out what code to enter. Appreciate your help.

Hi nascarnole,

Iā€™m sorry. The site is in the middle of a redesign. The site membership listing is parked here for right now. Just contact Sleep on Latex when ordering and let them know you are a Mattress Underground member for your discount.

Phoenix

I am so grateful to have found this site. Am hoping it will prevent us from making yet another bad choice in what is such an important part of your life. We currently sleep on a Saatva. I wish their mattresses were as good as their marketing. Within 3 months of taking delivery, I was sleeping in a ravine, and have been there ever sinceā€¦too long. We recently stayed at a Hilton and slept wonderfully for several nights. I have been researching their mattresses and was prepared to make an on-line purchase (again), when I started reading the forums here and realized that the reason we enjoyed their mattress so much is probably because ours is just so bad at this point. So, in an effort to get it right this time, we are going to check out the Yankee Mattress Company, as we live in Western Mass., they are conveniently close, and they are a TMU member. Wish us luck.

Hi SEBALAZS,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Iā€™m sorry to hear that your Saatva mattress isnā€™t working out well for you. :frowning: Hopefully they were able to take care of things for you with a return/refund.

One thing you may wish to confirm is that you are using an appropriate foundation with a bed frame using a good center support (for full through king sizes) to make sure than those things are not contributing to you sinking in the middle of any mattress you may purchase.

You must have read about some of my general comments about hotel mattresses from post #2 here. Iā€™m glad you were able to read through that information.

Yes, Yankee Mattress Factory is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. If you do decide to make a purchase from them, be sure to ask for your TMU discount!

Good luck! Iā€™ll be interested in learning about your visit.

Phoenix

Thereā€™s so much information here! At first I was going to just purchase a mattress in a big box store, but after reading many posts, Iā€™m considering the DIY route. Thank you for the wealth of information!

Hi fnappy,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Iā€™m happy that the information presented here has been useful to you.

As youā€™re considering the DIY route for a mattress, and just in case you havenā€™t read it yet, I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project ā€¦ the best approach to a DIY mattress is a ā€œspirit of adventureā€ where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).

If you have more specific questions as you go through the process, Iā€™ll do my best to be assistive.

Phoenix

Hello Pheonix,

My apologies for my awkward phrasing in my post about latex mattresses at Worley. We bought our current traditional mattress and boxspring from them several years ago and it is a great bed. We actually found Worleyā€™s from this site.

After lurking (again, but now as a member) on this wonderfully informative site for a few days I am ready to ask for some help. We are in need of a new bed for a number of reasons.

My husband, now 67 years old, has gained weight since then (now 217 lbs @ 5ā€™9" with much of it front end loaded), requires neck and back surgery, sleeps with a CPAP machine, and is up and down frequently during the the night. He is a side sleeper only.

I am 62, 5ā€™ and 122 lbs, arthritis in my neck and back, as well as shoulder pain from a torn rotator cuff.
I am primarily a side sleeper though do at times sleep on my back and stomach.

We have finally decided on a latex, or latex hybrid, as quality and motion isolation are very important to us. Memory foam is our because my husband finds it difficult to escape from. I like softness but love the feeling of floating on a cloud.

We tried Pure Talalay Bliss mattresses and loved the 10" one. With its loose cover and squared off edges, I did not get the feeling of rolling like I have had with a topper on our innerspring. I tend to be an edge sleeper. However we feel that the price of the PTB is much to steep. We would like to purchase something similar at a more reasonable cost with a good return policy.

I would appreciate any guidance you can provide. It is possible that the PTB we laid on is not the best for our needs given our sleeping positions and personal characteristics.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Hi ratchette,

The Pure Talalay Bliss mattress you tested uses three layers of blended Talalay latex. The 6" core is 36 ILD, and on top of that is a 2" layer of 28 ILD latex, and that it topped with a 2" layer of 21 ILD latex. These are the last specifications I have for this model, and you can use them as you search for similar items that are in a price range that better suits your preferences. PTB does have a suggested minimum advertised pricing guideline that their retailers are supposed to abide by, and many do choose to offer their products at those prices.

The good news is that there are many latex mattress manufacturers who are familiar with the Nature and can offer a product using the same or very similar materials, and many do so at prices that are more affordable than the PTB suggested retail prices.

While it is of course not a complete list of all of the latex manufacturers available, you may wish to peruse the members of this site. I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. There are many that are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.

Hopefully that will give you a good start. Youā€™ve already found something that works well for your preferences, and you know that it uses good quality and durable materials, so now it would come down to finding a manufacturer with whom you are comfortable conducting business.

Phoenix

Hi There, It depends upon your desires weather you want a simple mattress with foam or you want a spring mattress. If you have decided one then go and look for that one i canā€™t tell you the exact name of seller as i donā€™t know who sells the best and top quality. Just try google and find the best one in reasonable price. One more thing that i want to add is that Mattress Protectors also plays an important role in protecting your mattress for a long period of time. So i suggest you to buy that one too if you have decided to upgrade your bedding or mattress. Good Luck!

Thanks for a great site and a ton of useful information.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post a question (I canā€™t seem to find a ā€œnew topicā€ tab in the main forum space) but I wanted to ask for a latex topper recommendation.

For a couple of years weā€™ve been sleeping on a 3" Rejuvenite Talalay latex topper (I think it was rated around 19 ILD). Itā€™s comfortable but I feel I sink into it a little too much ā€“ Iā€™m a back and stomach sleeper mostly ā€“ and think Iā€™d prefer something more solid or dense without being so hard itā€™s uncomfortable.

Any suggestions as to medium or firm? Iā€™ve also considered Dunlop as opposed to Talalay.

Thanks for your help!

Hey bedheaded,

Maybe these guidelines from Talalay Global for their Talalay latex with word softness associations will be helpful to you for ILDs:
14 - Super Plush
19 - Plush
24 - Soft
28 - Medium
32 - Firm
36 - Extra Firm / Base Core
40-44 - Extra Firm / Base Core

14 to 32 are usually used for comfort layers or toppers from them. If you want to sink in a bit less and sleep on your stomach a bit more frequently (but still some on your back), something around a 28 ILD might be a good start to test out. But your overall feel is also determined by the mattress beneath the topper.

I hope that helps.

Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Mattress To Go

Hi, according to me if I want to buy something i would first see the reviews of the product thats where i get to know how benificial it was for the users

Phoenix,
This is my first time on this site, which is the best Iā€™ve found for information, so please excuse me if Iā€™m in the wrong forum or ask too many odd or dumb questions.

We have a 12 year old king mattress and box springs combination that has begun to break down. Weā€™re interested in trying a latex mattress in split king on an adjustable base but canā€™t find a company here in Jacksonville, Florida that carries latex mattresses so we can try one. Weā€™ll be in the San Francisco area (more specifically, Novato/San Rafael). Is there a dealer there who carries latex? Long ago we lived in the Bay Area and Sleep Train carried latex but it has been bought out by another company that seems to have stopped carrying it.

With an adjustable base is a foundation necessary or possible under a latex mattress? Iā€™m asking because our mattress/box springs together sit pretty high and a mattress alone might be too thin to look right. A topper would add two or three inches but that still leaves several inches to make up.

Weā€™re in our 60s and have had knee and hip replacements but have no related pains in bed. Our traditional setup is, I believe, a medium firmness and that seems to work for us. Long ago we bought a traditional mattress from Sleep Train and in the process looked at latex. One thing I remember is that some of the latex mattresses had a firm vertical component on the sides to prevent sagging when sitting on the side. Is this still a consideration?

It looks like Vennhaven will be our choice (but weā€™re open to suggestions - our main considerations are cool sleeping and comfort and cost, of course), is there an adjustable base that works best for that brand? We donā€™t need all the bells and whistles such as under bed lighting and vibrating base. I think I understand that at least some adjustable units fit into/onto a regular bed frame so we can still use our headboard and footboard; is this is so? Iā€™m guessing that a base that fits in or on a traditional frame will add three or four inches of height - yes?

This is dumb, but my wife is concerned about being able to make up the split king mattresses. My supposition is that weā€™d just revise the head to improve accessibility and ease of fitting the sheets. Suggestions?

Thanks for bearing with me.

ā€” Bruce

Thanks so much for your help, Jeff!

Bruce,

Iā€™m not Phoenix, but I can answer a few of your questions.

I did a quick search online and found a few in your area. You may also wish to look at this older post on the site with some references for Jacksonville. There are a ton of mattress stores offering latex in San Fran when you visit there. Just do an online search.

Latex works great on a power foundation, and it is all I recommend for use with a power foundation, as it puts up very well with the specific weight concentrations and demands of an adjustable bed base.

Most all-latex mattresses do not use a racetrack or perimeter polyurethane foam edge reinforcement system, as people are usually attempting to get away from polyurethane foams when looking at an all-latex product. While the edge of an all-latex mattresses will feel soft when sitting on it (latex is very point elastic), the edge itself will hold up well. You can find mattresses out there that use polyurethane support cores or innerspring support cores that do have harder edge support systems.

Sorry, but I am not familiar with that brand. I canā€™t even find a record of it. Maybe you have the spelling wrong? Did you mean Zenhaven? It has been discussed quite a bit here on the forum (just do a search), but testing out different latex mattresses in stores wonā€™t tell you how that mattress feels unless youā€™re able to put together something that has the exact same layers at the same thickness and same ILDs, along with the zoning that their core has. And frankly, if youā€™re looking to shop online, there are more affordable and more configurable latex options.

Itā€™s not a dumb question - I get it a lot here. Two twin XL mattresses are easy to make up with the mattress pad and fitted sheets. Lifting up the head can help out. Use king sized sheets, blankets and comforters.

I hope that helps!

Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Mattress To Go

Thanks Jeff,

Yes, I misspelled Zenhaven (made by Saatva).

Iā€™ll look into the businesses referenced in the earlier email you pointed to to. It was looking like Iā€™d have to order online, but I may have some local options.

Thanks,

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Youā€™re welcome. I had a hunch thatā€™s what you meant.

If you do try out something locally and then wish to compare it to some of the online offerings (such as some of the site members on this forum or elsewhere), be sure to find out the type of latex in the mattress you tested (Dunlop or Talalay), the blend (synthetic (SBR), natural (NR) or blended (SBR/NR)), the thickness of each layer and ordering, and if possible the ILD or density of each layer. Thereā€™s an article here on the site that people reference often about things you need to know. Testing something in person is always optimal.

There are a lot of latex mattress manufacturers in Florida, as it is common for mattresses used in boats. Heading south along the coast youā€™ll find more retailers offering such items to test out - it just depends upon how far you wish to drive.

Good luck!

Jeff Scheuer, The Beducator
Mattress To Go

Iā€™ve been looking online and couldnā€™t find an answer, so I thought I would ask here. Is there any sort of chart of different mattress retailers return policies? Iā€™m really unhappy with my last mattress purchase, so trying to get a sense of who makes the easiest returns before I start shopping again.