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Hello PP Seattle,
It sure sounds like youāve had quite the mattress shopping journey so far. Hopefully your next choice will be the one that allows you to sleep healthy and happily for many years to come. As you are aware, you are upgrading from 5" of latex to 8" of latex in making the switch to the Sweda Kalmar 8". It is difficult to tell much from the retailerās website as there is very little transparency in the information they provide on their products. Hereās a set of questions you should ask that may help you with your diligence:
- Besides the 3" of additional latex, what are the other differences between the two mattresses?
- What is the ILD of each layer of latex? Is the layering a progression of firmness in which the lower support layer has a higher ILD than the top 100% natural latex layer? Are there options for having the 4" 100% natural latex in different firmnesses? Is this layer a single 4" block of latex or is it made of multiple layers glued together?
- What does supportive latex mean?
- What is the Contour Correction Support System and how does it differ from the Supportive latex layer? How does it interact with the latex layer above it in terms of support and comfort?
- How will this new mattress address your severe hip and shoulder pain?
- What are your options if it does not relieve your hip/shoulder pain?
- What is the warranty for body impressions in terms of depth and time frame?
- Is this the best latex mattress that Mattress Depot sells that āfitsā for your comfort and support needs?
This information should help you know what you are buying and what your options are. However, you should prepare to spend a good amount of time ātest restingā on the new mattress while in the showroom in order to confirm your decision. We would recommend at least 20-30 minutes lying on the mattress on your side. Pick a time of day that allows you to be able to do this comfortably. If the mattress is a really a good fit, you will find yourself drifting off to sleep. It you start to experience some discomfort, stop and re-group.
Hope this helps.
Team Luma
Hello all. I have recently purchased a mattress, but unfortunately I only found this site afterwards. So I guess Iām limited in changes I can makeā¦ but perhaps you call still help me.
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I purchased a Plushbeds 9" botanical bliss medium-firm (29-31 ILD) and have been sleeping on it for a little over a week. The heaviest person sleeping on the bed is me (150 lb) and both of us are combination side and back sleepers. Weāre finding the bed to be a little bit too firm than we like (with some extra pressure on knees, shoulders and hips than comfortable when sleeping on our sides). I think I may have an overcompensated in selecting a higher firmness due to past experience with our previous pillowtop innerspring and extreme dislike of quicksand-likeness of memory foam. Iām thinking of calling and asking to exchange the top Talalay layer to get down to a 24-26 ILD (which is the medium option their site shows). Is that the right thing to do? Should I be asking for a different ILD and see if they can accommodate? Or is changing the top layer never enough by itself?
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I also bought a Leggett & Platt S-Cape 2.0 with the mattress purchase, but Iām having a hard time understanding what kind of platform bedframe can be used with an adjustable base. I was checking to see if various bedframe have interior dimensions that match exterior dimensions of the adjustable base + mattress and then checking to see if those beds can be used without installing the slats. But apparently that is not enough as several online retailers confirmed that the particular frames I was looking at were not compatible with adjustable basesā¦ What exactly should I be looking for in a platform bedframe to see if it will work?
Sorry if I posted in the wrong placeā¦ please move my post to somewhere appropriate if this is not the right place.
Thanks.
Hello!
Do you know what the layers underneath the Talalay top are in terms of materials and ILD? And how thick is the top layer that you are thinking of replacing? Realistically for side sleepers of lighter body weight you could easily go to a lower ILD than 24-26 for the surface if you would like. Talalay is so elastic and supportive that the chances you will not find it to be sufficiently supportive are very slim. I am just advising a little bit of caution to go lower than the 24ILD if the layers underneath are very high ILD/Density Dunlop latex.
I would say that the issue you are having in terms of comfort is by far the most common issue with latex is that people think due to past experiences that a softer mattress will not support them well. And that is true to an extent, without accounting for the elasticity variable.
You definitely have the idea that if you are getting pressure not just on hips but shoulders and even knees that what you have is realistically too firm for your body types.
Looking at the PlushBeds website their 9" Botanical Bliss mattress is composed of a 6" core of ARPICO Organic Dunlop latex (two 3" layers with no ILD specified), 2" Talalay latex comfort layer which is available in ILDs 29-31(MF), 24-26(M), or 19-21(S), and 1" of Pure New Zealand Wool with a Non-Woven Organic Cotton Cover. Hope this helps!
Thatās definitely helpful!
With a 2" thick layer its possible you might feel the firmness of the dunlop underneath a very soft talalay top but it is hard to know for certain. Its possible the medium layer may also not make a significant enough change in firmness. I am not sure what their policy is or if you can purchase a new layer for relatively inexpensive cost.
Regarding your S-Cape adjustable bed, the biggest challenge is going to be having the base sit at the correct height within a platform style bed. The newer S-capes have adjustable height legs, but by default these will likely need to be on one of the higher settings so the edges of the base will clear any of the lips of the frame rails. If there is any hope of this working in a platform style bed then its likely going to be without the slats in place and somehow being supported on its own rails. It is, at the end of the day a tricky base to try and fit into a platform bed, and its something that we advise customers the risk is on them if using it with another suppliers platform bed as sometimes there is no real assurance it will work until the test is done in person.
There are other styles of adjustable bases that can more easily work in platform beds, typically styles that the base has a steel frame near the perimeter of the base and has āzero-clearanceā the the base can be dropped into a bed like a normal boxspring, if these are low enough in height and the headboard of the platform bed sufficient can still look great. The S-Cape realistically should be supported on its own legs, which makes it easier to put in a more traditional style bed frame that typically uses a mattress and boxspring combination.
Dang, where is that minus ā10 starā select button when you need it?
Recently, I ended up sleeping on a mattress from āArizona Premium Mattressā, and being a field geologist who slept outside with bears, rattlesnakes, coyotes and kangaroos the middle of nowhere in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, I can tell you from experience - sleeping on a bed of rocks in a sleeping bag, is more comfortable that the mattress we purchased from this company.
I inherited this mattress from my wife about a week ago as it sat unoccupied for a little more than a year. She has fibromyalgia and requires a soft mattress, which was discussed with the owner of the company. But we did not get what she asked for - just the opposite. After arguing with the owner for over a period of months, she ended up with a slab he claimed to be soft and would help her condition. Sure - if she was a Klingon, it would be perfect. So, after hassling with this guy for months, we ended up with a worthless mattress until I decide to take up archery.
My wife moved into our guest room to sleep in another bed because she couldnāt sleep on the mattress. Recently, she decided to move back into our room, and after putting on a couple of soft foam layers we purchased elsewhere, it was still harder than a brick!
Enter the geologist - I figured I could sleep on anything after years of field work in the wilds and training in the Army where, I sleep in a pump tent in a swamp at Fort Poke and on granite at Fort Sill. It doesnāt even work for me. Granite is just as soft as the mattress that presses into nerves and blood vessels making it difficult to sleep at night. Before sleeping on this lump, I always fell asleep within a few minutes. Now I find Iām constantly readjusting my position and never finding that comfortable niche - I absolutely hate this mattress, and Iāve only tried it for a week.
Oh, we had a 100 day guarantee - a lot of good that did. My wife and one of the company employees found a good combination, only to have the owner switch our selection. She stopped by to talk to him over a few weekends and he was never there, she called emailed about the problem and he refused to return correspondence or calls. So, if you are looking forward to being swindled, rush over to his showroom and buy a mattress - or just do yourself a favor and give the money to your local church and sleep on the floor - you will feel much better. So, anyone have a suggestion on how to resolve this problem?
What mattress did you buy from them? You didnāt give any details. (Other than they said it was soft and you say its like sleeping on granite)
Hi Klingon Klark.
I am sorry that youāve had such an unusual experience with the mattress your wife purchased a year ago. I am not sure what might have happened on their end, but I will reach out to the manufacturer on your behalf and see if they can provide some color and be of assistance. As your wife found out weekends are usually the least probable days to reach the manufacturers but I have no doubt that Iāll be able to get in touch with them early next week.
Meanwhile, Iād appreciate if you can email me the detailed information of the product and possibly the receipt the Phoenix (at) themattressunderground (dot) com email address.
Phoenix
First of all this is completely out of character for our company so I challenge the validity of this complaint. Second, weāve never had a 100 day trial which also makes me wonder about it. Third, there is no name associated with this complaint other than Klingon Klark which we have no record of in our system. If you would be so kind as to offer up the name on the order I can validate the issue.
I have a lot of experience with customers with fibro and I know that firmness choice is extremely critical which is why I would never recommend something firm except in extreme cases like obesity. I have many customers with fibro who have literally told us our mattress changed their life and not in the way you are talking about. Please provide the info I requested so we can see what exactly is the issue.
Amateur questions.
(New here. Please feel free to re-locate this, or advise me on the appropriate topic/subject to re-post this under.)
Background:
I am pregnant, very holistic-minded, on a shoe-string budget, and need a new mattress very badly (ASAP).
My in-laws kindly gifted us an almost-new, King-size, coil mattress that is rock hard. It has zero āgiveā to it so I wake with awful pains/migraines as if I slept on a board.
Question #1:
After realizing that the issue with this bed is that the coils have no give, I feel inclined to say I need a coil/spring mattress that is considered āsoftā and has more flexibility/ābounce.ā Is that how this works? Is there an official grading system for firmness of coil mattresses? Many online mattresses I am interested in only come in āmedium-firmā or āfirmāā¦do we think I may find plenty of comfort with a āmedium-firmā coil mattress, comparatively, or do I need to look for coils considered āsoftā (if that exists)? Iām not sure of the jargon for softness of coils.
Potential Solution?
We need an extra large area/mattress size for my husband and I (and little ones most nights). We already have a queen that we are very comfortable with, so for costās sake I am looking for twin-size options to push against it, to make one very large mattress area.
Because of my budget restrictions, and preferences for all-natural materials (so my newborn could nap on the mattress without fear of breathing anything dangerous), I am considering a sort of DIY situation.
Iām wondering if I could obtain a stripped, coil/spring metal framework, lay down a layer of woven āhessianā(?) webbing (or some such layer) against the top of the coils, and then pad with a sort of thick wool or cotton topper (basically a futon layer), then incase it all in a zippered ticking case.
Top to bottom the layers might go: Ticking, Padding/topper, webbing (the red/brown layer shown below), coil frame-work.
Does this sound feasible? Would it provide the bouncier softness I need, in contrast with the extra-firm mattress we have now?
I am obviously new to this and donāt really know what Iām doing, but Iām very dedicated & crafty with my hands, and would appreciate any insights or advice.
Thank you so much for your time, help, and consideration.
-KWA
For your first question, yes there are definitely some softer pocket spring options available on the market. I am more familiar with the Berkeley Ergonomics product as we sell them and they have some great dealers in the USA as well. But they do have some mattresses with higher spring counts than the norm and available in thinner wire which is more comfortable and conforming to begin with. Requires very minimal upholstery to be comfortable.
Going the DIY route is going to be very limited to what you can find. And natural materials while still bacteria resistant it might still be a risk to use anything older if the upholstery cannot be safely sanitized before being re-used in a different mattress. Typically the older types of springs/webbing will have the bouncier feel you are looking for but will still tend to be very, very firm.
I too am looking for a coil unit that is on the softer end of the spectrum. I have found only one manufacturer that offers options in this area (plenty of choices on upper layer foams and other options tho)
Ive considered the Leggett and Platt units available from mattresses.net
and going the diy route. Does anyone have information on these units or other options available to the diy buyer? Iām 5ā11, 140, and very bony with wide hips and shoulders. Iām getting frustrated with all the stores that tell me they donāt make soft mattresses because they are bad.
Thanks, Dan
These are definitely going to be high quality springs. Not sure of other places that will sell just a spring system by its lonesome.
Agree with you that many retailers writing off all āsoftā mattresses as bad is a big mistake. You can go pretty soft, provided the materials are highly elastic it should be no problem for most people.
from my novice understanding, the coil units sold by mattressess.net would indeed be of good quality. i just donāt have any idea where they line up in firmness compared to others. i donāt need a firm base to start off with.
I have found only one manufacturer that allows a buyer an option in coil firmness:
I would e-mail both companies to ask about total coil count and gauge of wire as those are the best approximations of how well a coil system will conform.
I do also recommend looking into Berkeley Ergonomics product, they have access to some very comfortable european make pocket spring mattresses, they tend to have much higher spring counts than is typical and available in a little thinner steel as an option. Pricing is very reasonable for the quality of components.
This whole mattress buying process has made my head spin. We have a Posturepedic Gel Series featuring OptiCool - Also known as a SouthPark firm that we purchased back in 2012. I spent my college years in a bed with no air conditioning and never slept hot. My wife is a furnace and I never experienced hot nights until she came along. We purchased this mattress thinking it would help, but that cool feeling only lasts a couple minutes. Doesnāt help that the membrane mattress protector that we bought with the mattress prevents any any flow. My answer has been finding a pillow that will keep my head cool, 100% cotton blanket and a fan blowing directly on me. My wife on the other hand doesnāt feel any of that heat and is constantly cold. Iām a side sleeper and have known almost since I bought that old mattress that I need something soft or medium. I suffer from pelvic tilt that creates functional scoliosis in my upper back. The side sleeping mixed with the firm mattress definitely doesnāt help.
Fast forward to now and we have started shopping for a new king size to replace that queen Posturepedic. I was 100% sure I was going to get a Leesa from all the youtube videos I watched until I found /r/mattress on Reddit which pretty much told me that just about all of the bed-in-a-box companies are worthless on quality. From there I was sent here and have just been overwhelmed by information. I went through the mattress guide and kept going from post to post to post. From information I gathered, I thought I would give the beautyrest a shot (US Mattress) and headed over to mattress firm to test out a few. When it came to the beautyrest, the only one we liked was a Black Pillow Top for like $4-5k and Iām afraid of the durability of a pillow top. I really wanted to try a latex, but of course they donāt carry one.
I was looking at either the Ultimate Hybrid - Pocket Coil from Arizona Mattress Company or possibly the Flexus Quadra-Flex, but still need to try out a latex before we make such a decision. We found a local company called Mattress Innovations that supposedly makes their own mattresses, but donāt list any specifications on their mattresses. They do carry latex, so at least we can try that out this weekend.
From there is the mattress protector. I was peaking at the Protect-A-Bed therm-a-sleep cool protector, but of course all of their reviews are fake (All posted at the same time). I find those membrane protectors really work for keeping bodily fluids free from the mattress and donāt want to sacrifice that, but Iām afraid I will be stuck laying on a heat magnet again.
We use both LINENSPA Ultra Soft Luxury 100% Rayon and Brielle 100-Percent Rayon sheets, which are super duper soft and have excellent breath-ability. The only problem is that my wivesā body oil stains the material and I find it is really hard to clean. You can see exactly where she lays on both the pillow and fitted sheet. Thinking of trying Tencel next time, although from the posts here I have gathered that the main difference is the manufacturing process.
Finding the right pillow just seems like a lost cause. We started with the Malouf Zoned talalay and found my head went straight through to the mattress. Iāve learned that I can get headaches from laying on the wrong type of pillow. I went to the Iso-Cool Gusseted Memory Foam Pillow, which stayed really cool and was really comfortable, but from my sleeping style I tend to lay on the edge of a pillow and found it to be REALLY hard on the edges. Next was the Talatech 230 Thread Count Latex Foam Medium Density pillow and the moment my head hit that pillow I felt my head go straight through to the mattress. Ugh, awful. Currently Iām using a bamboo shredded memory foam pillow and while I find it really comfortable, it tends to go flat pretty quickly.
Way too many things to think about. Mattress, protector, bedding, pillows. The whole PPP for the mattress, watching for quality, heat retentionā¦so much.
Phoenix,
This website is great, and Iāve read several articles regarding top recommended vendors, mattress buying tutorial, personal value equation, etc. Iām hoping you can provide me some info per below questions.
Iām trying to decide final choice between Foam Sweet Foam, Plushbeds (Botanical bliss), SleepEZ (organic) and Sleeping Organic. I need any insight you can provide into any product differences, company differences, or just differentiators between these brands. They all look very similar to me, offer similar prices and products.
My fiancĆ© and I are looking for an all-latex king bed. Iām 6ā4", 185 lbs, and I prefer soft to medium-soft bed, whereas my fiancĆ© is 5ā8" 155lbs and she prefers very soft to soft bed. We are both about 30 years old. I want all natural latex (no synthetic), and I want at least the first layer to be Talalay with preferably more layers if recommended and within budget. I am given some value to certifications such as GOLS, GOTS, organic cotton, Oeko-Tek, and SleepEZ is the only company that looks to be brandishing all of these, but maybe I missed something on the others.
Lastly, if you could also provide your logical recommendation based on our preference and weight/height for the mattress configuration, Iād greatly appreciate it. We are looking at 3 or 4 layers, and I have seen you state that 4 layers isnāt really necessary for folks of average weight. I think that we could both sleep on all-solid layers though having at least one split layer does sound intriguing as it provides more opportunity to customize should we so choose. Do you think having a split layer would be noticeable in so far as if we are cuddling in middle of bed, would we notice a crease/gap?
Would you recommend trying to negotiate prices with any of these companies if I feel that 2 or 3 of them are tied in my value equation with only determining factor being price, or do you feel each company only honors their prices online subject to promo codes?
Thanks,
Ben
Hi Uncafeaulait
Welcome to our Mattress Forum! 
I can certainly understand the sense of overwhelm with the many things you have to consider to ensure a good night sleep but the best suggestion I have is to work through it step by step and revisit the mattress shopping tutorial here which acts as a reference to help you find those that have the knowledge and experience to help you make an informed decision and gives you the basic information you need and will save you having to sort through all the many forum postings. Once you are armed with the basic information and tools you need ā¦ you have the ability to reach out to any of the Expert Members of our site who can help you make good choices that are suitable for your needs and preferences and are not only interested in selling you whatever they can but have your best interests at heart.
Unfortunately, in regards to your current mattressā¦. the major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay, which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you arenāt able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here ). And as you discovered, Mattress Innovations doesnāt offer any meaningful specifications on their website in order to make an educated analysis of any of their products. But there is a list with some other options or possibilities Iām aware of in and around the Dayton, OH area (subject to the quality/value guidelines) in post #5 here. The best way to go about your next purchase is to arm yourself with all the information and expert help you can get to make an informed decision.
It is always nice to upgrade from Queen to King for partners with temperature regulation issues as well ā¦ to have more space and also put some distance between you and the āfurnaceā when the heat is on. Temperature regulation issues have been extensively discussed on our forum but you can peruse post #2 here that discusses about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system and can help you choose the types of materials and components in your next mattress that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range. In very general terms ā¦ the materials, layers, and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture transport, and temperature regulation than materials, layers, and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses or foam toppers will tend to be more āinsulatingā and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer versions of the same material.
Memory foam does a very good job at minimizing motions transfer, but (as you discovered) it will generally be the least breathable and most insulating of the foam comfort materials, so temperature can be an issue.
Both options you are considering are great quality/value choices from two of our Trusted Members of the site, and I certainly aggree with you that It would be well worth doing some local testing on a mattress that has latex in its uppermost comfort layer and experimenting with a few firmness options will help decide if youād like a latex mattress.
You are wise ā¦ āmass reviewingā of any product would raise a red flag for me too and this would not be a factor that Iād base my decision. Iād also keep in mind that any layer placed between the mattress encasement and yourself will of course impact its feel and temperature you are experiencing while sleeping. You may wish to read through some of the popular types of mattress protector options as listed in post #89 here . There are some that use wool in their construction as well that may be of interest to you as wellā¦, a washable wool mattress pad like the St. Dormier might be something to consider.
Unfortunately choosing a pillow is like choosing a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in choosing a pillow to make specific suggestions or recommendations for someone else. There is no single pillow that is ābestā for any particular situation or āsymptomā and it is good to remember that the main goal of a pillow is to keep your head and neck in good alignment in all your sleeping positions. Which pillow does this for any particular person or on any particular mattress will vary widely from person to person. In other words ā¦ a pillow that works well for one person with upper back, shoulder, or neck issues may not be suitable at all for someone else with similar issues.
Pillows are also a very personal choice and different people will have very different pillow preferences or different opinions about what they perceive as firm and soft or the general type of pillow that āfeelsā good to them but some of the information in the pillow topic here and the posts it links to can help you choose a pillow that is the best āmatchā for you and the mattress you are sleeping on.
Iād be interested to find the results of your testing and the progress youāve made I search for a suitable mattress.
Phoenix
Thanks for all your help! We made it down to Ikea over the weekend and tried the different latex models there. Everything was āMedium-Firmā or āFirmā and I would say they all felt like a solid rock.
After that we headed down to Mattress Innovations and I have to say I really like everything about the place. They had this calming meditation music playing that was perfect for testing mattresses. One of the owners, Mike, could tell I had done my homework and was talking about the materials used in the production of their mattresses. He said they are the only family owned mattress store in Dayton that makes their own mattresses - which is sort of true but sort of false. He kept saying āWe went down to X state with a couple other mattress companies and together we designed X mattress that X factory is willing to makeā. Not really a false claim, but also not exactly true. Their full latex line was interesting in that even their firmest latex mattress was extremely soft - the exact opposite of Ikea.
We really liked their pocket coil and ālatexā mattress line, but I noticed an E marked on the side, which is clearly the Englander model. When I looked at the specification sheet, it said Pocketed Coil ENCASED in Latex with a poly-foam comfort layer. I was extremely surprised since while we were laying on it, he talked about how they donāt use that ācheap poly foamā like those other companies and yet sold a mattress with a 1.5" poly foam comfort layer.
We did however, love the latex mattresses except for the lack of edge support - so putting latex with a pocket coil sounds perfect. Iām leaning toward the Flexus Quadra Flex, but am stumped on latex firmness. Based on the full latex mattresses at Mattress Innovations, we prefer a Medium - but based on Ikea we would need an extra extra plush.