How to... A Researcher's Guide to Mattress Wisdom

Hi, me and my partner are looking for a twin 100% latex mattress (for our kiddo) in Canada, and are comparing two similarly priced inexpensive options:

  1. Majestic Sit and Sleep’s “Restore 6” model (currently on sale at $499 Canadian)

  2. Naturelle’s “Juvenile” model ($599 Canadian)

Even after going through some of the material on your (very helpful) forum/site, I can’t discern what the difference is between these two mattresses. Are they different qualities? Majestic Sit and Sleep’s version is, according to their blurb, “a 6-inch GOLS certified Organic Dunlop latex core.” Naturelle’s version says it “has a 6 inch core of medium-firm GOLS certified organic rubber” and has a bunch of icons indicating various certifications on the product page – GOLS, Eco Institut, SLAB accredited, etc. How do I tell the difference in quality of product?

Naturelle is closer to us, geographically – Majestic Sit and Sleep is on the other side of the country, so with shipping it would come to about the same for each option. But I’ve seen some not-so-great comments on this forum about Naturelle, including a thread about what their latex mattresses are made of (though I couldn’t make sense of the nitty-gritty as to what the problem was and am feeling a bit stupid about this). This latter has me wondering about whether the similarly inexpensive model from Majestic Sit and Sleep would be of the same (poor?) quality (along the lines of “you get what you paid for”). Are these essentially the same mattress? Or is Majestic Sit and Sleep a different quality (or at least more transparent in what it is)?

Finally, I’m not sure if this is the right place to post, so apologies if I’m getting things wrong, but I’ve researched the site and had a hard time finding an appropriate thread to reply to. And thanks in advance. Y’all do great work.

Hi PatG: Why not try a pocket coil mattress (for example, something like this) and add down alternative topper if necessary?

Hi Northenhonker: The quality at Naturelle should be fine. But drive your kiddo to the store to try it out. (S)he might not like the bouncy nature of latex for example. Honestly, kids will feel comfortable on almost anything. You can find something reasonable at the Brick or the Mattressville.

Hey fascinating-geology,

Welcome back to the TMU Forum and thanks for your question.

Sorry to hear about the comfort problems with your Flobeds vzone mattress. As you state that you have “pretty much been told there are no further options”, it sounds as though you have already worked with them on possible solutions and are ready to move on to something different.

The same basic mattress shopping principles apply to heavier people as anyone else except you will need to put a special emphasis on more durable materials and constructions and probably on mattresses that have firmer comfort and support layers (firmer materials feel softer for heavier people and firmer support layers are usually important to for good alignment for higher weights). I suggest you review the mattress durability guidelines here and about the factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress.

Given your preference for a zoned coil hybrid mattress over your current latex mattress, are there any local manufacturer/ retailer showrooms in your area for local mattress testing of these type mattresses? I highly recommend store visits in conjunction with your mattress research and recommendations from others, as only you can “feel” what you feel in terms of personal preferences/ PPP. The expertise and guidance of a local resource can be invaluable in terms of understanding the best materials and layering for your comfort and support needs. BTW, do you have any updates on your research that you would like to share?

Thanks,
Sensei :slight_smile:

Wasn’t able to start a new topic or find low-profile latex mattresses in the forum! We are looking for low-profile (6") latex mattresses essentially identical or similar to Sleep on Latex’s medium twin mattress. We bought one from SOL for a stackable trundle bed (that comes together to form an almost king size), but it turns out they discontinued the low-profile (6") medium firmness option. Now, we are stuck with having to get 2 different twin mattresses!

I never really expected it to be discontinued, but are there any other companies that sell 6" medium latex mattresses that would be similar? The stackable bed only takes up to a 6" thickness mattress hence it’s very limiting. Thank you.

kivien - I don’t know of another source for a 6" finished latex mattress like the one from SoL, but would think you should be able to assemble one with 2 of their 3" medium toppers and one of their 6" twin mattress topper covers. It won’t look exactly the same due to a difference in the covers but should be pretty close in feel and size only lacking the wool. They might even assemble it for you rather than shipping you the components, but if not it’s not difficult to do.

  • Bill

kivien - Looking at the SoL site I see that they still offer the Twin size low profile mattress in soft, so they must have the mattress covers. I’d suggest asking them if you could get one of those covers to use with 2 of their 3" toppers instead of the topper cover I initially suggested. It would be safer since the wool acts as a fire barrier.

Thank you for the suggestion! Would the latex toppers “slip” since it’s stacked on top of each other instead of one 6" piece? Are there other mattress companies that could possibly do a “custom 6” profile" medium/firm latex mattress? We’re hesitant to buy the soft latex mattress as the medium feels great; and our experience with soft memory foam mattresses makes us wary even though a soft latex would probably feel different? Thanks again.

Latex layers stick very well to themselves when stacked, and many companies make latex mattresses by stacking layers without using adhesives. When stacking latex layers it’s difficult to move one relative to the other since they stick to each other so well, that you have to raise the upper layer and put a quick ‘wave’ or ripple motion through the layer to get it to reposition itself relative to the lower layer. You can see an example of layering latex with the wave motion in this video for reference.

Soft latex is quite a bit softer in feel and less supportive than medium firmness. You could check with some of the other latex sellers listed as TMU Trusted Members (for example Arizona Premium Mattress or Latex Mattress Factory) to see if they might have a 6" layer of medium Dunlop or offer a mattress similar to what you have from SoL.

Thank you! I looked into a few other TMU members and they have 6" mattresses under the “RV Mattress” section only. They also do not have a wool cover and are all cotton stretch covers. For example, SleepEZ’s RV mattress is a 19-20 ILD Talalay and 2lb density foam. It appears that most of these 6" mattresses are a 3" latex topper on top of a 3" foam base. Having had an unmemorable experience with a past medium foam mattress (sinking in, aching everywhere), would you have any insights into how a 3" latex/3" foam base would compare to the current 6" medium latex we have from Sleep on Latex? What density latex and foam would be comparable? Thank you!

I don’t have any experience with that type of layering, so I’d suggest contacting SleepEZ to ask them. They have very responsive and helpful customer support and would be best qualified to answer your question directly.

  • Bill

Hello, I am new to this forum and really need your help in deciding correct mattress for me. I have a limited budget and have to chose one of below 2 mattresses. Want to understand from quality perspective in case you have reviewed these mattresses as I may want my mattress to last for 5-8 years approx, I prefer medium to firm mattress and I my current mattress has given me back pain as it has started sagging in. Please guide me with comments on both mattress so that I can decide the one. Thanks

Cocoon Essential Medium -

Springwall Campus 8" Firm -
https://www.costco.ca/springwall-campus-8-mattress.product.100500367.html

Thanking you in advance.

Ritz

Hi Ritz.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum :slight_smile:

Good to see you have done some research and narrowed your mattress options to the Cocoon Essential and Springwall Campus mattresses. I am sorry to hear you have started experiencing back pain with your current mattress. Sagging and virtual impressions are the common reasons why people start getting gradually out of alignment and experiencing back pains. It’s very likely that your mattress is lacking the support needed to keep your spine in neutral alignment.

Canada Sealy also does not disclose any meaningful information about their mattress layers. I looked around for some more info on the (8") Cocoon Essential specifications including the foam thickness and density but had no more luck than I did in the pas to find the specifications you’d need to know to make an informed purchase. We did have a few consumers that managed to find out specs of the (10") Cocoon Classic which had some weak links on the foam quality/durability side.

Typically major mattress brands like Sealy are among the least transparent in the industry and they tend to use lower-quality materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors … along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines linked below along with some simple Q &A in Post #3 and Post #12 about Major Mattress Brands and some more “buzz” about marketing stories & major mattress brands) .


If you are considering this mattress, I’d keep in mind that the Essential is the Medium option of the Classic that comes in Firm and soft.

Springwall is a Canadian independent manufacturer of higher quality mattresses. I’d still want to find the foam densities as this line up is made to requirements exclusively for Costco and Costco website does not list anything other than very basic information for Campus 8". You may wish to contact Costco directly or Springwall manufacturer to see if they are willing to tell you the density of the foams they are using: (Phone: 905-564-5008 Email: [email protected])

This is what Costco Canada lists on their website for Springwell ~ Campus 8" Mattress:
• 5.1 cm (2 in.) ViscoGel memory foam
• 15.2 cm (6 in.) high-density bio-foam core

Without knowing the specifications that would allow assessing the quality of this mattress you or I won’t be able to tell how long or if it would last around 5-8 years. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the quality/durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new). With this or any new mattress you are considering I would always start with …finding out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before deciding if it is actually suitable to you.

In terms of suitability also, I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP(Pressure relief, Posture & alignment, and Personal Preferences)

If you can find out or confirm the foam density for all the layers in both mattresses (either from your retailer or from manufacturers) and post them on the forum I’d be happy to let you know if there are any lower quality materials that would be a cause for concern or that would compromise the durability or useful life of either mattress.

Wishing you the best of luck in your mattress shopping journey!

Phoenix

Really appreciate your detailed response. Will try to find out and post it here whenever I have those information. Thanks once again.

Forest Management Certification appears to be limited to forest management certification to certify that timber products originating from a forest are managed in a responsible and sustainable way. It does not appear to have any standards for the product, itself.

I apologize for not replying after you so kindly took the time to reply to my many questions. It’s been a difficult 2 years as I had a heart attack, open heart surgery, stroke & carotid artery surgery. I’m doing 4 more weeks of OT/PT after arm/wrist/hand surgery & then I’ll be ready to hop in Roadtrek & we can start traveling to our fishing holes. We’ve both had Covid vaccine shots and can’t wait to hit the road!

So we need latex toppers for our Roadtrek twin beds (twin on one side is 6" longer then other). We’ll use toppers in RV primarily to sleep on but can we not sit on for a little while each evening before we go to bed? 4" would not roll up very small so I’m guessing 2-3" thick?

Some things I left out before:
I am 5’7". 165lbs, side sleeper. Jim is 6’2 1/2", 205 lbs, side sleeper. He runs cold due to having 18 months chemo. I run bit hot but not unduly so.
Thanks for suggestion of not leaving in RV. That is a very good idea. The little we’ve been able to use it we’ve cleaned it all out after each use so as to not attract any rodents, insects etc.

That’s all I can think of for now but if I’ve left any info out please advise. We’d like removable covers as we want to protect the toppers as well as we can and wash covers as needed.
Once again thank you all for this forum and thanks DIYnaturalbedding for your informative reply. Hopefully we’ll be able to move forward and get toppers purchased in next 2 weeks.
Stay well,
Chris n Jim

Thank you sir for your reply. I apologize for my tardy response. I replied to DIYnaturalbedding and included some pertinent info but I’m stymied as to how to figure out what density my couch cushions are made of-they’re not soft and not hard so my guess is medium but I’d like to be sure. I think I’ll call the manufacturer tomorrow. It’s a good company so I’m hoping they can help.
We’re both side sleepers, I’m 5’7, 165 lbs, and Jim is 6’2 1/2", 205lbs. My pain level makes sleep difficult & Jim has a bad shoulder so would like to be more comfortable when we sleep.
We are looking for toppers to put atop the current cushions, not to replace them. Since we’ll be rolling them up we think 2 or 3 inch toppers would be better then 4".
Now that I’m doing better I’ll be combing the forums and vendors to look for more information. I think we’ll need one custom topper as Jim’s bed is 6" longer on the drivers side of the Roadtrek then mine. We also want removable covers in order to keep the toppers in good condition & clean the covers as needed.
If you think of anything that will be of help please feel free to add. We found TMU through our daughter who used your site extensively to choose & purchase their mattress. They’re extremely happy with it and have led 2 other couples to purchase from your vendors as we hope to do shortly.
Thank you again!
Chris n Jim

Hey Chris,

Welcome back to TMU :slight_smile: ! Good to see you again and thanks for your updates.

Goodness Chris, I’m terribly sorry to learn of your numerous surgeries during the past 2 years! You must be quite excited to be within weeks of getting back to your Roadtrek and your fishing time that you enjoy so, you both deserve a lot of R-n-R after everything the two of you have been through. Excellent news on the Covid vaccine shots too; I’m happy to hear that you had access to those and hope you both received them with no physical after effects.

[quote]So we need latex toppers for our Roadtrek twin beds (twin on one side is 6" longer then other). We’ll use toppers in RV primarily to sleep on but can we not sit on for a little while each evening before we go to bed? 4" would not roll up very small so I’m guessing 2-3" thick? Some things I left out before:
I am 5’7". 165lbs, side sleeper. Jim is 6’2 1/2", 205 lbs, side sleeper. He runs cold due to having 18 months chemo. I run bit hot but not unduly so.My pain level makes sleep difficult & Jim has a bad shoulder so would like to be more comfortable when we sleep.[/quote]

You may want to consider any of our TMU trusted members for a possible consultation and purchase, these offer latex toppers suited for RV/ custom builds’ use:

Arizona Premium Mattress

Sleep EZ

DIY Natural Bedding

Latex Mattress Factory

I see also that in response to your comment in post #4, consumer @ebs/ Emily made several location-based trusted member suggestions too (thanks Emily, that was most helpful!), and I appreciate her input as in the ever-changing retail landscape, it has become impossible to maintain a geographical manufacturer/ showroom data base and one of the reasons that the TMU Trusted Member program was created. Unfortunately, we do not make recommendations for manufacturers who have not been
vetted
for our strict quality, value, transparency and best practices criteria.

Latex Mattress Factory offers zippered removable covers in both 2" and 3" thicknesses, and DIY Natural Bedding offers them in 3" thickness and higher ranges. You could also check with either Arizona Premium or Sleep EZ as they both sell zippered mattress covers and may have a resource for zippered topper covers (not listed on their sites but worth asking about).

Thanks for consulting with DIY Natural Bedding, I see that they gave you good advice before and excellent thought-starter tips in post #2, you may want to review their guidance of:

[indent][i]Questions to consider:
a. How deep of a slab do you want?
b. How is the cushion going to be used primarily?

a. As a cushion that is going to be sat and slept on, I suggest a minimum of 3".
b. A sitter and a sleeper require different firmnesses of latex. A sleeper usually likes something softer than a sitter because their weight is dispersed throughout the latex as opposed to a sitter’s weight being contained at one point and sinking in heavily at that one spot. A sleeper could comfortably sleep on 6" of latex, 3" would be unusual, though not unheard of.
You have to choose whether you want to sit on something softer so that the cushions are comfortable to sleep OR to sleep on something firmer so that the cushions are comfortable to sit on[/i].[/indent]

[quote]I think I’ll call the manufacturer tomorrow. It’s a good company so I’m hoping they can help.
[/quote]

Good idea Chris on reaching out to the manufacturer, that would be the best way to find the spec details you are looking for.

Thank your for your kind words on the site; it’s good to know that your family and friends have found Phoenix’s research useful in their mattress shopping, as well as quality and value among the trusted members. Perhaps other consumers who may be following your posts (and travels) may share their RV topper experiences with you and looking forward to hearing more on your research :wink: .

Thanks,
Sensei

Actually I am new at this forum. These guidelines are really helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.

how do you send a private message to another forum member? Pheonix mentioned this function in another thread but I can’t find a button to do so.