Hunting for a hybrid

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Hello! I am new to this forum after lurking for some time. I wanted to reach out because I’ve been discouraged after reading that most mattress review sites have been paid for reviews. I’m hoping y’all can help me out!

I think I’ve narrowed down my search to a hybrid, although I’m undecided on foam vs latex. My boyfriend and I tend to sleep hot, but I also suffer from fibromyalgia so I tend to get back/neck soreness and I am sensitive to pressure points. I was thinking about a medium to medium-soft firmness, because I am a combination side/back sleeper (mainly side).

Hybrids interested me because of their properties for less heat retention, better durability, and a mix of softness and support. I’ve heard good things about mattresses with Leggett & Platt Quantum coils. I’ve personally never slept on a latex mattress before, but I’m curious about soft Talalay. I don’t want to sink entirely into my mattress, but also don’t want float completely on top of it.

So far I’ve been considering:
Nest ASH - although I heard a Reddit rumor that they quietly stopped using Quantum coils
Winkbed Hybrid
Ghostbed Flex or Luxe - I know the luxe isn’t a hybrid but it sounded interesting, as long as the foam is a high enough density
Flexus Quadraflex Hybrid- Soft Talalay possibly
Nolah Evolution Hybrid 15
Amerisleep AS3 H

I am also open to other suggestions based on my sleeping requirements! I’m looking for a king and have a budget around $1700. I’m trying to take advantage of the Labor Day sales.

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Hi SheezaRestlessSleeper.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum. :slight_smile:

No paid reviews here - and truly, even when people are genuine in their reviews, you should always throw a bit of caution to the wind where other’s experiences are concerned. While hearing others opinions can be useful, people often review mattresses far too early after receiving them, and reviews lack specific information about all the variables that can contribute to the suitability of a mattress (like details about the person and the mattress) that would make them more meaningful/accurate. We also suggest reading about the dangers of making a purchase based on reviews here.

And, just to cover all my bases, I would recommend (if you haven’t done so already) reading our Mattress Shopping Tutorial and our Mattress Durability Guidelines to help you get an idea of what kind of mattress may be most appropriate for you in terms of support and durability.

As hot sleepers, I’d suggest steering clear of memory foam. There are some great nuggets of information about that by Mattress to Go here and Phoenix here. Memory foam heats as we sleep, and compresses (and our bodies sink further in, trapping more heat). Latex sleeps the coolest of all the foams. You can read a little bit about both options as comfort layers in their respective articles: Memory Foam and Latex.

A hybrid is a smart option for someone who is looking to sleep a bit cooler as the springs allow for more air flow than an all foam configuration (as you pointed out in your post already!).

You have quite the list of mattresses you are considering. Nest, GhostBed, and Flexus are all Trusted Members on our site, meaning we think very highly of them and believe they compete with among the best in the industry in terms of quality, durability, transparency, and more.

I’m not especially familiar with the other 3 mattresses you listed, and without knowing your height/weight and the specifications of those mattresses, it’s hard for me to make any meaningful commentary there. If you happen to come across those specifications, you can cross reference them with our Mattress Durability Guidelines linked above. :slight_smile: I’ll also leave this resource with you so you can evaluate whether or not they meet your standards in terms of transparency.

Keep in mind that it is important to have a detailed conversation with whomever you choose to purchase from and provide them with your stats, body type, sleeping styles, general preferences and history, some general information about your current mattress, or what you have tested, and any other specific information or circumstances that could affect your choice of a mattress so they can help you choose which may be your best fit from their inventory.

NikkiTMU

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Thank you for your input, Nikki! You confirmed my thought that I probably need to steer away from a memory foam hybrid.

I was doing some more research and I’ve been leaning heavily towards a latex mattress, although I am unsure of whether I would want a hybrid or a pure latex. I was able to go to a showroom and try out a Pure Bliss 100% Talalay mattress. We tried out different firmnesses and I seemed to like the soft the best (though I am unsure of the exact models we tried). I thought the feel was very different than anything I’ve ever tried before but I really liked it. However with a $5000+ price tag there’s no way I’d ever consider that particular brand. Also, I am not sure if this is correct, but the salesman claimed that a latex hybrid defeats the purpose of getting a latex mattress because coil breakdown can still lead to sagging.

I’ve been looking at TMU’s trusted partners like Flexus and SleepEZ. Seems like they have some nice Labor Day sales going on. If I were to do a true full latex mattress, I’m not sure how I’d go about configuring it. I’ve read through so many differing opinions on Dunlop and Talalay (the pound cake vs angel food cake analogy and all that). I’ve gotten overwhelmed looking at all the customizable layers and firmnesses! I don’t know where to start besides reading over all the guides here at TMU, but even then I still get some information overload. My SO said he’d stretch his budget a bit so we’d top out at around $2000ish for a king.

I forgot to include my measurements, but I am 5’9" and 145 lbs, and my partner is 6’4" and 215 lbs. We’re both fairly athletic.

Any input on configurations and latex vs latex hybrid would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi SheezaRestlessSleeper.

You can certainly find what you’re looking for at a better price, but it’s great that you were able to do some in person testing!

That salesman was not correct. Coils are rarely the weak link in a mattress. If foam sags, especially latex, it’s because it has reached the end of its useful life or is not the adequate density for your needs. Springs CAN lose their “springiness” and support, yes, but as a unit that is quite far away from the body, it’s not going to be the first thing to see signs of wear and tear.

SleepEZ actually has a pretty nifty tool on their page if you go to their 100% Latex Mattress and choose “build your mattress now” and then “personalized.”

I input your weights/heights and your sleeping position (I selected side sleeper for you both) and it came back with a split configuration suggestion for the comfort layer with you requiring a “soft” layer and your boyfriend requiring a “medium.”

Definitely play around with that. It’s cool. Unfortunately, I believe that customization is only available for the all-latex configuration. It does help give you insight into what you may need for a latex comfort layer on a hybrid, though!

Their 360 Hybrid Pillowtop has a “plush-medium” feel on one side and a “firm” feel on the other.

If you’re not sure, you can reach out to Sleep EZ directly about their thoughts on how much cooler/hotter an all latex configuration is going to sleep compared to a hybrid. They will be careful to guide you in making the right decision for you, not for their bottom line.

The Flexus Quadra Flex latex hybrid also offers a side by side split configuration in the comfort layers, which is pretty nifty. You could hypothetically take the knowledge you get form the Sleep EZ configurator and adjust your comfort layers on the Quadra Flex to match their recommendation, if you prefer to go that route.

I hope this helps put some useful tools into your hands and takes some of the analysis paralysis away.
NikkiTMU

5

Thank you again for yet another quality reply.

After much deliberation and nearly chewing off all my fingernails trying to find the “perfect” mattress, I finally made a decision! I took a long, detailed look through all of the offerings for latex and latex hybrid mattresses through various suppliers. After getting over my fear of a more customized, pseudo-DIY mattress, I called up Ken from Arizona Premium Mattress. We had a nice long discussion about the type of configuration that would work best for my needs. Because I am a side sleeper, he steered me away from the hybrids because of the potential for shoulder pressure due to the firmness of the coils.

I mentioned that my partner and I liked the Pure Bliss lineup, and he suggested I order APM’s Latex Adjustable Plush Blended configuration with a medium support core for both sides, and a #19 and #28 split for the 3" topper. He said they source the same latex as Pure Bliss and he’s very familiar with their specs, so he tried to make a comparable match. I asked about the durability of blended latex vs natural latex, but he told me he’s been sleeping on his blended mattress for 19 years! I’m nervous but excited, especially if I can mimic the feel of the Bliss for $1500 total instead of $5500.

The only downfall was the 4 week time-frame he quoted me for delivery, but I can’t be too upset because it is a custom mattress and the supply chains are strained due to COVID. I will report back once I receive it and sleep on it, so other people like me can see the end result of the process.

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Hi SheezaRestlessSleeper!

I am so glad to hear your report and that you were able to work through a configuration with Ken. We very much look forward to hearing your follow up once you’ve been able to break in the mattress and we know your experience will be useful to others on the forum!

We are, of course, always here if other questions should ever arise.
NikkiTMU