I want to buy a latex mattress

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi, Phoenix. I’m really trying to make a final decision on a mattress, and I believe I’m getting closer.

I’m leaning towards a mattress with a soft Tatalay top. For instance the Sedona Sleep base mattress plus the #19 topper. I like the idea of being able to switch out the topper if and when necessary.

So what I’d like to know is which other manufacturers/vendors sell mattresses with Tatalay latex tops that can be reconfigured if necessary? I’ve tried to search your site for this information, but can’t figure out how to find it. Can you provide some other names so I can try to compare products? Thanks!

2

Hi Rink,

[quote]So what I’d like to know is which other manufacturers/vendors sell mattresses with Tatalay latex tops that can be reconfigured if necessary?
[/quote]
I think what you were looking for was this post #4 here and post #21 here. These posts link some of the better latex component suppliers and configurable latex mattress manufacturers of which I am aware.

Let us know what you end up deciding!

Phoenix

3

Thank you, Phoenix. The second reference (post #21) was exactly what I was looking for.

Knowing that I’m looking for an interchangeable soft Tatalay top, I’ve narrowed the choices to the Sedona Sleep King, with 3" #19 tatalay topper or the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams EuroTop Latex Mattress (they contact you to determine softness). Both are about the same price. I’m leaning toward the Dreamfoam, as I think that I like their total package presentation as opposed to two separate levels.

What do you think?

4

Hi Rink,

Both products are similar in that they use a high-density polyurethane foam core with a Talalay latex upper piece. The Sedona Sleep uses a topper that is separate, but you state you think that you like the completed package in the Dreamfoam product, as that is closer to what you want in terms of PPP. There really is no right or wrong choice there.

When you’re not able to test a mattress in person, your next step should be a detailed phone conversation with the company you’re considering, and that way you’ll be able to gauge your level of comfort with each company and get their best recommendations for your particular situation.

As you’re probably aware, Dreamfoam and Sedona Sleep are members 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. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a mattress from them.

I look forward to learning about your decision.

Phoenix

5

Thanks again, Phoenix. Last question (I think… I bet you’ve heard that before).

Dreamfoam offers 4 different models. I was set on getting the Eurotop, but of course I spent more time obsessing about it. The Eurotop has 3" of Tatalay over 8" of 2lb foam. The price of the Eurotop is where I thought my budget should be. But then I started reading, including your posts, about more latex being better. Dreamfoam also offers the Aloe Alexis and the Total Latex with 6-9" of Tatalay. for about $600 more (for king size).

Here’s the question: I’ve seen you write that 6-9" of latex is better, particularly for a high weight individual, as that person could “bottom out” with only 3". I haven’t seen your opinion regarding a non-high weight person. I’m 5’9" and weigh between 165 and 170 pounds. My wife is smaller. For people like us, will 6" of latex make a substantial ($600 worth) difference over 3"? I don’t want to skimp on such an important purchase, but I also don’t want to spend the money either if it won’t make a difference.

6

Hi Rink,

Famous last words… :stuck_out_tongue:

I think you might be “misunderstanding” a bit what I’ve written about latex. I’m thinking that you may be comparing information provided that an all-latex mattress has more durable material than a mattress with a polyfoam core with latex on top of that core. I’m thinking that is what you might be referencing. You certainly can find durable mattresses using a polyfoam core, especially if it is higher in density. I recommend that 1.8 lb. is a good starting point for a polyfoam core for better durability. The use of a polyfoam core with latex on top versus all-latex is a comfort issue, can be a durability issue, and is also an issue of helping to keep the overall price of the completed mattress more reasonable.

Again, I think you’re taking a part of an overall general statement for a specific answer and running with it a little bit. If you’re talking about a 3" versus a 6" comfort layering on top of either a polyfoam core, a latex core, or an innerspring unit, it is possible that in specific combinations that wouldn’t be substantial enough for someone of a higher BMI, depending upon their PPP. Remember that all of the layers work together to form a system that is the completed mattress.

The choice of different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (as long as all the materials and components in a mattress are durable enough for your body type). These different combinations of different types of foam materials with different properties in the comfort layers of a mattress will combine the properties and “feel” of both materials to different degrees depending on the specific materials, layer thickness, and properties of each material. The properties of materials and components that are closer to the top surface of a mattress will tend to have a bigger effect on the overall “feel” of a mattress than materials that are deeper in the mattress.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs, options, and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else. That phone conversation will help you decided between the options you are considering and if the extra price is worth the difference in comfort and durability as it relates to your PPP.

Phoenix

7

I guess I got the wrong impression. I had read this:
https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/ultimate-dreams-vs-aloe-alexis

and this:
https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/memory-foam-toppers-do-any-good-ones-exist

and specifically this:
“the only significant reason to choose one layer of latex over two IMO would be either budget, because someone was lighter and/or a back or stomach sleeper that didn’t compress much more than the top layer and wouldn’t “feel” the deeper layers as much…”

Re-reading it, I guess my takeaway is that, because my wife and I are side sleepers, 6" of latex is better than 3".

8

Hi Rink,

[quote]I guess I got the wrong impression. I had read this:
https://mattressunderground.com/mattress-...oe-alexis.html#20482[/quote]

From the first post this was a general comment about how two layers of latex could beneficial in certain situations with the Dreamfoam Aloe Alexis mattress (and certainly others that are similar)… because it has both a latex comfort and transition layer and would be the “next best” thing to an all latex mattress. This would be especially true for someone who was either heavy enough to “go through” the top layer more because of their weight (the extra 3" transition layer being beneficial over the single 3" upper latex layer) or someone who was a side sleeper (regardless of weight) which is a more “curvy” sleeping profile than back or stomach sleeping ( where a person often won’t need as much latex in the comfort layers) where the better contouring properties of the middle latex transition layer can “help” the comfort layer and make a difference in how well the mattress adapts to their body shape and different sleeping positions. And also I summarized at the end…the only significant reason to choose one layer of latex over two IMO would be either budget, because someone was lighter and/or a back or stomach sleeper that didn’t compress much more than the top layer and wouldn’t “feel” the deeper layers as much, or if for some other reason the added benefits of the middle latex layer was less noticeable for a specific person.

So there isn’t a specific recommendation of 3" over 6" of comfort layers of latex (or any combination in between) in this situation, but instead general guidelines for someone who would have higher mass (or a side sleeper with a “curvier” body) and what they might like over a HD polyfoam core, versus someone who isn’t as of high of a mass, or someone who sleeps on their stomach or back. And these differences might change depending upon the “support core” piece changing from HD polyfoam to a pocketed spring unit that offers more conformation. But they certainly can be used as good general guidelines. Making specific recommendations isn’t something that is possible or that I do, because there are simply too many variables involved and only you can feel what you feel. But you can certainly use these guidelines as a good starting point!

[quote]and this:
https://mattressunderground.com/mattress-...ones-exist.html#9345[/quote]

The second link you mentioned is a bit more detailed analysis for a member in a bit of a different situation at about 200 pounds, and it restates what the first post discussed but in more detail and more specifics about all-latex products. I summarized…So the overall thickness of a mattress that is either “needed” or “preferred” would depend on the combinations of the layers and components that are needed to achieve the design goal of the mattress and provide the PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) that can best match each person and their unique body type, sleeping positions, and preferences.

In general, the extra layers you are asking about can be useful for someone in a higher BMI, or someone with a somatotype with a larger difference between the shoulders, waist and hips, or someone who sleeps mostly on their side or side/back. People who sleep on their stomach, stomach/back, are less “curvy” or of a lower BMI may desire/prefer/need less amounts of comfort layer materials. Comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment are the two most important functions of a mattress for everyone so the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress will be a suitable choice that provides you with both will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience when you sleep on it because different people can have very different needs and preferences in a mattress in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences). If you want to learn a little more, there is more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.

I hope that helps clarify my comments from the earlier posts you mentioned and puts them in a better perspective. :slight_smile:

Phoenix