In Search of Latex Mattress: Flexus Comfort vs Nest Bedding

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi all,
Just joined this excellent forum after researching for what seems like weeks for a new mattress:

Since I’m a bit of a health nut I’ve decided a latex mattress is the way to go.

Looking specifically for:

  1. All natural and/or organic 100% latex (certified)
  2. All organic cotton/wool topper certified
  3. No chemicals or fire retardants.

I’m a researcher and built a spreadsheet of 19 manufacturers/sellers of natural latex mattresses. I must confess I’ve never slept on a latex mattress so not sure what to expect. But based on hours of research I’ve narrowed my search to:

  1. Nest Bedding Q3 (although I’m actually also considering the Alexander since it’s received such rave reviews)
  2. Flexus Comfort 10" Latex
  3. Foam Sweet Foam (Urban Green) 10" Latex

I also looked at Bella Sera and Savvy Rest but really trying to keep the budget below $2,500 and they look to be a bit more expensive.

Can you offer your expertise as to experiences and recommendations with these mattresses? Any Pros (and Cons) would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks in advance!
Leland

2

Hi leeman,

If it’s possible I would take the time to test some latex mattresses in your local area just to make sure that you like the feel of latex. While it’s certainly a great quality and very durable material … not everyone prefers latex compared to other types of materials or mattresses.

[quote]Looking specifically for:

  1. All natural and/or organic 100% latex (certified)
  2. All organic cotton/wool topper certified
  3. No chemicals or fire retardants.[/quote]

Most (although certainly not all) people that are looking for an “organic” mattress are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the latex has an organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.

There is some information about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here. All of the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable safety certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s. If certified organic latex is important to you then some 100% natural Dunlop latex has an organic certification but there isn’t any 100% natural Talalay latex that has an organic certification. There is more about organic certified Dunlop latex in post #6 here.

[quote]based on hours of research I’ve narrowed my search to:

  1. Nest Bedding Q3 Nest Bedding Latex Mattress (although I’m actually also considering the Alexander since it’s received such rave reviews)
  2. Flexus Comfort 10" Latex
  3. Foam Sweet Foam (Urban Green) 10" Latex[/quote]

There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and any exchange/return options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

The Nest Bedding Q3 (organic version) includes a 6" firm 100% natural and certified organic Dunlop latex core with a 3" soft 100% natural and certified organic latex comfort layer inside an organic cover that is quilted with organic wool. For the medium firmness you would use the soft layer on top of the 6" core and for the firm version you would use it under the firm 6" core. The cost of their organic version is also above your $2500 budget (in queen size or larger).

Flexus Comfort includes two 3" layers of 100% natural Dunlop (non organic) with a 3" comfort layer of Talalay latex (I believe it’s blended Talalay but you would need to confirm this) with your choice of firmness in each of the layers. Their cover is organic cotton quilted with wool (I believe the wool is natural but not certified organic but you would need to confirm this as well. The cost is well under your $2500 budget.

Foam Sweet Foam includes two 3" layers in your choice of 100% natural and certified organic Dunlop or 100% natural Talalay (for an additional per layer charge) with your choice of firmness in each layer. Their quilted cover includes organic cotton (top layer) and natural cotton (backing layer) and natural Joma wool. The cost is also well under your $2500 budget.

There is more about the pros and cons of a single 6" core vs two separate 3" layers in post #2 here.

The exchange/return options can also be an important part of the “value” of a component mattress purchase and they each have different exchange and return policies as well with different costs involved which allow you to exchange individual layers for a different firmness or to return the mattress for a refund.

All 3 of the retailers/manufacturers you are considering are members of this site which means that I think highly of all of them and that I believe that they all compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.

I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else (including me) would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance about “comfort” firmness, and PPP is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (and who isn’t just interested in selling you anything they can convince you to buy) 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 and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” (which you have) and none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design (which they don’t) and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your more detailed phone conversations about each of them, the firmness and suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials and components, designs, or types and blends of latex, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers and any costs involved, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

3

WOW! Was not expecting such a thorough and detailed response…THANK YOU! :slight_smile:

You are correct that I am most concerned about locating and purchasing a toxic-free mattress. I will definitely read up on this subject via the links you provided (thanks!) Based on my research so far it appears any sort of memory foam is simply not going to make the cut no matter how “clean” it’s claim. And I"m really trying to steer clear of traditional innerspring mattresses because, let’s face it, they just don’t last and I’ve never found one that was uber comfortable. Perhaps I didn’t look hard enough, or perhaps there are now improvements in technology of which I"m not aware, but again would want something non-toxic.

I am planning to visit a showroom tomorrow here is Las Vegas that carries natural latex products and will post my thoughts and impressions (no pun intended) tomorrow! Thanks again, Phoenix!

4

Hi leeman,

While it may be more than you are looking for … there is also a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” and that can help you decide on the type of materials and components you are most comfortable having in your mattress or on the certifications that may be important to you. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.

The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification. If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label although it’s still possible that a small minority of people that have some medical conditions (such as MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities) or for other reasons are more sensitive may still be sensitive to some types of memory foam that would be fine for the large majority of people. The most common certification for memory foam would be CertiPUR.

A mattress will tend to soften and break down from the top down and since so many of the innerspring mattresses sold in the mainstream industry are made by major manufacturers that all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their comfort layers … innerspring mattresses have developed a reputation for being less durable and when in fact it’s the softening and breakdown of the comfort layers (usually some type or combination of foam) on top of the innersprings that are by far the biggest cause of the sagging issues that have become so common in the industry and not the innerspring itself. A well constructed innerspring mattress that uses high quality and durable materials in the comfort layers won’t have the same sagging issues that you tend to see in so many of the mainstream innerspring mattresses although marketing “against” innerspring mattresses has led many consumers to believe the “story” that “innersprings are bad” or “less durable” but this would only apply to mattresses that use lower quality and less durable comfort layers above the springs.

All the major brands (such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta) tend to use lower quality 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 (and the major retailers that focus on them as well) 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 here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).

I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback after your visit. Just in case you haven’t seen it yet … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Las Vegas area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.

Phoenix

5

Hi Phoenix,

Here’s my report from the trenches:

First of all, the whole experience overall was a little odd. Savvy Rest has a showroom at the World Market Center here in Las Vegas. If you haven’t heard of the World Market Center its pretty much like a small city. There’s a pic below. The girl I met with is a “floater” which means she basically just bounces between vendors. She could be selling sofas, tables, art, lighting and… mattrresses! So needless to say she was not all that knowledgeable.

We went to the 15 floor of Bldg C and every single store was closed! There was not another soul on the entire floor. Even the Savvy Rest showroom was dark…she had to turn on the lights. Luckily they had several beds in all sorts of configurations using organic latex so I was able to feel the differences of each bed. It was like a private shopping experience! No one to bother us, no high pressure sales. Actually I don’t think she was even authorized to sell me a bed even if I’d wanted it today.

Long story long…I LOVE IT! I tried out several variations of firmness: The beds were all 10" high and all had three separate 3" layers of latex, and some beds also had a 2" latex topper. I list the layers from top to bottom:

Papa Bear’s bed of soft dunlop, med dunlop, and firm dunlop was just too firm for a side sleeper like myself.

Baby Bear’s bed of soft talalay, soft dunlop, and med dunlop was just too soft

Mama Bear’s soft talalay, med dunlop, and firm dunlop was JUST RIGHT! :slight_smile:

Just the right amount of cushion and sink, and yet nice and firm and supportive.

So I believe I’ve narrowed my choices to (good and good :slight_smile: :

  1. Flexus Comfort: 10" 3 x 3 layers, with organic cotton and non-organic wool covering: $1,550
  2. Sleep EZ: 10", also 3 x 3 layers with organic cotton and organic wool covering: $1,795
  3. Foam Sweet Foam: 10" 3 x 3 layers with organic cotton and non-organic wool covering: $1,874

So…if YOU were buying a latex mattress who would you go with? Or is there another company you recommend that I perhaps missed?

And one more question: do you know anything about where each company manufactures their latex? I’m wondering if this could impact quality (and feel) overall.

Thanks Phoenix and looking forward to hearing from you!

Leland

6

Hi leeman,

Thanks for the update and feedback.

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … I don’t make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

The mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and many of them also sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex (including 100% natural Talalay and Dunlop and certified organic Dunlop) that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices. Post #3 here also includes a list of manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses and many of these are similar to Savvy Rest in their design mattresses except of course they are generally in lower budget ranges and have different return and layer exchange policies.

The type and blend of latex, the firmness and thickness of each layer, the specifics of the cover, and the overall design of the mattress will affect the feel and performance of a mattress much more than which manufacturer makes the individual latex layers which really isn’t particularly important.

Any mattress that uses the same type and blend of latex layers with the same thickness and the same firmness in each layer and has a similar cover as the Savvy Rest layering combination that your testing indicates is the best “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be closely comparable. It’s also possible that a mattress that has a different design (different combinations of layer thicknesses and firmnesses) may also be somewhat similar and/or may also be a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP as well even though the design isn’t the same.

You are certainly looking at some great quality/value choices and I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a mattress from any of them but I would make your choice based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix