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:
- All natural and/or organic 100% latex (certified)
- All organic cotton/wool topper certified
- 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:
- Nest Bedding Q3 Nest Bedding Latex Mattress (although I’m actually also considering the Alexander since it’s received such rave reviews)
- Flexus Comfort 10" Latex
- 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