In the market for latex - AGAIN.

10 years ago, my husband and I bought a Sealy Reflexion Latex mattress. We loved the mattress for approximately 6 years and then it started to subtly create body indentions from us always laying in the same place. We started to rotate the mattress occassionally to get more life out of it because it was expensive and because we wanted to get the original love back. We did this for a couple years and then decided to give up on it.
Having spent so much on that mattress and not getting the expected durability, I we decided (I decided) to buy a less expensive inner spring that would hopefully last us 5 years. I figured we could spend less and buy a topper and if we had to replace in less time that it would be fine. HUGE MISTAKE THERE!!! It was horrible. Started sagging within 6 months. Fortunately, the retailer was great about it and allowed us to return it for 100% in store credit towards another mattress. Not wanting to buy another mattress for ourselves from there (they didn’t have latex), I instead bought my 5 year old a new mattress.
We shopped around and layed on so many mattresses. I did so much research and reading online that my head was spinning - much like it is now. We decided that we liked the feel of the temperpedic luxe series and also like the feel of a purelatex bliss (nutrition) that we tried. After reading further into latex and memory foam - I decided that I wanted to go with Latex for many reasons. allergies, durabiility, warranty, etc. I did not like the price tag of the PLB though, so I thought I would attempt an online seller and I went with a Plush Beds 10" all natural bed and foundation. ($3200 ish total)
We got the bed and I noticed that it was only 8.5 inches instead of the 10 inches, but I just ignored it for awhile to see how the bed felt. After 2 months, it began to form very noticeable body indentions and was getting very uncomfortable.
I contacted Plush Bed, and told them of the issues. They explained that it was a recent problem that beds weren’t cut thick enough and she quickly sent me out another 1.5 inches of talalay. I got it in about 1 week, but in that time, I decided that the indentions were not acceptible to me, so I’ve decided to return the mattress. The customer service associate has been very nice and the return policy is wonderful. They are even letting me return the foundation because it was also defective and was very easily bowing under the weight of my husband rolling across it. (She offered to send a different foundation from a company they had switched to, but I decided to order a foundation that was half the price online - Dynasty - I figured even if I need to add reinforcement, it’s still much less expensive).
So, here is am now - SEARCHING AGAIN for some sound sleep. I am going back and forth between FloBeds and Foam Sweet Foam. I think they both have good products manufactured by Latex International and they both offer an all Talalay option. I want it a bit more plush than the Plush Beds mattress that have a dunlop core. Plus, I think my problem with the other bed may have been the dunlop layer prematurely sagging.

Here are the two that I am considering - similar price tag - both use Latex International for the talalay which was in the Pure Bliss bed that I really liked.

12" Flo Beds Mattress that I like.

  • I like that I can customize the sides for myself and my husband. Original (Blended) Latex = $2649 / Natural (100% and organic cotton) Latex = $2999 … 2516.55 and 2849.05 with the 5% discount from this site.

-12" Foam Sweet Foam Mattress this is the other - I like the 30 year 1/2 inch warranty - 100% natural latex - organic cover = $2899.00

The prices are pretty much the same - the latex manufacturer is pretty much the same.
I guess I am asking if any has experience with each of them and any thoughts or suggestions.

My other issue is that I am a medium build hour-glass shaped athletic women - 5’8 - with low back pain occassionally and neck pain. And my husband has chronic low back pain. We both liked a softer feel (liked the temperpedic cloud feel, but not the feeling of being trapped) so I am nervous about which firmness to select on each of the beds…

Help Group. :wink: I am want to get this thing ordered asap!

Hi niksu11,

I’m sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience with Plushbeds but I’m glad to see that they are making the return process as painless as possible.

You are considering two high quality mattresses that would both make good choices and I think highly of both of them.

You’ve mostly identified the main differences between them but there are a couple of others as well.

In their 100% natural Talalay FSF uses Latex International but Flobeds now uses Radium Talalay. Both are very high quality materials.

Flobeds uses a top layer of 2" of convoluted Talalay which is softer than a solid layer which some people prefer (it’s in the range of mid teens in terms of ILD although a convoluted layer isn’t exactly comparable to a solid layer. FSF uses a top 3" layer of solid latex.

As you also mentioned … Flobeds offers side to side splits for those where this is a preference.

While the warranties are slightly different (Flobeds has a 1" exclusion and FSF has 1/2" per layer) … the materials are equivalent to each other and the durability of the materials in a mattress are much more important than a warranty so in practical terms the durability of each mattress would be equivalent in “real life” terms and any difference between them wouldn’t be an issue.

You are probably already aware of this but Flobeds also offers a customizable vZone version which can be helpful for those with more challenging body types or circumstances although it’s also more costly.

As far as layer firmness choices … outside of personal testing … the most effective way to make a choice would be with a more detailed conversation with each manufacturer who will have more experience with their own designs and components and matching their customers to different combinations based on “averages” than anyone else (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). I would also make sure that you mention that you did well with the PLB Nature as well since this could be a useful reference point.

Once you are down to final choices that are between good and good (which you are) … then you are in the best possible position and the only way to make a final decision would be based on the objective, subjective, and intangible criteria of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing.

Phoenix

Pheonix - Thank you for the reply!!

I made the leap. I went with Flo Beds and I ended up going with the Vzone after chatting with their staff. I loved that someone actually answered the phone with I called - a real life person and they were able to assist me. I spoke to two different people during my decision making process and they were both very knowledgeable and personable. They understood my needs and understood the difference between what I had with my previous latex and the one I was wanting to order.

Of course, I did get the 5% discount just by telling them that I was a member of this forum. NICE!! That covered the shipping cost.

I will update once I get my mattress and see how I like it.

Hi niksu11,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

As difficult as it is to decide when you have such good options available … you certainly ended up making a great choice that includes some unique ways to zone and customize the mattress to your specific needs and preferences.

I’m looking forward to your feedback when you’ve received it.

Phoenix