Hi,
Do you have any advice on an innerspring mattress with latex. I’m considering the Sleep Ez Euro Pillowtop with latex after trying the Kingsdown Summerset. The latex was on the firm side but still hit all of the pressure points. I’ve also tried Ikea’s innerspring with latex topper but it was too soft.
I’m grateful for your website and any advice.
Hi Grateful,
An innerspring/latex hybrid can be a great choice in terms of quality and is a favorite combination for some people I know who could sleep on anything they wanted to but there are also hundreds of versions of the same general type of mattress so which innerspring/latex hybrid may be best for any specific person in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) can vary widely. The best way to know whether a specific innerspring/latex hybrid would be a good match for you would either be your own careful and objective testing or if that isn’t possible then a more detailed conversation on the phone with an online retailer or manufacturer that you are interested in (see post #2 here). There is more about an innerspring/latex hybrid vs an all latex mattress in post #2 here.
The tutorial post includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and they include several latex/innerspring mattresses of various types that would certainly be worth considering. There may also be some local options available to you as well that you could test in person (if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area).
The SleepEz Euro Pillowtop could be a great quality/value choice but it probably wouldn’t be similar to the Kingsdown Summerset (Somerset?) and since Kingsdown doesn’t generally provide the specifics of the materials inside it I would avoid it (or any “blind” purchase) anyway. The Somerset appears to use gel memory foam and/or polyfoam in the comfort layers … not latex. I also believe that the SleepEz latex Eurotop is only available locally not online (although you can confirm this with them).
Phoenix
I’m going to visit Brickell Mattress in Miami this weekend and possibly Florida Organic as well. After that I should be able to decide if I still want innerspring with latex or just latex. I have herniated disks and find that I need a firmer mattress. I will let you know how things go.
Hi Grateful,
I’m looking forward to your feedback after your visits :).
You may have seen this already but just in case … the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Miami / Ft Lauderdale area are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Here is my update on mattress shopping in South Florida. Florida Organic never returned my phone calls. On the other hand I visited Brickell mattress and had the best mattress experience ever. Pedro was the most knowledgeable person I have every met in the industry and he was extremely kind as well. I enjoyed the Kostar by Carpe Diem but was drifting off to sleep on the Elite by VISpring. I like this one the best. I am trying to decide between downsizing to a Queen set or buying just the King mattress due to the price. I have a King size solid wood sleigh bed now and could use the existing box springs temporarily if I had to. Also would you suggest any comparable companies? I looked into Marshall Mattress out of Canada and they seem similar however there are no showrooms in the U.S. and I don’t see where I can purchase online. I can see that their Bespoke have 15 yr. warranty while the ViSpring have a lifetime warranty. I’m curious about the price difference.
Hi Grateful,
I would be very cautious and make some very careful value comparisons when you are looking at mattresses in this price range to make sure you are considering it for reasons that are important to you and that it really is a better choice in terms of PPP than mattresses that are in a much lower budget range.
You can read more about mattresses in more premium price ranges such as VI Springs in post #2 here and post #2 here.
I would also be aware that the warranty only covers defective workmanship or materials which is very different from the gradual loss of comfort and/or support over time which is the reason you would need to replace the mattress and a warranty has little to nothing to do with the useful life of a mattress (see post #174 here).
Once you are past about 10 years on a mattress then I would consider anything beyond that as a bonus and in some cases your own changing needs and preferences over time may lead to the need to replace a mattress even if it’s still in good condition.
When you are in these much higher budget ranges with more specialized mattresses I would also be very cautious about choosing a mattress that I hadn’t tested in person.
Phoenix
I appreciate all of your advice and I have been carefully weighing my decisions. I tested out all of the mattresses that I was interested in at Brickell Mattress. The latex were too soft for me and I don’t like the sinking feeling of memory foam. The Elite VISpring is their entry level mattress and is no where near the cost of the others. I like the feel of a futon mattress and this combines that feeling with excellent support. What other companies are comparable in a lower budget range? Is there anyone who has owned a VISpring for 10 yrs. that could share how the feel the mattress has held up?
Hi Grateful,
I would be cautious with their entry level mattress unless it was “perfect” for you based on your BMI and the only reason you were choosing it was that it was the best choice for you not just because it was the lowest cost model. You can see some recent feedback about the VI Spring Elite from one of the forum members in this topic.
Post #2 here may also be worth reading about comparing a VI Spring to other mattresses and post #4 here also has a list of other innerspring/natural fiber mattresses (including some of the ultra premium brands) but these are the types of mattresses that have more complex designs that aren’t as easy to compare based on just the materials and components and you would need to test them in person to see how they compared because there is a wide range of differences in the general innerspring/natural fiber category both in terms of the type of innersprings, the fibers used, and the design and construction of the mattress.
Phoenix
I am learning an immense amount of knowledge on mattresses. I will be in Massachusetts in a few weeks and will check out Gardner mattresses for the Ivory plush top. I also spoke with Tim from My Green Mattress and he could make me a two sided custom mattress with pocketed coils, cotton, wool and a layer of latex. (I don’t think it’s tufted) Even though I loved the VIspring Elte in the medium, it seems that it goes best with its own box spring and that sends the price for a King over $6000.
I’ve found Gardner Mattress to be, so far, an admirable company. They have a good reputation; I believe that everything is made locally. I’m seriously considering getting one of their mattresses, but haven’t made up my mind yet.
Hi Grateful,
As you can see in my comments at the end of post #13 here … I also think highly of Gardner Mattress.
If you plan to be in Massachusetts or Boston region anyway then post #2 here may also be helpful.
My Green Mattress is one of the manufacturing members of this site which means I also think very highly of them and they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of quality, value, and service.
Phoenix
What is more valuable in the long run, two sided from My Green Mattress or one side tufted from Gardner?
Hi Grateful,
While it can be “tempting” to try and compare the “value” of a mattress purchase based only on comparing the amount or cost of the raw materials inside a mattresses and in some cases it can be helpful to make “apples to apples” comparisons between mattresses that use the same materials or components and have a very similar design (the same type and thickness of materials or components and the same or a very similar cover for example), the “raw material” value of a mattress is only one part of making meaningful “value” comparisons and can be very misleading when it comes to the value of a mattress purchase in “real life” (see post #4 here).
The most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is “suitability” and how well it matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) which “translates” into how well you will sleep on the mattress. Only you can feel what you feel on a mattress or decide which one you would most likely prefer and that you believe is likely to be the best match for you based on your preferences and testing on different materials and types of mattresses (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) or in the case of an online purchase your more detailed conversations with an online manufacturer or retailer so they can help “talk you through” the options that may be best for you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). There is also more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them in post #2 here. There would be little value in a mattress purchase where you don’t sleep well on the mattress regardless of the quality of the materials or the price of the mattress.
Outside of the suitability of a mattress … the quality and durability of the materials and how long you sleep well on it over the years before you cross the subjective thresholds between “sleeping well” to “sleeping OK” to “tolerating it” and eventually deciding you need to replace it would be the next most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase. There would also be little value in a mattress purchase where the materials in the mattress are likely to soften or break down too quickly relative to the price you paid. This would also not be covered by a warranty because they only cover defects and foam softening and the loss of comfort and support that goes with it isn’t considered to be a defect unless it also has visible impressions that are deeper than the warranty exclusions (see post #174 here).
The guidelines I would suggest to make sure there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” in a mattress you are considering are in this article and there is more detailed information yet about the many factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to. Neither one of the mattresses you are considering have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design so both of them would make good choices in terms of durability.
Once you have eliminated the worst options that either aren’t suitable for you or have lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design … then you will be down to a list of finalists that you can compare for “value”. When you are down to finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and if there are no clear winners between them 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 between them based on your local testing, your more detailed conversations and interactions with each of them, your confidence about the suitability of each one, the prices, the options you have after a purchase to exchange or return the mattress (or in some cases individual layers) in case your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for, 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.
In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
These will give you the best possible chance of making the most suitable choice, the most durable choice, and the best “value” choice that is available to you.
Neither one of the options you are considering would be a “mistake” in terms of quality and durability but nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and only you can decide which of them you are most likely to prefer and which one you believe is the best value for YOU regardless of whether it may be the best value for someone else.
Phoenix
After speaking with a representative at Gardner Mattress, I learned that the Satin Plush top is being phased out as it has not been popular. I also learned that it is made with bonnell springs. Gardner is planning to sell the laced top, cotton tufted, two sided mattress (also has bonnell springs) with a latex topper instead. They don’t include shipping and said that the fee would be $300-$400. I really like all of the comments made by their customers on Yelp. I can’t wait to visit and try the mattresses out.
In the meantime I’m still considering My Green Mattress. Beloit also has a beautiful firm double sided, cotton/wool tufted mattress and it is affordable. I could go with that and just get a latex topper.
Hi Grateful,
It looks to me that you are certainly looking at some great options and it will be interesting to find out what you end up deciding 
Phoenix
Thanks for this terrific reply!
That actually isn’t the Berkeley mattress I saw. This one is labeled as Berkeley. It has on layer of individually wrapped coil spring and one one of micro coils and then a thin layer of latex over it. I can’t remember if the cover zips off like their other ones but the the materials definitely seemed like Berkeley’s usual stuff. The cover definitely looked like one of theirs. I’ll try to take a picture if I go back to the store.
This is what’s inside the PJ’s organic mattress which felt quite nice. Much less latex than the pure latex options but it did have a nice old school feel, probably b/c of all the other materials. And it’s flippable, which the Berkeley is not. The Berkeley is cheapest, but the PJ’s one is reasonably priced. What do you think of it?
Thanks!
hi i have herniated discs, live in swfl and looking for a mattress wanted to find out what you ended up with, and from where you purchased