I want to point out that I called every PLB internet dealer on this site. I priced the Worlds Best Bed. Shipped directly from factory.
www.cgmattress.com/mattress/pure-latexbliss/world-s-best-bed/
This above site is BY FAR the least expensive place. BY far. I got the āWorldās Best Bedā for what I felt was an awesome price.
I am so excited to get this mattress.
I becomes tired of looking to duplicate the PLB mattresses. I thought it was going to be price prohibitive, but it was not. This site helped me realize that Latex was the answer for us and I am grateful. Its why I made a donation to the site. This is a great resource.
Honestly, if you find the precise duplicated mattress how much are you expecting to save? Isnt the PLB company owned by the largest latest companies in the US? I understand you will pay a premium for the name, but I cannot see there is enough savings to find a local manufacturer who can get close. I think I am going to prefer the real thing 
Hi Mike7,
Exactly ā¦ now you are āgetting itā.
All the materials in the PLB can be ordered separately in the same thickness and in the same ILD as is used in the PLB mattresses. PLB doesnāt use anything in their mattresses that canāt be purchased separately. If you add a cover that is functionally the same you will have a duplicate mattress.
Other than that ā¦ each difference in layering or design can either add to the differences between two mattresses or offset each other so you could have a mattress that was a good approximation in terms of PPP for many or even most people (but not all people) that used a similar or sometimes quite different combination of layers.
The reason is that some people much prefer a mattress that has a quilting layer of wool or other materials in the mattress vs a mattress where you sleep directly on the latex. They just donāt like the āfeelā or resilience of bare latex as much as the āfeelā of latex that has some kind of quilting material above it. In addition to this the wool can replace the fire barrier that would otherwise need to be used. You can see an example in this thread from earlier today of someone who likes the OMI Lago Nouveau which uses a cover that is quilted with thicker layers of wool and is incredibly ācomfortableā for them and they didnāt like the springiness of some of the other latex mattresses they tried. One of my favorite latex mattresses was the OMI Terra which also has thicker layers of wool in the quilting.
These are also listed on the forum here (at least for āversion 3ā of the PLB mattresses.
If you go to the Latex International site here you can see all the different types of latex they have available and post #4 here has sources for all of these in any thickness that someone may wish.
Phoenix
Hi odrunr,
Thanks for the tip. Iāve added them to the previous list of retailers here that can ship the PLB mattresses across the country.
As you know ā¦ the PLB mattresses can be very good value depending on where you buy them. As you also mentioned ā¦ PLB is owned by Latex International which makes much of the Talalay latex used in mattresses sold in North America (the other major Talalay latex manufacturer is Radium).
There are many local manufacturers around the country who sell latex mattresses that have some great value but in most cases they will be a different design from PLB. Whether their designs are ābetter or worseā for each person is up to each person to decide ā¦ but the actual materials are the same. Latex International is also well aware that itās not a good idea to compete too strongly with their main source of income which is the manufacturers (large and small) that use their latex in their own mattresses or they would just replace LI with other suppliers and they would lose much more business than they gained from their PLB sales so the mattresses sold by local manufacturers across the country are often less than PLB even though the designs may be different. Some good research such as you did can also uncover some very good sources for PLB as well in spite of their MAP pricing (minimum advertised pricing).
Most importantly though ā¦ congratulations on your new mattress ā¦ I think you made a great choice
Thanks too for all your feedback and the donation ā¦ I appreciate both of them!
Phoenix
Now Im getting it? Its not my posts that seem to contradict themselves.
Now you are suggesting DIY mattress is possible by ordering the separate layers and only then can you achieve the PLB clone Yet in other posts you dont recommend doing so. But please can you list the places where one can purchase the exact layers as PLB including the active fusion layer and cover.
If Latex International lists its ILD and most companies use thier Latex why are their ILDās different
Is Radium in another country? If so does their latex get sprayed with pesticides when entering America?
If one uses a wool or quilted cover wouldnt that negate the active fusion cover and layers effects?
What is the best Mattress cover that wouldnt create a tightening of the latex
Hi mike7,
Post #4 here has a list of sources where you can purchase any of the latex materials in the PLB mattresses. for the cover you would need to buy a similar stretch knit cover because PLB doesnāt sell their cover separately as far as I know (although you could call and ask them).
I donāt usually recommend a DIY mattress where you buy all the layers separately for the reasons that are mentioned in the posts you are referring to. You seen to like āfault findingā and argumentative posts but it would be very helpful if you read the posts you refer to a little more carefully before you keep making comments that need to be corrected.
Iām not sure what youāre referring to here ā¦ what is different from the LI site. There are many companies that use Radium as well.
Radium is in Holland. No ā¦ their latex doesnāt get sprayed (see post #2 here). Thatās only necessary when wooden pallets are used and it wouldnāt make sense for a supplier to use them.
Affect yes ā¦ negate no. Just like a mattress protector or sheets wonāt negate it. Wool also has a cooling effect on its own but if you wanted to come closer to the āfeelā of a PLB with a DIY construction I wouldnāt use a wool quilted cover.
A stretch knit cover that is the right thickness for the layers you are using.
Phoenix
I just spoke with Ronnie at CGmattress. Great guy gave a great price and great service. They allow for a comfort exchange at least in California. May be worth talking to him about your site Phoenix
thanks
Also those sites you list do not have the exact PLB layers in fact I cant even find individual layers for sale on some. The amazon link claims the ild is 22-24 which most claim for plush----
PLB layers are 19 21 24 etc
Iām sorry you think Im being argumentative rather than looking at your posts as many do seeming to contradict yourself. I think things could be simplified but you dont see your posts confusing people. Just in these last few posts you do it again. But Iām not going to argue. I hope this exchange has helped people. You cant oppose DIY mattresses and then suggest you can only duplicate a mattress if you buy the individual layers offering links as you have.
Again if you have a site that sells the exact thickness and blended talalay with exact ILD let me know
Lastly the international latex site suggests side sleepers would do best with a hybrid why is that?
Hi mike7,
Thanks for the suggestion and Iāll definitely talk with him about the PLB mattresses he sells as soon as I have the chance. There is already a number of manufacturers who design and build their own mattresses that are still waiting to be listed as members here until some other background projects are closer to completion. CGmattress also sells mainly major brands and only the PLB is a line that I would consider there so they donāt really fit the profile of the members here because they wouldnāt be able to provide the quality specs of most of the mattresses they sell.
Iām certainly happy to include them in a forum list or point people in their direction for those who are looking for the PLB specifically (which is why I added them to the PLB list earlier) ā¦ but itās not likely that they could become a member because most of the specs of the main lines they sell arenāt available and they only have the PLB line besides these.
Phoenix
mike7,
Glad to hear you used the mattressexpertās PLB prices as a bargaining tool and was successful.
This has been posted on the forum before but I thought it was worth mentioning again. PLBās mattresses also have a fire retardant layer on top of the latex layers. Itās Millikenās Paladin FR barrier which is made from rayon and silica. I could not find any reference as to how thick this barrier is or if it would add or subtract to the feel of the mattress. You can find more info on it here on the forum using the Search function.
We use an inexpensive thin terry surface/polyurethane mattress protector for our PLB mattress. We have found that it does not affect the original feel of the mattress. More info on mattress protectors can be found on the forum using the Search function.
BobP
odrunr,
Would you post the price you paid for your PLB Worldās Best Bed mattress, including shipping and tax (if any)? Did you also purchase the PLB matching foundation?
I was not aware that PLB will ship directly from their factory to a consumer. My PLB mattress was shipped from their factory/warehouse to the PLB retailer and then to me.
Thanks,
BobP
I am not comfortable stating the price. I knew what the MattressExpert price was and did not negotiate one bit as the price was significantly less than MattressExpert. Shipping was free. The mattress is shipped from Connecticut. I have read several other places ship directly from the factory as well. If you want to price just call and talk to him.
Bob thanks actually I talked to CGmattress after and they beat the price. The owner seems like he really cares, its a family business. They have a comfort and exchange policy as well which the local store here did not have. I just want to make sure I get the right mattress Beautiful or Nutrition. Im going to try them again with the toppers to make sure. Thanks for the info on the mattress protectors. I was looking into the St Dormier but its very expensive
Also I heard that the PLB foundation has changed from the one you detailed, its supposed to be improved and stronger.
Phoenix in the spirit of disclosure is it true that you make a percentage when mattresses are sold using this forum (from the paying members)?
thanks)
The PLB foundation, the same one I have, post #5, is the new and improved stronger version. I confirmed this when I spoke to their CSR this morning. She said they went to a 2 beam construction to make it stronger. The problem is that neither of these are center beams, so if you have a steel frame with a center beam, like this one, the 2 foundation beams are resting on the 2 cross beams of the steel frame. A steel frame with 3 cross beams, like this one, would give the foundation better support.
She also confirmed that the foundation has 7 - 1" x 3" (actual 3/4" x 2.5") top slats, which, IMO, are not enough. This is the queen foundation. Not sure how the king foundation(s) are constructed. As I previously posted, this is the foundation I should have purchased.
I did call and spoke to Ronnie at CGmattress and got some price quotes. Shipping is included in the price. Depending on where you live he can ship directly to you by freight from various PLB facilities, i.e., Atlanta, GA; Shelton, CT. Unless you purchase directly from his store there are no comfort exchanges on internet orders.
Here are some price comparisons:
Matress Expert - shipped from Gardners Mattress, Lancaster, PA
Queen Nature mattress: $2199.
King/Cal King Worldās Best Bed mattress: $4799.
CGmattress - shipped from PLB, Atlanta, GA
Queen Nature mattress: $2100. He said the MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) is $2670. on this mattress.
King/Cal King Worldās Best Bed mattress: $3680. Thatās a substantial difference. I asked him twice if that was the correct price.
Hi Mike7,
[quote]Also those sites you list do not have the exact PLB layers in fact I cant even find individual layers for sale on some. The amazon link claims the ild is 22-24 which most claim for plush----
PLB layers are 19 21 24 etc
Iām sorry you think Im being argumentative rather than looking at your posts as many do seeming to contradict yourself. I think things could be simplified but you dont see your posts confusing people. Just in these last few posts you do it again. But Iām not going to argue. I hope this exchange has helped people. You cant oppose DIY mattresses and then suggest you can only duplicate a mattress if you buy the individual layers offering links as you have.
Again if you have a site that sells the exact thickness and blended talalay with exact ILD let me know
Lastly the international latex site suggests side sleepers would do best with a hybrid why is that? [/quote]
Several of the sources listed in the post I linked sell all or almost all of the materials that Latex International makes. Sleeplikeabear and KTT enterprises are two examples. At KTT you pay for materials by the board foot. Others just sell some of them.
Some of them also show a ārangeā of ILDās as a generic description or because they have different materials that are in that range (for example some of them will give you a choice between Radium and Latex International) and if you talk with them they will give you specifics about what they have available. ILD is also not exact for any latex so showing a range is actually more accurate. The key is to spend time on the phone talking with them because websites are not usually complete and donāt show everything that many manufacturers or retailers have available. For example you may be able to purchase 24 ILD Talatech in a particular thickness at a particularly good price at one site but they donāt have other ILDās or thicknesses available so for other ILDās or other thicknesses that they donāt supply you would need to use a different supplier.
Itās certainly possible that there are posts or information here that either are or appear to be contradictory and if you come across them and if they donāt involve a misinterpretation on your part then just link them and ask about them and Iād be happy to either correct them or clarify them.
Again ā¦ you donāt need to argue ā¦ just ask when you see what you think is a contradiction and I would be happy to clarify it ā¦ just make sure you are quoting me correctly and specifically instead of rephrasing what you think I said based on not reading it correctly or on not fully understanding what I posted. If you paraphrase or misinterpret what Iāve written so that its meaning isnāt the same then itās not helpful either to you or to others who read this forum. This is not a site where āsoundbitesā or ābitsā of information are the norm. There are plenty of others that already do just that and are part of the reason that people are so confused because so many of them flatly contradict each other (such as Talalay is ābetterā than Dunlop or the other way around when they have no evidence to support what theyāre saying or provide a context for āblack and whiteā statements). This site is meant to include information that is more nuanced and includes more information and detail for those who want it and for those who donāt it provides sources of where to find the āexpertsā that already know what they would otherwise need to learn.
Again this isnāt what Iāve done or said anywhere on the site. My goal is to make sure that people understand what they are up against if they go in a direction where they donāt fully understand the risks or potential costs involved. I donāt āopposeā anything that people choose to do because thatās up to them ā¦ my goal is to make sure that they are informed about the directions they are choosing and the risks and difficulties that may be involved so that they can replace hindsight with foresight and have more reasonable expectations of success. Your comment here is an example of misinterpreting or misrepresenting what Iāve said by āparaphrasingā it. Things are not always as black and white as they seem to be and my goal is to help people assess the potential rewards and risks of any direction they choose to go an a more informed way so that they have a better idea of how to assess their choice based on their personal value equation.
[quote]Again if you have a site that sells the exact thickness and blended talalay with exact ILD let me know
Lastly the international latex site suggests side sleepers would do best with a hybrid why is that? [/quote]
Iāve already listed the links and commented on them in this post. I donāt know what you are referring to by āhybridā so if you link to where you read this I would have a better idea of the context of what they said. If by āhybridā you mean blended Talalay vs 100% natural Talalay then it would likely be because the blended is more pressure relieving in the same ILD because it has a lower compression modulus. This doesnāt take into account that you can change the design to make up for this by using different layer thicknesses or ILDās in combination with each other to produce a roughly equivalent design in a different material but this needs some knowledge and experience to be able to ātranslateā one material and design into its equivalent in another material and design with a reasonable degree of accuracy that would apply to most (but not all) people.
[quote]Phoenix in the spirit of disclosure is it true that you make a percentage when mattresses are sold using this forum (from the paying members)?
thanks) [/quote]
Iāve answered this in a previous reply to you but the details of āhow we surviveā are in the services link in the top menu here. Just donāt tell anyone itās there and keep it a secret between us because I wouldnāt want anyone to know I ādiscloseā it openly
Post #4 here also has more links about the history and reasons behind why I started the site and the income I earn from it.
Phoenix
This was mattress only, not the base correct?
If you are referring to post #58, the prices quotes were for the mattress only, not the set.