Intellibed

Thank you for all the great information. We are looking for a new mattress. I am still reading , and collecting informations. I have allready read your info. I learned a lot about mattresses. You did not mention intellibed. Can you tell me about it? What is your opinion?

Hi juhasznebakos,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

While this site is not a review site, Intellibed has been discussed on the forum and you can see some of my comments about the Intellibed (and other types of buckling column gel) in this topic and in this topic a forum search on Intelligel or on Intellibed (you can just click the links) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well. A forum search on buckling column gel (you can just click this as well) will also bring up more comments and feedback about other types of buckling column gel as well. Buckling column gel itself is certainly a somewhat unique material and is also very durable. It’s one of those materials (much like memory foam) that tend to generate strong feelings either for or against it depending on preferences but for those who like how it feels and performs it can certainly make a good choice.

I hope your research on the site has included following the guidelines in the mattress shopping tutorial as well.

Phoenix

Phoenix,
Thank you for your help. I learned a lot from you. I followed your advise. I live in Alabama, so we visited 2 stores you recommended in Pelham. One of them was Ensley Fairfield Mattress . The lady was very knowledgeable. We were looking for 100 % natural latex mattress. She had the Pure Talalay Bliss. She has very good price. Also she has a very good discount twice a year. One of them was last week.
Anyway we have just started our search, and I prefer wool as a fire barrier. Also, they could not tell me the ILD of the Talalay latex. I called the company, not the store, several time, and they always were busy. Left messages, but they never called me back. If you want that brand the best prices around Birmingham is her store. I also send an e-mail to Mattress TO Go. Jeff Scheuer, the owner very quickly sent an answer that follows here. [Private email content removed by moderator.]
After that I have decided that I will check out the mattress stores that sell on the internet. I checked out your membership list. There are two companies left . One of them is Sleeping Organics from Charleston, and the other one is Sleep EZ. Both look very good, and looks like have everything that I am looking for. Sleeping Organic is more expensive, but if you need to return your products you just need to take the boxes to outside of your door, while Sleeping EZ is less expensive, but you need to take the product to the FedEx store if you want to send it back.

My questions are:
I have read that if you buy just the layers, and they are not glued together than the layers are shifting, and you need to adjust them all the time. Do you have any experience with it? Some says you need to buy the glued mattress, that is complete.

The other question is: Is it possible to put back the mattresses to the original box, if you need to send them back. I can not vacuum the air out at home?

The third one is: Has anybody bought mattresses from either of the companies, and what was your experience?

There are not a lot of third party reviews on the Sleeping Organic. I found some of Sleeping EZ. It seems to be good. Also Sleeping EZ OEKO Certificate expired, so I will call them and ask them about it. I did write a lot of e-mails to Sleeping Organic, and they always sent back the reply quickly
Also I had very good experience with Spindle, Cozy Pure and My Green Mattress. We had e-mails back and forth.
I hope this is a little help if you are in a mattress search.

I have checked a lot of internet your

Hi juhasznebakos,

I’m glad you had a chance to try out a few latex mattresses in person.

All the information you need to know is in this article. While the specs that affect the quality and durability of the layers and components are important to know … when you are testing a mattress locally then disclosing “comfort specs” such as ILD/IFD isn’t really necessary or even an important part of transparency because with careful testing your body will tell you much more about whether any specific combination of layers or components or any specific mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) than knowing the ILD/IFD of the individual layers regardless of what the actual numbers may be. In other words … I would consider ILD/IFD information to be a legitimate part of what many manufacturers consider to be “proprietary” information and it would be completely meaningless and only add to the confusion for most consumers anyway.

I would also keep in mind that ILD is only one of several variables or “specs” that will determine how soft or firm an individual layer or a mattress “as a whole” will feel to different people (see post #4 here). In addition to this the ILD of different materials or different types and blends of latex also aren’t always directly comparable to each other (see post #6 here) so using the ILD of a particular layer or combination of layers as a reliable indication of how firm a mattress may feel to you compared to another mattress with a different combination of layers can sometimes be more misleading than helpful. Many brands/stores are also well aware that many of their customers may just be “showrooming” their mattresses and may be intending to purchase a similar mattress or combinations of layers and components online so they would have no reason to disclose ILD/IFD information to a potential customer.

I removed the content of the email from Jeff that you posted here, as I don’t think he would have wanted the private information and insights he shared with you to be posted publicly here. But I will summarize what he spoke about, and it is true that there was a policy instituted last year that stopped allowing retailers to pick up PTB products directly from PTB or their distribution centers and ship them directly to their customers. There were many retailers offering more competitive prices on these PTB products when shipping in this manner, but now this is no longer allowed. There are still retailers offering to ship PTB products, but from their own warehouses, generally at prices quite a bit higher than what was previously available from retailers shipping directly from the factory. Of course, every manufacturer has the right to set their own policies on pricing and distribution. I know that Jeff and quite a few other retailers are upset about not being able to ship PTB to their clients as there were able to previously.

Both Sleeping Organic and SleepEZ are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are both extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration. Both companies do have good return policies, and SleepEZ can arrange for FedEx to pick up your return at home for a $4.00 fee per box.

Latex is very “sticky” and has a high coefficient of friction, plus the layers are held together with the mattress encasement, so those layers don’t tend to “travel” too much. Plus having the layers loose allows you the ability to fine-tune and customize.

The products you’re considering don’t use vacuum sealing and are shipped in layers rolled up in a plastic bag. I’d recommend keeping your boxes and plastic until you’re sure that you won’t be returning or exchanging layers.

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).

The certificates are supplied to them by Radium and Talalay Global. Those companies still have their Oeko-Tex certifications, but I’m sure SleepEZ will be happy if you let them know that they need to post the new certificates on their site.

I’m happy that you’ve received swift replies. I’ll recommend that should you move forward with a purchase, that you have a detailed phone conversation with the manufacturer/retailer before placing your order, as it is the best manner to receive the most accurate and detailed information about choosing the most appropriate mattress for your needs.

Phoenix

Phoenix,
Thank you for your great information. I talked with both of the store. The sleep specialist recommended us to buy split mattresses, instead of the solid one… They said the king mattress would be very heavy to move ( If we need to move them somewhere .) So, we are thinking instead of the king size mattress combination to buy 2 twin x size mattress combination. It is more expensive. I would like to know what is your opinion about it. Is there any disadvantage? If there is than what they are? Can we still use a king size slatted bed foundation with the two twin x beds?
I really appreciate your help.
Thank you

Hi juhasznebakos,

You’re very welcome.

Usually when a manufacturer/retailer states to “split” a king component-style mattress, they mean to have split layers (left/right) on the inside of the single king mattress encasement. This does allow for ease of transport (should you move) and also allows for customization of each side, but with the continuity of a finished king mattress.

If you decide to go with two twin extra long mattresses, this of course would still allow for individualization of each side. You can place both separate mattresses on your king platform bed base, but you may notice a small “dip” where the two mattresses meet. It is more expensive for two twin extra long mattresses, mostly due to the extra mattress cover material. You could potentially get just a bit more motion isolation with two separate mattresses (but they would still be on the same frame). And if you ever did decide to purchase adjustable bed bases, two twin extra long mattresses would give you the flexibility to adjust each mattress independent of the other.

So in the end, it comes down to your current and potential plans for the use of the mattress as to which configuration might best suit your needs.

I hope that helps!

Phoenix