I did a ton a research 3 1/2 years ago when searching for a new mattress. I read so many articles and decided the best mattress to get would be a latex mattress. After reading all the information on this, I thought it was the best on all accounts. I purchased one from Costco, which was a Stearns & Foster line. The warranty was the best around and it had no coils at all, but a mix of latex and some other materials. It was like heaven, the most comfortable mattress Iāve ever slept on. Well after a couple of years, I started having back pain, and realized the pillow top was sinking. Costco was great and exchanged it, but they didnāt have that same mattress. I got another latex that was a little firmer, not as comfortable. Here we are a year later and I cannot even sleep on the bed because my back hurts so much. Iām returning it for a refund (Costco is great like that). Iāve been doing research for a new mattress and read that latex has a tendency to sink. Is this true, is that why Iāve had issues? Iāve also looked into hotel beds. Iāve stayed at the Ritz, and they sell their mattresses with a great 10 year warranty. Also Iāve read the W Hotels do the same. Thoughts? Iām thinking I can put a mattress topper on (latex or whatever) and just change it every few years.
Hi mirpags,
Good quality latex (natural or blended talalay or natural dunlop) is one of the most durable materials available in a mattress and is more durable than memory foam or polyfoam. It is the least likely of all foams to develop impressions and takes much longer than other materials to do so. Some examples of latex mattresses that are still useable after decades of daily use are here.
I think your experience helps to confirm why it is so important to know the layers in your mattress. Stearns and Foster (Sealy) is one of many manufacturers who sells mattresses that their outlets will call a ālatex mattressā but have layers of much lower quality polyfoam above the latex on the sleeping surface which becomes the weak link in a mattress. They also tend to use lower quality blended synthetic Dunlop latex in their mattresses. I hear the stories all the time about how what someone believed was a ālatexā mattress developing issues and believe that the latex was the issue when it is more often than not an issue of the polyfoam in the mattress. A quick look at the law tag will generally show that what many larger manufacturers are selling as a latex mattress is not all latex and in some cases only has very thin and meaningless layers of latex hidden in between the polyfoam layers.
The good news is that costco is great with returns. The bad news is that in these cases ā¦ latex takes an undeserved ārapā which really should be connected to the use of lower density polyfoam in a mattress.
Hotel mattresses arenāt a single type of mattress but in general they are a thicker layer of soft foam over a firm support core and have a feel that as much as possible falls into what āaverageā people like (a combination of softness on top and firmness underneath). In general they also use too much soft lower quality polyfoam which can feel great but the feeling doesnāt last over time because the polyfoam just isnāt as durable as other materials.
Here are a few more thoughts about āhotelā mattresses from another post.
A few more thoughts about the W hotel mattress are here.
A topper added to a mattress is a good idea as long as the mattress has thin firm layers in the comfort layers and the mattress needs a softer pressure relieving sleeping surface. If the mattress has comfort layers that are too thick or soft (either by design or because the foam on top has degraded) ā¦ then the topper would put the softer layers deeper into your mattress deeper and they would effectively become part of your support system and because they were too soft for this could create alignment problems and back issues. Toppers are great to āfixā a mattress that is too firm on top but if the foam on top has softened and/or is too thick, then itās much more difficult to āfixā without causing another problem.
Even the firmest āstandardā mattresses have several inches of polyfoam in the top layers and while buying a mattress with the firmest and least amount of polyfoam on top and adding a topper is better than buying a mattress with too much polyfoam ā¦ it still isnāt as good a choice as buying a mattress that is either a āchoose your own layerā type of mattress where the layers can be exchanged or just buying a mattress which is designed to be used with a removeable or exchangeable topper. Both ways you avoid even a few inches of polyfoam and have a mattress that only has quality materials.
Phoenix
Thanks Pheonix,
That makes sense. I had done so much research and really felt latex was the best, but I didnāt realize that I was not getting quality. So my next question is where can I buy a latex mattress? And, the other concern is that I know my husband does not like the memory foam type mattressā¦and it looks like some of these mattresses are like this. So Iām guessing I would get one that has quality polyfoam? And I am a side sleeper mostly, so what level should I get?
Thanks again,
Miriam
Hi Miriam,
That would depend on where you were. The guidelines here will help eliminate most of the worst choices and the ones that are left (mainly local manufacturers or smaller national brands that sell either factory direct, through sleep shops, or online) are the ones that are more open and transparent about the materials in their mattresses and tend to have the knowledge to help you choose a mattress that is the most suitable for your needs and preferences rather than a mattress that contributes more to their profit margin than it does to your long term satisfaction. These are generally the best source for any mattress including latex.
If you let me know the city you live in Iād be happy to let you know of any local manufacturers or better outlets in your area that I know of.
There are many different choices of material that can be used in a comfort layer of a mattress and only one of them is memory foam. There are also many choices of materials that can be used in the support layers underneath the comfort layers (memory foam is too soft to be used in a support layer). If you choose to use higher quality polyfoam in the comfort or support layers ā¦ then an outlet that will tell you the density and quality of the polyfoam they use becomes very important and these are usually local manufacturers. The three different types of foam are latex, polyfoam, and memory foam and for those who like more āinstant reactingā foam, then latex or polyfoam is their best choice.
It may be worthwhile to read the overviews in the mattresses section of the site just to gain some basic knowledge about different materials and basic mattress construction which will help you when you are looking at and testing mattresses. Rather than focus on levels (which is a system usually used by major manufacturers and is really meaningless because most of the levels use low density polyfoam which should be avoided), I would focus on materials and layering and avoid the major brands completely.
Phoenix
The information was really helpful. After reading everything, I realize Iād rather not go with the hotel bed, after all. I would, however, prefer to get the latex mattress from a local place, as opposed to online. I live in Hopewell Junction, NY. Iām pretty close to Poughkeepsie, and about half hour from Danbury, CT. So if you could give me some local places in my area, that would be wonderful!
Thank you!!!
Hi mirpags,
There are some very good choices within about 60 miles or so of you but none that are really close. I believe it would be well worth your time to make a few calls though and then visit the ones that were most appealing to you (after asking about options, prices, types of latex mattresses etc). They would involve some driving time to Connecticut but in the end would save you a lot of time, money, and frustration overall.
comfortss.com/index.html Branford, CT. Local factory direct manufacturer which also makes a full range of high quality traditional innerspring, latex, and memory foam mattresses (including two side mattresses). They also have a custom zoned mattress which can be made in a side to side split design as well. They are also a member of this site which means I think highly of them and I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of quality, value, and service. Post #17 here also has more about them and some of Nissanmanās posts include more feedback about their mattresses and their service.
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http://restopedicmattress.com/index.html Bethany, CT. Local factory direct manufacturer who makes latex and other mattresses for retail stores but also sells factory direct at very good prices. You can see some feedback in this thread.
https://www.norwalkmattress.com/ Norwalk, CT. Local factory direct manufacturer that makes a full range of high quality mattresses of all types.
http://www.columbiamattressuph.com/index.html Hamden, CT. Local factory direct outlet that also makes a range of innerspring and foam mattresses.
NOTE ADDED: There is now a more complete list for Connecticut in post #2 here.
Hope this helps.
Phoenix
Correction:
Costco sells so-called ālatexā matress, which is nothing butā¦
2" of low quality latex is not the same as full latex mattress.
As the old adage says: you get what you pay for.
Costco is cheap, ā¦
Hi arrow2fast,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
(Just a note, you may wish to change your mattress forum name because the automated spambots that comb through forums like this across the web).
Iām not sure what youāre correcting, as this was addressed in my reply to the original poster:
I think your experience helps to confirm why it is so important to know the layers in your mattress. Stearns and Foster (Sealy) is one of many manufacturers who sells mattresses that their outlets will call a ālatex mattressā but have layers of much lower quality polyfoam above the latex on the sleeping surface which becomes the weak link in a mattress. They also tend to use lower quality blended synthetic Dunlop latex in their mattresses. I hear the stories all the time about how what someone believed was a ālatexā mattress developing issues and believe that the latex was the issue when it is more often than not an issue of the polyfoam in the mattress. A quick look at the law tag will generally show that what many larger manufacturers are selling as a latex mattress is not all latex and in some cases only has very thin and meaningless layers of latex hidden in between the polyfoam layers.
Knowing what is inside of a mattress is certainly the responsibility of any consumer, and the only true way to know about the quality and potential durability of a finished mattress. Your comment about Costco not having all-latex mattresses is incorrect, as they do offer all-latex products.
If you look at the date of this thread, itās almost five years old. Itās a bit odd that youāre ācorrectingā something that was already addressed in such an old post. But I hope this information is helpful to you.
Phoenix