Thank you for such a useful site. I found this page when searching for where to buy a mattress and have since learned a lot. From the linked page I have tried out a lot of mattresses in the past month. At the moment I’m considering two different options from Flexopedic (local to me and seems to be good value); a lower cost ($550) innserspring double sided, or a 6" latex mattress for $1500
My questions is:
Are there any concerns I should know about using only a 6" latex core vs several layers in either differential or progressive?
Background:
I’ve slept on many different mattresses the past five years having moved almost every 4 months while in a university co-op program and I’m looking to buy the first one of my own. I had always thought I preferred a firmer mattress though after having tried many out in showrooms over the past month I find a softer mattress a closer match to the comfier ones I’ve slept on before. I’m mostly a back sleeper though wake up on my side frequently. The gripes I’ve had with past mattresses is mostly poor back support (hammocking) even when newish.
I like the idea of latex for it’s quality and durability and I have found them to be quite comfortable. I prefer to go for the higher quality/longer lasting option even if it’s initially more expensive. This is where I have a problem as most latex mattresses are outside of my immediate budget. The 6" latex from Flexopedic for $1500 stretches my budget but is possible. I will be trying it in the store later next week as he is currently building one (he doesn’t normally stock the latex).
What I’ve tried (more for reference):
Ideal mattress Ltd, all latex model ~$1900
-fiber (wool or cotton) on top of 3" med latex on 6" med/firm core (going on foggy long term memory here)
-was very comfortable
-the 7-zoned core seemed rather overkill/gimmicky to me
Dormio organic beds:
-really market the green/organic aspect (with the corresponding greenwash price premium)
-the two models I preferred summarized below (found the differential accord more comfortable)
Pacific model ($3000):
-4 layers 2" each of firm, med, soft, and “LGU?” latex
-wool fiber quilting
Accord ($3500):
-3.5" soft latex topper on top of 6" firm latex core
-wool fiber quilting
Foamite:
-Tried the only two at the location I went to
-too firm/odd feeling (due to the memory foam in them?)
~$2400-2900
Dreameasy:
-tried only the ekos 725 (~$1350) as only model at retailer I found
-latex core and memory foam comfort layer
-wasn’t a good match for me, again with an odd feeling from the memory foam (I’ve never slept on it before)
Soma Organic Mattresses:
Obasan ($1748)
-single 6" latex core
-was comfortable, though maybe getting towards too soft.
Greensleep ($2699)
-3" soft latex on 4" firm latex (again foggy long term memory)
-found the differential transition to sharp on this one
*All prices for a mattress/foundation set
(Hope this isn’t all too long)