Latex Mattress: Are more layers necessarily better?

[phoenix]

Hi raji,

1. We have only ever slept on innerspring mattresses—is latex an appropriate alternative for a sleeper with lower back issues?

There is no specific type or category of mattress that is best for back pain because each person’s individual needs and preferences in a mattress in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is unique to them. There is only a mattress that is best for “your back pain”. The choice between different materials or components in a mattress or types of mattress (see this article) is always a preference choice rather than a “better/worse” choice. Every type or category of mattress has hundreds of different options and designs some of which could work well for some people and some of which may be completely unsuitable for them to sleep on … even though they contain the same materials and components. In other words the specific design of a mattress and whether that specific design is a good match for you in terms of PPP is always more important than the type of materials and components inside the mattress.

2. I have been looking at Sleep-EZ’s organic line: I am wavering between the 9", 10" (3 layers each) and 13" (4 layers) models. Does having a fourth layer add enough to the sleep experience to justify the added cost?

It depends on the person. For some people a thicker mattress can make a very noticeable difference (such as djgoldb) and for some people it may make very little noticeable difference at all. It would depend on their body type, their sleeping style, and on their individual sensitivity and preferences. There is more about the pros and cons of thicker mattresses and/or having more layers in post #14 here

3. We prefer firm support. However, in my mattress store visits, I realized that I love the feel of a softer comfort layer, so long as the support remains the same. (We are both side and back sleepers). Is a 2" or 3" inch soft-ish comfort layer appropriate, so that we feel adequately supported?

When you can’t test a mattress in person before a purchase then most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (such as SleepEZ) who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked that they are familiar with, any special considerations or circumstances you may have, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs or firmness options to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or even to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.

4. I am leaning towards an online purchase, because the return/exchange policies seem less generous in local outlets. I am worried that the lower back issues of my S.O. make it impossible for us to know whether the mattress will work without an in-home trial. Do you have any further suggestions for online all latex mattress retailers?

There is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for. With careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) a local purchase can have very high odds of success but for those that have a history of choosing mattresses that are unsuitable for them or have a body type or health considerations that are more challenging and make choosing the most suitable mattress more difficult or that for whatever reason are more uncertain about whether their choice is “right” for them then the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress or to exchange or return the mattress or individual layers can become a much more important part of each person’s personal value equation. Exchange or return options are built in to the cost of a mattress so the majority of people who don’t return or exchange a mattress or a layer are the ones who pay for the minority of people who do.

The mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) that all compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, transparency, and knowledge. Many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that that would be all be well worth considering.

I would also appreciate any feedback from other shoppers who have bought mattresses from sleepez, regarding their experience.

Hopefully some of the many forum members here that have purchased from SleepEZ will see your post and share their experience but I would be very cautious about using other people’s reviews or experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for you and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or in terms of durability (see post #13 here).

A forum search on SleepEZ (you can just click the link) will also bring up thousands of posts that mention them that you can scan through and many of them includes comments and feedback from the members here that have purchased from them.

Phoenix