Hi Phoenix, I’m sure you’ve heard this thousands of times throughout the years, but I’ll say it too: I am so thankful for this site! Even after reading online here and there for hours, I now realize that a week ago I still knew absolutely nothing about mattresses and was cluelessly trying them out at a big national store. It wasn’t until I found your site (and again spent a significant amount of time reading up) that I felt I was properly educated and ready to go try out some mattresses with my new mini degree in hand =). I will stop this grateful prologue now, just know that what you do here is wonderful and valuable.
I just returned from visiting 3 of the local providers in the Miami-Broward area that Vic mentioned a few years ago. I tried out all-latex mattresses and wanted to share my experience and hear your thoughts before I make a decision.
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First stop: De Mattress Inc. I spoke to Ileana on the phone and she invited me to come in to try out what they have in store. This is a no-frills place, with a small staging room next to the factory, where I tried out two configurations of latex layers (without any quilting, so not quite a mattress yet). Both Ileana and the owner were extremely open and attentive, sharing with me their 40 years of experience in the trade, agreeing that I would probably not need another mattress in 30 years if I purchased all-latex, and ensuring they would work with me until I was satisfied with what I had (layer modification, quilting stretch, etc.) These are the specs and quotes I got from them:
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100% natural talalay latex (with mention to the east India source)
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6-inch higher ILD layer + 2-inch lower ILD layer
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3/4" quilting, natural cotton with a simple design
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2-sided mattress
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Queen size
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$100 delivery
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Warranty: will adjust mattress until satisfied, can go back to them any time.
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$1,300
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$166/extra inch
They have at least 3 ILD ratings available, and I tried both a configuration with 3 layers of varying ILDs, and a configuration as I describe above, but I don’t recall the exact numbers. They emphasized that I can place an order with them and go over to try it out for an extended period of time, no strings attached.
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Second stop: Zeno. Jim was welcoming and knowledgeable, and let me take my time to test out the two latex mattresses they had in the showroom adjacent to their factory. As you mentioned, this is a third generation family business, and it’s clear they know what they’re doing and take care of their reputation, but I felt like they’re probably more focused on big marine orders, and in innerspring comfort beds. I got less details about the latex from Jim than from the other 2 places, but here’s the summary
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100% natural talalay latex? (he seemed a little unsure, mentioned Latex International)
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8-inch medium-high ILD (32 I believe)
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1/4" quilting, synthetic/cotton blend
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Queen size
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$85 delivery
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Pro-rated 10 yr warranty
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$1,494
Jim mentioned they could order latex in a softer ILD, but they normally just carry one type in the 30’s, which was a bit too firm for me. They also have an “Ultra Latex” mattress with a 2-inch comfort layer of convoluted high-density foam and cotton, which makes for a 12-inch mattress for $1,802. This might have been the best fit for me in terms of comfort, but I feel very strongly about durability, so I’m not sure about paying an extra for something that might shorten the lifespan of the mattress.
-Third stop: Comfort Custom Mattresses. Don and his daughter Donna were very professional and attentive. Their showroom, even though also adjacent to the factory, was pretty slick and spotless, and the detail in the quilting of the mattresses displayed was visibly more luxurious than the previous two places. Don didn’t have an all-latex mattress in the showroom, but asked what I was looking for and improvised a mattress on the factory floor, including what looked like new fresh sheets. It was great, and here’s what they quoted me for:
- 70/30 natural talalay latex (Latex International)
- 6-inch 40 ILD + 2-inch 28 ILD
- minimal quilting, cotton
- Queen size
- Free delivery
- Warranty: will cover any imperfections, mentioned that in rare cases the latex may come with defects from manufacturer.
- $2,395
In summary, each place offers a latex mattress that I like, even though I would have to special-order a lower ILD from Zeno if I don’t go for their “Ultra Latex” model. I’m leaning towards De Mattress and Comfort Custom Mattress because they seemed more thorough about their mattresses and explanations, offer better warranty, and it would be simpler to order from them. However, the clear question is, why the significant price tag difference between the two of them?
Like Vic, I’m left wondering whether De Mattress is truly offering 100% all-natural talalay. I asked them pointedly, and they assured me that it was, and mentioned who they got their last latex batch from, the size of it, how much it cost, and that it came from east India. They seemed very transparent about it, and also mentioned they make about 10% profit on it, which would make sense if they really are delivering that quality of product for such a great price. I wouldn’t be surprised if Comfort Custom Mattress, where they seem just as transparent, is simply making a bigger profit in what should be a cheaper mattress. What do you think?
I will ask De Mattress again about the origin of their latex. In case it ends up being dunlop or a blend, I’d be curious to know if you still consider it a good value for the price.
Again, thanks a ton for any feedback.
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