Latex mattress problem

I purchased a king sized Flobed v-zone mattress a couple years ago. It is comfortable and I didn’t have any problems getting the zones and layers right. It was great from the start. However, it started sagging where my husband and I both sleep. There is a ridge down the middle of the mattress so getting from one side to the other takes a lot of work. We have to sleep exactly in our “spots” or we experience muscle aches if we sleep any differently.

The foundation is Flobed’s fir slat foundation. Our bed was brand new and we had never used it before we got the Flobed mattress. The foundation rests on two wooden beams (on the sides of the bed) and there are three metal supports in the middle with legs that reach the floor. I bought the additional foundation legs just in case which I’ve used since day one.

I don’t have room anywhere in my house to put the entire mattress on the floor to test if it’s the latex. I doubt it is if it’s happening on both sides? The foundation is level when I use a leveler so I think the foundation’s fine. Since the foundation is split, could this be a problem? I doubt it since it doesn’t sound like others have had this problem.

Any suggestions? Thank you!

Hi mattressadvice,

There are only a few reasons that could be causing the “hills” or “valleys” you are experiencing.

1. The Foundation or bedframe

It looks like you can safely rule this one out since your support surface appears to be level.

2. The latex layers have shifted.

Bunched or shifted layers could be causing the ridge in the middle and valleys on each side. The solution for this would be to remove the layers (you can roll them up) and then put them back inside the mattress as you did originally making sure to “wave” them into position (you can see the flobeds video here).

3. One or more of your layers are defective.

You can check this by putting the layers on the floor and then using a straight edge or a tight string across the top surface to see if any of the layers have more than a slight visible impression. If they do then you would need to talk with Flobeds about replacing any defective layers.

Even latex will have some slight softening over time so when you put the layers back in the mattress then it may also be worthwhile flipping them over and if you have a split mattress and your layers on each side are the same switching the sides as well.

Phoenix

I spent the past four hours taking the entire mattress apart and trying to figure out the problem.

I put every latex core on the floor and there are no problems with the latex. There are no impressions.

The bedframe and foundation appear to be level to me. I used a leveler on the bed, its supports, and the foundation and everything seems fine.

Once I put the v-zone core back on the bed, I could see a visible impression. I didn’t have to lay on it. A straight edge confirmed it wasn’t level. I put it back on the floor and again, it was perfectly level. I think this is very telling that it’s fine on the floor but concaves once it’s on the bed. I don’t know what this means exactly but maybe you do.

One of the tips Flobeds gives us is that you could fold the mattress cover over the foundation to make it look “square”. I can’t do that because of how my bed is. It’s hard to get everything in the cover but I wonder if that’s causing things to be too tight and bunch together?

I guess it might be the bed which really stinks because it’s as new as the mattress and wasn’t cheap.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Hi mattressadvice,

That’s very odd to say the least.

I’m not sure how deep your impressions are but it’s also possible (and normal) that there will be some slight impressions in the wool quilting in your mattress which will compress more in the areas you sleep than in the areas you don’t but this should be minimal and won’t generally affect the feel or comfort of the mattress.

Perhaps the best suggestion I could make would be to remove the top of the cover and see if the latex underneath it is level and then remove each layer one at a time to check if the remaining layers are level to see if you can isolate the source of the problem. You could also check to see if it’s your bedframe by putting the foundation on the floor and then the mattress on top of it to see if this also has any hills and valleys (if it doesn’t then it would point to the issue being in your bedframe).

Other than this it’s likely that it has to do with how evenly the individual layers are spread out inside the cover. If you can’t fold the cover back then it’s particularly important to make sure that you “wave” the layers into position and to make sure that the latex layers are all the way inside the corners and flush with the sides of the cover and aren’t “bunched” towards the middle.

Phoenix

Thanks again for the response! You have been very helpful (and quick!)

The impressions are about 1.5 inches after a week of sleeping. They’re not that bad now but I know they will get worse after a couple nights. The impressions are bad enough that my husband and I can’t cuddle (the person closest to the middle will roll downhill into the other person’s back) and most importantly, if I don’t sleep with my legs and body completely straight, I’ll wake up with pain.

I’ve been thinking all along that it has something to do with how the cores are housed inside the cover. Getting them to lay right is every difficult to do because the cover will shift on me and bunch up since I can’t fold the sides down. It seems so impossible, like trying to put too small sheets on a bed.

So if I understand correctly, instead of cramming the ends and sides into the cover, I need to “wave” them so that they are perfectly even on all sides?

I’ll try the other suggestion as well to see if it’s the bed frame. Unfortunately, I can’t move the foundation without the help of my husband. It is so heavy! I’ll need to make sure to do this when he’s able to assist me.

Hi mattressadvice,

I would wait for the impressions to develop and then remove the cover and take a look inside the mattress to see if you can identify the issue.

Yes … there are some additional videos linked here that may be helpful.

Phoenix