Latex Mattress Questions

I am in the market for a new mattress and am thinking I want to go with latex. I want to get away from a spring mattress and really enjoyed my prior memory foam mattress (tempurpedic). My wife really likes the spring feel of traditional spring mattresses (which we have now) but reading about latex sounds like it can be in the middle between the two.

I am have scanning this site and reading online and think my best option is via BrooklynBedding. I am considering the Aloe Alexis, Total Latex, and Essence Natural. Here are my questions:

  1. Like the price point of Aloe Alexis, but worried the support later of HD polyfoam is going to impact the feel of the bed and longetivity. Is that the case?
  2. I like the concept of All Natural, but not really sure it ultimately means much. I am not worried about the polyfoam layer in the Total Latex and actually think we would prefer the softer feel of blended latex versus all natural.

Unfortunately, we don’t have many latex mattress stores near me but there is an Organic Mattress so we will be going this weekend to try out latex mattresses. Any input is greatly welcome.

Btw, my wife and I are both 6’ but are under 175lbs.

I am also in the market for a new mattress and leaning on going with latex. I looked at the Brooklyn site and also at Arizona Premium Mattress Company. It seems like the mattresses at Arizona Premium are a better value…if it’s true that a latex core is superior to a foam core and/or will last longer. I’ll be watching with interest for the reply from Phoenix.

Hi nzafi,

Given your wife’s preferences for innersprings (which are generally a good quality component) … it may also be worth considering a latex/innerspring hybrid.

Every layer and component in a mattress will affect the feel and response of every other layer and component in the mattress and the mattress as a whole so every difference between two mattress including differences in layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, or the type of materials or components or the type of cover and quilting will affect how they compare in terms of feel and performance. While it’s not possible to predict how someone else will feel on any mattress or how two mattresses will compare to each other for any particular person because this can be so subjective and because there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences and sensitivities involved, in very general terms, the top 3" - 6" of a mattress (depending on your body type and where you are in the sensitivity range between “princess and the pea” and “I can sleep on anything”) will have a bigger effect on the overall “feel” of the mattress than the layers that are deeper in the mattress. There are some comments about the general differences between an all latex mattress and a latex polyfoam hybrid in post #2 here and some comments about how the Alexis “fits into” the comparison in post #2 here. The 2.17 lb polyfoam support core in the Alexis certainly wouldn’t be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability.

The type and blend of latex is really a preference choice rather than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

The type of materials that each person is comfortable with in their mattress is also a preference choice and post #2 here and the posts it links to has more information about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and green mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and decide on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress and help you answer “how safe is safe enough for me”. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, and specific criteria, preferences, and lifestyle choices.

If you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of that may be close to you.

Phoenix

I am located in Livingston NJ (07039).

I was also looking at the Aloe Alexis so curious to read that link you provided. I read somewhere pure latex is better than when mixed with polyfoam, but who knows.

Hi nzafi,

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around your area (subject to the guidelines here) are listed in post #7 here.

I’m not quite sure how you mean this or how you are defining “better”. Latex cores don’t have polyfoam mixed into them when they are made but there are many mattresses that use various types of polyfoam layers in combination with various types and blends of latex in their design. I would always make sure you know the type and quality of the upper layers of a mattress which are generally the weakest link of any mattress and I would avoid mattresses that used thicker layers of lower quality/density or unknown polyfoam in the upper layers but I would be much less concerned about a mattress that used good quality polyfoam with latex comfort layers above it. Which mattress is “better” for any particular person always depends on their specific criteria but there is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.

Phoenix

I live here in the Phoenix area, and was able to test out the mattresses at Brooklyn Bedding, AZ Premium Mattress and Sleep EZ. The BB models seemed to be a little lower quality overall than the other two. I didn’t like their covers as much and the overall feel wasn’t quite as luxurious. Still a nice bed and the sales guy was nice and helpful.

Both the others are basically the same type of cover - bamboo with wool - I just liked the feel of them better. And I also was afraid that polyfoam support core would break down after a while. The bed I ended up getting at AZ Premium is a hybrid pocket coil/latex, but the feel was exactly the same as the 3 layer all latex 10000 at Sleep EZ, for $500 less.

My old Simmons king pocket coil springs were still in good shape after over 16 years, so hopefully this coil system will last as well.

Hi Suzanne,

Your experience is a little unusual since most people would be able to feel the difference between a pocket coil support core and a latex support core but “feel” is so subjective that each person’s experience about how different mattresses compare can be very different from someone else.

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
After much research on your site, I decided to go with a latex mattress. I am 5’3", 115 pounds. My husband has no back problems with any mattress. Because I have a back arching problem with previous innerspring mattresses I figured customizing the latex layers would allow me to get a mattress exactly right. Last week, I bought a 3 layered dunlop latex mattress. I chose 3" firm on the bottom, 3" medium in the middle and 2" soft on the top. From the first night, I felt my configuration was too firm for me. This dunlop latex mattress feels much better than my previous mattresses. Instead of all of the lower back arching as was the case with my previous mattresses, there remains only the very bottom of the lumbar area in pain with my new latex mattress.

For the past 2 nights, my friend allowed me to try his new mattress (bought a week before mine) while he is out of town for the weekend. He bought a 9" tatalay, 6" talalay core and 3" tatalay on the top. He said the mattress was labled “soft”. He was not able to tell me what firmness the core layer is. This mattress is made by Parklane, in Portland. This mattress felt good for a couple of hours but by morning, my back ached from arching. I think the tatalay is too soft for me. The second night I slept with my friends’s foam topper (don’t know what kind, it has dimples on the top) and I felt much better. Sleeping on this topper is comparable to sleeping on my new 3-layered dunlop mattress with only the very bottom of the lumbar area being in pain.

I am thinking I need to add another layer, a softer layer, on top of what I have now. What are my options? I am thinking of adding 2" of extra soft dunlop. The foam place where I got the other layers, do not carry tatalay. I can buy the tatalay elsewhere but which firmness? I understand a soft tatalay is softer than a soft dunlop. Also, at Bed in a Box, they describe another latex manufacturing process they call Coolrest. I couldn’t find any information about Coolrest in the Mattress Underground forum. It is supposed to be all latex, not a blend, using a conveyor belt method. What do you think of it? They have “soft” at 11 ILD. How does 11 ILD compare with the extra soft dunlop that my foam store carries.

Thanks ahead of time for your advice. I need to get my mattress right this time.

Hi ssum,

I switched your post to a new topic of your own so it wouldn’t get mixed in with another member’s topic.

It’s certainly possible that your friend’s mattress is too soft for you but if it was then an additional soft topper (which sounds like an egg crate polyfoam topper which would typically be very soft) would be more likely to make it even softer and could make your “symptoms” worse so your experience with the topper improving your “symptoms” seems to contradict your suggestion that the mattress was too soft.

If you have only been sleeping on your mattress for a few days then it would generally be much too early to really assess whether your mattress needs any changes at all since your mattress will need some time to break in and you will also go through an initial adjustment period with any new mattress or sleeping surface and it’s usually best hold off on making any changes to a mattress for at least the first few weeks. Some of the suggestions in post #2 here may be helpful while you are going through the initial break in and adjustment period.

While I can’t feel what you feel or see you sleeping on the mattress … if it does turn out that your mattress needs some fine tuning then post #2 here and the posts it links to has more information about the more common “symptoms” that people can experience on a mattress and some of the most likely reasons for them that can help with the detective work and trial and error that may be involved in deciding on the types of changes that would be the most helpful.

Post #2 here and post #4 here also has more information about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to each other and to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress that may also be helpful in clarifying the reasons for your symptoms as well.

The BIAB Coolrest is 100% natural continuous pour Dunlop made by Mountaintop foam. It would be very comparable in firmness to 100% natural molded Dunlop that is in the same density range but Mountaintop Foam uses two different methods of rating the ILD of their latex and their ILD numbers don’t compare well to the ILD numbers for other types of latex (either 100% natural molded Dunlop or Talalay). There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

Spindle Mattress is a member of this site and they use the same type and blend of latex in their mattresses and Neal there would probably be the best source of information and guidance I know about comparing the different firmness levels of Mountaintop continuous pour latex to other types of latex.

Phoenix

Hi Pheonix,
Thanks for your links re initial adjustment period, fining tuning a mattress, and roles of the layers. I am going to evaluate my new mattress further after another 3 weeks or so before deciding IF my mattress requires tweaking or IF it does, how to tweak it. You are right about muscle memory. In addition to that, my body is probably going through some other adjustments as I am using a person trainer in the gym. I am working my muscles harder and in different ways than if I were to continue my previous workout routines on my own. I have also started yoga. As you can see, I am very serious about getting rid of aches and pains and esp. getting a painless sleep.

I’ll report back here in a few weeks. Hopefully what I have now in my new dunlop mattress (3" firm at the bottom, 3" med. in the middle and 2" soft at the top) is the “right” mattress for me.