We have been shopping for a replacement mattress (old pillowtop innerspring) for months now and finally have it whittled down to a few entries. My wife is in love with the Sleep By Numbers P5 and P6 due to the adjust ability and their sales claims. I liked it as well when laying on it in the store, but itâs relatively expensive, the sales person couldnât answer any of my questions on the specs of the foam or toppers, and reading here and sleeplikethedead has convinced me we need to look at other options. They couldnât even tell me if the foam was certi-pur certified, which I took to mean it is not.
My wife is fairly chemical sensitive, and Iâm a very hot sleeper with some back and neck issues so weâve ruled out memory foam. But latex sounds very intriguing, and I like what I"ve read on sleepez, flobeds, and foam sweet foam. Weâd love to find a local store to try some of the latex beds out and wondering if Phoenix or anyone else knows of any options in Utah? (EDIT - found some locally via a search here. Our opinions and some questions below).
Iâm not sure what youâve read since you found the site but just in case you havenât read it yet ⌠if you are looking for a new mattress then the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ⌠and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youâve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best âmatchâ for you in terms of âcomfortâ and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnât turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the âvalueâ of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
While nothing has a 100% success rate ⌠with a local purchase and for the majority of people ⌠careful testing using the guidelines in the tutorial (rather than just testing for the more subjective âcomfortâ of a mattress which often wonât predict how well you will sleep on a mattress or how it will âfeelâ when you sleep on it at home) along with some good guidance from a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests in mind will usually result in a mattress choice that is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and will generally be âclose enoughâ so that if any fine tuning is necessary it would be relatively minor and involve different mattress pads, sheets, mattress protectors, or perhaps even a topper if a mattress is too firm (see post #4 here and post #10 here).
You can see some of my general comments about air mattresses here and in this article. While any mattress can be a good match for a specific person because each personâs needs and preferences or the criteria that are most important to them can be very different ⌠in general terms I would tend to avoid them unless there is a very compelling reason that an airbed would be a better choice in âreal lifeâ (outside of the many âmarketing storiesâ that you will hear about them) than the many other options or types of mattresses that are available to you. For those that are committed to an airbed and are convinced that there are no other types of mattresses that will meet their criteria then there are some other airbed options that are listed in post #3 here that may be much better quality/value choices than Sleep Number/Select Comfort.
I would put little if any stock into sales claims from manufacturers or online âreviewsâ. Most online âreview sitesâ are focused more on being ârevenueâ sites and either donât provide complete detailed information about products, or take âreviewsâ from people unqualified to render an educated analysis about a product and then attempt to consolidate those and pass them off as homologated. And the sales claims from manufacturers are generally enticements to get you to purchase a product, not factual data. Proceed with caution in these areas.
Itâs possible the foam used could be CertiPUR-US certified, but unfortunately most salespeople arenât very well educated about product componentry.
I donât have your zip code, but the better options or possibilities Iâm aware of in and around the Salt Lake City area (subject to first making sure that they carry the type of mattress you are interested in testing and that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here. There may be other member of the site who have more information for you about latex retailers in Utah and they can chime in.
I hope that information is helpful to you as you begin your search. Let us know what you find!
Thank you for the very helpful post (and forum). I have read the posts linked above, and Iâve been browsing the forum for a few months in anticipation of this purchase.
I found another post in the forum talking about Latex retailers in Utah, and between that and some google searches we had some good success in finding some clarification on what we like.
-First stop was R&S mattress (a part of Brooklyn Bedding). We liked the Best Mattress Ever in soft and medium, but REALLY liked their Tribeca in firm and soft. I canât find it on their website for some reason (on the other mentioned above), but this one has:
Soft, 3" 19ILD Talalay, 3" 24 ILD Latex, and 6" 32ILD Dunlop Latex support core.
Firm, 3" 28 ILD Talalay, 3" 32 ILD Latex, and 6" 36 ILD Dunlop Latex support core.
I canât find anything further on this mattress, but it was competitive on price with the Sleep EZ and others in that price range.
-We then went to Bradleys and laid on the PUre Talalay Bliss mattresses. For some reason these felt very different than the other latex mattresses we tried out. VERY bouncy and more springy than the others, and not as enveloping. The salesman couldnât tell us why. Any thoughts on what is different on these mattresses?
-We then tried some mattresses by Diamond Mattress in UT. These we liked at a lot as well in soft and medium. Great feel, but more expensive in pricing than some of the others. And we didnât like the âfoam topperâ on one of them and the fact that the salesman couldnât tell us if it had any certifications like âoeko texâ or similar. His response was that even if it wasnât, it will âair outâ quickly.
-Lastly we tried Mattress Dealzzz and their âPerfect Blissâ latex mattresses. They were comfortable, but although we were told they were 100% latex we found a spec sheet in the store and there was unspecified poly foam in various layers throughout the bed.
In any case, Iâd love to hear anyoneâs thoughts on the Pure Latex Bliss, the Tribeca we found to like from Brooklyn Bedding, and if a similarly configured mattress from Sleep EZ, Flobeds, and Foam Sweet Foam would offer a similar level of comfort to the Tribeca.
Iâm glad youâre finding the information on the site useful.
Yes, Brooklyn Bedding makes some mattresses that are specifically sold through their R&S stores. The middle layer in both mattresses you mention is a synthetic Dunlop latex.
âSpringyâ and âbuoyantâ and common terms people use when describing Talalay latex, and an all Talalay latex mattress certainly can have a âmore bouncyâ feel than one containing other types of latex (Dunlop), other foams, and a different cover. Everything will combine to create the overall feel of the mattress. There are six total Pure Talalay Bliss models, and all of them use only Talalay latex.
There are some comments about Diamond in post #2 here and the posts it links to that would be well worth reading. I had a conversation with someone from Diamond a half-year ago about some new mattresses they are designing and I passed on my thoughts that it would be very helpful if they were more transparent about the type and quality/density of the materials in their mattresses so I hope that they will take the comments to heart.
Your first stop for finding out about the componentry is indeed your local retailer, so itâs disappointing that they werenât able to provide you much in the way of specifications about their mattresses. I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
There is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications such as Oeko-tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold, C2C, and CertiPUR-US in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here. These certifications will generally test for harmful substances and VOCs, and are different from learning about the actual quality of the foam. Additionally, odors and VOCs arenât necessarily related and the presence of once doesnât mean the actual presence of another. I know, it can be confusing! :huh:
I canât find out any information from their web site regarding their latex mattresses, but the specifications you mentioned you mentioned would tend to support that this isnât a true all-latex mattress, as there should be no polyfoam present.
Youâre certainly considering some mattresses using higher-quality materials. All of the latex you encounter would be considered a durable material. The Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress ever uses a good quality 2 lb. density polyfoam core with 2" of Dunlop and 2" of Talalay latex on top of that core, so it is a different product than the Pure Talalay Bliss product or the Tribeca mattresses (both these brands are all-latex products). While also providing a bit of a different comfort, using a polyfoam core instead of a latex core is one way for manufacturers to reduce the overall cost of a mattress.
One of the advantages you have is that you have these items available for you to test personally. I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about using anyone elseâs suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words ⌠reviews or other peopleâs experiences in general wonât tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or âvalueâ of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
If you narrow down your choice to one or two finalist, then your next best option would be to phone the other online companies you are considering and tell them what youâve found and like, and they will be best able to offer suggestions to you regarding items that they may offer which will be similar. Realize that unless a product is using the exact same foams with the exact same thicknesses from the exact same manufacturers and are assembled in the exact same manner using the exact same covering, they will be different in overall comfort. Following the steps outlined in the mattress shopping tutorial I listed in my previous reply should also prove helpful as you go through this process and rank your choices based upon your own personal value equation.
Iâm looking forward to what you end up deciding to do!
Thank you again for all of the helpful information Phoenix. Here is where we stand now.
We were really interested in the mattress at R&S, but we had questions about it. They have no phone number on their website, and the âcontactâ form on their webpage wouldnât work for us (giving an internal error). Between that and their lack of a return policy we decided against that one.
We are now between SleepEZ and FoamSweetFoam, both of which are having a decent sale this weekend. Each has a slightly different recommendation on firmness for us, but at the end of the day I think either would work. Do you have any specific factors that you know of that differentiate the 2 from each other?
Also - do you have any thoughts about going Talalay on layers 1 and 2 rather than just the 1 of 4?
Thanks again, we are almost there after months of reading!
Thatâs too bad that the contact form wasnât working for you â I know that can be frustrating. For phone questions, I would reference you to the Brooklyn Bedding live phone support.
You are correct, the offer a 60-day exchange policy and not a return.
[Moderator Note: R & S has just announced a 120-day return/exchange policy. This may not be reflected yet on their web site.]
Iâd need to know the complete specifications of the items that you are considering in order to assist you in pointing out the differences between the two.
As you know, SleepEZ and FoamSweetFoam are members of this site which means that I think very highly of both of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. I certainly wouldnât hesitate to purchase a mattress from either of them.
My apologies Phoenix, I meant to post WHICH beds we are looking at.
Iâm 5â8" 160, back/side/stomach sleeper and my wife is 5â2" and 130 and back and side sleeper. She wants a plush/soft bed, Iâm ok with soft to medium as long as it has enough support.
In Sleep EZ, we are looking at the Organic Latex 13". Iâve called twice and had 2 different recommendations from 2 different salespeople:
Soft Talalay, Medium Talalay, Medium Dunlop, Firm Dunlop (both sides)
or
Soft Talalay, Medium Dunlop, Firm Dunlop, Firm Dunlop (hers) and Soft Talalay, Medium Talalay, Firm Dunlop, XFirm Dunlop (mine).
For Foam Sweet Foam we are looking at their 13" also. They recommended Soft Talalay, Medium dunlop or talalay, firm dunlop, xfirm dunlop. They also have a 16" which isnât offered by SleepEZ, but it would only be cosmetic and not necessary due to our weight.
Iâd love any insight into the differences between these if you have any. FSF sounds like it will be more firm, but they may be using different ILDs. Pricing is very similar and both companies were great and full of information on the phone.
Hello my name is Dustin Knell, Iâm the Utah Territory rep for R&S mattress. I also manage the Riverdale road location. Wanted to provide some updated information as to the exchange and return policy mentioned in this post. We now offer a full 120 day exchange or refund policy. This would entitle you to a full refund if you were unhappy with your purchase. We understand purchasing a mattress is both time consuming and stressful. Please rest assure we truly want out customers happy. If you have any questions please contact me directly at [email protected] or my direct number is 801-392-4444. Thanks dustin
[quote]In Sleep EZ, we are looking at the Organic Latex 13".
Soft Talalay, Medium Talalay, Medium Dunlop, Firm Dunlop (both sides)
or
Soft Talalay, Medium Dunlop, Firm Dunlop, Firm Dunlop (hers) and Soft Talalay, Medium Talalay, Firm Dunlop, XFirm Dunlop (mine).[/quote]
The second set of configurations are obviously closer to each other than the first recommendation.
The first recommendation for the both of you will be a little softer in the deep down support, with the second layer from the bottom being a medium Dunlop as opposed to a firm. You stated that you like âenough supportâ in your mattress, so there is a potential with that configuration to feel a bit âless firmâ deep down. Layers closest to the top of the mattress will have the most impact upon your overall comfort, while the deeper layers will tend to be the ones that people notice the differences in support.
There is more about primary or âdeepâ support and secondary or âsurfaceâ support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the ârolesâ of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between âsupportâ and âpressure reliefâ and âfeelâ.
In the second suggestion, your wifeâs side will have a softer feel on top and the transition layer of a medium Dunlop will still provide a bit of a softer feel, but the Dunlop will tend to be a bit âfirmerâ feeling than a corresponding medium Talalay layer, so this may be assistive to her when she is on her stomach where you donât want as much deflection. Your side would certainly contour well when you sleep on your side with the upper layers of soft and medium Talalay, but the deep support would be a bit firmer feeling with the addition of the extra firm base layer. The attractiveness of the second option is that you have a combination of different materials on each side of the mattress that would allow you to experiment at home should you find it necessary with alternate configurations should you find it necessary to make a change.
Obviously, this configuration is close to your side of the mattress in the second configuration suggested by SleepEZ. Different companies will use slightly different descriptors for their ILD ranges, and different latex suppliers, so there can be slight differences in comfort even if the names used for the foams are similar. Of course, the only way to know for certain would be your own actual experience testing out the mattress. THe good news is that both SleepEZ and Sleep on Latex have generous return/exchange policies.
Thank you for providing the update to your new return/exchange policy at the R & S stores. I updated the information in my previous reply in this thread, as your web site still has the outdated information.
Thank you for taking the time to monitor things here on the site.
