Alright, so it’s decision time. Here’s the math for each mattress:
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Arizona Premium Mattress
Mattress: $1520
5% Discount: $1445
Shipping: $150
Total: $1595
Return Cost: $90
ILD Considerations
22 - 28 (6ILD Gap)
22 - 32 (10ILD Gap)
Brooklyn Bedding
Mattress: $1900
5% Discount: $1805
Shipping: $0
Total: $1805
Return Cost: $75
ILD Considerations
19 - 28 (9ILD GAP)
19 - 32 (13ILD GAP)[/code]
So APM comes in @ $200 cheaper. Although I hear BB includes free latex pillows with their mattress? That would make up for the difference if so. Anyone know if APM also includes anything, or can confirm/deny if BB does?
One thing I did notice is BB claims Oeko-Tex and CertiPur-US certifications whereas APM doesn’t list anything. I assume APM’s latex is still quality though (otherwise Phoenix wouldn’t have them on the member list). Does anyone have any info on that (who makes their latex, if it’s certified and the website just doesn’t list it, etc.)?
Also if APM does a 60/40 or 70/30 Blend?
I also noticed that APM claims a 5.6in core whereas BB claims 6in. Is BB rounding up or is the APM core really smaller for some reason? APM claims the finished product is still 9in (10in like the BB if using a 3in topper) so I assume it’s just a rounding game?
Now onto the ILDs. First the toppers. APM offers 22ILD as their topper, so that’s that. BB has more options, but their lower options are 19ILD and 24ILD. I lean towards the softer side so I chose their 19ILD options (if I was wrong and needed to swap to 24ILD they allow for that at least).
As for the Cores, I’ve only been able to lay on 32ILD (Blended Talalay) and it was pretty neutral if not a bit firm. That leads me to believe that it would likely do fine as the Core, but I do like my soft beds so I’m tempted to give 28ILD a try. Therein lies my problem. APM lets you swap cores/have a split mattress so I could order a 28 and 32 (King), see which I like better, and swap the one I don’t, while still remaining roughly $100 cheaper than BB.
Is it bad to drop below 32 for a Core? I see most people prefer 30-40, I never see anyone mention 28. If it’s the general consensus that 32+ is the way to go I’ll just do that and consider adding an additional topper in the future if I want the mattress to be softer.
I also listed the ILD Gap since I heard that if the gap is too large you’re more likely to feel the transition or “crash” into the harder latex (I heard you want to hover around 8 so it seems most of my choices are fine anyway with the exception of possibly the 19-32). I also read (in THIS thread between MikeM and Phoenix) that if the layers are closer in ILD they tend to share the pressure better, whereas a big gap (soft-hard) causes the softer layer to compress much more causing an uncomfortable situation.
I’m 5’10 170-200lbs (weight fluctuates right now for various reasons, will be back to the 170 range soon :whistle: lol). My wife is 5’4 100lbs. Just for ILD consideration (although I know much more than that goes into it).
So really it comes down to:
- What freebies come with each mattress (if any)
- If I can make my mind up about the core (I’d have to go with APM if I’m undecided since they’re the only ones to allow core swaps).
Bonus/Side question (as it doesn’t relate to these mattresses, at least I don’t think they offer it). Does a triple-stage mattress work any better/worse than a dual-stage (assuming mattress depth/thickness is the same)? For instance, would there be a perceivable difference between a 19 - 26 - 32 (all latex) mattress and a 22 - 32 (all latex) mattress (my thinking is the 19-26 layers would average out to feel about the same as the single 22 layer, even though there are obviously a few more variables to consider like shearing, compression, layer size, etc.)?