Latex Mattresses in NJ - In-Store

Hi,

I’m new to the website but definitely had my fair share of reading here… and wow. Lots of info. Same story for me, back pain, extreme tight hamstrings due to poor support, causing ankle tendon complications etc. The hunt began with innerspring Stearns and Foster to Beautyrest Black then now stepped up to Latex. Thought is, it will last longer (hopefully more than 10 years) and cheaper to fix, replace a single layer. Not a fan of tempurpedic memory foam and the sinking in feeling.

  1. Came across a store in NJ that had a 3 talalay layer system composing of 2" soft, 3" medium, 6" extra firm. Is having the various inches unheard of? I have yet to find an online retailer have such an offering. I do like initial softness and immediate strong support behind it. Are online retailers willing to customize?

  2. 100% Talalay vs Talalay and Dunlop mix - what is the feeling between the two? I know they are different feels in general but would I notice difference, considering the different density of the two and comparative ILDs (5ft 7in, 172lbs)? Or is this an area where I can save some money and go with T/D mix? I’m now about double the budget I initially started at but figured its worth it, but if there is anywhere I can dial it down, let me know. If there would be a durability/longevity issue of 1 year, that’s tolerable to me as long as its past the 9 year mark. I know this is tough gauge, but i’m hoping there has been some experience/feedback on the forum on this.

  3. What is the average lifespan of 100% latex bed? 10 years guaranteed? or am i expecting too much?

  4. I’m all about reducing risk of short-term failure since i bought the old W Hotel Bed that was on sale about 5yrs back and its now sagging. With that in mind, even if I were to get a Beautyrest Black, it is possible that it could fail around the 7 year mark or earlier, regardless of being a high end innerspring, right? Just want to be sure that going Latex is the safer bet in the long run…

  5. Is there any other NJ retailers I can try in store, other than the one in summit, NJ?

Hi johnnyjuice99,

Latex mattresses that have multiple layers with different firmnesses or thicknesses are more the norm than the exception. Online mattresses with multiple layers.are also more common than mattresses that only have a single layer. Different stores or manufacturers carry hundreds of different mattresses that use different types of latex, different different layer thicknesses, and different layer firmnesses to match the different needs and preferences of a wide range of people.

If you are referring to component mattresses with loose layers and a zip cover then you will find a fairly wide range of options available from various manufacturers or retailers that have different designs and different layer thicknesses.

There are a number of online retailers or manufacturers that sell component mattress “kits” that allow you to customize a mattress by choosing the type of latex or the firmness of each individual layer in the mattress and you can also fine tune the mattress after a purchase by either rearranging the layers or exchanging a layer. Most of them have different models and each model has a specific design with a standard combination of layer thicknesses but you can choose the type of latex or the firmness for each layer. A few provide the option to build a mattress with any combination of latex type, layer thickness, and layer firmness that they have available but this would be more common with local manufacturers than with online manufacturers.

Post #3 here includes a list of many of the online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses

There is more about the general differences between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here and there is also more about all the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

It would depend on the person. Some people are more sensitive and will notice much more subtle differences between two mattresses that most people wouldn’t notice at all while others don’t seem to notice much difference between mattresses that most people would think are very different. In very general terms the differences between the upper layers of a mattress will generally be more noticeable than differences between the deeper layers of a mattress. Different people will also have different preferences in terns of the type of latex they tend to prefer in some or all of the layers in a mattress.

The amount of latex in a mattress (the mattress thickness) along with the type and blend of latex and the type of cover can all affect the price of a mattress but each of these can also affect the feel and performance of the mattress as well and the only way to know which of these may be more or less important to you and the tradeoffs that would be worth it to you will be based on your own personal experience. Different manufacturers or retailers may also have a range of different prices as well.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.

A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally suggest a mattress that they honestly believe has the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs relative to your BMI range that are suggested in the durability guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” beyond that would be higher as well.

In very general terms latex is the most durable of all the foam materials that are generally used in the industry.

The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons (including their Black line), and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

Most hotel mattresses are also made by the major manufacturers and I would also avoid them as well. They are generally significantly overpriced compared to similar consumer mattresses made by the same manufacturer (which I also wouldn’t purchase) because hotel mattresses don’t need to be as durable as a consumer mattress that is used every night and that is generally used for longer periods of time than a hotel mattress before it’s replaced. They are one of the most common sources of buyers remorse because lower quality and less durable materials can lead to premature softening and the loss of comfort and support and the need to replace the mattress much too quickly after a purchase (and foam softening and the loss of comfort and support isn’t covered by mattress warranties). You can read more about hotel mattresses in general in post #3 here and the posts it links to.

You would be very fortunate to get 7 years of use out of any of them and it would be reasonable to expect significantly less.

Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Summit, NJ area would be listed in either the Monroe Township/Newark list in post #7 here or the New York City list in post #2 here (there is a fair bit of overlap between them).

Phoenix

Thanks for the info Phoenix - its been real helpful. I’m at the stage of comparing online pricing vs in-store. I recently visited Shovelin Mattress Factory and the latex mattress they were selling was actually 6" Talalay and 6" Polyfoam. It was priced at the same deal I got a 100% Natural Talaly 3 Layer bed. I had hopes they would be priced competitively.

My latest comparison, I can’t seem to find info on. I am currently interested in a mattress that is 2" soft / 3" firm / 6" extra firm. If i were to remove 3" of the extra firm, would it be noticeable? (Again i’m 5’7" 170lbs). Based on what i’ve heard, my weight may not even push that far down.

Hi johnnyjuice99,

All the layers and components in a mattress (including the cover and quilting) will have some effect on the feel and performance of every other layer in a mattress above and below it and the mattress “as a whole” to different degrees so what you feel on a mattress is the combined effect of all the layers more than the effects of just a single layer or component in a mattress.

In very general terms though … the properties and firmness of materials and components that are closer to the top surface of a mattress will tend to have a bigger effect on the overall “feel” and firmness of a mattress than materials that are deeper in the mattress, thicker layers or components will generally contribute more of their feel and firmness to the mattress than thinner layers or components, and thinner layers or components would “allow” more of the feel and properties of the deeper layers or components underneath them to “come through” than thicker layers and components.

Because the 6" extra firm layer is on the bottom of the mattress it’s thickness would have less effect on the overall feel of the mattress than if it was closer to the top of the mattress there is no way to quantify how much difference there would be for any individual person because different people can have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare even if they are in a similar BMI range or have a similar sleeping style.

Some people that are less sensitive and closer to the “I can sleep on anything” end of the scale don’t seem to notice much difference between mattresses that most people would find quite different and most likely wouldn’t notice any difference between them at all. Other people that are more sensitive and closer to the “princess and the pea” end of the range tend to notice more subtle differences between mattresses that most people don’t seem to notice at all and would probably notice a difference between them.

Phoenix

Phoenix - I still plan on getting a 2 or 3" soft, 3" firm, 3" extra firm mattress, to minimize the hip sinkage. Based on user responses, what would the difference between 2" and 3" comfort soft layer? I understand its more of the “feel” rather than support but would the additional inch provide more of the “cloud like feel” or provide more of a gradual transition to the firm support layer?

Hi johnnyjuice99,

There are too many unknowns, variables, and differences in personal preferences to use the advice or feedback of others in a theoretical mattress configuration as any sort of a reliable guideline for how one product might feel for you versus someone else.

With that being said, the layers of latex closest to you will have the greatest impact upon your overall surface comfort, and a 3" upper plush layer versus a 2" upper plush layer, assuming the layers are the same ILD and style of latex, will be softer feeling, in just the same manner that a 3" latex topper has a more plush comfort than a 2" latex topper made of the exact same material.

If you’re interested, there is more information about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” 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 “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.

Phoenix

Hey Johnny,

Take a look at CozyPure as an option. I think the nearest store selling CozyPure will be an hour and a half drive to PA, but you can try them out in-store if you’d like.

I made a purchase over their holiday deals for, essentially, their Luxury Hotel set; my review won’t be forthcoming for a few months, however. Purchasing and assistance was smooth and they allow a 100 day trial on their Luxury Hotel set. I would also recommend that you go with a mattress that allows a few months of “free trial” in your home to gauge how well it supports you and how you like the feel of it. In-store trials, even multiple hours like I do, won’t indicate how well you’ll like the mattress once accustomed to it.

*I also suffer from back pain and hope the switch from memory foam to latex will prove beneficial.

Good luck!

Hi GrandMasterJ,

Congratulations on your new mattress! :slight_smile: I look forward to your feedback on the product after you’ve had a chance to sleep on it for a while. As you’re aware, CozyPure is a member here, which means I think highly of them.

One of the advantages of trying mattresses locally is that you can try many different types and styles and combinations of materials and components and firmness levels and compare them to each other in “real time” based on your actual experience rather than just “theory” instead of trying one online mattress at a time and not knowing how it compares to the other mattresses that you could have tried or purchased instead. For most individuals this is enough to find a suitable product that is well inside their comfort/support range 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). For others, the ability to exchange a mattress when shopping locally is higher up on their personal value equation list, so in those instances it is always important to familiarize yourself with any potential return/exchange policy that a store may offer.

Phoenix

Thanks for the suggestion, however, I don’t believe they have a store in PA. They are Virginia based. I’m also looking for Talalay latex, so i don’t think they apply : /

Hey Johnny,

They have a few resellers; I tested one of the CozyPure mattresses in PA about 1.5 years ago. You can check their site for reseller locations.

If you are Talalay-specific, then they would not apply as it appears they use the Dunlop process.

My review is still a couple of months out as I adjust, but I do quite like their wool comforter and LaNoodle topper. If I can get the correct pillow-to-mattress angle to support my neck while I sleep, I think the additional support of the firmer latex will help my back. Time and experimentation will tell.

Hi GrandmasterJ,

CozyPure “tested” the idea a few years ago of allowing a select group of retailers to sell their products, but they decided it wasn’t for them, and they are now strictly direct-to-consumer.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I finally bought my mattress and hopefully this post will help others who are also trying to find the correct layering. I wanted a bit more softness than what I felt in store.

Original mattress in store: 2" soft/3"firm/6"Xfirm
SleepEz similar config: 2" soft topper/3"medium/3"xfirm - split king (idea was having 3"less on the bottom layer, will put you closer to the bedframe slats thus making it feel firmer, so it was best to get a softer support layer and go with a medium. Having a topper instead of inside the mattress will allow more softness since it is not compressed within the mattress along with having a cotton stretch cover. )

things to consider between sagging mattress and the final mattress: I slept on an airbed for two months while figuring out the best way to configure. Any switching in mattress can alter your perception. When i first encountered the sagging plush mattress, I wanted a firm bed to counter my experience, one extreme to the other. After sleeping on airbed, my back got used to the different support, but didnt feel like what I had wanted which was a plush comfort feeling with a firm support…

First night - bed was in fact a bit firm and was causing my back to arch and stomach to rise higher than normal. It felt like i was floating on the mattress on the pressure points of my back (shoulder blades, spine, and hip area) rather than sinking in, with the bed supporting my weight.

Second night - I unzipped the wool cover and set the 2"soft topper on the open mattress. This was a noticeable difference since i was told that a wool cover would in fact make the mattress a bit firmer, since it allowed less latex movement. It allowed my body to further sink in and provide more overall support with my body, not just the pressure points. However, I still feel the slight arch in my lower back and I don’t feel quite relaxed as I should be. I still have the need to push my weight into the mattress for the correct comfort/feel. It does feel more comfortable to sleep on my side, since it does provide enough weight to push into the mattress, although I am usually a back sleeper.

It is still not quite where I want it but plan on giving the bed and my back a bit more time to adjust.

  1. If I were to remove the XFIRM and place the soft over medium within the mattress - how would this feel compared to my current configuration?

  2. Would you say that the XFIRM layer is placing too much pressure on my lumbar and is most likely the reason why my stomach felt “raised”? Perhaps switching to a FIRM layer would resolve this?

  3. If i were to switch the 2" with a 3" soft, how would this compare to my current configuration?

  4. I also have a split king mattress (soft topper is 1 piece) - any recommended configs I should try to narrow down the correct layer swap? Maybe if soft/medium/medium becomes too soft/unsupportive, then FIRM is the correct layer i should swap?

I do understand that comfort and feel is subjective and I’m trying to find out the general direction of feel. I’m hoping you can assist me to find the correct steps/plan for me to follow and try out, in finalizing the feel i want in the mattress. Thanks again!

Hi johnnyjuice99,

Congratulations on your new mattress! :cheer: You certainly made a good quality/value choice, and as you know SleepEZ is a member here, which mean I think highly of them.

Unless you were ordering the exact same foams from the exact same suppliers, you’ll be getting a product that will have a different feel from what you tested in-store. Without knowing the exact types/ILDs of these foams, and just going upon the subjective comfort designations, it appears that you purchased a construction that overall would have a more plush feel than what you personally tested. As for your reasoning for the switching of layers, that’s actually a discussion that wold take pages to fully comment upon, but in a nutshell you have to look at the entire mattress as a system, and you created a mattress that is more “plush”, at least in specifications, than what you tested in store. If you want to delve more into “support”, I talk about it in more detail here.

This is very true, and many people have a “learned alignment” from a poorly supportive older mattress and it can take them longer to adjust to a new mattress that has better and more “proper” support/comfort characteristics.

While I certainly can’t diagnose comfort/alignment issues online, it sounds to me that you’re actually describing that you personally desire more of “flattening” of the lordotic (forward) curve of your low back than the mattress is allowing in its current configuration. This is opposed to the mattress “pushing up” your low back, which it wouldn’t be doing unless you had an extra thickness of latex just under your lumbar region, or if the product was zoned and allowed you’re your hips and shoulders to sink in much more deeply than your low back area. To test this, you can lie down on your mattress on your back and then slowly bring your knees toward your chest and see if this gradually creates the feel that you are trying to accomplish. If that is the case, it “sounds” like you are desiring a bit more “sag” for this region, which would of course be accomplished by allowing everything to conform more by manipulating the upper layers to be a bit softer. Of course this allows every other part of your body to sink in a bit more deeply as well. Also, realize that your cover and foams will soften over time as they lose some of their “false firmness”.

If this is indeed the case, you could still be accustomed to your older sleep surfaces that allowed you to sink in more deeply than would normally be considered “proper alignment”, and your hip flexors could also be lacking in flexibility, which would all be contributing to the feeling of your back being “arched up” a bit. Again, this is all “theory at a distance”, but maybe it can help explain things a bit. Over time your “learned alignment” to the poorer older sleep surface should dissipate, if that is indeed the case.

That’s a good plan, as you’re still very early on in the process.

The nice thing is that you have the materials available to do this on your own. I can’t speak to how this will feel to you, but you’ll be asking 5" of quite plush materials to perform all support and comfort duties, and more than likely the transition to the wood support base will be quite abrupt.

Again, I can’t feel what you feel. It could be true that you desire to sink in more deeply and have more rounding of your low back. I would take some time to adjust to your new mattress before making decision about changing out base layers. As I mentioned earlier, what I think you’re describing is not an actual “arching” of your back, but the perception of what you are used to and that you desire your low back to sink in more deeply. But I’m guessing and speaking in general terms here. Changing out the base layer of a mattress will have less noticeable differences in comfort than manipulating the upper layers of a mattress, but going to a less firm core piece would create a system that overall would generally have just a bit more “give” deep down.

You would notice more plushness on top. This would be a more dramatic change in feel than changing the deeper layers of the mattress.

If after trying out your current mattress for longer than a few days you are convinced that you need to make a change, my best advice would be a detailed phone conversation with SleepEZ, as they would best be able to offer advice based upon the exact specifications of the foams they supplied you and their experience with similar somatotypes and comments of their thousands of customers. But I wouldn’t be in a hurry to make so many changes, as I would advise that your mattress needs to adjust a bit to you, and that you need to also adjust to your new mattress. My overall concern is that you’re leaning toward too plush of a product too soon, which is a common mistake. It may certainly be that this is the route you eventually take, but I would give yourself a bit of time to “reset”.

One thought is that if you want to test out your extra surface plushness idea, you could fold over your 2" top layer (so that you have 4" of soft Talalay on your side) and lie back upon that.

I know I’ve supplied quite a bit of information here, but my overall best suggestion is to give things a bit more time and analyze from there.

I’ll look forward to your updates.

Phoenix

I did the knee test and it does in fact feel what I am trying to accomplish. I’m assuming this is also similar to other recommendations, where they say to place a pillow under the knees. I would like to accomplish this but without the use of a pillow since i just bought the mattress.

Its been a week of use in the current config SOFT/MED/XFIRM without the use of the mattress wool cover. My back seems to have adjusted somewhat but I still have specific areas along the spine which are a little sore when waking. One is in the lordotic area, between my shoulder blades and the large protruding bone at shoulder height. Again not painful but a sore, tight feeling that I end up having to stretch as soon as I get up out of bed. Not sure if this is normal when adjusting.

I did switch the bottom layer for a medium so that the config was SOFT/MED/MED without the wool cover and this was very noticeable. It allowed me to sink in further and my lower back had much more support than in the SOFT/MED/XFIRM config. (support for me is defined as more pressure and more difficult to place my hand in that area while lying down). I ended up zipping up the wool cover and I was able to relax much more overall throughout my body and along my legs as it was a bit firmer. I only slept on this config for about an hr nap just to test it out.

I will continue with the SOFT/MED/XFIRM for another 3 weeks to see how it will work out since firmer is usually better for alignment. I am also noticing more “give” in the mattress, decreasing the false firmness and avoid making the mistake as other people and give the mattress more time.

I tried this config and it was waaayyy too soft for me.

Hi johnyjuice99,

Thanks for the update. I’m glad you are adjusting a bit to the mattress, and the mattress is also adjusting to you a bit as well. Also, thanks for the update on the different configurations you described.

Regarding your one change to the S/M/M, that would actually be a less supportive version than what you currently have. If you’re interested to learn about pressure relief and support, there is more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” 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 “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.

I’m looking forward to your update in a few more weeks.

Phoenix

After a couple more weeks, I have requested a comfort exchange for the XFIRM to be changed to a MED-FIRM 35 ILD 3" Talalay. After a couple trials with different configurations, the best is now from top to bottom: 2" SOFT topper, 3" MED-FIRM, 3" MED with the wool cover on (it was too soft without the woolcover). Being a back sleeper, my lumbar is now better supported but not as elevated as it was with the XFIRM.

However, I’m a bit concerned with the topper now that I have worn it in and noticed different compression feel when compared to the middle of the bed where no one sleeps vs where I normally sleep. It is significantly firmer in the area where no one sleeps as well as my wife’s side (I suspect because she’s only 110lbs). I understand that it possibly makes sense because it isn’t going through the same “break-in” however, i didn’t think it would be so different. I can sleep on half and half and feel the unevenness. I actually like the non break-in areas more as there is more “cushion” between my back and the wool cover and feels more “substantial” for my weight. However, the broken in areas, I believe is causing the pain along my thoracic spine (location highlighted in image attached), between my shoulder blades, This pain has been present throughout my “Latex Journey”. I am slowly contemplating returning the mattress all together and go with a latex innerspring mattress.

I read some posts that this could be due to pillow height, however, I have tried adjusting my shredded latex pillow height by moving around the latex pieces but still did not help. I tried using a lower, flatter pillow which did not help and added deep tension in both my shoulders.

1a) What is the primary cause for this pain? I see many posts from people with similar pain, but I am unable to find their solution.

1b) Can you direct me to posts that have had the same problem with their solution?

  1. Would increasing the thickness of the talalay topper address the spine soreness?

  2. I understand that with the topper outside of the mattress, will allow additional plushness. Should I consider getting a 3" SOFT and extend the wool mattress cover to encase all 3 layers? I was told by SLEEPEZ that 80% of people go for SOFT/MED/FIRM. I am slowly regretting not starting with this configuration.

In the meantime, I plan on folding my 2"topper to see what that will feel like with the current config. I am afraid though, that it will allow my hips to sink in too far (with the current config without the wool cover was too soft for my lumbar).

Hi johnnyjuice 99,

All of the layers of the mattress break in together, including the covering, and the most noticeable changes will happen during the first few months of owning the mattress.

The area you pointed to in your photo is the mid-thoracic region, which while it certainly could be impacted by pillow selection, would normally be more effected by the mattress layering choices.

I would unfortunately have no way to diagnose what is causing a pain in your back, and whether or not it is related to anything in your new mattress or exposing an issue “hidden” while you were using your old mattress, via an online forum.

Even if someone described a similar pain in a similar region, this would have no bearing on your particular issue and any results should not be taken as a reliable indicator of a solution to your situation. There have been thousands of visitors to the forum with different pain issues in their backs, and all have come up with different methods to address those pains (not always successfully, unfortunately).

There would be no way for me to have knowledge of what may or may not feel better to you. You do state that the areas of your mattress that feel a bit more “stiff” (not “broken-in” yet) feel better to you, so have you tried putting the medium on top of the soft with the medium-firm underneath (a bit of a "dominant layer construction)? Sometimes when people complain of the mid-thoracic region being in pain it can be that the top layer is allowing them to sink in a bit more initially than what they desire. But that of course is a general statement and only a guess, as it seems you keep moving toward softer overall configurations, removing deep down support, and keeping things soft on top, with no improvement.

Many people do go with a simple progressive construction, and this does seem to hit the “sweet spot” of mattress comfort (the largest part of the bell curve). But just because it works for many people isn’t a guarantee that it will work for you, of course.

That could certainly be true and would make sense (and on the surface from your past comments would make sense), but as you have the layer it won’t hurt to try anyway.

Phoenix