Latex v coil

Hello everyone. I have two dilemmas that I would like some advice on, if you don’t mind. I live in Ontario, Canada. There is a local mattress manufacturer named Marshall mattresses. By all accounts, their mattresses used to be of the highest quality. I hope that is still true. But in any case, they are well regarded. There is another company called Foamite. Their mattresses are made with natural latex and Koosh foam (rubber?). I tested out the firmest foam and the firmest Marshall and haven’t a clue how to decide between them. Memory foam doesn’t work for me, nor does a soft mattress. I have tried various things, but have been in pain - lower back and hips - for years now. It usually takes a few months for me to figure out whether a mattress is a good fit (usually they aren’t) and by then it is too late to do anything about it. The price difference is about $500 (the foam/latex one is the more expensive), which I am prepared to pay if it means freedom from pain. The second quandary is whether to get an adjustable mattress, to go with the adjustable frame. The latex/rubber ones can be used with any adjustable bed frame. Marshalls has adjustable firm mattresses, but they are not reversible. The mattresses that are reversible cannot be used with the adjustable beds. Will this lack of resiliency result in the adjustable mattresses wearing out more quickly?

Hi dgoldbede,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

The first part of your post sounds as if you’re asking site members (or me) to choose a mattress for you, which they (and I) can’t do.

I can certainly help with “how” to choose, but it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … 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 you’ve 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 “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, 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 doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” 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 (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

Outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out the 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. You’d want to acquire this information about any of the mattresses you’re considering at Marshall Mattress or Foamite (you don’t list specifics in your post.

In its simplest form … choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

  1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

  2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

  3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

You may use the forum search feature here to search for previous mentions of Foamite or Marshall Mattress here on the site. Koosh foam is just a tradename for some of their polyfoam and memory foam.

I’m sorry to hear about your back and hip pain :frowning: , and I know how that can make it difficult to choose a mattress, and of course with such a pre-existing condition it’s difficult to tell if a mattress is really the cause of such pain, or if it is exacerbating it.

Because each person is different in terms of their physiology, weight distribution, and body shape as well as the positions they sleep in, their individual preferences, and the specifics of any back issues they may experience, there is no such thing as a mattress that is “better for backs” in general because a mattress that is good for one person’s back (or back issues) may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on … even if their body type, sleeping positions, or back issues appear to be fairly similar. There is only a mattress that keeps you in good alignment which would be best for YOUR back.

In general … what you would be looking for is a mattress with firm enough deep support and then comfort layers that are “just enough” in terms of thickness and softness to “fill in” and support the more recessed parts of your sleeping profile and relieve pressure in your most pressure prone sleeping position (usually side sleeping for those who sleep in this position) so that there is less risk to alignment in your other sleeping positions.

There is some information about the many different symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the most common causes behind them in post #2 here that may be helpful but the most common reason for lower back pain is a mattress that has comfort layers that are too thick/soft or a support core that is too soft.

As for adjustable bed bases, there is more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). Of course there are many other sources as well and prices can change on a regular basis so I would also include some internet searching in your research. I would also keep in mind that online advertised prices are often price controlled so make sure you call the stores you are considering to find out their best prices rather than just looking at websites.

I would consider all the major adjustable bed manufacturers to be closely comparable in terms of reliability so I would use price and feature comparisons to choose between them.

I would also give some careful consideration to the type of features that you may find useful over a longer period of time because some of the features they offer may seem very “enticing” when you are shopping but some people may find that they don’t use them as much as they thought they would once the novelty has worn off.

Regarding mattresses, you are correct that latex mattresses (flippable or one-sided) will perform well on a power foundation. If you’re considering an innerspring product, make sure that it is “adjustable bed friendly”. If it is one-sided, you’d want to of course rotate it frequently. If it is two-sided, you’d want to both rotate or flip it frequently, and this can extend the usable comfort life, just as in a “flat” mattress.

If you have more specific questions, or can provide more specific information about the products you’re considering, I’ll do my best to be assistive.

Phoenix