Hi I know youd said that for Essentias price similar materials can be found but so far i havent come across anything else that has a latex base for support and memory foam top for contour/pressure points. do you recommend somewhere in or near vancouver that does? essentia does have a boxing week sale (200 off per 1000) but it still is pricey for the higher density(firmer) memory foam topped ones…i wonder even if a bed feels comfortable and soft on your shoulder might the support for a straight spine be off since the hip is heavier(and for women curvier)?
Hi debating,
It sounds like you’ve read this already but just in case you haven’t … there are some comments about Essentia and some of the misleading claims they make and some forum discussions with them (as well as some of the FTC issues they have had about their claims) in this thread and this thread and posts #3 and #4 here). I certainly wouldn’t treat the information on their website as a reliable source of “fact based” information. I would also make some very careful “value” comparisons before considering any Essentia mattress because they tend to be in a much higher budget range than other mattresses that use similar materials as well.
There is more information about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other 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).
I would also keep in mind that even if you are considering several mattresses that contain similar materials (in this case a latex support core and a memory foam top layer) … they can still be very different from each other since they may contain different types or blends of latex, different formulations of memory foam that have different properties, different layer thicknesses, or different firmness levels in each layer that will have a significant effect on the feel and performance of a mattress or how it will compare to another mattress or how well it will match your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences). In other words … one mattress that uses a certain combination of materials may be a good match for you in terms of PPP while another mattress that uses the same or similar materials but has a different design or firmness level may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Vancouver, BC area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply) are listed in post #2 here.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). I would be cautious about excluding any type of mattress based on “theory” or assuming that one type of mattress or combination of materials will be better for you than another unless you have tried a range of different types of mattresses and confirmed that you tend to prefer them based on your own personal experience on a range of different mattresses.
While you didn’t mention which of the Essentia mattresses you are considering … as a reference you can see an example here of a mattress that uses a latex support core and memory foam comfort layers (although I don’t believe that they ship to Canada). SleepEZ (which ships to Canada) also has the option of using memory foam as the top layer of their component latex mattress here.
As another example of something “similar” in terms of materials … you could also purchase a mattress that uses 6" of Dunlop latex and then add a memory foam topper on top of it although depending on the specifics of the latex and the memory foam it may feel and perform very differently from the specific Essentia mattress you are considering.
It would depend entirely on the specifics of the mattress design because in some cases the answer would be yes and in other cases the answer would be no. 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” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your 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, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate 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 or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress relative to your weight that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Phoenix
thank you i will compare to the two place in surrey with both latex and memory foam on top…considering all other memory foams at sleep country etc are also non natural essentia still seems ok just pricey(though boxing week its 200 off per 1000 at least). but other than the natural memory foam can i trust its real latex i am paying for and itll last for years and have a reliable warranty as they say do you think?
hi so i had no luck from the links to find any latex n memory foam combos but my major concern is after reading a link saying that essentia cant say it doesnt have Fermaldahyde(huge concern) and vocs…i basically am ok with it being less natural like sleep country beds with memory foam that have been certified for the worst chemicals not being there
Hi debating,
Other than the “so called” natural memory foam (which I don’t believe is natural) … as far as I’m aware they use 100% natural latex in their base layers (but of course they can confirm this).
While I don’t think that for most people they would be the best “value” choice … they do use good quality materials and there are no obvious weak links in their mattresses that would compromise the durability or useful life of their mattresses.
A warranty is important to guard against manufacturing defects in the materials or components inside a mattress that can happen on rare occasions … but I would also keep in mind that mattress warranties only cover manufacturing defects and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words warranties have little to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long it may be until you will need to buy a new one. If there is an actual defect in the materials it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress but knowing the quality and durability of the materials inside a mattress is always a much more reliable way to assess the durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
There is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) 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 that are suggested in the 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” would be higher as well.
All the major brands (such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta) tend to use lower quality 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 and I would avoid any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see this article) and confirm that they meet the quality/durability guidelines here which would exclude almost all of the major brand mattresses and the major chain stores like Sleep Country that specialize in them (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).
All foam materials have “some” VOC’s so it’s not possible for any manufacturer to claim that a mattress that contains any type of foam material (including polyfoam, memory foam, or latex foam) contains no VOC’s at all. The goal is to make sure that any materials in a mattress don’t contain harmful substances or VOC’s in amounts that would be harmful. The only reliable way to assess the “safety” of a material in more general terms is based on any laboratory testing and certifications they have for harmful substances and VOC’s (see post #2 here for more information about some of the reliable “safety” certifications) and if the materials in a mattress have a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would be “safe enough”.
The amount of any particular substances would be more important than whether they are present at all. There are also many sources for formaldehyde inside the home besides just the materials in a mattress and there are also natural sources for it as well so there is even some formaldehyde in background amounts in ambient outdoor air (see post #6 here).
Phoenix
thank you…oh so are you saying Essentia may not have a harmful amount of formaldahyde more than in nature or even some latex cores etc and that sleep countrys certipure memory foam topped beds are not necessarily better? although less countouring sounds like ill be getting latex from innovative sleep solutions(never been yet but trust byyour link that you trust it) or majestic. i hope these have less formaldahyde since for comfort i do like memory foam tops. the owner was saying that latex will contour too and gives better ortho support vs. memory foam…?
hmm because i deal with some unexplained fatigue and am sensitiv e to fermaldehyde from testing i would prefer a bed with a tiny amount or no fermaldehyde but still within reach so between pure latex at innovative sleep or majestic, regular hybrids at sleep country or essentia is my best bet latex (and definitely not memory foam etc)?
Hi debating,
[quote]so are you saying Essentia may not have a harmful amount of formaldahyde more than in nature or even some latex cores etc and that sleep countrys certipure memory foam topped beds are not necessarily better?
hmm because i deal with some unexplained fatigue and am sensitiv e to fermaldehyde from testing i would prefer a bed with a tiny amount or no fermaldehyde but still within reach so between pure latex at innovative sleep or majestic, regular hybrids at sleep country or essentia is my best bet latex (and definitely not memory foam etc)? [/quote]
Certifications can only identify whether the mattress is under the testing limits for that specific certification (which are listed in the post I linked in my last reply) and don’t “rank” them relative to each other or specify which are “best or worst”.
While it may be more information than you are looking for … there is a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” that can help each person decide on the types of materials they are most comfortable having in their mattress or on the certifications that may be important to them. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
I would also avoid Sleep Country regardless of their certifications because they tend to focus on major brands that use lower quality materials that would be a weak link in their mattresses.
While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else in terms of firmness, “comfort”, or PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP (which is all about how well you will sleep on a mattress) the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is it’s durability and in terms of durability a mattress is only as good as its construction and the type, quality, and durability of the materials inside it (which is all about how long you will sleep well) regardless of the name of the manufacturer or the name of the mattress on the label. In other words I would make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can confirm there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress before making any mattress purchase … regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label. This means that I would only deal with retailers or manufacturers that are both willing and able to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed choice.
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 be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
Latex and memory foam are both very “point elastic” (contour well to the shape of the body) but they are also very different materials. There is more about some of the pros and cons of latex vs memory foam in post #2 here but the best way to know whether you tend to prefer one or the other (or different materials completely) will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience.
Phoenix
thank you! striclty fermaldehyde (or very harmful chemicals) speaking do you think theres a smaller amount in a latex bed as majestics?(inoovative sleep soultions tells me they carry the same brand too so im trusting based on your link its a credible place). because at sleep country they said if the latex bed costs 2000 or less then it cant be pure latex as their 4000 one(too pricey though) so i hope the majestic/innovative latex is still a better bed than spring+memory foam at sleep country. oh wow so even the pricier sleep country beds are made cheaply? i did hear of one sinking…
Hi debating.
There really isn’t any way for me to know for certain without seeing the specifics of any lab testing results on either the materials in the mattress or the complete mattress which generally aren’t available.
The only reliable way to assess the “safety” of a material in more general terms is based on any certifications they have for harmful substances and VOC’s and while for most people a CertiPUR certification (for memory foam or polyfoam) would be “safe enough” … it’s also possible that even with a certification some people may have a specific sensitivity to certain materials that for most people would be fine (some people with MCS or multiple chemical sensitivities for example may react to materials that the large majority of people would be fine with).
In very general terms and based only on anecdotal and “non scientific” information and “reports” you will find that of the three main foam materials memory foam will have the highest incidence of people that have complaints about “symptoms” they they experience followed by polyfoam followed by latex. There are also many people that are more concerned about sensitivities and “chemicals” in a mattress that tend to choose mattresses that contain more natural or even organic materials just to err on the side of caution.
I wouldn’t put much credence in the information that you are given at most larger chain stores.
Again … there is more information about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other 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).
If you are defining “better” in terms of the quality and durability of a mattress then the only way to make these types of comparisons between specific mattresses is based on comparing the specifics of the materials inside them but the major brands in general tend to use lower quality and less durable materials that would be a weak link in their mattress.
The only “all latex” mattress at Sleep Country that would be “somewhat” comparable to one of the Renelle all latex mattresses would be the NaturaOrganics Eco Balance.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: sleepcountry.ca/products/tabid/131/products/459/mattresses/natura-naturaorganics-eco-balance/language/en-us/default.aspx
Phoenix
thanks! youd written somehwere you think highly of majestic though so have you found their latex beds are mostly pure nad not largely synthetic mixes? they say they are an organic store with pure latex. i know you said not to necessarily trust a large chain store but a competitor said that for 2000 it cant be pure because of the cost of latex nowadays. and even if its synthetic mixed in, is that still generally less toxic than memory foam topped beds?
Hi debating,
I do think highly of Majestic but I don’t know which of their mattresses your question is referring to. The 6" and 8" Restore mattresses and the Unison mattresses that they list on their website here are “all latex” mattresses that use certified organic Dunlop latex and don’t contain any synthetic latex or any other synthetic foam materials (only 100% natural Dunlop latex can be certified organic).
They are clearly wrong.
I think that I’ve answered this in my previous replies. All the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold (see post #2 here) and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s but the only way to make specific comparisons about VOC’s between any specific materials or mattresses would be based on seeing the lab testing results.
Phoenix
thanks a ton, i think ive made my decision for tomorrow, innovative sleep solutions which i found in your link says they have the same brand latex beds as majestic but can give a better deal so i hope its just as trustworthy as majestic? the bed i have in mind is called tower, its by renell natures embrace organic100%(they said its more like 97% pure and then the binding agents of course). its a ten inch one for less than 2000 with boxing week. seems great, i hope the company innovative sleep is trsutworthy cuz im ready to buy it 
Hi debating,
It would depend on whether you are comparing exactly the same mattress (most manufacturers make a range of different mattresses).
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design relative to your weight range and if there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations about each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials or types and blends of latex, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
thanks! i just called he said its by renell natures embrace just like at majestic so as long as its a trustworthy company then i know the model (Tower) i want. i just trust it based on the link because ive called a place before that was selling latex at suspiciously low prices and had some bad reviews of getting a different bed,not pure like what theyd seen
Hi Debating,
Nature’s Embrace is the name of a lineup of mattresses not an individual mattress so you would need to make sure that the specific mattresses you are comparing are the same in both stores.
I don’t see a “Tower” model on the Nature’s Embrace site.
Phoenix
sorry last question i see on the majestic site they offer MEmory Biofoam coolgel and viscoform…would this be still under the category of memory foam with bigger traces of fermaldahyde etc than latex or just miniscule? also i noticed the natures embrace is not what id tried actually since it looks different and smooth and not wool cover…does the wool soften the bed?
its the coolgel 7300 certipure https://www.majesticfuton.com/3320.php just dont know if the biofoam and gel part takes away the bigger incidence of fermaldehyde and heavy chems compared to latex
Hi debating,
Once again … the only way to know the level of formaldehyde or any specific VOC’s in any material or mattress is based on seeing the lab testing results. All you can know for certain is whether it is under the testing limits for the certification that it has.
The coolgel is a memory foam that has gel added to the memory foam. There is more information about gel memory foams in post #2 here.
Again … Nature’s Embrace is the name of a whole lineup of mattresses … not a specific mattress.
You can read more about the effects of wool quilting in post #6 here. The only reliable way to know whether one mattress feels softer or firmer to you than another one will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience because it would also depend on all the other layers and components in the mattress other than the wool quilted cover and how they all interact together when you lie on it.
Phoenix
Hi I wondered how to find out about dormeos lack of worst chemicals since its European foam (supposedly this should indicate its got a higher standard but the guy doesnt know of any tests to prove…should i trust it? he said fermaldehyde etc is only from China…the dormeo is heaven on my shoulder and supposedly they had one bad batch of foam but will be durable now…i hope the warranty with sleep country canada will be ok if the memory foam coil and lumbar support sags…