I am in the market for a new bed, and I am thinking latex might be my best bet. The reason I think so is because my boyfriend is over 400 lbs, and I am about 125 lbs. I believe we can buy one that can be customized for each side based on this information. I also believe we will be better off with this one as far as durability is concernedā¦his weight tends to take its toll on his side of the bed.
I am budget and value conscious.
I am torn between these two beds I found on Amazon:
Ultimate Dreams Eurotop Latex Mattress
16" LUCIDĀ® by Linenspa Natural Latex and Memory Foam Mattress Plush Four-Layer with Bamboo Charcoal Bed
Can you guys please let me know your thoughts on this?
The first place I would start your research is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices.
Ultimate Dreams Eurotop Latex Mattress
With only 3" of latex ā¦ your boyfriend will sink into the support layers as well and I would tend to look for a mattress with higher density base foam (in the range of 2.0 lbs or higher). While this is a great quality and value mattress, would be a durable choice for most people, and has the advantage of being able to customize or exchange the comfort layer (and split them in king size) ā¦ I think I would look for either thicker comfort layers of latex or a higher density base foam to accommodate his greater weight.
16" LUCIDĀ® by Linenspa Natural Latex and Memory Foam Mattress Plush Four-Layer with Bamboo Charcoal Bed
You can see some comments about this mattress in post #2 here. This is a memory foam mattress (with some latex underneath the memory foam) and I would want to make sure that the memory foam was at least 5 lbs density or higher again to accommodate his greater weight.
With your boyfriendās weight ā¦ I would put a particular emphasis on very durable materials. Post #3 here with more information and suggestions about heavier weights would also be worth reading.
Hi, thanks for your reply. I didnāt see this reply until after I ordered. I ordered the Eurotop mattress today. I have been going back and forth with the company to determine how firm we should go. Ha. It wasnāt until I specifically searched this bed to see what people had to say about firmness levels that I found it. Lol. Guess I should have figured.
I did decide on this bed because I can change the comfort layer thingy, and I think that will be easier to do than buy new comfort layers than new beds every three years or so. Lol. We had a Simmons that worked really well for us (the only reason it was replaced was because it was toooo small and slightly hard on my shoulders) and I have little doubt that the Simmons was inferior to this product. I also read that some people double up on comfort layer. I am also working with him and trying to get him to lose weight. I sure hope it works out well. I canāt afford a much more expensive bed, and our current bed (not the beloved aforementioned Simmons) is too soft and something HAS to give, and soon.
Hi Phoenix, I got my mattress today. Opening this was the highlight of my Christmas Eve. We even recorded it. Lol. I am so excited, but at the same time, I have a bit of buyerās remorse after reading your thoughts. I do believe that this will be a fine bed and will probably last me the typical three years even with the less than optimal base foam for our unique sleeping situation. I really should have bought Bamboo Bliss or better, but I just got too darned flighty and had shamefully not completed my research properly. Oh well, hindsight. I guess if it gets too bad, I may just spring for a full latex or at least the Aloe Alexis.
I was wonderingā¦I read on Amazon that some people double up on the latex layer. Do you feel like this might increase the durability of this mattress?
If itās really bothering you, you might contact Dreamfoam and see if you can replace the polyfoam with layers of latex, or with a high density polyfoam. As itās got a zip cover, and the layers are not glued, you do have some flexibility. The challenge will then become what layers to use to ensure PPP for each of you and your boyfriend. Depending on your creativity and desire, you would probably only need to do your boyfriends side.
Doubling up on the latex might help, but youād need to do it properly or else the mattress may become too soft and bad for your alignment. If following a fairly common model of soft/med/firm, youād probably look for a med to firmer layer of latex which you put inside the mattress. And then remove the softer layer presently inside the mattress and put it on top. Youād want to put the top layer of latex in a cover of its own. Note however, that doesnāt really solve the problem you are concerned about (adding more layers doesnāt really help strengthen the foundation).
You should be aware that you begin to enter the realm of DIY mattress, which is entirely doable and for many of us āfunā, but you certainly may find it can become costly. Thereās no assurance that you get the right layers or that they work well in terms of PPP for yourself.
If you went down the DIY route, it looks like thereās about 9" of polyfoamā¦ If Dreamfoam canāt help, there are any number of places to buy foam or latex. A 6" natural rubber dunlop latex core on bottom (or two 3" layers), with a 3" medium dunlop or talalay transition layer in middle, and with your current 3" (presumably soft) talalay latex on top would be a fairly common design. Probably with firmer latex on your boyfriends side and softer on yours as with heavier weights, the firmer latex will still feel softer. This is of course all speculation based on common mattress templates and averages - your own testing and experience would be the only way to know for sure.
Wow, cool! I think I will leave as is for now, see how it works out, and when it breaks down, I may just try that DIY route. It worries me to spend too much because I am afraid that I will spend a ton of money for a bed only to have it break down after a short amount of time. DIY does indeed sound like fun. That being said, if I could go back, I probably would choose the wool in the top partā¦forgot what it was called, though I have a feeling this bed is going to be just fine for a while.
Thanks for the suggestion!
I have another question. I opened my mattress yesterday around mid-day and it now sits on my upstairs landing. Do you think we can lay on it tonight?
You can also add wool after the fact too, and thatās usually as simple as getting a mattress pad or topper, depending on how much wool you want. A caution about thick wool (more than about an inch, unless pre compressed or heavily quilted)ā¦ It can feel amazing, but it will develop lumps/ depressions. This is normal for wool and not a sign of trouble (since it doesnāt change how it performs with respect to PPP), but if you want a flat looking bed for aesthetics, then a thinner layer of wool is more apt to give that. (I have a 3" wool topper in addition to a small fleet of various layers and materials- the 3" of wool definitely makes the bed look lumpy. That said, I find 3" of wool over soft 24 ild talalay amazing to lay on, tho itās not my primary sleep surface right now). Ahh, but all these layers cost money and Iāve easily spent as much on various layers that I donāt use as some people will spend on a king mattress.
As for sleeping on your mattress, Iād guess you can ā¦ other members have certainly done so within hours of opening. It just might not be fully expanded yet. The definitive authority would be Dreamfoam.
I donāt think you can replace the polyfoam in the mattress because as far as I know the zip cover only gives you access to the comfort layer on top (not the core layer which is sewed inside itās own encasement) but adding an additional topper would generally increase the useful life of a mattress because it will absorb much of the compression forces from sleeping.
I would tend to first sleep on the mattress as it is though because adding an additional softer topper can also compromise alignment if the mattress is already a good match for you. Even though it may be more durable ā¦ it may not be as good a āmatchā for your specific needs and preferences. The best use for a topper is to add some pressure relief and softness to a mattress that is too firm and if I had to make a tradeoff between a more durable mattress that was less suitable and a more suitable mattress that was less durable I would choose the one that was more suitable and that provided you with better quality sleep.
As dn also mentioned ā¦ latex and polyfoam donāt take much time to āspring backā when they are compressed and you will be fine sleeping on it right away.
If the polyfoam layer does break down over time and you lose comfort or support ā¦ you could certainly re-use the latex layer (which is a very durable material) in a DIY mattress.
The first step though before deciding on any changes would be to sleep on it to find out how well it matches your needs and preferences or if any changes are even needed.
