LatexBliss Beautiful Mattress vs. Parklane Overton Mattress

I live in Portland and am trying to decide between the LatexBliss Beautiful (25% off retail price) and the Parklane Overton (less than 1/2 the Beautiful discounted price). I am 6’ 3" and 200 lbs.

The LatexBliss dealer is dropping the line due to Latex International’s recent bankruptcy reorganization filling. Not sure whether a 25% discount is too low for a floor model mattress of a company that may not be around to honor its warranty?

The core thickness is the same for both–6". The Parklane Overton then adds 4" in Talalay latex comfort layers (two 2" layers; one 32 ILD and the other 16 ILD) and the LatexBliss adds a 1" stabilization base and 5" of Talalay latex comfort layers. What, if any, advantage is there to the thicker latex mattress–12" vs 10"?

When sitting down on the edge of the Overton mattress, I bottom out and feel the harder core portion of the mattress. This does not happen when sitting down on the Beautiful mattress.

I find the Beautiful mattress to be a bit more plush than the Overton. I also find the Beautiful to be slightly more bouncy than the Overton when bouncing my hips on the bed while lying down, but the lack of motion transfer seems the same in both mattresses.

Parklane buys their latex from International Latex. This information is listed on the Parklane website.

The Beautiful mattress has 20% more material by volume than the Overton, but its cost is 100% more. Can someone help me understand if there is a legitimate reason for the much higher price of the Beautiful over the Overton? If the price difference can be justified, I will buy the Beautiful as I find it more comfortable. Thanks!

Hi dfisher,

The specs of the Beautiful have been updated and you can see the current specs here (the comfort layer is 1" thicker and there is no stabilization layer). It may also be worth checking the manufacturing date on the law tag to make sure that it’s a new model and not several years old.

The thickness of a mattress is only one of many factors that affects the feel and performance of a mattress along with the type and thickness of all the layers, the firmness of each layer, the type of cover, and many other variables that make one mattress different from the next so thickness by itself doesn’t mean a great deal but if all else was equal then thicker mattresses will tend to be softer than thinner mattresses that use the same firmness levels of latex. There is more about the effect of thickness in post #14 here.

What matters more than any individual spec such as thickness though is which mattress is a better match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). I would also keep in mind that a mattress is meant for sleeping and how a mattress “feels” when you sit on it doesn’t relate to how well you will sleep on it and a thinner mattress will tend to “bottom out” more easily or feel firmer with the more concentrated weight of sitting vs sleeping.

Both mattresses use Talalay latex made by Latex International but the PLB uses blended Talalay from top to bottom while the Parklane uses 100% natural Talalay in the core layer which is a little more costly version of latex. Both would be very durable choices and neither of them have any weak links in their construction or materials.

From a “commodity” point of view of course the Parklane would be better “value” but a mattress is much more than a commodity and how well you sleep on a mattress is more important than the “cost per inch” of latex or the “cost per pound” of fabric that the mattress is made from. There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase that you can use to compare them in post #13 here.

I doubt that Latex International will be going out of business (see this topic) and the recent chapter 11 filing is probably a positive step as far as their future but I would be aware that a floor model isn’t covered under warranty anyway (see here). I also think that the quality and durability of the materials in a mattress is much more important than the length of a warranty and a warranty has very little to do with the useful life of a mattress (see post #174 here for more about mattress warranties).

This topic and this topic about Pure Latex Bliss floor models would also be well worth reading and if you do decide to go in this direction it would probably be a good idea to look for a little larger discount than 25% for a PLB floor model.

Phoenix

Thanks, Phoenix, for getting back to me so quickly.

Before reading your response, I stumbled onto posts about PLB floor models not being covered by warranties.

I also saw much, much better deals in other posts that others were offered for floor model Beautiful mattresses.

As someone wrote in another post, “people tend to overthink their mattress purchase”. I definitely feel like I have fallen into that category. However, the last time I looked for a mattress, memory foam and latex mattresses were not an option.

Again thank you for your response, as well as for all the very helpful information found throughout this website.

Don

Phoenix, one more question…

Parkland Overton warranty – indentation over 1 1/2"

Pure LatexBliss warranty – indentation over 3/4"

If I read one of your earlier postings correctly, softer “all natural” Talalay does not last as long as blended Talalay–that is, all natural is more prone to indentations over time.

Although the Overton core is all natural, the comfort layers, as with the whole of the Beautiful mattress, appears to be blended and not all natural; therefore, all things considered, I would think that both mattresses should both be equally resilient to indentations.

Not knowing any better, my interpretation of the manufactures very different warranties against indentations is that the Beautiful is made of superior material that is less likely to experience significant indentations. Am I wrong?

Hi dfisher,

I would agree with this and neither mattress would have any “weak links” in their materials or design or any reason that I would be concerned with durability.

The materials in the comfort layers of both mattresses are the same and one isn’t “superior” to the other (except the 100% natural Talalay in the support layers of the Overton are a little more costly and elastic and resilient material). In looking at the picture of the Overton it appears to have a quilted cover (and the PLB has a cover that has no quilting) and mattresses that use quilted covers generally have a bigger warranty exclusion to take any additional compression of the quilting layer into account. If the quilting layer isn’t too thick (more than “about an inch or so”) then this wouldn’t be a durability issue.

Phoenix

Phoenix, a quick update The local dealer agreed to increase the discount form 25% to 50% for the PureBliss Beautiful mattress. It is the new Beautiful model.

The floor model is quite dirty at the bottom edge of the bed where, I would guess, lots of shoes have rested as people have laid on the bed. Therefore, if I buy, I said that I would prefer one of the two Beautiful mattresses that they have in their warehouse that were exchanges.

I asked if I could see and test the mattress at the warehouse. The salesperson, very nice and not at all pushy, said that was unlikely, but that I could reject the bed at the time of delivery if I found anything wrong with it. However, once the delivery team leaves, the bed is mine with no possibility of exchange or return (he did not use those words, but that will be the case).

When I asked, how old is the bed, he said he did not know and that the bed could be up to a year old; however, he said it was definitely the new Beautiful model.

Do you have any suggestions or concerns regarding someone buying an exchanged mattress versus a floor model mattress?

Should I insist that someone research and relay to me any specific information on the mattress tag before I purchase the mattress?

With respect to a latex mattress on an adjustable bed, is there a downside to using a 12" mattress versus a 10" mattress?

Thank you! Don

Hi dfischer,

I would be very cautious with buying a used mattress where you can’t see and test the mattress first because you don’t know why the mattress was returned (most likely a comfort issue but there could be other reasons as well), and you would have no way to check it in person to see what condition it was in, verify whether it was sanitized, and you would have no recourse if there were any issues with it.

This would only tell you when it was manufactured but it wouldn’t tell you how long it had been used or anything about the condition of the mattress. If it was me though and I was comfortable buying a used mattress I would want to see and test it in person before buying it.

It would depend to some degree on the specifics of the construction but if all else was equal a 10" mattress would conform to the adjustable bed a little easier than a 12" mattress but latex is very flexible and either one would be fine with an adjustable bed.

Phoenix

Great, thoughtful advice as always. Thank you!

With the Beautiful now within $600 of the Parklane Overton (no warranty, of course, on the Beautiful; however, I like it more than the Overton), I will likely purchase it if I am able to fully inspect in before purchasing it.

If no inspection is possible, I will likely purchase the Overton. I find it disappointing, though, that the Parklane website does not have any user reviews for the Overton. I was told that this is because it is relatively new and that it is a replacement for the Rogue.

Dom

Hi dfisher,

I wouldn’t pay much attention to user reviews anyway because other people’s experience on a mattress will have little to nothing to do with how well a mattress matches your own unique needs and preferences and your own careful and objective testing is a much more reliable way to assess the suitability of a mattress in terms of PPP than any reviews. Reviews also won’t tell you anything about the quality or durability of a mattress (which is why it’s so important to know the type, quality, and durability of the materials that are inside your mattress). You can read more of my thoughts about mattress reviews and why I believe they can be so misleading and are among the worst ways to choose a mattress in post #13 here.

The lack of reviews may be a “blessing in disguise” because it will lead to putting a much bigger emphasis on trusting your own testing, experience, and research which is much more reliable.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

New options–both beds below are floor models in excellent condition, with law tags that state they were manufactured mid-January 2014.

Prices below also include delivery, setup, takeaway, and mattress cover. No foundation as I am buying an adjustable bed frame.

Queen PLB Best World’s Best Bed - $1,600
Queen PLB Nutrition - $1,500
Original option I was looking at: Queen PLB Beautiful - $2,100 and the mattress is fairly dirty at the bottom and has been on the floor almost 2 years. Mattress cover and old mattress takeaway are extra–roughly $200 for both.

The dealer is willing to let me exchange the world’s best bed for the nutrition within 30 days, or as long as they have one in stock (currently they have 5), should I find it too soft. This is a verbal agreement–nothing in writing. He said that he would monitor inventory and let me know if stock was getting low, should I I want to switch to the nutrition.

I have no joint or back problems and am in my mid 50s and, as mentioned, I am 6’ 3" and 190 lbs.

My current bed is a fairly firm (too firm) Serta coil spring mattress with a 2" memory foam pad. I am a side sleep, but a I often twist my body so that my shoulder is somewhat perpendicular to the mattress and my stomach is partially flat against the mattress and my legs are splayed face down. I cannot sleep on my back, but occasionally end up on my stomach.

If I go with the very plush world’s best bed, my reading suggests that I should anticipate, perhaps, an achy back for the first week or two as my back adjusts to the new bed. Is this correct?

My wife was not with me when checking out he world’s best bed, but when I asked the salesperson, he said that while I was lying on my side on the world’s best bed that my spine appeared to be level. No question that my hip dipped into the mattress more than my current bed.

I spent a good 30 minutes on the bed. Very comfortable while lying down and moving about in the bed, but when I stood up, my lower back felt a bit off for a few minutes. Is this a sign of the mattress being too soft for me or, as I wrote above, is this normal as the back becomes accustomed to the softer mattress surface?

If I were to go with the Nutrition, I would want to get a 2" topper. as the nutrition is only marginally less firm that my current mattress/pad combination. The topper is not cheap ($400 on Amazon–the dealer does not have any and will not be ordering any more PLB products).

Should I consider a different topper manufacturer or stay with a PLB topper?

As always, thanks for considering my questions.

Hi dfisher,

[quote]Queen PLB Best World’s Best Bed - $1,600
Queen PLB Nutrition - $1,500
Original option I was looking at: Queen PLB Beautiful - $2,100 and the mattress is fairly dirty at the bottom and has been on the floor almost 2 years. Mattress cover and old mattress takeaway are extra–roughly $200 for both.

The dealer is willing to let me exchange the world’s best bed for the nutrition within 30 days, or as long as they have one in stock (currently they have 5), should I find it too soft. This is a verbal agreement–nothing in writing. He said that he would monitor inventory and let me know if stock was getting low, should I I want to switch to the nutrition.[/quote]

These certainly sound like reasonable options to me if you are comfortable with the lack of warranty and the options you would have after a purchase to exchange the mattress.

[quote]If I go with the very plush world’s best bed, my reading suggests that I should anticipate, perhaps, an achy back for the first week or two as my back adjusts to the new bed. Is this correct?

My wife was not with me when checking out he world’s best bed, but when I asked the salesperson, he said that while I was lying on my side on the world’s best bed that my spine appeared to be level. No question that my hip dipped into the mattress more than my current bed.

I spent a good 30 minutes on the bed. Very comfortable while lying down and moving about in the bed, but when I stood up, my lower back felt a bit off for a few minutes. Is this a sign of the mattress being too soft for me or, as I wrote above, is this normal as the back becomes accustomed to the softer mattress surface?[/quote]

Unfortunately only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and there is no way for someone else answer this more effectively than your own personal testing and experience. The Beautiful is certainly a soft mattress and I would always be cautious when you are choosing a mattress that is in a much softer range because it’s much more difficult to “fix” a mattress that is too soft than it is to soften up a mattress that is too firm but some people would do very well with it and don’t experience any “symptoms” at all when they first sleep on it and it’s a “match made in heaven” right from the first day. Others may find that they experience some initial symptoms during the initial break in and adjustment period that diminish and go away over the first few weeks and others yet may find that they experience some symptoms either initially or in the first few days or weeks that become worse over time and discover that the mattress they chose isn’t suitable for them and need to return or exchange the mattress.

Your own careful and objective testing that as much as possible approximates your own sleeping experience (including testing with a sleeping partner which can affect how you feel on a mattress), your own knowledge of how sensitive you are to smaller differences between mattresses and where you are in the “princess and the pea” or the “I can sleep on anything” range, and your own “best judgement” about whether a mattress is suitable for you is really the most effective way to predict whether a mattress will work well for you and and for most people this would be “close enough” but there is really no way for someone else to know better than you which group you are likely to be in.

It would certainly be “normal” that you could feel a bit “off” or have some type of discomfort after testing a mattress that is different from what you are used to sleeping on but your own knowledge of your own history and these types of sensations or “symptoms” generally mean for you would be more reliable than anyone else’s thoughts and opinions. It would certainly make me somewhat cautious.

[quote]If I were to go with the Nutrition, I would want to get a 2" topper. as the nutrition is only marginally less firm that my current mattress/pad combination. The topper is not cheap ($400 on Amazon–the dealer does not have any and will not be ordering any more PLB products).

Should I consider a different topper manufacturer or stay with a PLB topper?[/quote]

There would be no specific reason to choose a PLB topper when there are many other similar toppers available to you at lower prices and that have more options available in terms of thickness and ILD. If you did go in this direction I would sleep on the mattress for a few weeks first (if possible) and then use your actual sleeping experience as a reference point for choosing a topper based on the information in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to (which also includes the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of).

Phoenix

Phoenix, I cannot thank you enough for your direct help as well as for the in depth information that I was able to learn about purchasing a mattress through reading old posts on your website.

In the end, I concluded that the World’s Best bed was too plush and the Nutrition was too firm. Therefore, I went back to the original company, but a different store location, and purchased a Beautiful queen floor model mattress, which was in great shape, for $1,800.

Not only was the Beautiful the best mattress for me, the company, which has 30+ locations, gave me a written warranty that they will warranty the mattress–that is, if the mattress fails per PLB’s warranty coverage, they will give me a store credit for the purchase price of the bed.

I was also able to pick up a floor model Tempurpedic Ergo Premier adjustable bed frame (last year’s model) at a pretty good price. The frame has the functionality that I wanted, and the manufacturer’s warranty (5 years parts and labor + lifetime on the frame) covers floor models from the date of manufacture.

Again, thank you for your help.

Don

Hi dfischer,

I think you did some good research and testing and ended up making a great quality/value choice. It’s also good to hear that the store gave you a warranty which can add some peace of mind if there are any defective materials in your mattress (which would generally show up early in the life of a mattress).

I’m glad the site could help you and most importantly … congratulations on your new mattress and adjustable bed. You did well :slight_smile:

Phoenix