Life after Tempurpedic in Seattle?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Phoenix,
I spent four nights at a Marriott hotel and slept really well. I returned home, slept on my 8 year old Tempurpedic to find that my back instantly was in pain when I woke up. I now realize I had been experiencing pain for some time and it took sleeping on a great bed to open my eyes. Thinking back, quite often I would wake up with my my hips were twisted and my back really sore. I am currently sleeping on the memory foam but have added an inflatable camping mat with towels underneath for support. Really bad, I know! Thankfully, I found your website and have spent hours researching the right mattress. I have learned all about PPP’s, support and comfort layers and appreciate all the information.

I am 5’6", 130 lbs and a side sleeper. My husband is 5"7 and 220. We are both 50 years old. He has a BMI of 34 and sleeps hot (especially with the memory foam). I am considering a 6’’ Dunlop firm mattress with a 2" Talalay medium firm and an additional 3" Talalay comfort layer. I really don’t know if an all latex mattress is a better option than a coil mattress system for support and durability, , but my research on your website has led me that way. I would never have considered latex before because I just didn’t know enough about it. Organic is good, but not a deal breaker. I am looking for high quality materials that will last about 8-10 years. My budget is between $2000- $3000. What are your thoughts?

Also, I don’t know if we need to spend the money on a zoned mattress. I think I am only twisting my hips because my memory foam has seen the end of it’s life. But I sure like the “concept” of different zones.

I was wondering what you personally sleep on!!! Do you have an all latex mattress or one with a coil system? What would you advise your favorite sister to buy? :-). We made the mistake of buying a Sleep Number system in the past and ended up selling it on CL after the return policy ended. We want to make the right purchase the first time (I know, it might be unrealistic). My husband went to Soaring heart today in Bellevue which has some beautiful beds. However, they might be out of our price range. We need to make a decision soon so both of us can be comfortable.

Thank you for your time. Any help would be appreciated!!

Debra

2

Hi Lifeaftertempurpedic,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Sometimes it takes sleeping on a different product (hotel, vacation rental, relative’s house) to notice the deficiencies in your own.

It sounds like you’ve already found it, but just in case you haven’t, be sure to read 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.

Yes, all foams are insulators to an extent, and memory foam tends to be the most insulating, followed by polyfoam and then latex.

Post #3 here has more information and suggestions about higher BMIs that is worth reading, and the first part of post #2 here also has more information about couples that have a larger weight differential.

Latex could certainly be a durable choice for someone with a higher BMI, and there are component-style latex systems where you can achieve different layers on the left and right side of the mattress to match each of your sleeping preferences. I would make sure you have a detailed phone conversation with any manufacturer you might be considering before placing an order so that you may use their expertise and familiarity with their componentry and responses form their consumers with similar somatotypes and situations so that they may provide advice that they think will be suit your needs. As you may be aware, there are quite a few highly-regarded all-latex manufacturers who are members here of the site, which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.

Zoning systems can be helpful for those who have a more difficult time finding something that suits their very specific pressure relief, alignment, or sensitivity needs, but for many people it can introduce an added layer of complexity in selecting a mattress that some can find more confusing. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here. Unless there was a specific reason to pursue a zoned mattress initially, you may wish to start off considering more traditional configurations.

I designed my own mattress and had it built by a local manufacturer in Dallas who is one of the members of this site but is not exactly local to me. It’s out of the “range” of what would be normal for most people and there was really no chance to make adjustments to it after purchase because it’s not a DIY with layers that can be exchanged or a zip cover and the cost of shipping a whole mattress across the country and back would have been prohibitive … so I needed to be pretty confident that I would “get it right”.

And my advice for any family member would be the same as I provide in the mattress shopping tutorial I linked earlier. :wink:

I do think highly of Soaring Heart (a site member here), their products and the advice the provide.

I’ll be happy to assist with any other specific questions you may come up with.

Phoenix

3

We spent the weekend looking at latex mattesses and thankfully we are in the final stretch.

We went to local store and my husband laid on a Dunlop M, Dunlop M, Dunlop F, Dunlop F. He was happy with the configuration. I spoke to an online company and they suggested that he try a Talalay M for the top comfort layer instead of the Dunlop. We can’t get back to the store and I wanted to see, in your experience, what will he notice as the biggest difference between the two? We have a Tempurpedic and he doesn’t like the sinking in of the memory foam so I don’t want to steer him the wrong way. I am considering two companies that have a good layer/comfort exchange policy so I know ultimately we are covered.

Also, we are looking at either buying a 10" mattress with a 3" topper or a 13" mattress. Both Savvy Rest and other online companies offer the 10" mattress with separate topper. Are there any disadvantages to putting four layers in one mattress cover as opposed to having the mattress and topper completely separate? Any help in this area would be appreciated!

Thank you so very much!

4

Hi Lifeaftertempupedic,

I can’t tell what your husband might feel in a difference between the two layers, as there are entirely too many personal variables involved in such a situation, but I can state that in general, a Talalay latex layer of a similar ILD will tend to feel a bit softer than the similar ILD of Dunlop latex, as the Dunlop tends to have a higher compression modulus and “firms up faster” after about 25% compression or so.

This would come down mostly to your personal preference. Some people like having all of the layers contained within a single mattress encasement, where they can be contained a bit more snugly, and they don’t like the potential for the topper to move a bit though the course of a week (some of this depends upon the mass of the topper and the covering (nonskid) material used on the bottom of the topper encasement). Others prefer using a topper, as the uppermost layer is easier to exchange/modify/remove and the uppermost layer is more “loose” and can contour a bit more independently.

Phoenix

5

Thank you so much!

6

Hi Lifeaftertempurpedic,

You’re welcome!

Phoenix