Local Manufacturer

[phoenix]

Hi msmandy,

I am primarily a side sleeper and hoping to eliminate some back pain, arm numbness, and to find good support… Researching this site and at least getting to test one totally latex mattress at Denver Mattress has pushed me to deciding all latex is probably best for me for comfort, support, and durability. It does push the price point up. I’ve looked at a lot of online options that come up with about a 10" bed, typically 3 layers. Price wise seems like SleepEZ and Flexus Comfort offer a competitive price point. But two questions. Each recommended a slightly different combination for me of the layers, with soft tatalay in comfort zone, then medium below, with one company suggesting firm below that but another suggesting medium. I read on your site about how a firm support system can contribute to more sinking down of body in comfort layer as it responds to the firm layer below (or something to that effect). So I am not even really sure of best options for layering should I go that route.

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … I don’t 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” or PPP 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).

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

It’s not uncommon at all for different manufacturers to make different recommendations or suggestions and this can often be as much the norm as the exception. This could be because of differences between the specific materials and components in each mattress (including the thickness, type, and blend of the latex layers and the type of cover and quilting), differences in “word” ratings for firmness, or most often because of genuine differences in opinions between different people about which mattress will be the best “match” for any specific person. Online recommendations or suggestions are as much an art as a science and for most people there won’t be a specific “best” mattress and there will be a range of different mattress designs that will be a good match for their body types, sleeping positions, and preferences. The range of mattresses that will be suitable for each person will also depend on their sensitivity where they are in the range between “princess and the pea” and "I can sleep on anything. Post #8 here discussed all of this in much more detail.

With component mattresses you also have the ability to rearrange or exchange the layering if your initial layering combinations doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for so unless you have a specific reason to choose otherwise … I would tend to follow the suggestions of the manufacturer you are purchasing from.

SleepEZ does have another mattress on special, and more to my liking price wise, on a 8 inch latex, with just the 2" of tatalay comfort layer, then the two additional Dunlop layers below. That one also only has a stretch cover, using the stretch fabric, does not include the wool layer that the 10" products have.

There is more about the pros and cons of a wool quilted cover vs a more stretchy knit cover in post #6 here that may be helpful.

Does seem that most other companies are hundreds of dollars more, and generally not seeing what they offer in additional value (except think there was one that reportedly can be flipped but I don’t understand that as being a positive option for latex layers of different levels of firmness.)

The main advantage of a mattress that can be flipped and has a different firmness level on each side is that it gives you the option to try two different firmness levels to see which one is the best match for you in terms of PPP and it also gives you the option to choose either a firmer or softer sleeping surface if you ever need it either temporarily or over the longer term.

Also both of the companies that I am primarily looking at include latex pillows but I have had difficulties finding much of any pillow that doesn’t position my neck too awkwardly to avoid discomfort except down/feather. Don’t know if latex pillow might be an improvement. Know memory foam pillows were too much for me.

A suitable pillow is an essential part of good alignment for the head and neck and upper body because the gaps between the head and the mattress and the curve of the cervical spine needs to be supported just like all other parts of the spine. Like mattresses … there are certain “needs” that depend on body type and sleeping positions but with pillows, personal preferences play a more important role because the face is much more sensitive to textures, temperature, smells, and other more subjective “feel” based properties of a pillow. There is more about choosing pillows in the pillow thread here.

Struggling with making a decision based on online/telephone conversations only.

When you are purchasing online then the guidance that comes from the manufacturer in combination with any testing you have done is all you really have to go by but a knowledgeable manufacturer will help you choose a suitable layering combination that will work well for the large majority of people and rearranging layers or exchanging layers will generally find a suitable layering combination for the majority of people where their initial layering combination wasn’t suitable for them so there is only a very small minority that don’t end up finding a layering combination that works well for them.

If you are still uncertain or don’t have much confidence about what may be “best” for you after local testing and talking with the online options you are considering then the return or exchange policy would generally be a more important part of your personal value equation to lower the risk in case the “best efforts” of both you and the retailer/manufacturer you are dealing with doesn’t turn out as well as both of you hoped.

Phoenix