We are a couple looking for a new mattress to replace our 10 year old Brooklyn Bedding mattress (which we intend to move to our guest bedroom). I am a back sleeper and my wife is a side & back sleeper. As such, there is nothing wrong with our Brooklyn bedding mattress and we love it, but we are not sure if it has another 10-15 years of life left and we just moved to a new home and are in need of a guest bed, and figured - we would get a new one for us We generally prefer a very firm mattress. Where we grew up in India, we slept on thin all cotton stuffed tufted mattress, which had no give (but still supportive in a way). So Back in 2016, the Brooklyn bedding’s #bestmattressever Firm is what we tried, and we loved it immediately, and it still has the same support after 10 years. Also, we loved that it was latex.
Now unfortunately, Brooklyn bedding does not carry a latex mattress anymore. We want an all natural latex mattress which would be closest to the BB #BestMattressEver Firm (from 2016).
Q1. Would SleepEZ 9/10" with a Firm-Medium-Firm be a good replacement? I am confused on why the middle layer should be different firmness? Why not Firm-Firm-Firm if I want a Firm mattress? Would A Talalay topper be a better choice or we should opt for Dunlop as the top layer? Also, confused between which one is more supportive with Firm - a 9" with a 2" top or the 10" with the 3" top?
Q2. Would a Latex Hybrid mattress (with 6" coils and 3" latext on top) be a better replacement for the BB Firm which we have? Not sure if the current 10 year old BB mattress we have is an all Latex or a Latex Hybrid?
Q3. If Hybrid, then we are also looking at the Ethical mattress, since we are in New Jersey and we can physically go to their store & test it out before buying. How would you compare the Ethical Mattress 11" Wildflower Firm with the SleepEz Hybrid Latex?
Welcome to the Mattress UnderGround, we are happy to have you and thanks for your question.
Fellow NJ sleeper here as well . Although I didn’t go through the exact same search process you’re describing, my wife and I also prefer a very firm mattress, which is one of the reasons why we currently sleep on the Plank Luxe Mattress from Brooklyn Bedding, there were several choices in consideration at the time and the Plank Luxe was a sight unseen shot in the dark, that we took a chance on and to our surprise worked out great.
One thing worth noting is that the old BestMattressEver Mattress from around 2016 had a fairly simple construction that many people liked: a couple inches of Talalay latex over a firmer Dunlop latex transition layer with a high-density foam base ( Quilted poly-cotton pillowtop, Latex comfort layer, Second latex transition layer, Polyfoam support core.) That combination gave it a responsive latex feel while still being quite supportive, which is probably why it held up so well for you over the years.
As for current options, 3Z Brands does make some latex-based mattresses like the Birch Natural Mattress, Nolah Natural 11" Mattress, Leesa + West Elm and Bear Natural Mattress. However, those are hybrids and not modular. Because the layers can’t be swapped, they may not end up firm enough if you’re trying to replicate that older BB firm feel. That’s why companies like @Sleep_EZ or @EthicalMattress can sometimes be a better route. Their designs allow you to adjust or replace layers down the road, which can be helpful if firmness preferences change or a layer softens over time.
The nice advantage you have with Ethical Mattress, being in New Jersey, is that you can actually go into their showroom and test something like the Wildflower Firm Mattress before buying. Meanwhile, something like the SleepEZ Organic Latex Mattress or their hybrid gives you more modularity if long-term adjustability is important. Both approaches can get you close to the feel of the old Brooklyn Bedding latex models, t mostly comes down to whether you value in-person testing or the ability to tweak the mattress layers later on. Also, being in NJ @ShovlinMattress is another good choice. They have two lines of latex mattresses. so you have some great options here in the Garden State, to have a mattress crafted to your exacting specifications.
The firmest mattress we sell in our store is the new Avocado Green Extra Firm. It is a VERY firm mattress…rated as a 10 on our comfort scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the firmest. Our Wildflower is firm (an 8 on that same comfort scale). We have both here in our store on display, so you could try both of them before buying to make sure you’re getting the right mattress for your needs. Give us a call at 973-250-6104 if you have more questions, or just drop by our Millburn store at your convenience.
@Maverick Thanks for your detailed response. Based on our great experience with our current mattress (which as you mentioned & based on other discussions may be a talalay latex on top of 2 other layers of latex & dense foam), I think we prefer the feel of full Latex mattress and not a latex Hybrid mattress (with coils). We just hate the springy feel which comes with Coils.
Based on that, we are more inclined towards the SleepEz Customizable Organic Latex mattress.
Would you say that the following configuration may best mimic the comfort & support of the old BB #BestMattressEver Firm?
2" Medium Talalay (top comfort layer)
3" Firm Dunlop (Middle layer)
3" Extra Firm Dunlop (Bottom Layer)
or Should we do as follows?
3" Medium Talalay (top comfort layer)
3" Firm Dunlop (Middle layer)
3" Extra Firm Dunlop (Bottom Layer)
If you are looking to get closer to the BME, then the sleepez 2/3/3, a slightly plusher feel then 3/3/3.
Bottom line here.
If your goal is to closely mimic the old BME firm feel: Option 1 is likely closer. A 2" Talalay top layer gives just enough cushioning to prevent a hard landing but lets the Dunlop layers provide the firm support you want.
If your goal is a slightly more “modern comfort” version that’s still supportive but softer, go with Option 2.
If you want to hit a sweet spot, see if a 2.5" medium talalay comfort layer can be had.
I think it may depend on your weight. I can’t answer your questions but came here to say that a Firm-Firm-Firm mattress would feel like sleeping on bare concrete to me. But I weigh 115 lbs.
All of the latex combinations you have mentioned could work for you, or they could be terrible for you. Without laying on them and feeling it there is no way to truely know if it will work for you and your spouse.
In my experience, firmness is 100% a subjective. What may feel firm for one person, may still feel to soft for someone else. Everyone needs support and not feeling like they are hammocking into the mattress, but depending on your weight and shape (the broadness of your shoulders, the width of you hips, how big your kaboose is) depends how the mattress will contour to you and give you the proper pressure relief that your body needs.
You mentioned you live in Jersey. We are located in Fanwood if you wanted to swing by our showrrom and just some of our Latex Mattresses, do a factory tour.
Any additional questions, dont hesitate to reach out.
We generally prefer a very firm mattress. Where we grew up in India, we slept on thin all cotton stuffed tufted mattress, which had no give (but still supportive in a way). So Back in 2016, the Brooklyn bedding’s #bestmattressever Firm is what we tried, and we loved it immediately, and it still has the same support after 10 years. Also, we loved that it was latex.
. Although I didn’t go through the exact same search process you’re describing, my wife and I also prefer a very firm mattress, which is one of the reasons why we currently sleep on the Plank Luxe Mattress from Brooklyn Bedding, there were several choices in consideration at the time and the Plank Luxe was a sight unseen shot in the dark, that we took a chance on and to our surprise worked out great.