Hi! I hope you’re all doing well.
I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a firm or extra firm latex hybrid that uses talalay latex (natural or blended). My wife and I spent quite a bit of time trying out different mattresses. We found 3 things to be true:
- Latex Hybrids felt the best.
- Firm/Extra Firm (8-9/10) felt best
- Talalay felt better than Dunlop
Out of all the mattresses we tried, the Prana Karma Elite Hybrid 2 Firm felt the best. It was a little on the softer side , but overall was very comfy. However, I don’t love that it uses some foam layers that break down easily and costs over 4K haha.
The only latex hybrid I can find that uses talalay latex AND has a firm/extra firm option is from Arizona Premium Mattresses. I did talk to Ken and he gave some advice and seemed nice. However, the return policy seems like a nightmare. Neither my wife or I, for health reasons, have the capacity to actually package one of these mattresses and return it. So for all intents and purposes, this one is essentially non-returnable for us if we buy it and don’t like it.
I’m also generally looking for something that will not break down easily. I would rather not have to buy another mattress in a few years. If it was between buying a latex hybrid that would last only 5 years or an all latex that could last 10+ years, I would definitely pick the latter.
Any recommendations? Thank you so much!
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Hi Bishbish777,
Welcome to the Mattress UnderGround and thanks for your question.
Mattress Makers of San Diego makes the Soledad mattress. Talalay latex in soft, medium or firm, with a quad coils support system. I am quite certain if you wanted extra firm, they could do that too. Their Carmel hybrid uses two layers of Talalay, in any firmness you prefer.
Maverick
@SDMattressMakers
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Thanks for the kind mention, Maverick. Hi Bishbish777 , Maverick beat me to it.
I’m Pablo with Mattress Makers in San Diego. You definitely did the homework most people skip, and those three takeaways you listed are spot on.
Talalay hybrids in the firmer range really are a sweet spot for couples, and the Soledad is built exactly like that. It’s Talalay over a Texas Pocket Coil quad coil, comes in soft, medium, or firm, (if needed extra fir) and we can build it extra firm if that’s what felt best to both of you. Here’s a video walkthrough of the Soledad if you want to see how it’s put together.
Soledad Hybrid
Here’s the thing that matters most for your return concern. The top is zippered and that Talalay layer pulls right out. So if we get close but not quite perfect on firmness, we swap that layer instead of you having to box up the whole mattress and ship it back. For someone who can’t physically wrestle a mattress into a box, that tune in place approach is the real answer to trial anxiety. You’re adjusting it, not returning it.
On durability, your gut is right. What breaks down on a lot of 4k hybrids is the poly and memory foam comfort layers, not the coil. Latex over a good coil lasts way longer, so you’re not looking at a five year bed. We also make all latex beds like the Coronado and Del Mar if you ever want to go zero coils, but from what you described the hybrid feel is what you’re actually after.
Happy to walk through firmness by phone and go over the specs with you, no pressure. You clearly know what your bodies want, which puts you ahead of most people.
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Hi! Thanks for the response! I appreciate your time.
From what I can see, the mattress does fit the bill for what we’re looking for. Do you happen to know exactly what firmness (ILD) the firm (or extra firm) options are?
The main downside is the price haha. You could almost get 2 mattresses from APM for the same price! But, again, I don’t doubt the quality…it looks good!
@SDMattressMakers
Our firm uses approximately 36 ILD. The extra firm uses approximately 40 ILD. If you’re wanting to go even firmer, then I would even explore the Dunlop option, which is our Del Mar.
I’m sure APM makes a fine mattress, and even though the ingredients are very similar, there are some subtle differences that change the performance and feel of the mattress, hence the price increase. If you’d like, we can jump on a quick phone call to help make it a little bit easier to decide.
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