I have a 15 year old Serta that until recently performed well. However, I now wake up sore and stiff - I gues both I and the mattress atre getting older. I am interested in Latex and confused between the two main varieties and what is the better choice. I have seen the Ikea Sulatn Edsele. While I hear good things I am concerned about the return policy. Do you have any thoughts or suggetsions.
Thanks, Hill
Hi Hill,
This article should help you with the differences between different types of latex.
The Sultan Edsele is Dunlop latex which is 85% natural which is a reasonable quality of latex. For most people it will be a little on the firm side but it would make a good base to add a latex (or other material) topper if more pressure relief was needed. I would also be a little careful because they have an exchange policy rather than a return policy and there are not a lot of other options I would consider there if the Edsele doesn’t work for you.
A better option may be a local manufacturer that sells factory direct which I believe is where you will normally find the best quality and value. If you let me know the city you live in I’d be happy to look and see if I know of any in your area.
Phoenix
At $999 for a regular King, the Edsele seems like a great value. It was nice to be able to go in and lay on it, without the pressure of a salesperson as well. We liked it better than the doughy Tempurpedics we layed on. I guess we like a firmer bed. They call it Medium Firm I think.
I noticed it had multiple (5 I think) zones, to vary how much pressure you would feel at different areas in the body from head to toe. Many other manufacturers do not offer this. Phoenix, is it a gimmick? Why, if they are offering higher quality mattresses (Talalay, etc) don’t they offer the different zones for the most part. I was very comfortable on the Edsele , but should I go seek a solid Talalay, that I could enjoy even more?
It also seems to me that the thickness is a gimmick. What’s the advantage of a thicker mattress? Is it a durability question?
Finally, (for now), are solid Talalays flippable, and should I? From your comparison on Talalay and Dunlop, it seems that you don’t flip Dunlop because the density changes from top to bottom, creating somewhat of a natural comfort layer at the softer side. Let me know if I didn’t get that right.
Hi Notsean99,
The Edsele is certainly one of the best values at Ikea IMO and while it may not be the same quality latex as some of the all natural Dunlop choices such as Latex Green, Coco latex, Latexco and others … it is mostly natural and certainly better quality than the Dunlop blends that use more synthetic latex.
It would also be on the firm side for most people but this is strictly a matter of personal preference and there is no right or wrong here.
Zoned mattresses can be helpful in some cases and there are several different forms of zoning. With latex … zoning is less necessary than with other materials and my personal view is that in most cases more than 2-3 zones can be more of a gimmick and more zones than are necessary (the zone under the pelvis is usually firmer because this is the heaviest area of the body that needs the most support). In some cases though a 5 zone mattress will have a firmer zone under the small of the back and allow the heavier areas to sink in more which increases the firmness of the support in the lumbar curve which can be uncomfortable for some people and actually counterproductive for others. It can be helpful for some people that are either heavier in the middle (where their lumbar curve tends to collapse due to lack of support) or people who are very light and don’t sink in enough for the mattress to make good contact in the area of the lumbar curve. the bottom line though is that if you have good pressure relief and good alignment on a mattress in all your sleeping positions and it feels the way you want it to feel then the mattress “works” for you.
Past a certain point this is very true. 6" however doesn’t leave much room for separate comfort layers which can lead to a better combination or pressure relief and support for most people. A material that is firm enough to be effective as a support layer is often firmer than most people would prefer for pressure relief and an extra 2 or 3" of softer foam on top will often be a better combination for many people. In addition to this … thicker layers can be more adaptable to different sleeping positions and to movement without feeling too firm because thinner layers will compress to a greater percentage of their thickness and can lead to a mattress getting too firm too quickly (feeling like it is bottoming out) for people who are heavier. Much of this depends on weight and whether a separate comfort layer is desirable. In terms of durability … the more a mattress material is compressed (and the more frequent the compression) the more effect it will have on the durability of the material. A thinner mattress that has less material to spread out the pressure will tend to wear a little faster than a thicker mattress although with latex and especially firmer latex this is less of an issue.
This would depend on whether the mattress was finished on both sides and had the same layering on the top and bottom. If the top and bottom of a mattress is different … then flipping the mattress would affect the pressure relief and support qualities of the mattress. In other words it would depend on whether it is designed as a one sided or two sided mattress. It is quite common though for a mattress with a single 6" layer to be finished on both sides meaning it can be flipped without changing the performance of the mattress. In these cases … flipping it will result in a longer lasting mattress even though latex is already a very long lasting material. This would apply to any type of layering so a mattress that had a 6" support core with say 2" of foam on each side and was finished the same on both sides would be “flippable” while a mattress that had a 6" core and 2" of foam on one side only would be a one sided mattress.
Dunlop latex does tend to have a firmer and a softer side and this is most noticeable in 6" complete cores than with thinner layers. different methods of foaming and manufacturing will have this to greater or less degrees though so not all Dunlop has the same degree of firmness difference from top to bottom. Dunlop will also tend to have a range of firmness levels across the surface of the mattress which may be more in some cases than the top to bottom differences. Both sides of a single Dunlop layer would tend to be firmer than most people would typically prefer and in some cases the difference may not be noticeable. Softer Dunlop can be a good choice in a single layer mattress because it has a high compression modulus so even a softer version will get firmer quickly as you sink into it deeper so even softer Dunlop can still provide good support. Either way though … if both sides feel the same and are finished the same then it can be flipped regardless of any difference in the firmness of the top and bottom.
In the end … each person’s body will tell them more about the suitability of a mattress in terms of pressure relief and alignment than any theory. Beyond this is is just a matter of building in your preferences. If someone is happy with the way a 6" mattress performs and feels … there is no reason to go any thicker regardless of the preferences of the majority. If it is finished on both sides and both sides are equally comfortable … that is a bonus.
Phoenix
Wow, thank you for the thorough answer. I really appreciate the time you put into that. Today my wife and I are going to look at a few of the showrooms in San Diego that your recommended in another blog post (matressmakers.com, Euroflex, and a showroom in Escondido).
Thanks again for the timely and informative reply. We have found your website to be a refreshing resource and have been recommending it to anyone we talk to.
Hi Notsean99,
I hope you have the chance to report back on your visits.
Feedback about people’s actual experiences at the different outlets that are listed are always valuable and can help many others in your area who are also looking for their best choices.
Thanks too for the kind words and "recommendations 
Phoenix