Looking for Local Latex Options in the DC Metro Area

Hey Phoenix,

I’ve read more posts and spent more time on your site than I’d care to admit out loud…thanks for providing such a knowledgeable resource!! I’m at the point now where I know what I am looking for, but not sure where to go to find it. I’ve done some online comparisons (Foam Sweet Foam’s 13" king is the leader in the clubhouse), but am hoping there are some local manufacturers or sleep shops that I could do business with. I’m looking for a 100% natural latex mattress, and am located in the DC Metro area (20732 to be exact, Southern MD).

Being able to physically try some latex mattresses out will be important to my wife, who when I mentioned going with a latex mattress her eyebrows raised and said “say what now?”. She’s left the research up to me, but isn’t at all familiar with latex as a mattress material and is naturally skeptical, as I was when first looking into it, since “mattress” isn’t the first thought to come to mind when thinking of uses for latex. So I’m looking to discover local resources where I can have her compare the feel of a latex mattress with the more conventional inner spring mattresses, as well as for a solid place to make the purchase from.

I do know there are a couple Savvy Rest stores within driving distance we could visit as a last resort, but even though I’m fully expecting to have to pay 2-3k for a natural latex mattress, I’m not prepared to meet their 4k+ price tag. If it came down to it, I’d buy what I feel is a very similar quality product from the online retailers (like FSF) for a fraction of the Savvy Rest price.

Thanks!

Hi HockeyGoalie29,

The better options or possibilities i’m aware of in the Washington, DC area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.

You certainly have many local options that carry latex mattresses but many of them aren’t in the best value range so I would make some careful value comparisons.

There are many other forum members that have done the same thing. There is a list of online sources for component latex mattresses in post #3 here and many of them carry mattresses that can be configured to be very similar to the Savvy Rest mattresses.

While your own careful testing or personal experience is the most reliable way to know whether any mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP or how closely it “matches” another mattress … 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 such as Savvy Rest) than anyone else.

Phoenix

There is an Urban Mattress across the street from a Savvy Rest store in Vienna, VA. Urban has a line (three models, I think) of latex mattresses. The details page on their website isn’t working correctly right now, but it’s worth a call to them to see if these models meet your needs for a natural mattress. From what I recall they are made with natural materials and are less expensive than Savvy Rest.

Thanks Phoenix (and Todler). After reading through the various local options and before trying anything out, I was pretty sure our decision was going to come down to making a 3.5 hour trip down to Cozy Pure or ordering from either FSF/SleepEZ. Really liked what I saw from Cozy Pure, solid company.

This weekend, my wife and I went out to try a few latex mattresses, and she was sold immediately on the concept. We were at the Healthy Back store to try out their version of the PLB, and it was a toss up between the Bliss Elegance and their technogel line for, in her words, “the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever laid on”. That was a huge relief to me, given the amount of time I spent researching…heh.

Given the poor overall value of the Bliss line in general, I wasn’t planning on purchasing anything, however the price they quoted (with no haggling involved) was solid. They offered a king sized Elegance for $2,800, which from what I’ve seen is a very fair price, especially for 12 inches of talalay. That fell right in line with the price of both FSF and CozyPure, and only slightly higher than SleepEZ when comparing similar mattresses. And since a large part of the value equation for my wife is being able to try out exactly what we’d be getting, it was an easy decision. We’ve got our new mattress set to be delivered this Friday!

Of course I do have one final question: Obviously the top 1" layer is a blended talalay, given that it’s Celsion. But are the bottom 11 inches 100% natural talalay or a blend? I’ve found conflicting info on this.

Thanks again for the effort put into this site, it’s an invaluable resource.

Hi HockeyGoalie29,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

You certainly made a good quality choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

The Elegance is the same as the Pure Latex Bliss Beautiful and you can see the specs of your mattress in post #2 here. It has a 3" layer of Talalay Active Fusion (aka Celsion) and then another 9" of blended Talalay latex.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix, and I certainly will. I was definitely caught by surprise, after all the research I didn’t expect to end up with the mattress we did. I even took advantage of the few days we have to cancel and called around to make sure I wasn’t fooling myself into thinking that was a solid price and couldn’t find anyone offering either the Elegance or Beautiful for less than $3,100, let alone for lower than the $2,800 price we paid. I don’t know if we got lucky to be looking at the perfect time, which is what any salesperson wants you to believe, or they regularly offer them for that far below the $4,200 MAP, but I’m not complaining. Don’t feel like we got a crazy deal, just that it ended up being in line with similar products.

I did see that post you linked to, and it’s one of the spots that led me to believe the bottom layers were all natural talalay instead of blended, but maybe I just misunderstood:

Also, just for comparison, here’s a pic I took of the store tag, which shows a completely different layer configuration, including 4 total layers compared to the 3 in your post… Doesn’t really matter to me, because ultimately it was comfortable and supportive, but thought it was interesting how different it was from what you posted. Between your post, the tag, and the websites for both Helathy Back and PLB there are 4 different configurations listed for the same mattress.

Hi HockeyGoalie29,

I think that the specs you posted were probably from a previous version which were different from the current PLB versions (and they will likely change once again very soon).

As you mentioned though … there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of their versions so if the mattress was a good match for you in terms of PPP and it also compared well to the other mattresses you were considering based on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are important to you then you certainly made a good quality/value choice :).

Phoenix

I went to Healthy back today and tried a Pure Bliss latex mattress. I didn’t get the model, but based on the price, I think it is the Elegance. I thought it was very comfortable. Healthy Back is having a floor clearance model sale and I can buy this $3K plus mattress for about $1,200. The sales person said the particular mattress has been on the floor for about 4 months. The cover is washable so I have no problem with buying a floor model.

I am a little confused. Are there two different lines of Bliss Latex mattresses. In one of the above posts the elegance model was compared to the Beautiful model so it seems they are different lines, manufacturers? Is there a difference between Pure Bliss and Bliss?

I think this is a great deal on the mattress however, I recently got burned buying a mattress form one of the “S” chain mattress stores and I am scared to death of buying another mattress without a trial period and return policy. At the same time, I feel this is an excellent deal on the mattress. Of course the sale is over Feb 4 so I feel kind of rushed into a decision, and it seems like I always get burned when I rush into something.

I also have read a lot of complaints online about Healthy Back with delivery issues and product quality issued, though it seems from comments here that the Bliss mattress is a quality mattress and at $1,200 for a queen would be an excellent deal.

I was also wondering if the original poster of this thread has received his mattress yet and whether or not there were delivery issues. BTW, I live in So. Md also.

Any advice appreciated.

Hi DCGiggles,

Pure Latex Bliss makes several lines of mattresses (which are about to change as well) that use different types and blends of latex but their Ultimate line is the one that uses their blended latex and includes both the Elegance and the Beautiful which are just different names for the same mattress. It’s not uncommon in the industry that the same mattress has different names in different stores which makes it more difficult for consumers to make “apples to apples” price comparisons (unless they know the specifics of all the layers and materials in both mattresses).

[quote]I went to Healthy back today and tried a Pure Bliss latex mattress. I didn’t get the model, but based on the price, I think it is the Elegance. I thought it was very comfortable. Healthy Back is having a floor clearance model sale and I can buy this $3K plus mattress for about $1,200. The sales person said the particular mattress has been on the floor for about 4 months. The cover is washable so I have no problem with buying a floor model.

I think this is a great deal on the mattress however, I recently got burned buying a mattress form one of the “S” chain mattress stores and I am scared to death of buying another mattress without a trial period and return policy. At the same time, I feel this is an excellent deal on the mattress. Of course the sale is over Feb 4 so I feel kind of rushed into a decision, and it seems like I always get burned when I rush into something.[/quote]

There is more about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

The most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is how well you sleep on the mattress and there would be little value in a mattress purchase that you don’t sleep well on or that isn’t suitable for you regardless of the price. While the price of the floor model is certainly good and it uses good quality materials … you would also be losing any possibility to exchange the mattress for another one with a different firmness level if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and your mattress also wouldn’t have a warranty so whether it was a “good deal” would really depend on how confident you are that you will sleep well on the mattress and that it will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP. These are the types of questions that only you can decide based on your own “informed best judgement”.

[quote]I also have read a lot of complaints online about Healthy Back with delivery issues and product quality issued, though it seems from comments here that the Bliss mattress is a quality mattress and at $1,200 for a queen would be an excellent deal.

I was also wondering if the original poster of this thread has received his mattress yet and whether or not there were delivery issues. BTW, I live in So. Md also.[/quote]

I would certainly have no concerns about the quality or durability of the materials in any of the Pure Latex Bliss mattresses. I don’t know about any delivery issues they have had or if they were connected to the manufacturer of the mattress or to Healthy Back itself.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix:

Just discovered your website while researching a new mattress we are planning to buy. Wife and I have been sleeping on fairly firm inner springs but we are willing to pay more to upgrade to a better mattress. I really appreciate this post regarding DMV area mattress stores, and plan to go check out a latex mattress at the local Healthy Back store.

I’m looking to get away from inner spring mattresses, although my experience with a mail ordered memory foam mattress (circa 2009) in my parents’ guest room is not good. For me, I did not like the fact that I more or less sink into a small me-shaped hole in during the night. It seems latex mattresses would not give that same feeling. Also, while I’m willing to pay a higher price for a better mattress, it seems foolish to pay the Tempurpedic premium for a foam mattress (same reason I don’t buy any Apple products, although even Apple products are only moderately more expensive compared to their rivals, and the Tempur price premium just seems insane). Rant aside, here is my initial impressions/questions based on internet research so far:

  1. A lot of the 100% latex mattresses seem to have similar construction. 3-4 layers of latex stacked inside a cotton cover which has maybe 1" of wool in the top for a total thickness of 9 to 12 inches.

  2. So you kind of stack your own mattress, with the advantage of being able to swap out layers to customize for different levels of support.

  3. The high quality Talalay latex is only produced by 1 (or 2?) companies which supply all the US mattress manufacturers.

  4. A benefit of many of these latex mattress companies is that their Twin XL is essentially half the price of a King size (compared to say Sealy, where a twin would be like $500, but a king is only $800), and it seems like a good idea (to me at least) to buy 2 Twin XLs to piece together a King bed, without much of a price hit. This way my tossing and turning won’t translate over to my wife’s side of the bed, and if we ever get an power bed foundation in the future, we can adjust them separately. Also, at least conceptually to me, I don’t like the idea of two stacks of 2-4 layers of latex inside one king mattress. If there’s going to be 2 stacks, why not just wrap each stack in its own cover?

So here is my ultimate question: I go to Healthy Back tomorrow, and for the first time in my life, try their Bliss latex mattress, and say I like it and it does not have that sink into a hole feeling of my parent’s cheap memory foam mattress. Now if these are literally just layers of latex in a cotton cover, why pay $1700 for a Bliss Serenity 8" mattress, when I can have Sleep EZ mail me a 9" latex mattress for $950?

Presumably they are made with latex manufactured by the same company? Sleep EZ seems to be the cheapest latex manufacture by far compared to say FloBeds. They seem to have been in business for several decades, and have been selling online since the 90s (and seem to have a website that never got updated since the 90s!). Is the mattress cover on the Bliss that much better than EZ’s? Is that “Celsion” thing they claim to help you sleep cool really worth an extra thousand bucks?

Would really appreciate your thoughts on 1) generally whether you feel the price premium for a full latex mattress is worth it, and 2) if there are any particular reasons why I should avoid the cheapest option, that being the Sleep EZ. It seems to me that Sleep EZ’s prices are low enough to be competitive with hybrid latex mattress and even non-latex mattresses.

Hi rtb001,

You’re certainly right that latex and memory foam are very different materials with very different properties. There is more about how latex and memory foam compare in general terms in post #2 here.

Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover) will have an effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and component above and below it and on the mattress “as a whole” and there are hundreds if not thousands of latex mattresses that are very different from each other that use different types and blends of latex, different layer thicknesses, different layer firmnesses, and that have very different designs. Some of them may be a great “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) and some of them may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on.

I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

The mattresses you are referring to are called component mattresses and this is certainly one of the advantages of having a component mattress with loose layers vs a mattress with glued layers and a cover that doesn’t have a zipper. There is more about the pros and cons of a “finished mattresses” that has glued layers vs component mattresses with unglued layers and zip covers in post #15 here and post #2 here.

Any type of latex (either Dunlop or Talalay and made with synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or a blend of both) is a high quality and durable material relative to other types of foam and the choice between them would be more of a preference and a budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about how Dunlop compares to Talalay in general in post #7 here but the best way to know which type or blend of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own testing and personal experience. As you mentioned there are two manufacturers that make Talalay latex which are Talalay Global (previously called Latex International) and Radium and both of them make a range of different types of Talalay latex including 100% natural and blended.

There are some comments in post #8 here and in this topic about the pros and cons of a split king mattress (two twin XL mattresses instead of an eastern king size mattress).

The biggest reason to buy any mattress is because it would be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP vs a different mattress with a different design that you may not sleep as well on.

There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Again … every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting materials) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design then there really isn’t a way to match one mattress to another one in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP based on the specifications of the mattresses (even assuming that you can find out all the specifications you would need for both mattresses you are comparing).

Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so unless a manufacturer specifically says in their description of a mattress that one of their mattresses in the same general category is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” another one in terms of firmness or “feel” and PPP and/or they are very familiar with both mattresses and can provide reliable guidance about how they compare based on the “averages” of a larger group of people that have compared them (different people may have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare) … the only reliable way to know for certain how two mattresses that have different designs would compare for you in terms of how they “feel” or in terms of firmness or PPP would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed 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.

As you probably know from your reading here both SleepEZ and Flobeds are members of this site which means that I think very highly of both of them and I believe that they both compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency although the mattresses they make have different designs. They would both make great quality/value choices.

There is more about Talalay Active Fusion (aka Celsion) in post #4 here. It would probably make a “slight” difference in termperature regulation compared to blended Talalay but a wool quilted cover would be a more effective method of temperature regulation yet. If the only difference between two mattresses was that one used a layer of Celsion on top and the other one didn’t but they were otherwise identical then IMO the Celsion wouldn’t be “worth” an extra $1000 but it’s unlikely that this would be the only difference between two mattresses.

If you are asking about an all latex mattress vs a latex/polyfoam hybrid then outside there there is more about the general differences between them in post #2 here. Of course a latex/polyfoam hybrid can also have a significantly lower price than an all latex mattress.

There isn’t a “formula” that can be used to assess or “calculate” the value of a mattress because there are so many different variables and criteria involved that can affect the price of a mattress that can each be more or less important to some people and not to others who may have completely different criteria or definitions of “value”. The “value” of a mattress purchase is also relative to how a mattress compares to the other finalists you are considering or to other mattresses that are available to you in your area (or online if you are also considering online options) based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. There are many reasons that a mattress that may be “good value” for one person or in one area of the country may not be good value for someone else that has very different needs and preferences or that lives in a different area.

I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design relative to your weight range and if there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations about each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

Wow, thanks for the super detailed reply! Lots of food for thought.

I will start by trying an all latex mattress at the local store. Just to make sure I like the general feeling. Beyond that though, I do read a lot of posts about people needing days and even weeks to fully adjust to their new mattress, so in that sense, I’m not sure just because I got to lie on an actual bed at a local store, that it would be more comfortable than an online mattress.

For this particular purchase, my wife and I will probably be okay either way, since we are still fairly young and do not have pain in the morning etc. Just the fact that the latex might last us 10-20 years is a great plus to us.

Will report back once I’ve tried an actual latex mattress!

Hi rtb001,

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any other comments or questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix