Hi SleepEz,
I’m in the market for a new mattress. Your Organic Latex Mattress is towards to top of my list.
My wife and I are currently sleeping on a Sterns & Foster Pillow Top (Provincial Collection). It’s about 12 years old and definitely ready to be replaced.
I’ve recently been suffering from lower back pain which I believe is somewhat due to the mattress. There’s more details in my post from a couple days ago.
I’m seeking your advice on what SleepEZ configuration would be best for me and my wife.
I’m 6’4" and weigh in the 185-188 range. My wife is 5’10" and is 143-145 range. I am 100% a side sleeper. I never sleep on my back or stomach. My wife is naturally a back sleeper however I’ve forced her into becoming a side sleeper for, ahem, obvious reasons (zzzzz).
We are most interested in your 13" mattress. I understand that’s not necessary giving our body weights however we do prefer a taller mattress.
I’ve used your configurator on your site and it appears I’m right on the threshold between a “soft” topper and a “medium” topper (185 lbs is soft, 186 lbs is medium). Given my sleeping position and lower back pains is there one you’d recommend over the other?
My wife typically likes a slightly “firmer” mattress and dislikes any type of sinking in feeling. The configurator for her size says to go with a soft. Would you stick with this for her or consider medium given her slightly firmer preference?
Finally, my wife is somewhat hung up on the “split mattress” concept. She would much prefer we both be sleeping on a single complete layer and is concerned if it was split we’d feel a seam down the middle. What are your thoughts here?
Thanks for any direction you can provide.
Hi jaystang and thanks for the inquiry! Based on the information you’ve provided, I think you’re just fine to start with a soft for your top layer and medium for her top layer. If you sleep on that setup and you’re getting back pain or it’s just too soft for your preferences, I’d recommend moving the medium Dunlop layer down one level at a time. If you get the medium layer all the way to the bottom and it’s still too soft, see if your partner will let you borrow her medium Talalay for a night to see if that’s a better choice. Of course, if she starts with medium Talalay on top and it turns out to be too firm, let her borrow your soft to see how that works for her. If she starts with medium on top and it’s too soft, again just move the medium Dunlop layer down one level at a time until the firmness is right.
Regarding split layers, about 95% of our mattresses go out with all split layers from top to bottom, and we get zero complaints on being able to feel the split and we get zero complaints about the layers shifting or anything like that. If all of your layers are split, you will always be able to adjust your side without affecting your partner’s side and vice versa, and you’ll have that option for the entire 20 year lifespan of the mattress. Additionally, the mattress will be easier to assemble, easier to move if needed, easier to do any layers exchanges if needed, and easier to return if needed. It also allows you to try different combinations in your home by borrowing layers between the two sides. For example, if you start with soft Talalay/medium Dunlop/Firm Dunlop/extra firm Dunlop and she starts with medium Talalay/medium Dunlop/firm Dunlop/extra firm Dunlop and you find that you want to increase the pressure relief, you can borrow her medium Talalay for a night to try soft Talalay/medium Talalay/Firm Dunlop/extra firm Dunlop. If you try that and it’s your perfect setup, then you know exactly what to order for a layer exchange. If it doesn’t work, then at least you have more information that you can use to figure out what the next best step is. Of course, if you have any comfort issues or any issues at all really, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can point you in the right direction.
Just a last note on split layers, we ship out tons of mattresses per month, and only about 5 times PER YEAR do we get complaints about the layers shifting, and it normally only comes up on the 13" mattress. It happens on the 13" because it’s such a tall mattress that some people (again like 5 per year) have to slide out of bed in the morning in order to get their feet on the ground. If you feel like that’s going to be an issue for you, then I’d recommend you ask us to glue the top layer of latex together. Just FYI, we use a non-toxic water-based glue that is Green Guard certified against harmful chemicals and off-gassing.