I’m hoping I can leverage the wisdom of the crowds here for a little expert advice. My wife and I are in the market for a new king mattress. After extensive research rabbit holing down many misleading and biased mattress review websites I feel like I am no closer to a purchase than when I started this journey. So many of the review sites and online mattress sellers seem to all be in cahoots with each other or owned by the same puppet masters. I cannot tell fact from fiction. I’m hoping some knowledgable, unbiased members on this site can set me straight. This is worse than buying a house/car.
Here are some details about us:
I’m 5’9" 170 pounds. Side sleeper who tosses and turns a lot. Relatively broad shouldered & barrel chested.
Wife is 5’3 125 pounds. Classic hourglass shape. Combo sleeper but mostly back.
I have slept on several beds with memory foam toppers, and am fond of that feeling.
We think we prefer a Medium (~5) mattress firmness level, but I honestly don’t know.
Our biggest preferences in a mattress are:
Motion isolation (we can’t currently sleep together because every time I move it wakes up my wife).
Cooling temperate (we sleep very hot)
Organic/Natural materials - don’t want to sleep on any nasty chemicals that haven’t been tested for longterm, sustained human exposure.
Durability (I want a bed that will last at least 10 years or more)
Value (not cheap, but good bang for the buck).
Generous return policy (In case we get it wrong and need a different bed).
Based on my research it seems like we want either a:
Full Latex foam mattress. Latex for organic status and durability. I don’t trust the chemicals in memory foam or the durability.
Hybrid Latex mattress. Reason being that the springs will help with the airflow and cooling. Also lighter weight so easier to rotate.
Does that seem right? Either way, I have sooooo many questions remaining:
Have read several times that Latex foam isn’t great for motion isolation. Is that true?
If cooling in important, will any foam mattress simply be too hot?
Should the foam be Dunlap or Talalay? What thickness? How many layers? What ILD?
If we go for a hybrid, what should I look for in terms of coil count, design, and materials?
Should the springs sit on a base layer of foam?
Should we get a flippable mattress to extend the life? Or does that even matter?
Below I have a list of all the beds I came across in my maddening research. I’m having a hard time understanding which ones are bogus SEO strategies with huge markups, and which ones are no BS quality and good value. Please help!
Congrats on your new mattress shopping journey ! Indeed, there are many product “review” websites out there, some are more readily decipherable if you have an understanding of mattress industry terminology, materials and components in regards to what may be the best construction for you. But without basic references for “concepts” of how a mattress may interact with your personal preferences, it is difficult if not impossible for someone to infer from one of these sites, for example, that one ILD latex would be more agreeable in terms of comfort than another would.
[quote]Here are some details about us:
I’m 5’9" 170 pounds. Side sleeper who tosses and turns a lot. Relatively broad shouldered & barrel chested.
Wife is 5’3 125 pounds. Classic hourglass shape. Combo sleeper but mostly back.
I have slept on several beds with memory foam toppers, and am fond of that feeling.
We think we prefer a Medium (~5) mattress firmness level, but I honestly don’t know.[/quote]
Thanks for including you and your wife’s personal stats as those are a key starting point for your mattress research. Your “statistics” can also play a big role in determining the type, softness, and thickness of your comfort layers and the type of support materials and construction that you choose. In very general terms, curvier profiles need thicker comfort layers and heavier bodies need thicker and firmer comfort layers with support layers and materials that are also appropriate to the comfort layers and type of construction. It would also be helpful to know what brand/ model mattress you are currently sleeping on, as well as what qualities that you like/ dislike about it.
[quote]Our biggest preferences in a mattress are:
Motion isolation (we can’t currently sleep together because every time I move it wakes up my wife).
Cooling temperate (we sleep very hot)
Organic/Natural materials - don’t want to sleep on any nasty chemicals that haven’t been tested for longterm, sustained human exposure.
Durability (I want a bed that will last at least 10 years or more)
Value (not cheap, but good bang for the buck).
Generous return policy (In case we get it wrong and need a different bed).[/quote]
You are doing a great job of outlining your preferences bart1234, nice work! You have the good beginnings of a conversation for potential manufacturers/ retailers you may choose to work with. When you can, be sure and check out Phoenix articles, “Finding a Great Mattress Outlet” and “Mattress Shopping Guidelines”, both are full of tips and ideas for solidifying your shopping checklist. Do you have local access to COVID-19 safe showrooms for mattress testing? What budget have you planned for your king-size mattress?
[quote]Based on my research it seems like we want either a:
Full Latex foam mattress. Latex for organic status and durability. I don’t trust the chemicals in memory foam or the durability.
Hybrid Latex mattress. Reason being that the springs will help with the airflow and cooling. Also lighter weight so easier to rotate.[/quote]
Either an all-latex or latex hybrid mattress could be good choices in terms of a highly durable, organic option. If you haven’t already, you would want to familiarize yourself with organic product certifications and how they apply to the components within a mattress’s construction. The below organic certifications may apply to specific components of a mattress:
GOLS/ Global Organic Latex Standard: the global standard for organic latex certification;
GOTS/ Global Organic Textile Standard: the global standard for organic textile certification;
And these are several certifications that rule out the presence of harmful chemical emissions in materials and components:
Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification: a safety standard which tests for harmful substances that can leach out of a mattress and for harmful VOC’s;
Eco INSTITUTE: a European safety certification for emissions and toxicity testing.
[quote]Does that seem right? Either way, I have sooooo many questions remaining:
Have read several times that Latex foam isn’t great for motion isolation. Is that true?[/quote]
Latex foam is popular both as a comfort material and a support material, highly regarded for its air circulating/ “cooling” properties that its natural, open-cell structure provides, as well as pressure relieving qualities and superior durability. Latex in a comfort layer is also known for of its ability to “localize” compression better than other materials without absorbing energy nearly as much.
[quote]- If cooling in important, will any foam mattress simply be too hot?
[/quote]
Either Dunlop or Talalay latex provides natural, breathable air circulation to a mattress’s construction, but other factors contribute to how “cool” a mattress will sleep. The fabrications of coverings used, the type foundation used (how freely can the mattress circulate air) and the room’s environment in terms of temperature, humidity, air circulation etc. all play a role in how “cool” the mattress will sleep. Memory foam, a viscoelastic foam, is less breathable. It requires body heat to become viscous enough to “flow”, with the “unmelted” areas of foam that are further away from your body being firmer and resisting pressure without “flowing away” from that pressure. This results in an enclosed “stable cradle” of material that is “softer” close to you while it remains “firmer” further away from you. The combination of softness and firmness feels very good to people who prefer “sleeping in” a mattress that also feels “stable”. Some side effects of memory foam’s greater sensitivity to heat can also lead to sleeping issues for some people. The deeper in a mattress someone sleeps, the more likely someone is to have issues with “sleeping hot”. This of course is a quality of all foams where you “sink into” but it is compounded by the makeup of memory foams as they allow a greater degree of sinking in and are typically less breathable (allow for less evaporation) than other foams.
[quote]- Should the foam be Dunlap or Talalay? What thickness? How many layers? What ILD?
If we go for a hybrid, what should I look for in terms of coil count, design, and materials?
Should the springs sit on a base layer of foam?
Should we get a flippable mattress to extend the life? Or does that even matter?
[/quote]
These are all excellent questions for a conversation with a reputable mattress manufacturer, bart1234. I’d be interested in your thoughts regarding the above questions I’ve left for you, a little more on your mattress history is needed before speculating further on these points.
Again, great job on your research ! Twenty two mattresses of interest, that is quite an impressive compilation of choices. The more options you have, the greater the chance you will have for making sound decisions. To understand the differences in Hype vs Quality/ Value, ignore SEO results and consult the manufacturer’s web site for:
• Details of product specifications;
• Product certifications of importance to you;
• Policies regarding sleep trial period, exchange policy, return policy and warranty information;
• Availability of Customer Service for further questions.
Thanks for considering the TMU trusted members that you have included in your potential mattress candidates! The Trusted Member program was created to offer TMU consumer subscribers needing professional counsel the ability to work with knowledgeable, high-quality smaller manufacturers/ retailers who offer transparency and best practices in the mattress industry. You can rest assured when dealing with any of the TMU members you’ve mentioned, your concern of “bogus SEO strategies with huge markups” is not an issue and they each would be “which ones are no BS quality and good value”. Looking forward to your thoughts, bart1234 .
Hi OP - just curious if you have an update on what you decided to go with and how you made your decision? I am in the same boat trying to figure out exactly what will be the best option for us and have similar preferences to what you describe. Did you end up with a hybrid or full latex mattress?
! Thanks for your question.
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