I’m looking for an economical Full sized zippered mattress encasement for around 11" mattress. I’d prefer to have at least some kind of terry-cloth on top as a bare minimum. Since many budget cases are allergenic, most of the following list consists of those types:
Most of the ones on the list you mentioned are mattress protectors rather than mattress encasements meant to be used as a ticking and would probably not be suitable for using as a zip cover for foam layers.
There are a few good sources available though that I know of …
Thanks for the links, Phoenix. I think you’re right about the armour-qualities of a decent encasement–I’ll pass on the “protectors”.
Do you think that FBM’s Gray and White encasement material would impede the good affects of the latex inside it? Looks kind of heavy/burly to me, but the price is right. It just, has this, well, prison-standard-issue look to it. :ohmy:
I think that latex especially needs a more stretchable ticking material for it to “perform” at its best. While it is often the part of a mattress that is neglected, it can play a big role in pressure relief and its well worth getting something of decent quality.
As far as whether it should also include wool or latex in the quilting would depend on personal preference and to some degree on what was underneath it. Wool will tend to “firm up” latex underneath it as it compresses with use but it also is very breathable and temperature regulating and is popular for that reason. Memory foam tends to need some “help” with this more than latex since latex is already breathable and more open celled than memory foam. Quiltable latex can add to the thickness and softness of your comfort layer if that is needed. If your comfort layer is already “just right”, then the most flexible ticking possible that gets you “closest” to the latex would usually be best.
With any of them I would also include a mattress protector of some type (similar to what you listed) to protect against moisture but not a “full encasement” protector unless someone had real allergy issues and needed to fully enclose the mattress and ticking. Even then with latex that is not as big an issue since latex has some “built in” protection against dust mites which are the main cause of allergies. The “encasement” type protectors are also good in cases where they are needed as part of a regimen against bed bugs if that is an issue.
My preference, especially with latex, would be to go with the better quality ticking and avoid the “prison look” … and maybe feel as well. A simple mattress protector that just goes on top and is both breathable and protects against moisture is all that is usually needed on top of this. This could also be a mattress pad with wool if you wanted to sleep on wool and chose a ticking without it (wool is moisture resistant although not “waterproof”).
This is the zippered cover from FBM. I received it today. My initial thoughts are that this is not a mattress case, it’s a filmy comfy-topper case. It’s very thin and literally transparent. I wouldn’t recommend it as a mattress-encasement.
Me thinks you gotta pony up the cash for a decent encasement. But it’s not an easy market for us el-cheapo DIY’ers.
Thanks for letting us know. It’s too bad that their case is about the same quality as some of the foam orders I have seen from them. I was hoping they might do better with their zip cases.
I realize that a decent zippered ticking is more expensive but I do believe it’s worth it. It’s especially important with latex which can biodegrade with exposure to the air. From what I know of, SleepEZ and SLAB are probably the two best sources for zip tickings that ship across the country.
Other possibilities are local foam shops and mattress manufacturers which may also sell you a zip ticking by itself.
I do have a few possibilities to follow up with when I have the chance but they don’t seem to be the same quality as the two I mentioned. I’ll post here if I come up with any more sources that have good quality.
I would think there must be a balance as I’ve heard from several sources that latex should be able to “breath”, such as you mentioned in a previous post.
Even though I characterize myself as an el-cheapo DIYr, I’ve invested a lot of money in my new mattress and am a little worried that the latex is prematurely deteriorating.
Latex is already very breathable and naturally encourages the evaporation of moisture so breathability is no problem as long as you’re not using vinyl or some other material that has no pores in it around your mattress. Even then the problem would be more with the person sleeping on it than it would with the latex itself. As long as there is air circulation around it this should be no problem with almost all covers. It’s also the reason why I believe that a slatted base is better because even though latex itself is resistant to mold and mildew, the cover around it isn’t and trapped moisture in the cover could be a good breeding ground for either.
The biggest reason for a cover though is to protect the latex from ultraviolet and ozone which are the two things which contribute the most to oxidation and rubber breakdown. As long as the cover is meant to be used as a cover (and not just a mattress “protector”) then there should be no problem. If the cover is not as stretchable as it could be, then it also hinders the ability of the latex to form itself to your body shape and reduce pressure.
Your mattress sounds great. My personal favorite layering with memory foam is an inch of latex over top of about 2" of decent memory foam over latex which would certainly be a possibility with the layers you have … although everyone’s preferences are different of course. I really liked the feel of the Simmons NXG 575 for example although I would never buy one.
I’d be interested in how your Bergad isoform memory foam does over time as there were a lot of good reviews on it when it first came out but more mixed after that. It’s certainly better than a lot of others that are out there :).
If the FBM is really talalay in the ILD’s that you are mentioning, then you did well … better than many others I’ve helped with what turned out to be “unknown” ILD and type of latex from FBM. Strange how they’re so inconsistent.
Well, this 3" comfort layer allows me to swap the 1" latex on top of the 2" memfo during the summer, while possibly extending the life of both pieces. I’ll let you know how it works out over time.
I’ve read a lot of derogatory statements about FBM’s latex. I have say, I can’t tell you what the official ILD of this 3" “32ILD” slab is, but it’s my favorite–very squishy and resiliant and jiggly. I love it and would not hesitate to buy this again from them. I almost decided to go with the 3" of “20ILD” for that reason, but I’ve always liked a bit of memfo in the top layer.
The eBay foam is very good quality, but I have no idea what I got. My Extra-Firm was softer than my Firm which I bought a couples weeks apart from each other (more like the Firm was incredibly more firmer than the Extra-Firm). Turns out it worked but I really don’t know what I got. It all looked like talalay though (as I requested). She’ll work with you up to a point, but I decided to just keep it and assume the 44-ild was a 38; and vice versa.
Yes … they are listed in post #4 here and when I talked with them recently they also said that they had access to more than were listed on the site so they may well be worth a phone call.
Thanks, Phoenix - for the reply and for maintaining this great site.
With regard to mattress covers - I was wondering if it makes sense to take a “layered” approach.
As SqueakyDog mentions in his post#11 above, one of the advantages of layered mattress construction is the ability to swap or substitute layers as needed. Rather than buying a heavy-duty quilted mattress cover, would it make sense - in terms of fine-tuning the sleep experience seasonally, for example - to get a couple of less substantial zippered mattress “protectors” and a wool pad?
I wouldn’t take this approach because mattress protectors and mattress covers/ticking have very different functions. The ticking needs to be more substantial to help keep the shape of the mattress, to protect the materials inside, and to contribute to the design and performance of the mattress. Protectors are just to protect the mattress from fluids and stains and are not designed to be part of the mattress itself. A good tick will work in all seasons.
The modular approach is a good idea with the contents of the mattress but not IMO with a mattress cover/ticking. The cover doesn’t have to be quilted and can be a weave or a knit (more stretchy) but it is a good idea that it is heavy duty fabric and made for the purpose that it will be used. The cover needs to protect and help keep the shape of the mattress on all sides … not just the top. This is especially true with latex which is susceptible to exposure to elements like ozone, ultraviolet light, and body oils and is also prone to tearing if not handled carefully.
I’m trying to decide between the 4 Way Stretch Zipper Cover Non Quilted cover from SleepEZ and the All Natural Bamboo/Cotton cover from SLAB. They are both 60% cotton/ 40% rayon blends. I decided against quilting or a pad because, to paraphrase Brooke Shields, “Nothing gets between me and my memfo.”
My queen-sized mattress is:
2" Aerus
2" Sensus
3" Firm 5.2 lb density 34-36 ILD Natural Latex
1.5" HD36-HQ Conventional Foam Eggcrate
3" LUX-HQ 50 ILD Conventional Foam
You have a very interesting mattress design and I can see you’ve put some good thought and research into it
The picture on the SleepEz site for their unquilted zip cover isn’t correct and it’s actually higher quality than the picture shows. You can see some pictures of it in post #33 here (the lighting in this picture makes it look darker than it is and it’s actually more off-white).
It’s one of the nicest and best value stretch knit covers that I’ve seen (many have said that it’s even nicer than the Pure Latex Bliss covers) and even though it’s a lower price it would be my personal choice even though both options are high quality and would work well.
I ordered the cover you suggested from Sleep EZ on 7/14 (Saturday). I was told that it would ship by 7/17 (Tuesday) at the latest.
When I had not received a shipping confirmation by 7/18 (Wednesday), I called Sleep EZ and talked with Sean. He told me that the office was closed on Wednesday so he couldn’t look it up, but he confirmed again that if I ordered it on Saturday, it would have shipped by Tuesday at the latest.
I have just been informed that it shipped today (Thursday) by UPS ground and will be here on Monday.
I had planned to surprise my wife, who has been complaining bitterly about our old mattress, had to go out of town for the last two weeks, and will be returning Sunday.
Oh well. I’m sure she will be surprised by the lovely pieces of foam sitting on the livingroom floor.
That’s really unfortunate. SleepEz has an amazing record of timely deliveries and service but I guess sometimes stuff happens. The worst part though is that things like this always seem to happen when timing is critical.
I hope your wife isn’t too surprised/upset with you and the foam on the floor … and hopefully she’ll go in the “it’s the thought that counts” direction and when she gets to sleep on the mattress all will be forgiven.
It is not a stretch knit cover. Being that it has a rayon backing that does NOT stretch, the website is deceptive. " 4 way stretch"…no way. In fact, the lack of any info on this mattress cover is deceptive with the ad being a 4 way stretch. The top stretches, but buyer beware, the rayon it’s sewed to does not. I now have what is known as the hammock effect. I wanted to feel the latex and that can only be accomplished with a double stretch knitted encasement.
I’m going to ask for my money back which Jeremy has agreed to.
