Without wool it would have to use another method to pass the regulations. IMO … the best option in this case would be a viscose/silica inherent material which is also non toxic (see post #2 here). With a prescription from a health practitioner … you can also have a mattress made without any fire retardant barrier at all.
The regulations in Canada are different and not as stringent as the US but there are still regulations and Canadian mattresses are often made the same as their US counterparts so it would have some form of fire retardant as well. Each manufacturer can provide more specific details about their mattress.
The beds and Edsele mattresses arrived yesterday for the kids. We built the older one’s bed, put the mattress on and slept on it ourselves with the youngest while the bed owner was at a grandparent’s sleepover.
IMO, the mattress is firm. It’s about the same firmness as the foam mattress it is replacing. But, it has more flex to it when you roll so is much more comfortable. I think for me, it is likely to be a little too firm so if it was mine, I’d add a nice wool topper or a softer latex topper. That being said, that was only one night of sleep so I’d give it more of a chance before purchasing any toppers (since it’s not mine though it doesn’t matter, the firmess is perfect for the kids).
The mattress was packaged well, had zero smell (I’m sensitive to smells), and looks to be constructed nicely. I am very happy with the height, as a 6" mattress would sit lower into the bed frame. The frame does allow for the rails to be at a higher setting, but then the mattress would be too high for the kids, especially for the under 2 year old. So this height works well for us now. Once the older one is a teen, we can add a topper for her and it will sit higher and she’ll have some more cushion when she needs it. Hopefully the baby’s lasts until then too.
My first impression is that we will keep them. I really see no reason not to. The sale price was a good value for what we got and it was zero hassle for me to order them for that price. It saved me a ton of time and extra shipping costs over ordering elsewhere (since we were ordering beds from IKEA already). So for us, at this point in life, I think and hope it was the right decision.
If anyone has any questions they’d like answered, feel free to ask.
Thought to post a follow up message, and share my experience, which I hope will be helpful specially for those located in Canada.
Will start by saying that I decided not to get the Edsele mattress because it wasn’t 100% natural and more importantly it was zoned, which is pointless for a toddler, and not always works even for an adult.
Having that out of the way, I looked into getting something else first locally and then in the USA (I described all the alternatives in my previous post). Everything I found in Canada was around the $900 CAD mark, so I decided to order from the US.
Got a quote for the very basic 6" natural dunlop core mattress from Ken at mattresses.net, but for some reason it was only $50-$60 cheaper than their Naturalux (6"+2") mattress. What a disappointment! Not sure how they make their prices, but I was expecting a more significant discount, considering that the 2" layer was out of the equation…So anyway, even though, like Phoenix said before, the extra 2" is not really necessary for a child, and also considering that the shipping cost were same for either a 6" or 6"+2", I decided to order the Naturalux.
I though it will be a better value in the long run. My final cost was US $757.08 which was charged as CAD $800.31 on my credit card (paid with amazon visa and avoided extra currency fees). I haven’t received it yet, but my guess there will be tax on top of that which is 5% ($40?). So, to summarize, for ~$850 I will get a natural dunlop with an extra 2" natural talalay layer, vs $900 for 6" dunlop mattress bought in Canada.
The zones are overkill just as the extra 2" topper is? LOL I don’t really care whether it has zones since the cost was still less than any unzoned mattress I could get. Unfortunately, budget was our main concern at this time so I had to pick the best I could get in that price range. If your kids don’t need the extra topper for now (maybe because it’s too soft right now?) maybe you could store it and bring it out when the child is older? Would be awesome to have that extra softness when the child is older!
I would have purchased what you did as well given the options you were considering. Please come back with feedback on the mattress once it arrives. The exchange rate seems high though? Double check to make sure you were charged the correct US$. I’ve got an Amazon visa too and rates haven’t been that high on the things I’ve ordered lately.
Be prepared for the tax, GST only I guess because you’re in Alberta right? And there is likely to be a brokerage/collection fee for that. Depending on the courier it could be as little as $10 (DHL Express for example) but if it’s UPS, it could be much, much more. Did they say who they were shipping with and what service they were using?
I definitely understand the budget angle.
For August 24, when the transaction was posted the official visa rate was: $1 = 1.057094 CAD. (http://corporate.visa.com/pd/consumer_services/consumer_ex_rates.jsp)
Amazon rate shown in my account for that transaction was $1 USD = 1.057100967 CAD, so virtually the same rate as official visa. xe.com shows the historical data for Aug. 24 as $1 = 1.0496 CAD, so not too far off.
I guess the difference looks big right away because of the amount of money, the little currency difference adds up at so many hundreds.
GST only because I’m in Alberta. The courier they use is UPS, but I was assured the are no brokerage fees, only sales tax I would have to pay. I’m double checking that again today, just to make sure.
Congratulations to both of you on your new mattresses … I think that you both ended up making good choices
@ ciuvak
I’d also be interested to know if there are any brokerage charges from UPS when it comes across the border. Of course the GST is unavoidable but at least you live in Alberta where they don’t have provincial taxes.
This would also work out well because you could use the firm side of the mattress while they are younger (with the soft latex on the bottom) and then turn it around when they are old enough to need a softer surface.
I’m going to start researching a replacement for us now that the kids have mattresses. We’re in need of one as our foam topper seems to be going the way of the dinosaur and is no longer comfortable…I think the base is still good so am likely to start with a latex topper then buy a latex base down the road. Anyway, starting the research now so that when budget allows I’ll already know what we want!
Oh geez, I was thinking it was a 2" topper, but it’s built in. Your idea of one way when they are younger then flipping it as they are older is awesome!
Well, I was positive there will not be any brokerage fees, but I got a very surprising email from Ken this evening after I emailed him just to confirm. He says there will an additional 8% brokerage fee from UPS. This was never mentioned before I placed the order so I am flabbergasted by the update. As always I prefer to work on all issues directly with the seller first before making any radical decisions, so will post here if I manage to sort out this problem. There are ways to sort it out, but Ken has to be willing to help.
Regarding the soft layer that was exactly what I was thinking - to place the soft layer on the bottom.
The mattress consists of a 6" core layer and a 2" soft layer, all wrapped in a zippered cotton cover. It’s delivered in boxes and one has to assemble the mattress. The layers can be organized and flipped as you wish inside the cover. Here is the exact model I ordered: https://www.mattresses.net/twin-naturalux-latex-mattress-only.html
ciuvak, how did your conversation go about the fees? You don’t know how many US senders I’ve dealt with that don’t understand what brokerage fees are, so claim there aren’t any. I hope you got it worked out to your satisfaction.
Alright, just wanted to post a follow up and share the final numbers:
All prices after currency conversion, and what was actually charged from the credit card in $CAD:
$800.31 (mattress + shipping)
$107.78 (UPS fees total: brokerage, GST, etc)
$76.20 (Refund from Ken for brokerage fees)
= $831.89 TOTAL REAL COST, so ~$790 + 5% GST in AB.
Even with all extra charges, is still by far better price than anything local found in Canada (for a 6"+2" config.). Mattress is very high quality and my toddler loves it, sleeps like an angel and I’m happy he is not sleeping on a soup of chemicals.
