Hi overactive imagination,
There are certainly some good options on the island and Iām looking forward to hearing about your experiences and feedback ā¦ and of course any questions you may have along the way.
Youāre on āfamiliar territoryā 
Phoenix
Well, our feedback is mixed.
The bad: after over a year of switching to every combination of latex base & topper as well as other combos with latex & other foams, we had to give it up. We hadnāt had a good sleep for over a year. We were really hoping for latex to work due to itās natural properties, etc., but it is just not for us. We could not find any latex mattress that we could honestly say was comfortable after sleeping on it. They were either too hard or did not offer enough support when softened.
The good: John gave us a store credit and my wife has already purchased a futon chair that she likes.
Our best nightās sleep came at a Ramada Inn in Vancouver on a Restwell mattress. We attempted to purchase the same bed through their supplier but were told that they cannot sell retail. We may attempt getting the hotel to order one for us but I am not sure if they can/will do that. For now, we sleep on a Sealy Posturepedic, and itās okay. We wish everyone luck in their search for the perfect mattress.
Hi Brick,
Iām sorry to hear about your experiences (outside of the service and credit that John gave you) and it certainly seems like you gave it a good try but as you know, latex (or any other material or mattress type) isnāt for everyone and each person can have very different preferences from someone else.
Thanks for taking the time to update us
Phoenix
Just called A-Z Foam in Vancouver and apparently they do not sell to the Foam Zone anymore, just Johnās and Mgeachieās. The lady on the phone at A-Z also said they get their latex from Sri Lanka but didnāt know whether it was Arpico or something else.
Still trying to find exactly what I want for the best price! The Foam Guy in Nanaimo has the 6" latex on special, but the guy on the phone (not the owner) said it wasnāt Arpico which is what they usually carry, but he wasnāt sure exactly where it comes from! So complicated!
Also I have a question for you Phoenix - is there any way to see who the manufacturer is by looking at the mattress or the mattress tag to confirm that what you buy is actually what you think youāre buying?
Thanks
Hi overactive imagination,
Thanks for the update ā¦ and Iāve removed the reference to A-Z foam in The Foam Zoneās description.
Where it comes from isnāt all that important and in many cases a retailer may wish to keep the name of their suppliers proprietary. With latex ā¦ knowing the type and blend of the latex is what is most important.
No ā¦ the law tag doesnāt show the source or manufacturer of the latex. Some latex cores have a mold mark in the latex that identifies the manufacturer and some may still have a sticker on the latex which identifies the manufacturer, the latex type, or density/firmness (seehereforanexample)butoutsideofhttps://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/0https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/1https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/2https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/3https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/4https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/5https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/6https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/7https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/8https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/926641/IMG_0804.JPG]see0informationthatisprovidedbyaretailerhttps://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/0https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/1
Phoenix
Cool thanks . Also it was the Foam Zone in Victoria that does not get their latex from A-Z (although they do get some things from A-Z still), not the Foam Guy. Iām not sure about the Foam Guy.
I ended up buying a queen sized Latex International 6" 100% Natural Talalay from the Foam Zone for $1095. They had the best prices and customer service. The owner threw in a free pillow and even gave me some of the halibut he caught yesterday!
Foam Zone recently started getting their latex mattresses from BFF Foam. I talked to someone at BFF and they also recently stopped distributing Dunlop latex, and now only do Talalay natural and blended for the same price as their Dunlop which is interesting I guess as Iāve heard Talalay all natural is more expensive to make.
I called a few of the places up island but their prices in the end werenāt any better than what can be found in Victoria for what I was looking for.
Anyways, I highly recommend the Foam Zone. The owner is amazingly chill, helpful, and transparent.
Hi overactive imagination,
Oops ā¦ I changed the right one but I mentioned the wrong one in my reply (now edited) ā¦ thanks
Thanks for your feedback as well!
Phoenix
McGeachieās has taken over Thompsonās downtown location. Their Langford location is still open, but they have more samples to try on the floor downtown.
The Foam Guy in Nanaimo offers delivery to Victoria for around $80. I managed to get McGeachieās to match their price!
Hi Jared,
Thatās good news because I wasnāt the biggest fan of the previous ownership and Iāve removed their listing from the Victoria list. I knew that McGeachies had another location downtown but I didnāt realize that it was Thompsons. Thanks for the heads up.
Thatās good news as well ā¦ and congratulations on your new mattress
Phoenix
Hello!
Iām looking for some advice regarding a mattress purchase. Iām split between two here in Victoria BC. Iām not going to name the manufacturers or retail locations to prevent bias, however I do have the specifications.
Mattress #1 $1353
[u]Mattress #2[u] $800
We are 5ā9 at 170lb and 5ā4 at 150lb.
Mattress #2 seems to be marginally softer than my partner and I would like and we are concerned about softening after the purchase. Mattress #1 is just how my partner likes it, slightly firmer than I would like. If it softens a touch after purchase, it will be great for me.
Looking forward to any advice!
Hi yabssor,
I would need to know the information listed in this article to be able to make any meaningful comments about the quality and durability of a mattress and help you identify any potential weak links in its design.
As you can see in the foam quality/durability guidelines here ā¦ the 1" of 4 lb memory foam is a good quality material but the 2" of 2.5 lb gel memory foam in combination with the 7" 1.5 lb base layer are lower quality and less durable materials than I would be comfortable with and I would consider them to be a āweak linkā in this mattress. This is a mattress that I would avoid.
While the top 3" of this mattress are a high quality and durable material ā¦ I would need to know the type and density of the foam in the middle and bottom layers of this mattress to be able to make any meaningful comments about this mattress in terms of itās durability and the useful life of the mattress. The numbers you provided are most likely ILD/IFD numbers (although the bottom layer has a wider range than it should have) which are a ācomfort specā rather than a āquality/durabilityā spec. If you can find out the missing information that I would need Iād be happy to make some additional comments about this mattress.
Phoenix
Iām curious about your repeated comments about lower-density foams being universally less desirable than higher. Referencing Sleep Like the Deadās memory foam density data we can see that owner satisfaction is even between all densities. What is it about lower-density foam that makes you consider it a āweak linkā?
Iām also confused by why you consider 1.5lb poly foam undesirable since you specifically list it as acceptable for a support core repeatedly on this forum.
What do you mean by ācomfort specā and āquality/durability specā? Are quality and durability governed exclusively by the foam density?
I will update my information shortly! Thanks!
Hi yabssor,
[quote]Iām curious about your repeated comments about lower-density foams being universally less desirable than higher. Referencing Sleep Like the Deadās memory foam density data we can see that owner satisfaction is even between all densities. What is it about lower-density foam that makes you consider it a āweak linkā?
Iām also confused by why you consider 1.5lb poly foam undesirable since you specifically list it as acceptable for a support core repeatedly on this forum.[/quote]
Foam density is the single most important factor in the durability of a foam material but any foam material can can be formulated to be either softer or firmer or to have a range of different properties that can affect how it feels and performs regardless of its density. In other words ā¦ both lower density and higher density foams can feel very similar of the same because you canāt really āfeelā the quality and durability of a memory foam or polyfoam material.
I would be very cautious about using other people experiences or reviews on a mattress (which is SLTDās source of statistics), either positive or negative, as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for you or the durability of a mattress and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else either in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or in terms of durability (see post #13 here).
All other things being equal ā¦ lower density polyfoam and memory foam will soften and break down more rapidly than higher density versions of the same material.
There is more about the many variables that can affect the durability of foam materials or a mattress as a whole relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
A mattress will generally soften and break down from the top layers down because ongoing foam compression and deflection is the primary reason that foam materials break down and lose their integrity. The firmer deeper layers in a mattress will deflect and compress less than the upper layers so using lower density materials in the deeper layers of a lower budget mattress is a reasonable compromise or ātradeoffā that can reduce the cost of the mattress that will have much less effect than using lower density foams in the upper layers. I would still be cautious with 1.5 lb density polyfoam even in support layers in higher weight ranges though which is the reason for the caution in the guidelines I linked and for the frequent cautions Iāve posted on the forum for those that are in higher weight ranges if they are considering a mattress that uses a lower density support core. In other words ā¦ the risks of premature softening and breakdown for some people would be higher with 1.5 lb polyfoam.
āComfort specsā are the specs of a mattress (such as ILD or IFD which is the firmness rating of a foam) which affect how a material āfeelsā but they donāt have a significant affect on the durability of the material (although firmness is a secondary factor in durability because firmer foams will compress and deflect less than softer foams). āDurability specsā are the specs that have a significant effect the durability and useful life of the material or how long it will maintain itās original properties withing a reasonable percentage of height and firmness loss and for memory foam and polyfoam density is the most important of these.
Phoenix
Iām at the store for #2 and have been advised that the two lower layers are 2.5lb poly foam (25-) with varying compression weights (28/45lbs).
Iām using my phone so typing is awkward and will reply to your previous points later.
Thanks a lot!
Hi yabssor,
2.5 lb polyfoam would be a very high quality and durable material (unlike 2.5 lb memory foam which is a very low quality matarial) and certainly wouldnāt be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability. The 28/45 would be the IFD of the foam layers and would be in a range from āaboutā medium firm to very firm although firmness is also somewhat subjective and relative to different people.
Phoenix
Okay so Iāve finally got things figured out, and purchased a mattress. The mattress I laid on comes in two versions, one at $650 and another at $1000. Both have 5lb memory foam on top (3"), the difference is going from 2.0lb to 2.5lb cores. The top layer of the core is composed of 2" solid and 1" āegg crateā dimpled foam.
To sum up my mattress options:
Mattress #1 $1350 - Manufactured in the USA
1" 4lb memory foam
2" 2.5lb memory foam
7" 1.5lb high density foam
[i]Mattress #2[/i] $650 - Manufactured in Canada (Vancouver - Richmond)
3" 5lb memory foam
3" 2.0lb high density foam (28lb compression)
4" 2.0lb high density foam (45lb compression)
Mattress #3 $1000 - Manufactured in Canada (Vancouver - Richmond)
3" 5lb memory foam
3" 2.5lb high density foam (28lb compression)
4" 2.5lb high density foam (45lb compression)
This is an extremely valuable post. All the numbers are easy to confuse!
With a better understanding of the significance of foam density versus compression force, my choice is VERY clear. Since my partner found the 28lb/45lb core slightly too soft, we have switched to a 31lb/50lb core. This is something that I really appreciate about the business Iām dealing with - the mattress is made to order, just how I want it. I decided to buy the 2.0lb mattress on the expected lifespan of the two options. Speaking with the owner, he advised the 2.0lb would last roughly 8 years and the 2.5lb roughly 10 years. Easy math gives me $81.25/yr for the 2.0lb and $100/yr for the 2.5lb. Iām comfortable with this rationalization.
Until I am through my 60 day comfort guarantee, Iāll decline to disclose the businesses, but I will make it clear to everyone when Iām finished with the transaction!
Iām curious as to why you make this claim. Is there a more effective statistic available for the durability of a mattress? You speak about the āunknownsā of big brand mattresses frequently (and rightly!), but Iām unsure how one can evaluate the durability of a mattress without customer feedback.
Hi yabssor,
I would consider the information that they gave you to be accurate and reliable and both mattresses (#1 and #2) donāt have any lower quality materials or āweak linksā in their design. Having said that there really isnāt any way to quantify the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to a specific person to a specific number of years or to know when you will decide to replace it because of all the variables involved. Itās very possible that both mattresses will maintain the comfort and support and stay inside the range that would be suitable you for 10 years and you may even have some ābonus timeā after that. Either way ā¦ both of them use higher quality and more durable materials than #1.
Iām looking forward to your comments and feedback when youāve had the chance to sleep on your new mattress for a bit.
Most importantly ā¦ congratulations on your new mattress I think you made a good quality/value choice.
Phoenix
Hi yabssor,
There is much more information in the posts I linked in the previous reply (and the posts they link to as well) about the many factors that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people that will answer most if not all of your question but the short version is that in terms of durability a mattress is only as good as the quality and durability of the materials and components inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label. A mattress that uses more durable materials will last longer than a similar mattress that uses less durable materials.
If you are interested in more technical information about the relationship between foam density and durability then post #12 here and the many posts and additional sources of information that it links to may also be of interest to you.
The major brands donāt generally disclose the quality/density of the materials that they use in most of their specific mattresses (except for some cases where they sometimes provide some limited information) but the quality of the foams they use is certainly no secret in the industry and itās not too difficult to figure out what they are or the range they fall in if you connect the dots that are available. Some people I know even take the time to tear apart some of the mattresses that they build just to see whatās inside them. Just as an example you can see some of the foam densities that are used in Sealy and Simmons mattresses on the Jordanās Furniture website here (they are one of the only retailers in the industry that actually discloses this information about their major brand mattresses) and if you click on any of the mattresses and then click on āoverviewā you can see the quality/density of the materials they use and how low they really are.
By the time a mattress that uses lower quality and less durable materials needs to be replaced (usually much too quickly) it has usually been replaced with a different mattress with a different name and a different āstoryā attached to it and the cycle starts all over again with a consumer buying the ānew and improvedā mattress that also uses similar lower quality materials. You can see some comments about all of this in many of the links in the tutorial and in many forum posts such as here and here.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Iām looking to try some all natural latex mattresses around Victoria. Iām wondering if itās possible to update the list in the beginning of this post? Or may be there is a newer version somewhere else on this website? There must be quite a lot of changes and even new stores open since this list was posted 10 years ago.
So far, Iāve been at the Foam zone in Victoria and Resthouse in Duncan. They have some wonderful options, but none seemed ājust rightā for me. Iām also planning to visit Fawcett, Heirloom linens and McGeachie. Many places from your original list seem to be out of business, sadly.
