Mattresses that are configured for each side

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

First, Thanks for a wonderfully informative site!

My wife and I are in the market for a new bed and looking for some help. I have read your mattress shopping tutorial and learned a few things. I had a King sized Natura 9" talalay, firm maybe, latex mattress when we got married. It started becoming uncomfortable after 12 years, so we started looking around for a new mattress. We ended up going with an King Sized Englander E-Gel, memory foam with cooling gel pillars, which has lasted just over 3 years. My wife started sleeping on the couch months ago. It has always been a way hotter sleeper than the Natura and now we have indentations where we sleep with a ridge in the middle. I’m 6’ and 315lbs, back and stomach sleeper. She is 5’3" and 180lbs, side sleeper. We want to go back to latex since we had both enjoyed the latex before and the length of time it lasted.

I have been considering the My Green Mattress and the Avocado with a topper, but I have rethought that after reading posts and replies on you website due to our weight. Possible problems with coils breaking down to quickly. Another potential problem would be the 3-5" of latex above the inner springs.

I started looking Foam Sweet Foam, Plush Beds and SleepEz. So far, I have been leaning towards the SleepEz because of the customized layers for each side of the bed, two different sized people with different sleeping habits. We are thinking about 13" Organic Select. I like your thoughts about the multiple layer beds and not breaking down as quickly. The SleepEz gives us the option of changing layers if our preferences change or one layer starts to breakdown, another added bonus.

We have moved towards a multiple layer bed, but we had such good luck with a 9" single layer that I would consider that again, too. I like the organic latex, but wouldn’t be against a blended latex base layer(s). I am a big fan of wool in the topper for the temperature regulation, but its not must.

I’m very impressed with your site and the fact that you don’t let just any manufacturer join. You are holding them to a standard. We have a budget of $2000-3000 since we hope that it will last for a long time. I paid around $1700 for each of the other two beds and the Natura lasted 4 times longer than the Englander.

Thanks for any advice that might get us moving down the right path.

2

We seem to be in an almost the same boat – almost same weights, sleeping positions, same current mattress problems, same new mattress preferences, same budget, at the same pre-purchase stage…

You may be interested to check our thread at https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/dunlop-vs-talalay-for-a-heavy-person

We are looking forward to following your thread as the situation develops… Good to know we are not alone.

3

Veneixana,
I read your post and I will be following your thread, as well, for updates. I checked and there is a Savvy Rest dealer a couple hours away. I priced out a bed on there website and it was going to bed over $4k for a bed. I can’t justify that price, too far out of my price range.

I’m going to give SleepEz a call. They have a sale going on with 2 free pillows and sheets, added bonus!

I’m really glad that I found this site. I appreciate people sharing there experiences, good and bad, to help others make an informed decision.

4

Hi thomask75,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

The choice of materials and components is a personal preference but it’s important to make sure you choose a durable version of whatever materials you prefer for a higher BMI. Latex (you can read more about the different types in post #6 here ), 5 lb or higher memory foam, 2 lb or higher polyfoam, and stronger innersprings with more steel or in the case of lower coil counts with lower gauge springs (around 13 gauge or lower) are all among some of the more durable materials and components that can work well for higher weight ranges. I would make sure that any lower quality foams are less than around an inch or so in a quilting layer because more than that can become the weak link in a mattress … especially for someone that is heavier. I would have no concern with using an innerspring unit for the support core (as long as it was a stronger unit) or 3" - 5" of latex above a spring unit (as long as there wasn’t an abundance of lower ILD latex being used).

The same overall guidelines apply with higher weights though that PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) along with using high quality durable materials that will maintain their feel and performance for longer periods of time are the way to make the best choices. Heavier people in general will need firmer and thicker comfort layers and firmer support layers than those who are lighter and because no materials will last as long with much higher weights the quality and durability of the materials and components is even more important than normal. I wouldn’t “rule out” any types of mattress and base your choices on your own personal testing. Post #3 here has more information and suggestions about heavier weights that is worth reading.

All three of the companies you mentioned use higher quality materials. SleepEZ and Foam Sweet Foam are both members of this site, which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for advice about higher BMI configurations.

If your old mattress was indeed all-latex and 9" thick, it would have used multiple layers (perhaps laminated together), as latex is at its thickest poured in 6" molds. Or perhaps you mean “single layer” as far as not being split on the left and right side. There’s certainly nothing wrong with not splitting a new mattress on the left and right side if both of you can agree upon a similar range of comfort. And many people do enjoy wool being quilted in the mattress covering for both comfort and breathability.

You can see a bit more about the values of the site here. Membership here is very limited and by invitation only. There certainly are other vendors in the industry that offer good products and good value, but I would estimate that very few, maybe 5-10%, of the industry would begin to objective qualify for membership here, and the site’s main focus is upon providing objective, detailed information about mattresses.

As far as other options, you could start by looking at some of the other site members who offer latex systems in post #21 here or in the membership list here. Their detailed knowledge of their mattresses and how they fit with different body types and sleeping positions along with your feedback from local testing, a customer base of many people that they can use as reference points, and any exchange, return, or any options they have available to customize a mattress after a purchase can help lower the risk of an online purchase.

I would suggest for your next step a detailed phone conversation with any of the knowledgeable and experienced retailers or manufacturers you’re considering, and they can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using to best fit your specific needs.

I’ll be interested in learning about your progress.

Phoenix

5

Phoenix
First, let me say thanks for the response and information that you provided in your response. I have been following the links and reading the posts to help my search for a new mattress. Between that and everything else in life, sorry for delay in getting back to you. I am glad to say that with all the help of this forum and members, we have made a decision on a mattress.

We decided to go with a SleepEz Natural Select 13’ king sized mattress. I had been leaning towards that or the organic version. We decided to for go the extra $200 for the organic, which I spent on the wool mattress protector that SleepEz sells.

I called SleepEz and talked to a gentleman named Shawn. Sorry, I’m not sure of how he spells it. I told him that I had found SleepEz on this site and after much study that I was ready to purchase a new mattress, but I had a few questions. We discussed the recommendations of the online layer selection based on our heights and weights. I explained that we had a Natura Talalay latex mattress in the past and the things we liked about it. He made his recommendations for the layers, which are the following:
Wife’s side
Soft Talalay
Medium Talalay
Firm Dunlop
X-firm Dunlop

My side
Firm Talalay
Firm Talalay
X-Firm Dunlop
X-firm Dunlop

We based the top two layers on the Natura mattress that we previously owned. We discussed our sleeping positions and decided that this combination should work and that there is the trial period, if we need to exchange a layer. The combo also gives us chance to change my wife’s second layer for my top layer. She is a side sleeper and I am a mostly back/sometimes stomach sleeper. If she decides hers is too soft or mine is to firm that a quick switch of layers and a little more testing. The exchange is only $30 for a layer, which is super cheap, but it gives us a quick change, if needed. We discussed the current support system for our bed and he didn’t see a problem with it. They are slats spaced at 3-3.5" currently and I am going to get them adjusted and screwed in place with a small screw. He was excellent at asking and answering questions and there wasn’t the slightest bit of pressure to buy. He wanted us to just get the bed that was right for us. He took my order right over the phone. He said that our mattress will go out by the end of the day Tuesday and should be here by Tuesday or Wednesday next week. I am excited for it to arrive! We got two free Talalay king sized pillows and a free set of sheets for ordering the mattress plus since I am a member here, a 5% discount. I will provide some updates when we get the mattress and get some nights on it. I hope it will help someone else out on the adventure of buying a mattress.

I have a few additional thoughts, too. First, I went with the thickest mattress we could get thru SleepEz, this is do to the fact that neither my wife or I are tall enough for our weight. I am hoping that it helps the longevity of the mattress. I can see that having separate layers will also be a huge positive do to the fact that if we have a physical change or a layer is breaking down, we simply order a new layer instead of replacing the whole new mattress.

I had considered the CozyPure Luxury Hotel Collection. I really liked the items that came with package. I think it would have been a great setup, but I couldn’t convince the wife. She has the bedroom decorated the way she wants. She wasn’t willing to go with the idea. The wool comforter really intrigued me since I am a hot sleeper and love wool for temperature regulation. I may order a few accessories from them. The CozyPure natural latex 12’ mattress would have been about $400-500 more than the SleepEz that we ordered. The package would have been right at $1000 more than we paid for just the mattress we got. If you figure out the savings of buying the Luxury package, it’s a heck of deal. For the record, I probably shouldn’t complain that my wife actually saved me money. Of course, she started talking redecorating the bedroom and my eyes glazed over.

Once again, I would like to thank everyone for their posts and you for your help. I will keep the forums updated on my experience with new bed.

6

Hi thomask75,

You’re very welcome, and I’m glad the information I provided proved helpful to you. And there’s no time frame involved for you replying!

Congratulations on your new mattress purchase! You certainly made a good quality choice.

You have it correct, it is Shawn. I’m glad that you took the time to phone and discuss with Shawn your particular needs and history, as I know that was helpful to him. Also, it’s nice when you deal with someone over the phone, as they can make suggestions, such as Shawn did, for combinations that allow for layer order changes using your current configuration. Also, thank you for providing the detail that you did about your buying process.

I’m looking forward to your updates once you’ve had the opportunity to sleep upon your new mattress for a while.

Phoenix

7

I received my SleepEz mattress one week ago today, which was one week in transit via FedEx. I was out town for work and was excited to get home on Wednesday to setup. The bed came in 4 boxes about 18"x18"x4’ and weighted 281 pounds total according to the shipping notification. The 4 boxes contained all the mattress components, a Sleep and Beyond mattress protector, a set of Sleep and Beyond king sheets(free) and 2 shredded latex king pillows(free). My 16 year old son had gotten the boxes into the house on Tuesday, so we were ready to go. We moved our old mattress out of the way and proceeded to start assembling the mattress, all the boxes were labeled with the contents which made things easy. The cover and the bottom two layers of Dunlop latex were wrapped in one package. They were vacuum packed, folded and rolled, then had more plastic wrapped around it. This was how all the other layers were packed. We got the cover and bottom 2 layers situated on the foundation. I reused the slats that came with our bed sleigh bed, every other slat had a support leg in the middle. I also put a piece of OSB that I cut rectangular slots in for added support and to make sure that there was no more than 3" of open space in the slots. I measured the OSB out so I have 3" on each edge, a slot 18" long on each side, then 4" of OSB and a slot 24" long in the middle. I did that between every existing slat on the bed. I did the OSB while waiting for the mattress to arrive, it probably took 4 hours of work to do it. I also sanded all the edges to prevent any rough spots from the holes I drilled to start the saw and the saw cuts. I feel that I have a solid foundation with plenty of open space to allow the bed to breathe but not allow it to sag anywhere. Back to assembly, we opened the next box with two more Dunlop latex pieces for the second layer. It took a little shifting of pieces to get them where we wanted. The next box was the third layer of Talalay latex for each side. The next one was top layers of Talalay latex, these is where things get interesting. My son looked at asked, “How are we going to fit the last layer.” We had to wiggle and shift the 3 layers in the cover to get the last one in. Its a snug fit, but the top cover has a flap about 2" long that you tuck in has you zip it up. The whole process took us about 40 minutes to get the bed assembled. The top cover is awesome, by the way. Super soft cotton covers the wool. I measured the mattress and it is 13" thick, just as advertised. It is also bigger than our old bed, wider and longer, it fills our sleigh bed up more. I can’t feel anything other than a change in firmness from my side to my life’s, you don’t feel a seam where the layers of latex meet. I will also note that you can tell the layers on the outside of the mattress aren’t perfectly aligned from top to bottom, I will try to adjust this over time. You can’t tell once the sheets are on. This isn’t a complaint just an observation.

I have now slept on it for 5 of the last 6 nights. We were out of town for the Easter holiday for a night. I absolutely love it! It is wonderful to sleep on, it’s just what I loved about our old Talalay mattress. Supportive but the right firmness. It’s considerably cooler to sleep on than the memory foam mattress we previously had, it was supposed to have cooling gel pillars in it. My wife likes it, but we have been battling colds so she hasn’t been sleeping great anyway. She has mentioned that her hips aren’t sore, which is a step in the right direction. I will update again in a few more weeks.

A few other thoughts on the pillows, sheets and mattress protector. First, the pillows. They are shredded latex with an organic cotton cover and extremely full, I had to take out two plastic grocery bags of latex to work for me. I’m a back sleeper, sometimes stomach, and it was uncomfortable for my head and neck. Mine is perfect now. The wife is a side sleeper and, so far, has left hers alone. I think the pillows are really nice, a person can customize them for a perfect fit with a little trial and error. Second, the sheets are a Sleep and Beyond Organic 300TC sateen set. They are a cream color and feel wonderfully soft. I did wash and dry them per the care instructions. We haven’t put them on the bed yet, the wife likes our current ones that match the rest of the bedding. We currently have 600TC sateen cotton set in a steel grey. I will update when we try them out. Third, the Sleep and Beyond Wool Protector. I really like it, you really can’t tell that is under you. I would love to just sleep on the top of the mattress because it’s so luxurious, but I want the protection. The combination of cotton, wool and a sort of microfiber work well together. Here’s my only issue with it, the package says machine was gentle on cold and air dry. Sleep and Beyond’s website says to wash on warm and dry on low to shrink it just a bit for a better fit. It did have just a bit of sheep smell, nothing bad, but I decided to follow the website instructions for washing and it almost a bit to small now. I admit that I didn’t put it on the bed first, so maybe it didn’t shrink a bit. It is supposed to fit mattresses up to 18", but its barely able to get around the bottom of the mattress. The top is just a bit narrow, both length and width, of the top of the mattress. It hasn’t seemed to move and may stretch some as we sleep on it. I am happy with it, so I would recommend it. I would just suggest test fitting it before doing any washing. I plan on doing only an air dry from here on out.

Overall, I am extremely happy with the purchase of the SleepEz Natural Select Sleep Latex mattress. It was an excellent experience on the phone with Shawn, reasonable shipping time and easy to put together. I will note that my cover says Organic Cotton in the quilting, so I don’t know if there an oops or they are using all organic cover now. I would definitely give SleepEz a look if you are looking for a new mattress. I will give some updates going forward as we get more sleep on the mattress. I know that I have a number of friends looking for new mattresses and they are all wanting to check out ours. I hope this helps anyone that is looking for a new mattress and if anyone has any questions about the mattress just ask. I would be glad to help. I will try to get some pictures attached that I took while putting it together.

8

Hi thomask75,

Thank you for another update on your new mattress and such detailed instructions on the assembly of it and your modifications to your bed support network. I’m looking forward to any photos that you’re able to update in the future. I’m happy that you’re sleeping well on your new SleepEZ mattress.

Yes, with the latex being a bit “sticky”, it’s easy for it to stretch out a bit as you’re laying out the layers. Eventually you can unzip the covering and “put a few waves” through the layers to get them to align perfectly if you desire.

The pillows will arrive overstuffed, so it’s good that you took out a bit of stuffing to better your sleeping posture. Placing the excess latex in some sort of a sealed plastic “ziplock” style bag, and then storing that into a dark plastic bag in a linen closest is an excellent way to keep this excess on hand should you wish to modify your pillows in the future.

It should relax a bit with use, and future air drying will also help facilitate fitting your mattress better. Good tips.

This just denotes the GOTS certified cotton used in the manufacture of the covering.

I’m looking forward to it.

Phoenix