Hi there. I am seeking advice on the purchase of a mattress online. I prefer a bed that is very soft. I have been looking at memory foam and latex mattresses. We are currently sleeping on an innerspring mattress with a pillow top that is plush. I would like to save money by purchasing something online but I am very hesitant about doing so without trying it. It seems like when I read the reviews on Amazon most people like the mattresses but then mention them either being too hot or too firm.
Today we went out trying mattresses and tried the Vivon Serene (described as “plush” - constructed of 1" memory foam top panel, 3 1/2" ventilated restech memory foam, 3" shoulder and hip comfort layer, and 5 1/2" high density foam) and the Vivon Tranquil (“ultra plush” - 2" sterling foam, 1" super soft foam, 2" sterling foam, 3" shoulder and hip comfort layer and 5 1/2" high density foam) - both memory foam mattresses. We also tried the St. George Shores (described as “ultra plush” - 4 1/2" of 3lb ventilated memory foam, 3" of torso tech memory foam and 7 1/2" of high density foam)) another memory foam mattress. Right now it seems like the beds that feel best are 13-15" of various types of foam. We also hopped on a $4,000 10" talalay latex mattress that was wonderful but way out of our price range.
We’re looking at the Ultimate Dreams Eurotop Latex, the 16" LUCID by LinenSpa, and DynastyMattress Luxury Grand on Amazon, and also the Aloe Alexis Latex from Brooklyn Bedding. On a scale of 1-10 with one being firm, we feel that we’d like to end up somewhere around a 7 - pretty darn soft.
Would love any feedback or nudge in the right direction. Thanks everyone!
The first place I would start your research is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how to avoid the worst ones.
Latex and memory foam are about as different as two materials can be (closer to opposites than similar) and your own local testing on both will give you a good idea of which type of foam you tend to prefer. There is more about the differences between them in post #2 here.
To make any meaningful comments about a mattress I would need to know the specifics of all the layers in the mattress (see post #4 here). Outside of PPP … a mattress is only as good as the quality of the materials inside it and without this you can’t identify any potential weak links in the mattress or make meaningful comparisons to other mattresses.
You can also read the guidelines I would use for a memory foam mattress in post #10 here.
I would avoid any mattress that used 4 1/2" of 3 lb memory foam (or more than about an inch or so) unless you were in the very lowest budget ranges where durability isn’t a significant issue.
I would also read post #2 here and post #2 here (and the posts they link to) before considering either the Dynasty or the Lucid.
Brooklyn Bedding is one of the members of this site which means I think very highly of them and they compete well with the best in the industry. The Eurotop latex uses a 3" layer of Talalay latex in the firmness level of your choice and you can also exchange the latex layer for a softer or firmer versions if you decide you need to change the comfort level of the mattress after you’ve slept on it. Aloe Alexis also uses very high quality materials (2 layers of blended Talalay latex and a higher quality 2.17 lb base foam and a quilted bamboo cover that includes wool in the quilting). It also can be customized for each person (with either of the two latex layers) and it also has the option to exchange either of the latex layers if you wish to fine tune or change your comfort level after you’ve had the chance to sleep on it.
Thanks Phoenix - you truly do have such a helpful forum here and for that I am thankful.
After some additional testing locally and much discussion - we decided on the 14" Brooklyn Bedding Aloe Alexis with a comfort setting of “6”. We initially ordered an “8” but asked for them to contact us to discuss further and a helpful gentleman named Jacob spend 30 minutes on the phone discussing options with us and convinced us a “6” is best to start out with.
We’re now trying to figure out what to do about the foundation - I’m now reading the forum sticked thread on foundations to get a better feel for what we should be using.
The bed arrives on Thursday - we’re super excited and hope that this ends up the best choice for us.
I think you made a great choice and you also have good options available if you need to change the firmness level after you’ve slept on it which is one of the advantages of the Alexis.
I’m looking forward to your feedback after you’ve received it and had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Well, we’re five nights in to sleeping on our new Brooklyn Bedding Aloe Alexis bed. Our first challenge was to identify a foundation to sleep on - we did some looking around and ended up with a steel foundation from Stearns and Foster that was available locally. It was the right height and we were assured that it would work well for a latex/foam mattress such as the AA.
However, I have not been sleeping well. We originally ordered a “8” online (on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being firm) but after a discussion with Jacob we ended up at a “6”. This is not working for me - I’m tossing and turning a lot (you should see my Fitbit sleep tracking!). I’m now seriously considering exchanging the comfort layer to a softer feel ASAP and paying the $75 exchange fee.
Any thoughts? Thanks again for such a great and informative site!
In my opinion based on my purchase and my PPP the 6 was a good starting choice. I’m not sure if going softer then 28ild with the support (middle) layer would have given us the posture alignment that we need, so a starting point of a 6 I think was a good option for us. Honestly you should give it some more time to adjust, T (160lbs) took to it instantly me (220) on the other hand I took much longer, over a month. It has taken till now, (around 6 weeks), for the ticking/quilting, cover and sheets to soften enough so we can make a determination. To me beds are like shoes, you really need to put some miles on them before you can evaluate them, don’t rush into it. Then talk with BB customer service they will ask you all the right questions and evaluate your situation and recommend another comfort layer. You made a great choice, feel confident, that that mattress with that zipper is gonna allow you to get it right.
Another option you might want to consider is talking to them and asking if swapping the top layer of latex with a memory foam is an option, our original configuration was 28ild with a 4lb gel foam and its really plush and we love it. ---- See Here
There are also some ideas in post #2 here that may be helpful but I would tend to wait a bit before making an exchange (unless it’s not possible) just to make sure the mattress has had a chance to break in and you have had the chance to go through your initial adjustment period with any new mattress.
Thank you so much for all of the tips and suggestions. I guess right now for me it becomes a question of how long should I endure the discomfort because I am now waking up exhausted and in pain. My lower back is “tweaky” like it will pop out and need an adjustment because I am turning my whole body over and over during the night and my left shoulder (today) was sore from sleeping on my side.
I did speak with customer service this morning and the plan right now is to try it a few more days and then try something more plush. This bed is much, much firmer than my old bed ever was. My back seems to truly prefer squishy to keep it aligned better. I hope tonight goes better.
Normally 30 days or so would be a good amount of time to make a good assessment of a new mattress but of course if your experience makes this impossible then shorter than that may be necessary.
Do you have a mattress protector or a mattress pad or anything else on top of the mattress (besides your sheets of course)? This can also make a difference in your experience or how well the mattress contours to your body profile and/or relieves pressure.
I would also keep in mind that when you change a mattress then you may also need to change your pillow because this can also make a difference in upper body “symptoms” and shoulder pressure as well.
Post #2 here has more about some of the more common symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the possible reasons behind them (although each person can be unique and experience similar symptoms of discomfort or pain for different reasons than someone else).
