With the help of the forum and resources here, I’ve started shopping for a new mattress. I’ve read the various tutorials and forum posts and tried to integrate that information into my shopping.
About me: I live in Minneapolis, MN and so far I’ve visited RestWell Mattress (two seperate visits), The Original Mattress Company, and Room & Board (mattresses are actually made by RestWell). I’m 6’1 with a BMI around 22-23. I generally sleep on my stomach but I’m gradually learning to sleep on my side.
Based on mattresses I’ve tried so far, I like a soft/medium comfort layer on a mattress. I like to “sink in” a little bit but not too much. Memory foam sinks in a bit much for me and I feel like I’m encased by the foam, but I don’t hate it (girlfriend loves it though… :lol: ).
Here are the mattresses I’ve liked: R&B Encased Coil with Natural Latex Foam - Medium
“Restwell Surpeme”, ( Think it’s supreme, it’s green foam)
This is the Restwell mattress with green polyurethane form foam in the comfort layer. I found this to be a nice middleground for comfort, doesn’t sink in as far as memory foam but still comfortable for me. Should have grabbed some more detailed info on the mattress layers when I was there. The density is around 5 lbs per cubic feet, so I believe it’s high quality.
Original Mattress Factory was ok, but I generally found their hybrid latex mattress a bit firm. Overall their mattresses seemed to be made with high quality stuff.
My questions:
1.) I believe I have a good idea of what I want in the comfort layer (soft to medium latex or high quality polyeurthane), but I’m not sure about the support layer. Innerspring, polyeurthane, latex? I’ve read the tutorial on this, but some additional advice would be nice.
2.) If I do go latex for the entire mattress, I’m a bit confused about whether to go 7’, 9’, or more. Based on my BMI (girlfriend has similar BMI and sleeping style), I feel like I should be ok durability wise with most options. Also, with all the online options (I looked at the companies that are members of this site), there are so many options with prices all over the board. The Room & Board mattress is nice, but I feel like I can get a better value online and get the same quality.
3.) Any other suggestions about my overall process would be appreciated! Feel free to ask me for additional info or point out any errors in my approach.
I’m glad that you’ve been able to utilize some of the resources on the forum.
It certainly will generally be recommended by chiropractors, orthopedists and sleep ergonomic researchers to avoid sleeping on your stomach. When you sleep on your stomach (prone), you’ll want to be especially cognizant of the surface firmness of your mattress, as if you deflect too much if will be quite bad for your lower back.
The construction listed on their web site seems to indicate higher quality components with no apparent “weak links.”
Unfortunately, the description listed doesn’t include any meaningful information about the quality/density and durability of the foam layers in that mattress. I would make sure you find out all the information in this article about the componentry in that mattress. I would be cautious here and make sure you find out the foam densities in their mattresses because some of them use lower quality foams than I would suggest considering (see the guidelines here).
Many of their mattresses use higher quality materials (this particular one doesn’t appear to have any weak links for someone in your BMI), but if you don’t enjoy the comfort and it’s not a fit for you in terms of PPP, then it’s not the right mattress for you.
Generally speaking, the weak link of most mattresses is not the support unit. As long as the quality is high, the choice of one support unit versus another is more of a personal preference and not a “one is better than another” choice. Some people have an affinity for steel (springs), others enjoy an all-latex product, while others prefer a polyfoam core (minimum of 1.8 lb. density).
The thickness of a mattress or the number of layers or the thickness of any individual layers inside it is really just a side effect of the design and the design goals of a mattress and the thickness of any individual layers or the complete mattress is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress relative to any particular person (see post #2 here) and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful (7" or 9" or otherwise) (see post #2 here). In some cases higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges or a lower BMI (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP than it does on just the thickness itself.
An all-latex mattress certainly will among the most durable choices you could make. There certainly are many online latex options and if you decide to go that route I would use the experience and expertise of the members listed in post #21 here who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance on the phone that can help you make good choices. There are a wide range of latex options included in the choices there and I believe that all of them compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.
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. These online retailers or manufacturers can also be a good “value reference” for local purchases to make sure that if you are paying a “premium” for a local purchase (in exchange for the kind of “in person” guidance, service, and value that comes with dealing with a local retailer that can help you make more “accurate” choices that you have tested in person) is not too high.
I really think you are doing a good job and on the right track.
Just to be sure, two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
I’ll be interested to learn about your progress and any other information you find out.
Thanks for the reply! I looked over the various links you sent, refreshed my memory, and went back out and tried some more mattresses. I think I found exactly what I want after my latest excursion!
So I went to Moss Envy in Minneapolis, MN. Expensive store in general (they sell organic, natural products, so premium pricing). They also sell latex mattresses and hybrid latex mattresses made by Savvy Rest. I really liked the Serenity mattress.
Each layer is 3". My favorite configuration.
Top: soft/talalay
Mid: med/dunlop
Bot: firm/dunlop
I also liked the ability to switch layers. I was able to put the bottom firm layer in the middle, medium on the bottom, and that created a little more support if I would like.
Basically, this was my eureka moment after going out on 3 separate instances (and trying my girlfriend’s patience). Comfortable, very good support… could feel hips and shoulders sink in nicely but not too far. Definitely prefer over the latex hybrids. I also value being able to switch layers.
Of course the price is sky high… $2,719.20.
So few general questions after talking with the sales rep (basically a store clerk, very nice, but not an expert on mattresses).
1.) She mentioned that organic latex lasts longer than blends or synthetic. Not sure about pure synthetic (which I’m not really interested in), but I remember reading that blends actually have a bit more durability. Which is true? Also, how much will synthetic latex change the feel of a mattress compared to what I tried in the store (which was all natural)?
2.) Are there any durability issues with putting a firmer layer above a less firm layer (so putting the medium dunlop below the firmer dunlop?
3.) Would I notice a difference between the configuration I liked above (3",3",3" and a mattress with 3" talalay and a 6" core of dunlop medium?
4.) What other options would be comparable to the Savvy Rest Serenity? Listed two below, I’m sure both are solid mattresses.
[quote]Each layer is 3". My favorite configuration.
Top: soft/talalay
Mid: med/dunlop
Bot: firm/dunlop
I also liked the ability to switch layers. I was able to put the bottom firm layer in the middle, medium on the bottom, and that created a little more support if I would like.
[/quote]
Many people prefer component mattresses and the ability to customize your comfort and replace layers over time. Savvy Rest is one of the mattresses in this category.
While Savvy Rest certainly uses high quality components in their products, they are in a price range that many consumers might find a bit high and they may consider some other options from brands that carry similar componentry and prices ranges that may be more affordable. Many of the members of this site (post #21 here) offer options similar to what you mentioned, and a phone call with them would be your best bet to gather information on making a choice that approximates the item you saw in Minneapolis. Post #2 here and this topic have more about the pros and cons of a local vs an online purchase.
An organic designation doesn’t necessarily reflect or impart a comment upon the durability of a product. All latex foam you encounter, (SBR, NR, SBR/NR) will be a very high quality and durable material.
There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here but all of the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable safety certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold (see post #2 here) and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s. I would also consider all of these types of latex to be very durable and higher-quality products. Without getting down the rabbit hole, there are some small differences for different blends and their properties, but nothing that in my personal opinion would rate too highly on a list of items to consider.
Talalay Global has listed that their testing shows that their blended Talalay is more durable than their natural. Radium’s Vita Talalay (what you were looking at with the Savvy Rest) tests out to be superior to their blended. Again, these differences are small and they are all high quality materials.
Regarding how having synthetic in the latex will change the feel, it’s not a simple equation that having a blend versus a natural will result in “x percentage” of change in a particular level of comfort. There is no one algorithm that can predict such a thing. And remember that a single sheet of foam is part of the entire mattress system and is influenced by everything in the mattress, including the cover. Different blends from different companies all have slightly different feels. At a comparable ILD, most of these differences in feel are subtle, and are of course relative to your own opinion and PPP, because the number one rule is that only you can feel what you feel.
Rearranging your mattress in this manner would be more of an issue in fine-tuning your comfort preference. While not a “normal” configuration, I wouldn’t hesitate to do this if this is what you personally preferred for any fear of shortening the comfort life of your mattress. The layers closer to your body have a greater impact upon your comfort and will tend to “wear” faster, but with the materials you’re choosing durability wouldn’t be a concern.
Again, I can’t tell what “you: will feel, but in general there certainly would be a difference in configuration (assuming you’re using the same foam) by replacing the bottom 3” firm layer with a 3" medium layer. You might notice a bit of a softer feel in the “deep support”. If you want to learn a bit more, there is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel” that may be useful as well.
As you are probably aware, SleepEZ and FoamSweetFoam are 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 your consideration.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them (like the Serenity model you tried), any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs, options, and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
I think it’s time for me to put all my options together along with comparing the price, warranty, return policy, etc. Then I’m going to start calling some of the different companies and eventually make my purchase.
If anyone has any experience with the all latex mattresses for companies that are members of the site, feel free to chime in. I’ll do a forum search as well.
That sounds like a good plan, putting together a PRO and CON list and putting together everything as it relates to your personal value equation. I would like to put in a quick note that warranty has nothing to do with the quality or durability of a product, and is only a guarantee against manufacturing defects. Comfort life is the more important “number”, and that would be determined by assessing the quality of the componentry within the mattress. Mattress companies in North American generally use the warranty as a marketing tool, as they know consumers generally equate (mistakenly) a longer warranty with a better product. There are very few people in the industry running the major brands that speak out against this practice – Gerry Borreggine of Therapedic would be one of them.
[quote]If anyone has any experience with the all latex mattresses for companies that are members of the site, feel free to chime in. I’ll do a forum search as well.
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Keep up with your research on the site – there certainly is a lot that I and other have complied for your use.
Regarding other people’s comments upon a particular mattress…while other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
