Movement of split latex cores with adjustable base

[phoenix]

Hi cjzydeco,

My husband and I (and our 5 cats) sleep an 8 year old full size Flobed vZone with split cores on a Noyo adjustable base. We love the bed, but hate the split cores; which is ironic since we had to special order the bed (since they don’t usually offer the split cores in a full size mattress). Our problem with the split cores is that they move and shift over several days, regularly leaving us with a small canyon in the middle of the bed. The top egg crate layer, which is the only continuous layer in the mattress, has split as a consequence of the shifting lower layers. We re-glued it (several times) only to have it rip open in a new place on the other side of the glue. The gap between the cores also means that we have edge weakness on both sides of the cores–at the bed edge and in the middle–until we have time to remove all of the linens, unzip the cover, readjust the cores, and then put everything back together.

It’s relatively unusual for a mattress with split layers to have an issue with shifting and I think it’s possible that it could be related to the smaller size of your mattress (which as you mentioned is a smaller size than would normally be split) which could aggravate the issue since both of you are sleeping closer to the split or it’s possible that the cover has loosened somewhat over time. I’ve never heard of the issue you are having with the top layer either so I would suspect that it could also be related to the smaller size of your mattress. I would also suggest talking with Flobeds to see if they have any comments or suggestions as well.

With this history in mind, we have two quandaries: 1) what to get now that we are upgrading to a king size mattress (hallelujah), and 2) what to do to fix the old one. We paid a fortune for this mattress and base and hope to be able to use it in the guest room for my elderly parents, but not with a gap in the middle of the bed. Certainly we can continue to use the base. (By the way, do adjustable bases degrade over time?) As for the mattress itself, I hate to think that the only option is buying a new one. I just don’t know how to solve the problem with the shifting cores.

Adjustable beds don’t normally degrade over time. A component can break or they can stop working at some point but it’s usually possible to replace or repair the broken component.

Outside of any suggestions that Flobeds may have … it should also be possible to glue the sides of each split layer together using a glue such as here or here or here. Any upholstery shop should also be able to provide you with a spray glue that would be suitable. There are some gluing suggestions in post #3 here that may be helpful as well.
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As for the new king bed, we are very curious to hear if anyone else uses split cores with an adjustable base and what their experience has been. We use the adjustable bed feature multiple times a day, so our mattress gets a workout. I am wondering if the movement and shifting is because of how small the split cores are in a full size mattress, whether it’s because split cores are naturally prone to shifting on adjustable bases, or whether the shifting cores we have are some kind of fluke.

Latex is very heavy and “sticky” and doesn’t tend to shift inside a suitable tight fitting cover with normal use (including an adjustable bed) and if for some reason it does over longer periods of time it’s generally easy to unzip the cover and “wave” them back into position again.

Having said that … it sounds like you have had more issues with latex shifting than most people so it’s certainly possible that it’s connected to the size of your mattress, the tightness of your cover, or the frequency that you use your adjustable bed.

If your mattress has a good return policy then you could test it at home during the trial period to see if any new mattress you purchase has similar issues.

I know that I want the option to be able to open up the matress, remove and clean the cover, and swap out cores if needed (whether split or continuous). Besides Flobeds and SleepEZ, who else offers this feature?

Post #3 here includes a list of online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses that offer a range of different types and blends of latex with different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices. Most of them are members of this site.

I don’t keep a record of the individual specs for the mattresses that are included in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum either locally or online but off the top of my head I know that Cozy Pure, Spindle, and Flobeds offer zoned latex layers but Flobeds is the only one that has customizable zoning.

One final issue that I should mention is that I sleep VERY hot on my Flobed. DH has no issues with this,

While it’s not always possible to to track down temperature regulation issues for any particular person on a specific mattress because there are so many variables involved (including your room temperature and humidity, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range) and some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking down a potential cause or causes for temperature regulation issues (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.

but for me some nights it’s bad enough that I keep getting drawn in by the intense marketing by the Purple matress people and their claim for a cooler sleep experience. I just wish the rest of the foam layers in the Purple matress were latex rather than some random polyurethane.

You can see some comments about the materials and components in the Purple mattress and the buckling column gel they use in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

While the only way to know for certain whether you would sleep hot on the Purple mattress (or any mattress) would be based on your own personal experience … “in theory” and based on the materials and components inside it I can’t think of any reason that it would be any more temperature regulating than the Flobeds mattress you already own.

Phoenix