Sorry for the delayed report, but life has been busy. I visited Neal at Spindle Mattress last week. He is an incredibly nice guy and is very knowledgeable. He also has the patience of a saint, with me trying all sorts of combinations of latex stacks!
So here is what I learned and my thoughts.
Spindle has six different types of layers, not counting their topper. Each layer is “firm,” “medium” or “soft” and is available in natural or synthetic. These can be stacked in different combinations. All layers are 3 inches thick. They are all zoned by drilling holes with various diameters in different parts. It does not matter which end is up, all layers can be turned either way.
The basic Spindle mattress is three layers of synthetic latex. Neal advised that the bottom two layers should both be firm for the best support. I prefer softer beds, so we tried two layers of firm and the top layer soft, all synthetic latex. I realized that this caused me to kind of go right through the soft layer into the firm layer, which I didn’t find comfortable. I weigh 145, so I’m not particularly heavy. Neal said he as not surprised and he advised against putting a medium layer as the middle layer.
We then tried the bottom two layers synthetic firm and the top layer synthetic medium. This was nice, but a bit less soft then I would like. Still, very acceptable. We then added their 3 inch latex topper to it, and now it was much softer, maybe a bit softer than I would like. But as before, very acceptable. The perfect bed for me would probably be in between. We tried some combinations to achieve that but didn’t really get there.
One thing I didn’t like was sitting on the mattress or its edge gave a very mushy, sinky feel. While that may be nice for sleeping, its not so nice for sitting in bed reading, or sitting at the edge while putting on your shoes. Neal explained that the natural latex has a higher density than the synthetic and this would give a more springy sensation when sitting on it.
So, we replaced the bottom firm synthetic layers with firm natural layers, and left the synthetic medium layer. That seemed to make the bed a bit more firm when lying on it, although it was probably my imagination. Sitting on the edge, however, was dramatically different. It felt like a traditional mattress, not mushy at all. I very much liked that. Adding the 3 inch latex topper provided a very soft, comfortable bed that was also very supportive.
Of course, the natural latex is more expensive. The basic mattress, 3 layers of synthetic latex, is $999. Adding the $260 topper to that comes to $1,260.
Replacing the bottom two layers with natural latex, so that there are two natural firm layers at the bottom, then a medium synthetic layer, and finally the 3 inch soft topper, comes to $1,620 total.
There is also a 3/4 inch cover over the mattress, made from cotton with a rayon layer for fire protection. There is an upgrade to wool available, but I was very satisfied with the cotton. The cotton is included in the base price.
If I were sure that I wanted latex over memory foam I probably would order this. But, $1,620 puts me into a price category where things like Brooklyn Bedding Cool Luxe is competitive. I need to visit a store and try a Temperpedic Luxe, which the BB is supposedly based on. I really want to make sure that I would not prefer memory foam. Whatever I buy now I’ll have for at least 10 and possibly the next 20 years.
The Spindle mattress has some advantages. First, it will go up and then back down my stairs easily, since it will be in 4 parts (one for each layer). They are local so I was able to try the actual mattress. But, BB has a much better return policy and Spindle offers no memory foam at all. Spindle does have their layer exchange policy, where for $150 they will replace a layer to make comfort adjustments if, after some time, I want that.
It also occurs to me that perhaps a memory foam topper over a Spindle latex mattress might work. I didn’t think to ask Neal about that. An option would be to get the $1,620 mattress without the $260 topper, for a total of $1,360. A topper can always be added later.
So many decisions, but I’m going to have to decide very soon!