First off I have to say this site has been a great resource in my quest for a new mattress. I’ve reviewed a lot of the information and compared different models and manufacturers and think(?) I’ve narrowed my options after a few days of intense research but wanted to get any comments and see if I’ve missed/overlooked anything - plus I needed to join the forun for the discount
As for me 5’ 10" 215lbs (yeah I need a diet and exercise regime) typically alternate between side and back sleeping.
I am considering these three options.
Brooklyn bedding’s 10" total latex med/firm/xfirm
Sleep Ez’s 10" med/firm/xfirm
Sleep Ex’s 13" soft/med/firm/xfirm for more of a pillowtop feel.
I’ve looked at lots of options from other manufacturers (plushbeds, flobeds, savvyrest - my nephew has one and I tried it out but their prices are very high - etc) but they always priced out much higher so I think these 3 are a good quality/value mix so its going to be a tough choice. The BB gets a slight edge even though its a few dollars more because they offer the Bill Me Later paypal option which gives 6 months to pay it off.
One question I do have is whether there would be a benefit to using Dunlop rather than Talalay for the support layers. My thoughts, and they could be way off, are that since its a “firmer” latex to begin it that it would offer better support/durability in these layers. Or is this one of those personal preference areas that doesn’t have a solid best answer?
For the new bed I am looking at the Night and Day Thyme platform bed http://nightanddayfurniture.com/showroom/spices/thyme.html it looks nice and ituses 4 support legs on the center beam but unfortunately the slats are 4" apart. With the gap I guess I’ll have to either add a few slats or use it with a foundation since from what I’ve been reading adding a bunkie board or piece of plywood is generally not recommended since it makes a solid surface preventing the mattress from breathing.
Any comments. advice, suggestions, etc would be appreciated.
You have certainly narrowed down your choices to two of the best quality/value in the country and as you are mentioning choosing between them can be tough when you are down to final choices where you have eliminated your worse choices and you can’t really make a “mistake” in terms of quality or value. Post #2 here and post #2 here (which basically say the same thing) talk a little more about making final choices based on all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of a mattress purchase and your personal value equation.
I don’t think you’ve overlooked anything in terms of quality or value and the main differences between them are the differences in the cover/quilting and the number of layers that can be re-arranged or adjusted and the degree of fine tuning available in each mattress. You can read a little more about this in post #2 here. The SleepEz 13000 is different from the other two because it has an extra 3" layer of latex which makes it thicker and you can read a little more about some of the potential benefits of a thicker mattress in post #14 here.
This is really a preference choice based on the different “feel” and response of each type of latex (see post #7 here). While Dunlop is firmer at deeper compression levels in the same ILD rating (because ILD is only measured at 25% compression of the original core) because it gets firmer faster than Talalay … each of them has different firmness levels available to compensate in either direction and the goal of support is always good spinal alignment in all your sleeping positions not just firmness. Sometimes this needs firmer foam and sometimes softer depending on how your particular body type interacts with the specific layers and components in each mattress design. Dunlop is a popular choice in support layers because of its ability to “stop” the heavier pelvic girdle from sinking into the mattress a little quicker than Talalay so it is considered a more “supportive” type of latex which is often popular with higher weights or those who prefer its feel but because alignment is the goal and not just firmness at deeper compression … either one in a suitable design and firmness levels can make a great choice in any mattress layer in terms of PPP.
Yes … I would personally add some slats if I was using this with an all latex mattress because of the elasticity of latex vs a polyfoam base layer which isn’t as likely to sink into larger gaps over time. I would also choose a slatted foundation or support system over a solid surface because of the lower risk that goes with better ventilation (see post #10 here) although if all the other risk factors are low then a solid surface may be OK as well if your reason for using it is a good enough “tradeoff” for any additional risk.
Hope this helps … and I’m looking forward to hearing about what you end up with … and of course any feedback you may have once you’ve received it.
Thanks for the input and the site as I said it has been a valuable resource in my month long search.
You are right that once you’ve narrowed the choices down to a few it gets hard to pick and comes down to splitting hairs.
I think I have narrowed it down even further and eliminated the Brooklyn bedding’s total latex for the simple reason that I think having the additional layers, 3 or 4 vs 2, would allow for a more finr tuned mattress.
So now it is just a matter of choosing between the 10 and 13 inch sleepez. I think the 10’ would be fine but like the notion, which may be entirely wrong, of having a softer top layer to try an get that sinking into comfort feeling from a nice pillowtop. In the meantime I think I will look into mattess protectors as a distraction
As for the bed I think I will go with using a low profile foundation to add a little height over just adding slats. I think I would prefer a taller bed profile.
Thanks again. I will let you know what I decide and how it works out.
I’m looking forward to hearing about your final choice.
I know when I was making final choices it took me a few weeks of going back and forth and splitting finer and finer “value” hairs
The good news is that it’s a lot more satisfying to be looking at what is right with each of your choices rather than being in the position that most mattress shoppers end up in which is figuring out what is “wrong” with one (or both) of them.
One thing to check with BB is that I think they will let you do three 3 inch layers for the total latex, and I know they will let you split sides in a cal king. I was considering them and they do offer a 5 % discount for forum members, plus two free pillows if you like them on Facebook. I ended up going with a local company, but I thought BB was a very good deal for the total latex.
vali - Thanks for the suggestion but then I’d be back to having three choices again I agree BB is a good value and good product but sleepez is just a little better on pricing and are otherwise comparable (at least from what I can tell). Still I may give them a call if I decide on a 10" model simply because the ability to use bill me later lets me stretch out the cost a bit.
phoenix - I think that’s the position I’m, nit picking the choices. It may work alright though since the bed I ordered isn’t expcted to arrive for 2-3 weeks I have some time to fret over the mattress. I need to give sleepex a call and discuss the options and as I said maybe check with BB about splitting the 6" layer into 2 3" ones.
One not about the Night and Day bed, I got a followup email from them apologizing for saying the slat spacing was 4 inches when it/s actually a bit over 3". Aparently the person thought I was asking about the size of the slats not the space between them. So now I am back to deciding if a foundation is really necessary.
Night & Day also makes a platform top option on their frames, in lieu of the slats. It is a little more, but the retailer of the frame can look into the price difference for you. Skip the box, it is fabric covered height, and usually an unnecessary expense; especially if you’re buying a frame anyway.
If the spacing is “just over” 3" then it’s a little more than the suggestion I would usually make (3" and preferably less) but this is a somewhat arbitrary number and if it’s just a little bit over then you would need to use your best judgement because I think this is one of those things where it would be impossible to quantify the effect of an extra say 1/4" with any certainty except to say it would be “less desirable” to some degree. I would personally prefer smaller gaps but it may be inside your risk tolerance or worth any “tradeoffs” between this and other options you may have.
It may also be possible to remove the slats and add one or two more and improve the spacing.
Well after some more looking and talking to BB and SE I still have 2 choices but a different 2. I think I’ve ruled out the 13" since the 10s seem more than adequate for what I am looking for but am back to deciding between BB and SE.
I’ve talked with both and they both are helpful and knowledgeable in answering my questions and concerns. And I found a few things out from Jacob at BB that may be useful for others.
BB does split the 6" layer into 2 3" and their comfort level index is based on there pre-selected ILDs for each layer to generate the “feel” described on their site. You can ask to have specific ILDs used in each layer but if you want an odd combination that they don’t recommend you can still do a later swap but will have to pay shipping.
At the moment I think both are very close in terms of quality, customer service and value - I would give SE a little edge in quality since they use a cotton cover rather than the bamboo (which is more processed but I am planning on using a protector anyway so it will be covered) but found BB more responsive to emails (I emailed SE twice with no reply and eventually called).
Right now I plan to ponder some more but I’m leaning towards BB mostly because the paypal bill me later feature would make it easier to bear the cost.
Phoenix - I am thinking that with the bed I’d just add a slat or two although BBs FAQ suggests that spacing at a bit over 3" should be ok.
Adding a slat or two would certainly make it suitable. I’m not sure where you’re reading this but it would “probably” be OK although it’s also not ideal depending on how much over the “arbitrary” amount it may be. I would normally suggest less than 3" would be better and every increment more than this would add a little to the “risk” for an all latex mattress.
Well I spoke with Jacob at BB and Shawn at SE then pondered some more and finally pulled the trigger. I went with the SE 13" with s-m-f-xf. In the end it came down a preference for the thicker mattress and a hope that I can get the pillow top sink into softness fee by having the soft layer. Plus I like that with the 4 layers there are a lot more possible combinations that can be achieved without the need (hopefully) to do a layer swap and the cotton vs bamboo cover. I think that even if I had decided on the 10" I would have gone with the SE since it is 3 separate layers that allows for more customization than the BB version where the layer 2 3" layers are glued together.
I ordered online and had received an email asking me to call to confirm the order which I think is a good idea since it allows them to make sure that the order is legit and also allows them to go over the order and make any suggestions or answer questions. Jeremy says that he hopes to get it shipped today or at latest tomorrow so early next week I should have it (and he confirmed the forum discount as well). Which works out fine since I ordered a new platform bed as well and that won’t arrive until Monday or Tuesday (on that note I ended up with a Modus Ledge Platform bed http://www.wayfair.com/Modus-Furniture-Ledge-Platform-Bed-with-Optional-Headboard-7C08F-MO3838.html with 2 1/2 inch spacing instead of the Day and Night bed I was originally considering).
I’ll post an update once I get it setup.
Overall all it was a tough decision once I narrowed it down to a choice between mattresses I thought were very close and it came down to some personal preferences. After speaking with both companies I wouldn’t have hesitated to order from either. I thought they were very helpful in answering any questions I had and in making sure I made the best choice for me.
You certainly made a great choice and I can also sympathize from personal experience how hard it is to make final choices when you are choosing between “good and good”.
Thanks for all your comments and questions and I’m looking forward to your feedback when the mattress arrives and you’ve had the chance to sleep on it.
I agree BB is a good value and good product but sleepez is just a little better on pricing and are otherwise comparable (at least from what I can tell). Still I may give them a call if I decide on a 10" model simply because the ability to use bill me later lets me stretch out the cost a bit.