Hi zanstarr,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own.
[quote]Ideal Mattress - We went to Ideal twice. It seems to be a small family business, which I like, but the lady did not seem to want to directly answer our questions in regards to materials. In fact, she said there is no such thing as completely natural latex. (?) However, she was quite nice and helpful, and switched up layers for us until we were very comfortable. The price she quoted us was $2800 King size. We got a print out of all the details and the price written on it.
We ended up checking out some other stores, where none of the mattresses felt as good as the first one, and were way more expensive, and went back to Ideal a month later, only to learn that it was not all latex. Rather, a foam core with a latex topper. We were then quoted $3500 minimum for it. We were kind of disappointed about this switch up, but I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t rush and buy it a month ago.[/quote]
By convention 100% natural generally means that 100% of the rubber in the latex core is natural rubber (NR) vs synthetic rubber (SBR) but it doesn’t mean that 100% of the core itself is rubber because there are other substances that are needed to foam, cure, and manufacture the latex (see the first part of post #7 here) so they are “partly right” or at least “technically right” that there is no such thing as 100% natural latex although there is certainly latex that only uses 100% natural rubber and doesn’t have any synthetic rubber in the formulation.
Your experience with the polyfoam/latex hybrid and the all latex mattress certainly points to the importance of finding out all the information listed here for any mattress you are considering before making a purchase so you can make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress and make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses although a latex/polyfoam mattress can be a good quality/value purchase as well (if the polyfoam is a suitable quality/density).
While it won’t show the specifics of the layering or the other information that you need to make an informed choice or to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress … the law tag will also show the different types of materials in a mattress (listed by percentage weight) so you can quickly find out if a mattress you are looking at contains any polyfoam.
They are included as an option and you can see my comments about them in the Toronto list here.
You can also put a latex mattress on another lower cost foundation (as long as it meets the manufacturers warranty criteria) or on a slatted platform bed so it’s not necessary to purchase a foundation from the retailer you are buying your mattress from if you have a better or lower cost option available although their foundations here are certainly very strong and would make high quality choices.
[quote]So, finally we went to Dreamtime Bedding Inc. They make their own mattresses - mostly coil. We tried a pocket coil mattress that felt quite nice - firm on my side and a little softer for my boyfriend. When I asked about the other materials in the mattress, things got a little shifty. When I asked about the foam, he said it’s just foam. They also have some kind of a gel layer, the material of which he couldn’t really explain to me either. Here’s the thing. Price here, including boxspring was just over $1000, and they could have it ready by the end of the week, and we didn’t even try to negotiate.
I’m hoping to get some advice from you before we make a purchase. Here is what it comes down to:
Obviously, the one at Dreamtime doesn’t have all organic, top of the line materials. However, the feel was pretty comparable to the Landon at Dormio. The price is obviously very tempting. Do you think the low price means the mattress will suck after some time? Is it justifiable to spend $3000 more for a mattress b/c it’s organic latex?[/quote]
I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here (which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice) but 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” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for when you sleep on it in “real life” 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 you will sleep), durability (how long you 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).
Outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) … the 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) and the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on 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 a retailer or manufacturer you are considering is willing and able to provide you with the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would affect the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
If you can provide all the information listed in the article I linked and post it on the forum I’d be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials inside any mattress you are considering but without this information it’s not possible to make any meaningful comments about any mattress and if a manufacturer or retailer isn’t willing and able to provide it I would pass the mattress by because it would be a very risky choice (see the guidelines here).
There is more about certified organic latex and other types and blends of latex in post #6 here. There is also more about the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and about organic and safety certifications in general in post #2 here for those where an organic certification is important for personal, environmental, or lifestyle reasons (although the organic certification won’t affect the safety, quality, or durability of the latex).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of whether anyone else has the same criteria or would make the same choice.
Phoenix