Narrowing down

[phoenix]

Hi amberwalla,

Design Sleep sells all natural talalay Berkeley Ergonomics the guy helped me to figure out which bed I’d need: the Queen 7-zone all latex, 7 on one side, 9 on the other, with a pillow topper. So this introduces zoning. Also I’ve been going back and forth on the topper because it seems scammy to me, but I was convinced at the store that my body truly likes it, because I really liked a particular mattress before realizing it had a pillow top. (In the past I thought it was just psychological, knowing it was there and it was supposed to be comfy). The mattress is $1950, topper is $525, and if I buy their slat system it’s another $550.

I’m not sure why you would think that the topper was “scammy” and it could certainly make a difference in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) for many people that needed some additional softness and pressure relief compared to the same mattress without a topper.

There is also more information about the pros and cons of a flexible slat foundation in post #2 here.

You are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and the most reliable way to decide on whether to add a topper or a flexible slat foundation to your sleeping system would be based on your own careful testing and personal experience.

At this point, I’m mostly looking for advice on Naturepedic vs. Berkeley Ergon (lesser extent vs. Savvy Rest)–thoughts on comparisons based on value, durability, etc.? Also any thoughts on TY vs. Design Sleep. And the sales people at each store basically promote the version of latex they use (Dunlop vs. Talalay), but at this point I’m just going on feel with that–right? All Latex vs. Latex/Coil–is it all about feel and preference? Finally, since I"m also in the market for a bed frame I could decide whether to get one that “needs” a boxspring/support or not. How do I think about that part? Also, what’s the deal with zoning? Does it work or is it a scam?

There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses.

I can only speak to the quality and durability of the materials in a mattress because once again only you can feel what you feel on a mattress but I can certainly confirm that all of the mattresses you are considering use very high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” in any of them.

There is more about Talalay vs Dunlop in post #7 here but the choice between them would be a preference choice rather than a “better/worse” choice.

There is also more about latex vs innersprings as a support core in post #13 here and the posts it links to but this would also be a preference choice rather than a “better/worse” choice and neither of them would be a weak link in a mattress in terms of durability.

The choice between a platform bed that doesn’t need a foundation or a regular steel or wooden bedframe that needs a foundation would also be a preference choice as long as both of them would provide suitable support for the mattress you purchase. There is more about the different types of support systems that are generally suitable for different types of mattresses in the foundation post here.

You can also read more about zoning in post #11 here and the other posts it links to. Zoning can certainly be helpful in some cases if the zones are a good “match” for your body type and sleeping positions.

Also wondering whether it’s worth considering online MU members–specifically Cozypure and My green Mattress.

There is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you actually sleep on your mattress but you are the only one that can decide whether you are comfortable considering any of the online options that you have available to you. Having said that … it certainly can’t do any harm to talk with any of the online members here that interest you and then see how you feel after your conversation.

Phoenix