narrowing in on Latex purchase

[phoenix]

Hi needsleepMA,

So I first tried the Pure Bliss Latex Nature as this was my #1 target, but was dismayed that it did not feel as great to me as I had I hoped it would. It was good, but maybe to firm and not as comfortable as I had hoped. The Beautiful is not available to try anywhere within my location.

The Nature is a great quality mattress that uses high quality materials but I certainly understand the difference between a mattress that someone “wants to like” and a mattress that actually works well in terms of PPP once you test it in a showroom. There can be a big difference

Now here is where it gets tricky, I went into Jordans (I was there for a couch) and tried the Natura models for the heck of it. I tried the Toas and Unison, but really liked the Eco Sanctuary by far (unfortunately). I know from reading your site - at $5317 for a cali king, this is not a good value mattress at all. But forgetting value for now, I reviewed the layer breakdown and all materials were Talalay, Dulop, and wool I believe. They would not let me take a picture of the layer specs and did not have time to write them all down, but I will do so if I go back after visiting the rest.

Jordans has all the specs of the Eco Sanctuary here so you wouldn’t need to take a picture. As you mentioned all the layers are good quality and there are no obvious weak links in the mattress but of course this doesn’t say anything about whether it would be a good match for you in terms of PPP.

My concern is they said there are no firmness options for the Eco Sanctuary, which in theory is fine since I liked the comfort level of the model I tried. But I am 6’4" 220 lbs, and worry if after a while it might not give my back enough support over a longer test period than 10 minutes in a showroom. I am a side sleeper and stomach sleeper. Do you believe this Dunlop mattress will give me the support I need? - as it feels very plush but not bouncy (which I liked). I am not sure if you already know the Jordan specs for this mattress, I know it looks different than the one on Natura’s website I think.

I can’t feel what you feel or see you on the mattress so your own careful and objective testing using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post would put you in a better position to tell me about whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) than the other way around (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Having said that … with your weight and being a stomach sleeper (at leas partially) I would be cautious with a mattress that used 5" of softer materials (24 ILD or less) in the comfort layers which may be a little risky.

My other concern is the wool comfort layer, will this compress and lose its comfort over time - does it become lumpy or flattened? I have never owned anything but a crappy spring mattress so I am really looking to upgrade as I am a light and very poor sleeper, and looking for the best I can get that might help me sleep sounder. I could not tell if it was the Dunlap latex I was responding to when liking this model, or the wool stitched into the quilt?

All the layers in a mattress will have an effect on all the other layers but the top layer of Dunlop and the wool together would reduce the “bounciness” or resilience that you would probably feel if you were sleeping directly on Talalay latex.

While the quilting will help keep the wool lofted … it’s normal that wool will compress and become a little firmer to some degree over time (it will generally compress about 30% of its thickness) but this is normal for wool. Because of the nature of wool it will still have resilience after it remains compressed and if you sleep on different parts of the mattress from time to time and rotate the mattress it will compress more evenly rather than just under where you normally sleep. The “nesting” of wool isn’t an issue for most people who like the feel of sleeping on thicker layers of wool (unlike foam materials where foam softening or visible impressions can result in the loss of comfort and/or support).

If you take value off the board completely , and just judge based on PPP (which I liked) and durability – would you recommend the Eco Sanctuary? I will do my due diligence and keep looking, but I may have to decide if I can forget about the extra money I am paying because getting a mattress I love and is durable are far and away the most important factors to me.

I don’t recommend any specific mattresses because that’s always an individual choice based on all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. The “value” of a mattress purchase also depends on what else is available to you and the other finalists you are comparing it to when you make your final choice.

The materials are all good quality but there are some cautions that I would be careful about with your weight and sleeping positions but if you can confirm with some certainty that it’s a good match for you with your stomach sleeping in particular then from a quality perspective I would certainly consider it as one of your finalists.

my next stops are Gardner and boston bed company (Spindle is just too far for me). My current bed is so busted by now that I am kind of in a hurry but trying not to rush my decision. any input would be appreciated, I will go back and write down the Eco Sanctuary specs next time I visit if needed. thanks!

Based on the options you are considering I’m guessing you’ve seen this but just in case the Boston list is in post #2 here.

You can also check the Pure Latex Bliss retail store finder here which may also help you find a store within reasonable driving distance where you can try the Beautiful (although I would also be cautious with this because it also has thicker layers of softer latex in the comfort layer) as well as the Nutrition.

Phoenix