Natural mattress on the budget end of the spectrum

Hi,

First off I would like to say thank you for the very helpful information amassed here.

Second, I am having a tough time figuring out a mattress that is (a) natural & (b) in my budget that is (c) comfortable and durable and (d) will also be suitable for my partner.

(a) “Natural” and “simple materials” is a firm commitment and my main priority. I have been sleeping on a pure wool and organic cotton futon mattress with a wool topper for many years that has been wonderful, but is now too hard. I understand it would have been fine for my purposes if there were people in the US, as in “the old country,” who do mattress renewal as a service. So foam is out & I believe we are looking at a multi-layered latex option that I can place on a slatted bedframe already in the house (cannot give this one up as it has drawers beneath and we have space constraints).

(b) Budget: Our budget is around $2000… I tested the SAMINA sleep system and it was absolutely amazing, but with small children in the picture we cannot afford to set aside $10K plus for a mattress. I am not seeing much in the $2k range, and we can go a little higher, but need to be assured of it lasting a full 10 years and satisfying both partners. Are there budget options that are reasonably similar to the SAMINA bed?

(c) and (d) Comfort for 2 people: I want a firmer mattress whereas my partner needss a softer one. We have seen options that split the bed in two so the layers of latex-of-varying-firmness can be selected and arranged according to each partner’s wants, but I don’t know how these last over time and what it’s like when you meet in the middle.

Do you have any recommendations for us? There are no member shops in our area, and it is important to us that we test the bed first in person.

Hi SleeplessinSF,

[quote]Second, I am having a tough time figuring out a mattress that is (a) natural & (b) in my budget that is (c) comfortable and durable and (d) will also be suitable for my partner.

(a) “Natural” and “simple materials” is a firm commitment and my main priority. I have been sleeping on a pure wool and organic cotton futon mattress with a wool topper for many years that has been wonderful, but is now too hard. I understand it would have been fine for my purposes if there were people in the US, as in “the old country,” who do mattress renewal as a service. So foam is out & I believe we are looking at a multi-layered latex option that I can place on a slatted bedframe already in the house (cannot give this one up as it has drawers beneath and we have space constraints).[/quote]

Post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to have more information about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” so you can decide on the types of materials or components you are most comfortable with having in your mattress. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, and lifestyle choices.

Once you have clarity about the types of materials you are comfortable with it will be much easier to choose a mattress that uses them (or doesn’t use the types of materials that you aren’t comfortable with).

You can see some comments about the Samina sleep system and the materials and components they use in post #2 here. I would keep in mind that other mattresses or sleeping systems that use the same types of materials and components would likely be either “somewhat different” or “completely different” from the Samina and may be either “more amazing” or “completely unsuitable for you to sleep on” depending on the specifics of the design because each different type of material and components can come in very different versions (thicker, thinner, firmer or softer, or with different properties) that can make another mattress that appears to be similar in more general terms feel or perform very differently in practice. I would never use a single example of a mattress that uses certain combinations of materials and components as a reliable indication of whether other mattresses of the same general type that use similar materials or components will also be suitable for you. On the other hand … there may also be other types of mattresses that use different combinations of materials and components (that you are also comfortable with) that could also be “more amazing” or unsuitable for you to sleep on as well even though they aren’t in the same general mattress category.

As long as you don’t restrict the options you are considering too narrowly by only looking for mattresses that are similar on the surface to another mattress you liked … you will have a much easier time in finding a suitable mattress that meets all your criteria inside your budget range. In other words … the “best” approach is to assess every mattress you test against a common set of criteria and how well it matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) rather than on how well it matches your memory of how a specific mattress felt to you when you tested it (and the human memory for subjective perceptions like “feel” isn’t very reliable past the very short term).

To use a somewhat poor analogy, trying to “:match” another mattress based on it’s materials and components would be similar to testing a car that had a V8 engine and liking it and then only looking for other cars with V8 engines when it’s really power or acceleration that you are looking for. I would focus on the performance and “feel” characteristics (soft on top and firmer support etc) and on the general types of mattresses and materials you would prefer (or are excluding) rather than the more specific design features that seemed to provide it in a particular mattress that you liked.

The first part of post #2 here has more information about some of the different ways that can help accommodate couples with different needs and preferences or body types. You can also see my comments about side by side split layer component mattresses in post #2 here and for couples with different needs and preferences they can certainly be a great option and if the materials are all good quality and durable materials then there certainly wouldn’t be any issues with durability.

Only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to make specific recommendations or suggest a specific mattress or combination of layers or materials based on specs (either yours or a mattress), health conditions, individual circumstances, or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). I can certainly help you narrow down your options by avoiding the worst ones and with “how” to choose or act as a fact check but not with which specific mattress, company, or manufacturer to choose.

Having said that … based on your username it seems that you are from San Francisco area and the better options and possibilities I’;m aware of in the San Francisco/Berkeley/Oakland areas (subject to the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.

Phoenix