We are senior citizens in southern Florida. 4 years ago, we bought a Pranasleep Samadhi mattress for our platform bed. It has now developed a “hole” on my husbands side of the bed as we probably didn’t rotate it often enough. Due to the weight of the mattress, this is hard for us to do at our age. We went and talked to the dealer who is willing to help us replace the mattress and is offering us a decent discount on the 11" Vinyasa model. He feels that the “sink hole” (for lack of a better word" developed because we bought a mattress that was “too plush” and that a firmer mattress won’t do this. Now after reading this forum and the all the information given, I am really confused and overwhelmed with information. At this point, I am hesitant to spend a lot of money on another Pranasleep mattress and am leaning towards the Dream Foam mattress. I could buy 2 of the Dream Foam for less than the price of the Pranasleep. My main question is: What is the best choice for our mattress materials ? We like latex mattresses but is it the best thing for us ? I would like any mattress to last over 4 years, hopefully ,without collapsing but can than be had with a mattress that you don’t turn over. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi dorglet,
If your “sinkhole” is 1.5" or more then it would be covered under their warranty (see here). If on the other hand it is the result of foam softening and any visible impressions are less than the warranty exclusion of 1.5" then unfortunately it wouldn’t be covered by a warranty (see post #4 here).
You can read more about the Pranasleep mattresses in post #3 here and in post #2 here and in post #3 here. A forum search on Prana (you can just click this) will also bring up more information and feedback about them. I would be cautious because they use thicker layers of relatively low quality/density polyfoam in the quilting layers than I would be comfortable with (see the guidelines here) which could be a significant part of the reason for the issues you are having.
While latex is generally the most durable of all the foam materials … even with latex if the comfort layers are too soft for your body type then it can be a durability issue as well. There is more about all the variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here.
There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and as you can see 100% natural Talalay can also be less durable than other types or blends of latex in lower ILD’s.
If you take all of these factors together then it could certainly account for any visible impressions or “virtual impressions” in your mattress.
I’m not sure which of the Dreamfoam mattresses you are considering but if you are considering one of their latex hybrids then there is more about a latex/polyfoam hybrid and an all latex mattress in post #2 here. There is also more about the most important parts of the value of a mattress purchase in post #13 here.
The choice of materials is always a personal preference so there isn’t a “best” material for any particular person but I would make sure that no matter which type of materials or components that you tend to prefer and are in your mattress that you make sure that there are no weak links in the materials or design because all materials and components have higher quality and more durable and lower quality and less durable versions.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the South Florida area (Miami/Ft Lauderdale areas) that may be worth considering are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix
The mattress would have been covered by warranty, it is that bad, but we bought it a discounted price without a warranty. That is why they are at least offering me a discount to replace it. You refer to different information on this site and I have read
it more than once and that is why I have an “information overload” and guess that there is no simple answer as to what mattress will hold up the best for us. As I said, the weight of the latex makes even rotation something that we need help with. Maybe I will just go back to the old fashioned coil mattresses as we didn’t seem to have a problem then and they are priced less than latex, which only lasted 4 years for us. Thank you for all the information on this site. There is an answer to every question I could ever ask but am just overwhelmed.
Hi dorglet,
While there are many variables involved in the durability and useful life of a mattress … any mattress in that budget range “should” last much longer than 4 years and in general terms I would use the guidelines here to make sure that there are no “weak links” in any mattress you purchase.
A mattress is an important purchase and can have a significant effect on your overall wellbeing and just going back to an old fashioned coil mattress may lead to the same issues even sooner (depending on the quality of the materials in the comfort layers) so I would go slowly and take your time to let the information sink in. In most cases … finding a knowledgeable and experienced manufacturer or retailer that already knows what you would otherwise need to learn, has your best interests at heart, and that sells a range of mattresses that don’t have any weak links in their design, is the simplest way to make the best possible choice.
You are also welcome to post the information about the materials that are inside any mattress you are considering on the forum and I’d be happy to make some comments about it as well.
The process of choosing the “best mattress for you” will come down to …
-
Testing for suitability (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
-
Checking for durability (making sure you know quality of the materials in your mattress so you can confirm there are no obvious weak links in terms of durability)
-
Comparing for value (based on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
Phoenix
Are there any manufacturers in the Fort Myers, Fl (33901) area that you would suggest ?
Most retail places we have visited are just trying to “make a sale” and will tell you what they think you want to hear. We better know what we want BEFORE we walk in the store. We thought we were making an informed decision 4 years ago, only to hear that we shouldn’t have been sold a mattress that plush. Now I am worried about the compression issue with any mattress that can’t be turned or rotated, say weekly. A regular mattress is lighter in weight so that we can at least handle it at our age. The foam is just too heavy weight for us. I am not sure that ANY foam mattress will last if not rotated regularly. If we stay in the $800-$1000 price range, then we can replace it if it doesn’t hold up. We can’t do that when we spend 2-3K for the mattress.
Hi dorglet,
Knowing the quality and durability of all the layers in a mattress and avoiding a mattress that has a weak link in the materials (such as the quilting layers in your mattress that are over the latex) would be even more important than the firmness of the mattress. You can test a mattress to make sure that it’s suitable for you in terms of PPP (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) but you can’t “feel” the quality of the materials because lower quality and less durable materials can “feel” the same as higher quality materials in a showroom … they just don’t last as long before they lose their comfort and/or support (and comfort/support aren’t covered by a warranty).
There are many types of mattress that are lighter than the “mostly latex” mattress you purchased (such as a mattress that uses latex in the upper layers but polyfoam in the support layers) that would be easier to either rotate and flip (if they are two sided which is less common) or just rotate (if they are one sided) but it’s always a good idea to rotate or flip your mattress on a regular basis … especially at the beginning (see post #2 here). Again though … the most important part of avoiding softening or impressions is to make sure there are no weak links in the mattress … especially in the upper layers of the mattress which are generally the first to soften and break down.
The better local options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, FL area (always subject to the guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix
Thanks !
I forgot to mention that I have a mattress made by White Dove "New Kama Proto B " model that is 67% latex and 33 % polyurethane and it has NOT developed any indentations and it has been slept on nightly for over 5 years without being turned and only rotated maybe once or twice a year. But I do not know the layers or make up of the materials. When I wrote
the company that is in Ohio to ask details about this mattress and if they had a retailer in my area, they emailed back and referred me to City Mattress in Fort Myers with no other information. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another mattress by White Dove !!
Hi dorglet,
White Dove certainly makes some high quality mattresses and a forum search on White Dove (you can just click the link) will bring up more information and feedback about them … but I would keep in mind that the name of a manufacturer has very little to do with the durability of any specific mattress because every manufacturer makes a wide range of mattresses and some may be much higher quality and more durable than others. The “key” to durability is always to make sure you know the quality of all the materials in your mattress … regardless of the name of the manufacturer that makes it (see this article).
There are some high quality versions of polyfoam (and some much lower quality and less durable versions as well) and if a mattress has polyfoam in the support core then it’s not likely to be a weak link in the mattress.
Phoenix
I agree totally about different levels of quality. A lot of stuff sold by big chain stores are not the same quality as those sold by independent dealers.
But we are headed up to Port Charlotte this coming week to talk to Jim. I think I will feel more confident when dealing with the same business as opposed to a retail chain.
Thanks again for your help and a very informative website. You are going a great job.
Hi dorglet,
As long as they can provide you with the information you need about the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress then at least you will have much higher odds of buying a mattress that will maintain its comfort and support for a reasonable length of time.
Thanks for the kind words … and if you have questions along the way don’t hesitate to post them on the forum.
Phoenix