need help deciding betw. latex sellers & natural vs. hybrid

[phoenix]

Hi pansies11,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

1. considering a foamsweetfoam 10’’ soft, med, firm or soft, med, x-firm (all dunlop). Does the last layer make a difference? How do we decide between firm and xfirm?

All of the layers of a mattress work together, with changes in the uppermost layers having the most different in surface comfort and changes in the bottom layers have more of an impact upon “deep support”, but being a bit less noticeable in your surface comfort. There is more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful.

The compression of each layer (mainly controlled by thickness, firmness, compression modulus, hysteresis, and position along with a few other specs) are what creates the pressure relieving cradle of a mattress in the top layers which re-distributes weight and pressure on the bony prominences and pressure points of the body while the resistance to further compression of the deeper layers is what “stops” the heavier parts of the body from sinking down too far and putting the spine and joints out of their natural alignment. The balance between the opposing needs of pressure relief and spinal alignment is the main factor behind all mattress design and theory and why different mattresses match the body types and sleeping positions and preferences of different people … or don’t.

There is no formula that can predict with any certainty what type of layering you may do best with that can possibly be more accurate than your own personal experience and without this the next best way to decide on the design of a mattress is to use the “averages” of a manufacturer for people of your weight range, body type, sleeping style, and personal preferences. These “averages” may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer depending on the specific designs and options that they have available (including all the components such as the cover or quilting layers which can also have a significant effect on how the mattress feels and performs not just the latex or foam layers).

Your best source for guidance would be a detailed phone conversation with Foam Sweet Foam, as they would have the best knowledge of their componentry and what they think would work best with what they have to offer to give you the best chance at success.

2. it’s a tie between sleeponlatex, spindlemattress, and foamsweetfoam (all online). I don’t really understand what sleeponlatex or spindle’s “soft” or “medium”…sleeponlatex don’t explain and spindle’s have either m, m,m or m, m, f…, but the price point is more competitive than foamsweetfoam, i’m not too sure we’ll rearrange layers so it’s not too important, (i tend to like fewer options…the sleep number drove me crazy lol) Any insight on either company’s products or how to compare them and make a good decision?

I can certainly help with “how” to choose, but it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Sleep on Latex offers a 9" or a 7" latex mattress using natural Dunlop, and their mattresses are not configurable, but you can choose to order each mattress as a firm, medium or soft. Spindle has a 10" latex mattress which can be ordered in soft, medium firm or extra firm. They use a natural Dunlop in the continuous pour process. You do have the ability to change a layer if needed. Foam Sweet Foam offers more combinations (3, 4, or 5 layer systems, with the 4 layer being the most popular) where you can choose natural Dunlop or natural Talalay. You have the ability to exchange layers in this system.

Your choice would be based upon what is important to you in your own personal value equation. You mentioned that price is important, and that you don’t need as many comfort choices, so those things certainly would enter into your value equation. You’re comparing “good” vs. “good” products here, so there are no bad choices as far as quality is concerned, and all three of these companies are members of this site, which means that I think very highly of them, their advice and their products.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else. I would take the data and recommendations you receive from each member on your list after your phone conversation and objectively compare the pros and cons of each recommendation and move on from there. And of course compare each company’s comfort/exchange policy, just in case things don’t turn out as well as you might have hoped for.

i’ve read on here that most mattresses wear out and give over time so the warranty at fsf isn’t as lucrative when i think of that.

Yes, all products eventually wear out, even premium latex foam, and a warranty is just a guarantee against defects in workmanship, and all of the products you’re considering offer good warranties, so personally I wouldn’t make this primary in my list of things to consider with these particular brands.

I’m also confused, spindle’s website says it’s continuous pour dunlop, and that it’s natural. Everything i’ve read on continuous pour says it’s synthetic.

It is 100% natural Dunlop latex from Mountain Top Foam produced in the continuous pour process.

3. with all my reading, the husband still managed to stump me by asking why we don’t get a hybrid mattress with latex as a top layer and dense foam on the bottom, since it would be less expensive and a dense foam would hold up pretty well (maybe similar to a firm latex?) When i looked at hybrids brooklynbedding seemed to have the most generous amount of latex on top, but it’s blended talalay or synthetic dunlop So, the questions are: -are there hybrids that include natural latex? my research leads me to believe it doesn’t sink as quickly as synthetic. -what are the tradeoffs/downfalls of considering a hybrid? Budget-wise we could go with either a hybrid or full latex from either of those two sites, but are just looking at options and value.

Having a mattress using a polyfoam core instead of a latex core is a way to achieve a more affordable product but still maintaining much of the “feel” of latex. A polyfoam core will not be as durable as a latex core. Choosing polyfoam over latex would again be part of your own personal value equation.

I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local or online lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. I don’t have a specific listing of manufacturers using a polyfoam core and only 100% natural latex on top, but a good place to start looking online would be the members listed in post #21 here. There are a wide range of latex and memory foam and other options included in the choices there and I believe that all of them compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.

As for latex durability, I think here that you’re over-analyzing and your analysis-paralysis is showing a bit , and I really don’t want to contribute to this and complicate things by getting into too much detail, but I would consider all types of latex to be a durable material. There’s a bit more technical about latex durability here and here. Your choice between natural, synthetic or blended latex would be one more of a personal preference versus a large quality/durability issue.

4. can we buy or build a platform and put it on the frame of our bed, or do we have to swap out the bed for a platform?

You could certainly still use your existing bed frame with your own DIY platform or one like those featured here in the foundation thread. A dedicated platform bed will also work.

5. any experience with DIY natural bedding in mn? i would need to buy it pre-sewed if that’s possible, i couldnt sew if my life depended on it.
   I think highly of DIY Natural Bedding and Deborah and their products.

Phoenix