need help finding mattress

Talk To The Experts Latex Mattress Factory
1

Hello,

My wife and I had been on a 24 year old plush Serta Perfect Sleeper (flippable, inner spring, polyfoam). Can’t believe it lasted so long. For some reason it worked for us (my theory below) but we are having trouble finding a replacement.

We don’t like memory foam or a hybrid with memory foam.

Here is what we are realizing we like:
want to be “on” not “in” mattress
want good responsiveness and ability to reposition easily
want good edge support (no polyfoam piers or polyfoam encasement)
want to sleep cool (most of the year is hot and humid in eastern NC)
want good bounce
want good motion isolation (know this is less likely with innerspring but want to minimize)
want edge to edge coils
want tight top (no pillow top)
prefer no zoning (or just 3)

Here is our info:
I am 6’ around 180lbs; wife is 5’4" and around 180-190lbs.
My wife is a stomach sleeper (she doesn’t mind soft as long as she doesn’t have to lift up to reposition).
I am a side sleeper (need pressure relief for hips and shoulders).

After doing the tutorials on TMU and other research/mattress trials, I am narrowing on three types: 1) a flippable polyfoam innerspring like we had, or 2) a 100% natural latex without fillers or GOLS in either three layers of all foam (preferably a customizable do it yourself with zipper cover), or 3) a flippable/two sided with latex over an innerspring but no polyfoam at all to get full benefit of longer latex durability.

Given our normal sleeping positions we are at opposite needs my theory as to why the old mattress worked is because it was only about 11" thick so it likely didn’t have too much padding for my wife’s hips to sink too far. Also, since it wasn’t pocket coils (I would guess a Bonnell or open-end offset system) perhaps that too supported my wifes hips. For me, I think the 2" or so of polyfoam probably drew pressure relief from the coils which I suspect were softer on initial compression then firmer on deeper compression. Once the foam was shot the coils were soft enough for comfort.

So here are my questions:

  1. What would you recommend we look for in a mattress for a good fit for us in general and what specifications for components?
  2. Does 100% natural latex have fillers like clay and feldspar if it isn’t blended with synthetic? If so what is the percent filler?
  3. Is it standard for latex warranties not to cover small cracks and tears? I would think such cracks and tears would expand and deepen over time, esp. when rotating layers.
  4. Where is the latex manufactured? Should I prefer North American manufactured latex?
  5. I have seen some hybrid latex, one sided mattresses with no base support layer of dense foam under the coils. The quilted mattress cover appears all the coils sit on. Is that not a bad design?
    6)For your flippable mattress, can it come in the same firmness on both sides?
  6. The quilted cover appears to max out at 9" for the DIY. Is that the max? I would like the 8" coils with at least 3" of dunlop.

Thank you!

2

Hello Seneca55 and thank you so much for reaching out! Based on your post and the fact that you’ve asked 3 separate companies pretty similar questions, you seem to have pretty specific tastes, which is perfectly fine of course, but that leads me to think that something that is not only customizable but also adjustable may be a better choice for the two of you. This would mean getting a DIY mattress where you buy a zippered removeable cover to encase the latex layers, or latex and coils if you decide on a latex and coil hybrid. You would want a cotton & wool cover with at least an inch of wool that will allow you to split your top layer, and I would definitely recommend getting a split top layer even if the firmness is the same on both sides because of the short-term and long-term adjustability it offers. If you get a DIY mattress I would definitely recommend medium Talalay over medium Talalay over firm Dunlop. Having two Talalay layers in the mattress will ensure you get extra contour and pressure relief for you’re hips and shoulders and anywhere that’s contacting the mattress. The bottom firm Dunlop layer will help ensure you get extra support to help maintain proper spinal alignment and avoid back pain. If you sleep on that setup and find that you’re getting back pain, the first change I would recommend would be to unzip the cover and move the firm layer to the middle. This will retain all the contour and pressure relief you’re getting from the top medium Talalay layer but will offer more support for your lower back because the firm layer is closer to the surface.

Our 100% natural Talalay and 100% natural Dunlop finish at 98% natural rubber from an actual rubber tree. The remaining 2% of ingredients are things like natural fatty acids, natural soaps, and natural reinforcing agents needed for manufacturing.

If you’re looking at a latex and coil hybrid, I would recommend 3" of medium Talalay on your side and 3" of medium Dunlop on her side. Talalay on top would be better for your pressure point issues and Dunlop would be better for her as a stomach sleeper.

Most latex mattress companies do not warrant against cracks and tears, and this is for several reasons. They normally do not worsen over time and don’t affect the feel or longevity of the mattress. Because of the nature of the manufacturing process and the natural ingredients in latex, the color, amount of blemishes, etc. will vary from layer to layer. Differences in color are very common, which customers mistake for “dirty” latex. Also, during the manufacturing process air bubbles will form and leave air voids, which customers mistake for rips and manufacturing defects. Ultimately, synthetic foams and poly-foams are man-made and it’s much easier to produce a seamless look in the finished product, whereas natural latex is susceptible to minor manufacturing blemishes. I can absolutely assure you that these ultimately do not affect the feel, longevity, or performance of the product.

Our Talalay comes from Talalay Global / Latex International who manufactures in the US and our Dunlop comes from Eco Latex who manufactures in Sri Lanka. Neither Radium nor Talalay Global are better than the other, they’re just about on par with each other in terms of quality control, durability, etc.

Some companies will put a thin piece of foam between the bottom of the coils and the bottom panel of the cover to keep the coils from digging into the cover over time, but whether you’d like to do this or not is completely up to you.

I apologize but we would not be able to make the Naturale with a custom firmness, sorry about that!

For now we would not be able to make a custom cover, we’re just not doing custom covers right now.