Need local outlet info - zip code 21114

[phoenix]

Hi seekeroftruth,

Okay, I have now done a little scouting. I went to the Mattress Store in Annapolis and the saleswomen (30 years exp.) would not recommend the Serta (some kind of quality issues). They carry a subsidiary of Restonic called Elevate with all models having a supposed hd polyfoam 6" core–which concerned me and I was never able to get the density information of the polyfoam. So they are latex hybrids.

A mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality of the materials inside it so I wouldn’t consider any mattress where you weren’t able to find out the specifics about what was in it. This would be particularly true about the comfort layers (the upper layers of the mattress) which are the most prone to early softening and breakdown but I would also want to know the specifics of all the other layers as well. Serta doesn’t provide this information for most of their mattresses which is one of the reasons I suggest avoiding them completely but I would also avoid any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the specifics of what is inside it because otherwise you are making a completely blind purchase and won’t be able to make an informed decision or make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses.

If a salesperson doesn’t have the specific information you need available then part of their “job” would be to call the factory (or have someone call the factory) to find out the density of any polyfoam or memory foam in the mattress. “Quality” is a meaningless word without this information. Many of the Restonic factories will provide this information to their retailers so they are the ones that should be tracking it down for you.

They only use talalay latex for comfort or additional layers in combinations of 2" and 4". Could not get density of talalay in ILD but talalay layers are soft, medium and firm.

Unlike polyfoam and memory foam … the density of latex is not a “quality spec” and you don’t really need it. It is more closely connected to the softness/firmness of the latex which you can feel with testing anyway. The relevant information for latex is the type (in this case Talalay) and the blend (which is probably a 30% / 70% blend of natural and synthetic latex). Latex is a good quality material though no matter what type it may be.

In other words what you need to assess a mattress is a list of all the layers and components from top to bottom which includes the thickness of each layer in inches, the type of material, and the “quality” of that material (density with memory foam and polyfoam and type and blend of any latex).

All are covered with wool felt for fire protection with a quilted cotton cover with gel foam (I think) on top. Not being able to get specific information regarding the polyfoam 6" core and the fact that the king version of the mattress that felt good to me was approx. $3700 and for that price I could easily get an all latex mattress on-line, and the fact that the saleswoman poo-pooed Dunlop latex, I am very skeptical and frustrated.

I agree this is a very high price for a latex hybrid if it only has 4" of latex over a polyfoam support core. As you mentioned … similar mattresses would be available for very much less.

Now to confuse things even further, I spoke in depth to the owner of the East Coast Organic Mattress Store. They use only Dunlop latex in their latex mattresses and she (Lee) said that they haven’t found talalay latex that they are happy with! Their latex mattresses are covered with organic cotton and wool and here is a new twist–she told me that they encase each of their layers in a thin organic cotton cover so that the layers don’t stick and tear if you are turning them or changing them out. Seems to make sense but not sure if it is really worthwhile or just something to justify higher prices.

You can read a little more about the different types of latex in post #6 here and in post #6 here (which are similar) but Talalay and Dunlop are just different … one is not “better” than another. You can also read more about covered layers vs bare layers in post #2 here and post #10 here.

However, I am now more confused than ever about conflicting information about Dunlop vs. talalay latex and I have no easy means of trying an all Dunlop latex mattress. I do have to say that the price for a mattress alone from the East Coast Organic Mattress store was more reasonable than the price of the Restonic latex hybrid with questionable polyfoam core and the inability to customize each side of a king mattress. Any other suggestions?

I would treat the choice between Talalay and Dunlop as strictly a matter of preference and not in any way as a “better worse” comparison. In other words I wouldn’t get caught up in any of the “better worse” comparisons that are so common everywhere because most of them are misleading. You can also read a little more about the difference in “feel” between them in post #7 here but it’s usually better to test them in person because that’s the most reliable way to know which one you prefer.

Phoenix