New Latex/Latex Hybrid King Bed Guidance please

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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We started this journey thinking to upgrade our bed from a queen to a king and it’s been a bit overwhelming… we feel more knowledgable but having trouble making decisions. We’re coming from a 9 year old original Casper mattress and was originally just going to go with another bed in the box rec from Wirecutter … but Casper no longer sells our model since it’s so old and WC feels less reliable than it was in the past and was wildly inconsistent with Consumer Reports.

Husband and I are predominately back sleepers / occasional side sleepers who enjoy medium-firmness mattresses, both of us are 5’5"-5’7"/130-150 lbs, husband has an athletic/broad shoulder build that occasionally makes his arm feel numb on side sleeping. My husband maybe sleeps a little hot but hasn’t been bothered by the Casper.

We went to try a bunch of WC picks at Sleep Haven in San Mateo and liked the Tempur-Adapt Medium best. We also liked the Leesa Sapira Hybrid and Saatva Zenhaven’s softer side. But then read a bunch of comments about how Tempur-pedic has bad sagging/meh return policy, Saatva has sagging and is overpriced, etc. Was thinking maybe best to just buy the Tempur Supreme from Costco and enjoy Costco’s generous return policy just in case…

Then we went down a rabbit hole of learning (thank you mattress underground and reddit) and reading about off-gassing and fun times about the industry and decided to go non-bed in the box and full latex or latex hybrid. We went to try European sleep works after reading up and they were very friendly and our favorite there was their Alpine Classic Talalay soft on hard (1.7" coils). We also liked their full latex (though maybe a little firm).

Unfortunately we’re still a little conflicted after seeing that ESW only has 2" latex layer whereas Arizona Premium Mattresses / SleepEZ / Sleeponlatex seem to offer a very comparable and cheaper product but with 3" instead…

  • Is it important to do 3" instead of 2" layer of latex on top?
  • Is it better to do full latex or latex with coils if we enjoy/are used to the memory foam feel?
  • Not sure what softness level ESW’s talalay and dunlop latex are…does anyone know?
  • Is it ok that these sort of beds are not anchored properly and are just zipped in?
  • Would it be silly to go with APM or the like ( that are also trusted members here ) since we can’t actually try them out…?
  • Another consideration: we live in a foggy part of SF - are certain components more susceptible to mold and mildew? Planning to get a Thuma (~3-in slats)…

Thanks in advance for your help!

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If you like ESW Alpine Classic Talalay, get that. The prices seemed reasonable. If you try to copy it and fail, then it is essentially wasted money.

Is it really worth it to try an unknown to save $500, when you have a known (ESW) that you like? I just pulled $500 from the air. Go with what you like and what you have tried (ESW).

John

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Thanks for your input. I’m not too worried about the $ aspect, but was more thinking if it would be better to get 3" instead of 2" (since ESW was only 2")

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Hello ellebelle!

You can check out the ESW specs here.

This is very much dependent on your needs. 3" tends to be preferable for side sleepers.

This is also very much dependent on your preferences. Was your memory foam bed all-foam?

Yes! It makes layer swapping a much easier experience.

We don’t think so :slight_smile: but definitely contact anyone beforehand to ask about their testing and return/exchange policies.

NikkiTMU

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Thanks for your input! Yes, our memory foam bed is all foam (Top layer of breathable polyurethane foam, Second layer of zoned memory foam). We are only occasional side sleepers (mostly back), but just trying to avoid the numb arm feeling…

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The reality is APM, Sleepez, and ESW all do a great job. I just came back from Berkeley and visited ESW when I was there. They will likely make you whatever you want. I happen to agree with @BillyIdol on this. If you tried the ACT, (I tried all of their mattresses while there) and you like it, it makes sense to go with it. I have no doubt that either APM and Sleepez could make you an excellent mattress, but you tried something and it worked, even they would agree, go for it.

If you’ve found something that works for you, I’d say go for it! If it ends up needing any adjustments later, that’s not a big deal – European Sleep Works can make modifications right at the factory to make sure you get exactly what you need.

I totally get wanting to explore other options, but sometimes it’s not worth the time and effort to try something else just for the sake of it, especially if you can’t test all of them in person. No one wants to end up with something that doesn’t work out and be stuck with an expense to themself and a showroom, that isn’t ideal.

Personally, I’m always looking to improve on what I have, but I’m also willing to take a risk knowing I can always make adjustments down the road if needed. When I was at ESW, Steve helped me find the perfect Oxygen Pillow and Oxygen Wedge topper. It felt great in the showroom, so I went ahead and ordered them, knowing that if any changes were needed, I would not likely bring it up, although I know they would be happy to oblige.

If you where choosing from 3 mattresses at a distance, without having to opportunity to try in person, it would make the situation different. I am sure if the staff at ESW thought you needed a 3" rather 2" they would have made that recommendation. Plus, they could simply add another inch of latex of the same ILD to the mattress for you to try. It will not exactly duplicate a single 3" layer, but it will be close enough for you to experience the difference.

All the best,

Maverick

Oh, I just read the last line about the Thuma. I have seen and tried the thuma. It is no comparison to the 3/4" screwed in slats that ESW uses or the complete frame as a whole. Quality is night and day. My daughter who lives in Berkeley has been yearning for a Thuma, until I showed her the frame in ESW, and how much better is was and by coincidence the one I showed her was less expensive. She and her boyfriend did a complete 180 on the Thuma after seeing the construction of the ESW. If the style of the Thuma is your perfect match, than that is a different story, but if you are open to examining the quality differences, you should investigate that.

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@Maverick thank you for your detailed reply. I think we might just go for European Sleepworks, though now we’ve switched to liking the full Latex Classic after visiting again…:sweat_smile: Which frame are you referring to that is cheaper and better than the Thuma? Do you mean their box foundation?

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Just ask steve to show you. It was on the ground level, against the back wall in the same room as the heritage mattress that was displayed on the showroom floor. It was around 1400.

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thanks @Maverick ! i’ll ask about it!

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As I remember, assuming they have not moved anything, you come into the front door, and go straight back to the back wall, in the back left corner right by the passage way to the middle room on the ground floor (where the cutouts of the mattresses are against the wall) when you walk in to the left. It was very nice frame, just like a Thuma, but not with the Japanese joinery. But the frame was solid and a rock.

LOL feels like Indiana Jones on the search for the holy grail.