New Tempur-Flex mattress making me miserable

[phoenix]

Hi Lackofzzz,

The salesperson explained the layout of the store and left me to try them out while he worked on his computer. I think the Dunlop Firm/ Talalay Med/ Talalay Med was the best of the set-up configurations, but I really felt like I wanted a comfort layer on top.

The top 3" medium layer would be the “comfort layer” in this configuration. If you wanted something softer then you could exchange the medium for a soft or you could also add a topper that was outside the cover as well which would also have a softer but different “feel” than having the same layer inside the mattress cover (see posts #3 and #4 here and this topic).

I did search your mattress forum after trying out the Prana, because I was concerned about the foam top layer. I called the store back, and was told Prana has upgraded from 1.8 to 2.-something foam. It is good to hear you consider that acceptable.

Their previous versions used 2" of 1.5 lb polyfoam which was a lower density and less durable material than I would be comfortable with… especially in a mattress in this budget range. Their current version uses 2.5 lb polyfoam which is a much more durable material although you would still be sleeping on 2 3/4" of soft polyfoam which is a lower quality and cost material rather than sleeping directly on the latex.

So, the reason I narrowed my choices down to the 3 mattresses above are all 3 had near perfect alignment for me. I think the Pressure relief was good on all of them, but I’d probably go back and lay on my side for 15 minutes again. Unfortunately, it usually takes a few hours for my arms to fall asleep, and my shoulders feel terrible in the morning on most mattresses. As for personal preference - I definitely don’t like memory foam. Dislike that sinking feeling. Prefer to sleep on top of the mattress. I thought I liked coils because of the bounce back, but am discovering that latex may indeed be a good match for me. It has the uniform softness and bounceback. I think my ideal mattress would be the Talalay latex core with ~3" of natural fiber comfort layer. I really did love the Royal Pedic 7-zone Latex Quilt-Top. If the price were more reasonable, it would be a winner. The high price tag and lack of ability to return is a scary combination.

If you are confident that all three of these mattresses are a good match for you in terms of PPP then none of them would have any weak links in their design in terms of the quality or durability of the materials so it would be a matter of making good “value” comparisons between them based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. While they are all in a more premium price range than most people would generally consider or would even “need” to consider … the “value” of a mattress purchase really depends on how it compares to the other finalists you are considering based on suitability, durability, and preferences and for some people that are less price sensitive a mattress in these budget ranges may be “worth it” not so much because the quality or durability of the materials is better but because they have a very specific and compelling reason to choose a mattress in a higher budget range that has “real life” benefits that they can clearly identify (that aren’t just based on a marketing story or a belief that higher priced mattresses are somehow “better” based on price alone) and none of the other mattresses they’ve tried and tested would be a “good enough” choice or have the same benefits.

I would always keep in mind that the two basic “needs” in any sleeping system are that it keeps your spine and joints in good alignment and relieves pressure in all your sleeping positions and that everything after this are your preferences. There is more about the properties of an “ideal” sleeping system in post #4 here.

I would love to compare it to other mattresses that use the same materials and are just as durable, but sell for less, but I don’t know what brands/ mattresses that would be. Any suggestions?

I don’t keep a record of the specific details of the mattresses that each retailer/manufacturer carries on their floor (keeping up with the specifics of all the mattresses on the showroom floors of all the retailers or manufacturers that are listed throughout the hundreds of forum lists would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking the websites or making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local list will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria. The brand name isn’t important as the type and quality of the materials in the mattress because all manufacturer have access to the same type of materials and outside of PPP a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality and durability of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label.

If you are open to an online purchase then the tutorial post includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and many of them sell latex mattresses that use different types or blends of latex with a wide range of designs, features, options, return or exchange policies, and prices. I would keep in mind though that while they may use the same type of materials as the Royal-Pedic or the Pranasleep mattresses and may have much lower prices … the designs will be different which means that even though they may be much better “value” in terms of the material costs of the mattress (the same materials at much lower prices) they won’t be the same in terms of their design so they may be either a better or a worse “match” for you in terms of PPP and how well you sleep on a mattress is always the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase even if the materials themselves in a much lower priced mattress are either very similar or the same.

Phoenix