New to latex...looking at matresses.net

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

So wife and I are finally upgrading to a king. I have had nothing but bad luck with mattresses in the past and just recently discovered latex. Well, discovered online, I haven’t actually physically touched one yet, Anyway, based on research here and elsewhere, we are looking at Arizona Premium Mattress Co. aka mattresses.com, the Adjustable Ultra Plush Latex mattress.

I am 6’3, 210 lbs, side sleeper with history of low back problems. I’m thinking a firm would be good. Anyone have any input?

Also, it seems mattresses.com is a reputable shop, any contrary opinions?

Any other brands/models I should be considering at that price point ($1395 - thats about my max budget)?

2

Hi berserkr,

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the tutorial post here has the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices.

Arizona Premium is one of the members of the site which means I think very highly of their knowledge and experience and they compete well with the best in the industry and have some great value choices available. The tutorial post also includes a link to the other members here who also sell mattresses (including latex) online.

When you can’t test a mattress in person (or a very similar design that you can use as a reference point) then it’s important to make sure you have a more detailed conversation with the retailer or manufacturer about the options they have available that may work best for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences. They know more about their mattresses than anyone and are in the best position to help you choose the design that has the highest odds of success in terms of PPP based on averages of their customers that are similar to you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Phoenix

3

They are hard to reach by phone and didn’t answer about half my emails after purchase.

Their system for beds is to put a 2" 22 ILD layer over a 6" core. The core is what is “adjustable”, at either soft, medium, or firm.

As far as I can tell, they don’t have top layers of different firmness.

It’s not really feasible to exchange the core, (Imagine trying to ship back a giant floppy 6" slab) so you may as well consider yourself stuck with it.

You might end up like I did, where the top layer is too soft, and bits of the core are too hard, so that you can feel an abrupt transition. Or maybe the top layer is the wrong firmness for you anyway. Then you are screwed.

I should also mention that they have a 2+ week lead time.

The other mattress companies aren’t as good of a value, though.

For example, Brooklyn Bedding has the aloe alexis or bamboo bliss, but you’d also be paying for a little latex and a lot of cheaper poly foam. (I mean, maybe you won’t notice the difference anyway.) Their cover also has foam quilted into it, which you may or may not like. At least they have a good comfort exchange policy.

What I did was order from Arizona mattress company, and purposely ask for the cover to have an extra two inches of room, in case the top layer wasn’t right, and so I was prepared to either replace the layer (at my own cost) or stuff in more layers.

One more thing. Trying to determine what mattress firmness is best over the phone, even with a knowledgeable and overly friendly salesperson is going to be a crap shoot. You should try out some beds in person to see if you even like the feel. Then report back here any maybe Phoenix can give you some firmness suggestions.

4

Hi beanbag,

They have a 2" layer of 22 ILD and two options for a 3" layer at 19 or 28 ILD.

As you mentioned latex is awkward and “floppy” to handle but in spite of that their cores come in two halves so they can be shipped back and exchanged relatively easily so you certainly aren’t “stuck” with it. They ship you the replacement and then you ship the original back in the same box.

They also have a 60 day return policy on their mattresses just in case you are one of the few where none of the combinations is ideal for you.

Phoenix

5

So I was able to try out a couple today. First went to Mulligan Mattress, a local Portland place that only does latex - not sure who makes them. Liked the mattresses, but the place seemed a little fly by night.

Then I went to Parklane. Really liked their mattresses, seemed very high quality. I liked the Macadam, their firmest, a little concerned that it may be too firm over the long run. $1895 with foundation out the door…about the same as mattresses.com when all is said and done. Leaning that way right now. Do they still have the 5% discount for forum members?

6

Hi berserkr,

I jut realized that you were referring to Arizona Premium as mattresses.com but it’s actually mattresses.net. I changed the title of the thread to reflect the change.

They are a small manufacturer that makes their own mattresses. I don’t think I would call them “fly by night” in any way. They make a good quality mattress and have been in business for over 35 years.

Parklane certainly has a very wide variety of mattresses and as you mentioned they are very good quality/value. The Macadam is a firm talalay latex mattress so I would make sure it does a good job relieving your pressure points (especially for your side sleeping position) but other than making sure it’s a good match in terms of PPP it could certainly make a good choice.

They do have a comfort exchange but the mattresses themselves can’t be fine tuned by changing any internal layers although you can always add a topper for fine tuning if a mattress is too firm.

They have a bonus bedding package that they give to the forum members (the bonus/discount for each member is listed in the membership list here).

Phoenix