Opinion on the design and construction of Sloom (South African bed-in-a-box)

Hello, I would love to get an expert’s opinion on this brand: https://sloom.co.za/product/original-mattress/

They’re a mattress-in-a-box supplier in South Africa. They seem faiirly transparent about the materials they use in the construction, and allow you to change the desired firmness by flipping the inner layers around. They are also manufactured here and the foams are made here.

This is what goes into the mattress:

5 Layer foam construction
40mm (±1.5in) Visco-elastic memory foam [density: 55kg/m3 - 3.4lb/ft3]
20mm (±0.8in) Pure high density transitional foam
40mm (±1.5in) Cool latex foam
120mm (±4.7in) Pure high density core [density: 35kg/m3 - 2.2lb/ft3]
30mm (±1.2in) Pure high density comfort foam
500 Thread removable zip cover

I also found a blog article on their site where they talk about the densities, which I’ve correlated with the construction above where I could: https://sloom.co.za/foam-mattress-densities-explained/

In the blog they mention they use a HR (high-resilience) foam with a density of 55kg/m3 - 3.4lb/ft3, designed to incorporate properties of latex. I’m not sure which layer that correlates with above. It might be the ‘cool latex’ foam, which I don’t think is natural latex.

Would love to know what you think about this from a technical view, and whether it is worth looking into or not? They’re a bit more expensive than some other local brands that make traditional mattresses, but I can’t find the actual specs of the foams used in the other brands.

Hi derp, and welcome to The Mattress Underground 
Glad to have you here with us!

[quote] Hello, I would love to get an expert’s opinion on this brand: sloom.co.za/product/original-mattress/

They’re a mattress-in-a-box supplier in South Africa. They seem faiirly transparent about the materials they use in the construction, and allow you to change the desired firmness by flipping the inner layers around. They are also manufactured here and the foams are made here.

This is what goes into the mattress:

5 Layer foam construction
40mm (±1.5in) Visco-elastic memory foam [density: 55kg/m3 - 3.4lb/ft3]
20mm (±0.8in) Pure high density transitional foam
40mm (±1.5in) Cool latex foam
120mm (±4.7in) Pure high density core [density: 35kg/m3 - 2.2lb/ft3]
30mm (±1.2in) Pure high density comfort foam
500 Thread removable zip cover

I also found a blog article on their site where they talk about the densities, which I’ve correlated with the construction above where I could: sloom.co.za/foam-mattress-densities-explained/

In the blog they mention they use a HR (high-resilience) foam with a density of 55kg/m3 - 3.4lb/ft3, designed to incorporate properties of latex. I’m not sure which layer that correlates with above. It might be the ‘cool latex’ foam, which I don’t think is natural latex.

Would love to know what you think about this from a technical view, and whether it is worth looking into or not? They’re a bit more expensive than some other local brands that make traditional mattresses, but I can’t find the actual specs of the foams used in the other brands.[/quote]
I took a look at the Sloom website, and they are indeed relatively transparent for a ‘bed in a box’ retailer. Remember, any bed is unique to the sleepers using it, based on their stats(height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions, and their PPP(posture and alignment, pressure relief and personal preferences. You may want to take a look at the theMattress Specifications You Need To Know and the the Mattress Durability Guidelines to see how to examine specific components, and how different materials hold up over time.

The Sloom mattress has a good bit going for it: its inexpensive, they have a 100 night trial, and a decent warranty. The specifications for the foam are good, though if you have a higher BMI, for example, or sleep ;hot’ you may need to modify the setup for better comfort. They do not disclose what type of latex is used, or the ILD of the latex or density of several foam layers.
I always warn consumers when specifications are missing as sometimes this can hide inexpensive lower density ‘filler’ foam, Though that’s likely not the case here. Its good that the 5 layers are able to be rearranged like a ‘DIY’ bed, which is great to ‘dial in’ the perfect comfort level as well as allow you to flip any of the layers to promote more even wear of the foams. They say they deliver in less than a week, and as you say, its’ domestically made which are also big plusses.

I would say if you are comfortable on it, it’s a good deal from a technical standpoint, and you have a 100 night trial to make sure you feel comfortable, so I would give this a ‘thumbs up’. Let us know your experience once you have had some time with it.

~ Basilio

Hi Basilio, and thanks for the super detailed reply!

One of my main concerns is that I do sleep hot! The 100 night trial definitely makes me more inclined to give it a go.

I’m also looking into some organic latex mattresses I found, although they are almost double the price!

I’ll definitely let you know the outcome.

Hi derp,

Great! I hope it works out for you… I will be interested in hearing your impressions on this, since I’m not familiar with Sloom,
and the design for that price seems great value!

~ Basilio