Hi palermo22,
Just as a matter of interest … you can see the specs of the PLB line (assuming that it is the new active fusion line with the blue cover) in post #2 here. As you can see the Nutritioin is a little different from the rest because it uses what is called a dominant layer of firmer latex over softer latex while the rest use soft latex on top with increasingly firm layers as you go deeper. this means that even though it’s thicker than the Nature … it’s actually a little firmer on the surface and the “softness” is more underneath. This creates a different “feel”.
There are only 3 ways to “match” another mattress which you can read about in post #2 here.
The first of these involves side by side testing in “real time” which of course wouldn’t be possible here. It’s quite possible that two mattresses with completely different layering could feel and perform the same for some people because of the “net effect” of all the layers combined … even if they were different … but you could only know this with personal side by side testing.
The second would be two mattresses that used identical layers and components. This would include foam type, layer thickness, layer softness (ILD) and the cover. This also wouldn’t normally be possible (unless you purchases all the layers and a similar cover separately) because while many mattress manufacturers use the same type of latex … the exact same layer thicknesses and ILD (softness) of the PLB mattresses may not be available with online manufacturers in the exact same combinations with the same type of cover.
This leaves the third option which means that you would need to use a combination of materials that were available that in theory would “approximate” the net effect of the layering of the PLB mattress you were trying to match. Because the feel of a mattress can be quite subjective, and different people may be more or less sensitive to smaller changes, some people would say a different combination was an exact “match” while others may say it was quite different. Because subjective memory is not particularly accurate … and a mattress that you test one day can feel very different from the same mattress that you test the next day (or even later in the same day as many people who test mattresses have discovered) … it’s usually better to think in the more objective terms of how well a mattress relieves pressure and keeps you in alignment rather than trying to “match” one mattress to another in more subjective terms.
If for example you were to buy a mattress online that used four 3" layers and one of these was was 24 ILD (soft) and one was 32 ILD (medium firm) and two were 36 ILD (firm) then if you used a stretch knit cover and put them in the order M/S/F/F you would have a mattress that many people would think was very similar to the Nutrition even though the ILD’s were different and the layer thicknesses of one of the layers was different as well. Thicker layers will act softer than thinner layers so the extra thickness of the second layer could make up for the greater firmness. Some people would be more sensitive to the differences however based on their body type, sleeping positions, or sensitivities and which layers were most noticeable to them even though both may be fine in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences). Many online choices also allow you to re-arrange the layers and to even exchange layers so you can do some fine tuning that you can’t with the PLB and your final choice may end up being a better match than the PLB even though none of the combinations of layers would be exactly the same. You could even use less latex (three layers) that in certain combinations would feel very similar to one of the PLB mattresses. Even a two layer mattress could have a very similar feel depending on the layers and how they interacted together.
The goal is always to have the combination of PPP that is the best match for you and there are often different pathways to a similar outcome. Being “exact” is not normally necessary for the majority of people who will do well on a range of layering combinations that have similar PPP. In the end though … it would depend on your level of confidence that any mattress you buy will be suitable for your needs and preferences in the long term and this confidence can be based on your personal testing, more detailed conversations with other manufacturers or retailers you are considering (which I would encourage no matter which direction you choose to go), or exchange options you have available after your purchase.
From a quality point of view no. It uses high quality materials and there are no weak links in the mattress so from this perspective there is no reason not to. Whether or not you should buy any mattress though and its “value” to you depends on what I call your “personal value equation” and all the tradeoffs that are involved in any mattress purchase that are most important to you (including the mattress, what goes with it, your confidence that it is right for you, any options you have after the purchase, any “risk” involved, the price, and any other objective, subjective, and intangible considerations that are all part of what you are buying). Post #12 here from yesterday has more of my thoughts about online vs a local purchase and the pros and cons of each.
In terms of exact construction, not that I know of off the top of my head no (unless you were to purchase all the layers and components separately and put them together yourself which is certainly possible and would be very close). Similar to my previous comments though there are many that could be suitable in terms of PPP that have differences in layering but this may be outside of your “risk tolerance” and local purchases are “safer”, especially if you have tested the mattress specifically and objectively for PPP (and not just it’s “showroom feel” which is not a particularly accurate way to assess your needs and preferences). Everything depends on the tradeoffs that are most important to you and each of us may have a different definition of “value”. There is no right or wrong in any of this once you have eliminated your worst options and are focusing on better ones (and the PLB would be among the better ones compared to most mainstream choices).
Phoenix