Let me apologize in advance if a discussion re this exists in this forum. I searched but could not find one.
Here are my questions:
What is the difference between the Pure Latex Bliss “Pleasure” and Nutrition" models? Both appear to be 11" Talalay. And what are the ILD numbers for each (I saw the Nutrition stats)?
I noticed on different websites the PLB beds are sometimes shown on a white foundation and some on a sort of camel colored suede foundation. Which one actually comes with the bed?
If a PLB is purchased online, does it come rolled up in a box and how does the foundation arrive? The only local store that carries the PLB is Mattress Xpress. If ordered through them does it come delivered the same way?
PLB doesn’t appear to post any ILB stats on their website…not sure why.
How do either one of the above compare with Plushbeds in general? Plushbeds seems to be very customer oriented…just not sure of the quality of thier beds vs PLB.
The Pleasure appears to be just a re-branded version of the Nutrition. Some outlets will insist on different model names to give customer’s the impression that their mattresses are “unique” and to make comparisons more difficult. While this is much less common with PLB, there is nothing to prevent a particular retailer with enough volume to justify it from offering the same mattresses with a different name. Of course they can confirm this by giving you a layer by layer spec sheet but many retailers only have more “general” layering specs and not the specific ILD’s. In some cases “house models” may have slightly different specs but I doubt this is the case here. Even without ILD’s though … all the PLB models use high quality latex and the ILD is more of a reference point for testing and your own testing would be more accurate in terms of finding the best pressure relief and the best alignment than ILD numbers. I would compare the prices of the Pleasure to the Nutrition in terms of value though.
The camel is the one that comes with the mattress to the best of my knowledge. The “white” ones that I have seen are a bed skirt. Of course once again there would be nothing to stop a particular retailer from using a different foundation and I have seen some that non PLB foundations in an effort to reduce costs or increase profits. I called Mattress Xpress and after a few more “direct” questions I confirmed that their foundation is not supplied by PLB but made by a different manufacturer to achieve a different “look” but they said it does conform to the PLB warranty requirements.
It would be shipped without being compressed or rolled up. Local deliveries would be the same (not compressed or rolled up).
The most likely reason is to prevent others from “duplicating” their mattresses through lower cost options. ILD is not an indicator of quality though and they do have the stats about what materials are in their mattresses (all talalay latex is high quality). There are several retail outlets online though that have published the layer ILD’s.
Plushbeds uses Dunlop latex in the core and talalay on top which are both also high quality materials. Their layering is different different from any of the PLB’s though so the pressure relief and support qualities of their mattresses would be different from the PLB lineup and they would have a different feel although some “rough” comparisons would be possible. I have also heard feedback that their customer service is good.
While Plushbeds is better value than many other online outlets … if I was ordering online I would consider other options where the value, or range of choices may be better. A list of these and a brief description are in post #21 here. A forum search on plushbeds will also bring up more about them including some direct comparisons with other similar mattresses.
Prior to writing you, I had seen conflicting stats on the “Nutrition” so inquired to PLB. Here is their response:
The ILD’s of the Nutrition are as follows,
24 ILD
19 ILD
36 ILD
40 ILD plus
We do not give out the inches that we use for each ILD.
Our foundation is made out of Spruce. The retailer is able to use their own foundations if they like. You can use multiple foundations with the Pure LatexBLISS mattress. Our website states the kind that you can use. http://www.latexbliss.com/blissipedia-1/foundations-box-springs The Suede is a new fabric choice for us.
The mattress over al height is 11" a standard foundation of 9" would make it 20"
The stats you were given don’t match the ILDs that have been posted in various places around the internet (such as here) and the order of the ILD’s are different in addition to the layer thicknesses being missing. From the perspective of PLB … this would make sense because of course their goal is to sell their mattresses rather than encourage their use as a layering pattern to be duplicated.
Since ILD and layering is not a part of quality but is more about the suitability of a mattress for a particular person … there is really no “obligation” on the part of any manufacturer to release it because no matter what the ILD’s may be, the “test” of a mattress’ suitability in terms of pressure relief and alignment is actually lying on it. I think that in the early stages of their release, some manufacturers chose to give out this information and this may have been against the wishes of PLB. There’s also a chance of course that they were wrong. I have tended to believe these more precise descriptions because they seemed to “fit” people’s experiences on the mattress. Of course … it would not be difficult to take the cover off to see the thickness of the layers so I’m not sure why they would hide something that could be easily discovered and it would also be possible to test for the relative firmness of each layer. What is for certain is that the 40+ ILD is the bottom layer which I was told was 50 ILD by PLB and that the 36 ILD layer would be the 6" support layer. It would also be fair to say that the thicker the mattress … the thicker and softer the comfort layers would be (even though the exact layering wouldn’t be known). This could also be confirmed by the relative firmness ratings on the PLB site. Regardless of the actual ILD’s though … each model would give some indication of the relative softness and thickness you preferred.
Part of the problem as well is that even if the layer ILD’s and thickness were certain, it still wouldn’t be possible to duplicate the mattress if you were using an online alternative that didn’t have the same layer thicknesses and ILD’s in their choices. It would involve a translation" int different layering patterns based on intuition and the knowledge of the manufacturer of the choices that were preferred by customers that liked the same general type of mattresses as you did. Different layer thicknesses can make a big difference even if the layer ILD’s are known.
So overall … using the PLB as a model will tell you the relative" degree of softness you prefer and this could be part of the information you use in making your choices from an online manufacturer … even though it would be a rough guideline only. Even a rough guideline can help to choose layers that have better odds of being what you prefer.
Overall … I tend to think that for many reasons (including that there are other factors in how a mattress feels than just the latex ILD and layering) that the “models” that are used for testing are best used as “approximations” or pointers" to an initial layering for an online purchase and that the ability to re-arrange layers or exchange layers can use your own personal experiences to do any fine tuning that is necessary. The good news here as well is that the better online manufacturers are good at helping you choose layering patterns based on their knowledge and experience but the more you know about your own preferences from actual testing the more accurate you can help them be.
I also confirmed from several sources that the white foundation material was an option and also as I mentioned before that a different foundation is also fine as long as it meets the warranty requirements. Some retailers may use a foundation that they believe is “better” and some may use a foundation that costs them less. It would depend on the retailer.
I had the idea that Mattress Xpress was local to you? If you are in a different area than they are … there may be other options for you to test latex layers and if you let me know your city I’d be happy to take a look to see if I know of any.