Completely new to mattresses. Looking to buy an all latex version. Just ordered the 6 inch all natural latex mattress from Natural Furnishings in queen. They threw in a free organic cotton cover and with a discount, the whole thing came to $999. The woman I spoke to told me that if it’s too firm, I could also get a latex topper.
Two hours later, I came across this terrific website and now am not so sure about my choice. I thought I was ordering an organic mattress, I guess that’s really not the case.
Or maybe I did make the right choice, and just panicking here…
Here’s what I need:
queen size
I don’t care about customizable layers, etc, etc
medium firm to medium
no back problems, no specialized needs
8 months pregnant, hence the next line:
organic if possible, but cost is a major factor for me - something less than $1600. if I could get something decent for $1200 to $1400, that would be ideal
Hopefully you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choices. The tutorial also includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and many of these make latex mattresses that use different types of latex (including organic Dunlop) and have a range of different designs and options that would also be worth considering or that you can use as reference points for value.
I’m guessing that you mean Habitat Furnishings … is that correct ?
There is more information in post #13 here about the most important parts of the value of a mattress purchase that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
The most important part of value is that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) so I would make sure you are confident that a 6" Dunlop latex mattress is a suitable match for you because it would probably be firmer than most people may be comfortable with and if you don’t sleep well on a mattress then no matter what the quality of the materials or what you paid it would have little value to you.
There are no standard definitions of what either “medium” or “medium firm” means between different manufacturers and different people can also have very different opinions about the firmness of any specific mattress. A mattress that is too firm for one person can be too soft for someone else depending on their body type, sleeping positions, and personal preferences and sensitivities. The only way to know for certain whether a mattress feels like a “medium” or a “medium firm” based on your definition of both would be your own personal testing or experience. Latex mattresses … especially Dunlop latex … can also feel firmer than other types of foam materials that you may be more used to so it would also be worthwhile to see if you can test some Dunlop latex mattresses in person if they are available in your area.
A topper can be an effective way to add some additional softness and pressure relief to a mattress that is too firm (see post #2 here) but I would also be aware that choosing a topper that is a good match for you in combination with a specific mattress (different mattresses under a topper can change how a topper feels) can sometimes be as difficult or uncertain as choosing a mattress in the first place and buying a mattress and then adding a topper can also be more costly than ordering a mattress that already has the softer layer inside the cover as part of the mattress itself. I would normally focus on making a choice that has the best odds of being suitable for you in the first place (see post #2 here). In this case though … they also have a good return policy that allows you to return the mattress for a refund with a nominal shipping fee ($75) so this would also be an option that would allow you to return the mattress if it was too firm and then choose a different mattress instead of keeping the mattress and buying a separate topper.
Other than PPP the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is the quality of the materials and in this case your mattress uses 100% natural Dunlop (not organic) with a viscose “semi synthetic” (viscose) Aloe Vera cover quilted with wool which are both good quality materials. While wool can be used by itself as a fire retardant barrier in a mattress … they don’t mention whether wool is the only fire retardant used in the mattress or the number of oz/sq yd of wool so if this is important to you I would make sure you ask them because in some cases you will find that there is a smaller amount of wool in a mattress and the wool is used in addition to another type of fire barrier in the mattress (typically an inherent viscose/silica fire barrier). The reason this may be important is that they have recently started offering a wool quilted cover but the prices stayed the same (and in your case there is an additional $100 discount) so I would want to make sure that the wool in the cover is being used in a reasonable amount and is the only fire retardant material so that if you are making more “apples to apples” comparisons to other mattresses that only use wool quilted covers as their fire barrier.
The last part of deciding on the “value” of a mattress purchase would be to compare it to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are important to you because the value of a mattress is always relative to the other mattresses you are considering or that are available to you.
There is more in post #2 here about organic, natural, safe, and green materials (which all have different meanings) which can also help you decide on the types of materials you are comfortable having in your mattress.
So to recap everything … if you are confident that this mattress is a suitable choice for your body type, sleeping positions, and preferences in terms of PPP (without a topper) … and since it uses good quality and durable materials … then if it also compares well to your other finalists (including the wool quilting) and some of the additional features and options that may be more important to others or that are available aren’t important to you (such as exchangeable layers) then it seems to me that for you it could make a good value choice.
Phoenix, thank you so very much for such a detailed reply. I read through all the suggested materials and today went to the only natural latex showroom in my area – this place Organic Bedding and Mattress Store
There I tried out the two mattresses the saleswoman recommended, both OrganicPedic by OMI - DUO and Lago Nouveau
Even the DUO felt a bit too firm. So at this point I know for sure that that 6 inch Habitat Furnishings is a mistake - too firm.
So, now I have follow up questions:
The feedback on this site is that Habitat Furnishings makes good mattresses, but they are not a good value - too expensive, similar models can be had from other manufacturers for less.
I know you are always very careful not to recommend one brand over the other, but what would you suggest? I cant afford anything beyond $2K in queen, it doesn’t have to be organic, but 100% latex - yes.
[quote]
Phoenix, thank you so very much for such a detailed reply. I read through all the suggested materials and today went to the only natural latex showroom in my area – this place www.thecleanbedroom.com/Showrooms.htm[/quote]
There are also a couple of other options in your area that may also be worth considering that are listed in post #2 here.
[quote]There I tried out the two mattresses the saleswoman recommended, both OrganicPedic by OMI - DUO and Lago Nouveau
Even the DUO felt a bit too firm. So at this point I know for sure that that 6 inch Habitat Furnishings is a mistake - too firm.[/quote]
I’m guessing that you would likely be right.
For me … price is only one part of the “value” of a mattress purchase and in many cases it’s not the most important part. In your case for example if you had purchased the Habitat and it wasn’t a good match for you in terms of PPP then you would have either needed a topper (at an additional cost and still without any certainty that the topper would be “right” for you) or you would have needed to return it at a cost of $75 (which of course is reasonable but it still would have added $75 to the cost of an eventual mattress purchase). The post I linked earlier is the “formula” I would use for the “value” of a mattress and value is always relative to the other mattresses you are considering or that are available to you based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
If one of the Habitat mattresses is one of your finalists and it’s the best match for all your criteria (including price and the options you have after a purchase to fine tune, exchange, or return a mattress and all the other criteria that are important to you as well) then for you it may be the best “value”.
Habitat is more of an “all or nothing” choice because it will either work for you or you would need to return it (or add a topper if it’s too firm) because it doesn’t have any options to customize the pressure relief or support of a mattress after a purchase by rearranging or exchanging layers which may be an important part of the “value” of an online mattress purchase for some people but based on the “raw material cost” it would be in a relatively good value range compared to many other similar mattresses with 6" of latex.
As you mentioned I don’t recommend or “suggest” specific mattresses or “what to choose” because there are too many unknowns, variables, and preferences involved in any mattress choice that are unique to each person … but I can certainly help with “how to choose”. In your case it would be a matter of choosing your local “finalists” and then comparing them to any of the online manufacturers or retailers that you are also considering based on the “value comparisons” I linked earlier. The tutorial post has a link to a list of the online manufacturers and retailers that are members of the site and many of these make a wide range of latex mattresses that use different types of latex, have different options and features, and different price ranges that would also be well worth considering. When you can’t test a mattress in person then a more detailed conversation on the phone with a knowledgeable and experienced online manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and can help “talk you through” the options they have available that would have the best chance of matching the criteria that are important to you is one of the most important parts of a successful online purchase (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Once you are down to finalists that are inside your budget range and are all a good “match” for all your criteria then you will be in a much better position to make a final choice between them and decide which one is the “best value” for you.