Please help me find a mattress in Los Angeles

Hi everyone,
I found this forum after searching online.
I’m hoping to not make a huge wast of money as when we purchased an expensive Sterns & Foster mattress years ago which I haven’t slept on in years.
Anyway, I have degenerative disc disease in my lower back. I can’t sit down on a chair too long and work standing up. I can’t sleep on a regular spring mattress because in the mornings I get a really bad stiff back and after a week or two of sleeping on it, I start to get pretty bad back pain.
Anyway, based on advice I found online a few years back, I bought a piece latex (not really a mattress) and I’ve been using that for a mattress for the past few years. The back pain has been managable in the mornings, much better than with a spring mattress.

I need to buy a decent latex based mattress this weekend and I was wondering if you guys would recommend a product that I should especially look for? I’m going to be reading the recommended threads after I post this. I’m located in Los Angeles. If there’s somebody that makes good mattresses I’d be interested in taking a look at what they have.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hi lebaryo,

the first place I would start is post #1 here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible purchase.

Some of the better options in the Los Angeles area are listed in post #2 here which include many that carry a wide range of latex mattresses. There is certainly some good value in your area.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix,

I’ve read that thread and have gone through almost all of the points in the text.
I’m going to stop by at Flexus Comfort since they’re right in my backyard.
The only thing I’ve noticed is that they use Dunlop latext for the support layer. Wouldn’t it be more ideal if they used a firmer Talalay latex there instead of Dunlop?
I’m going to try a mattress or two out today if possible.

Thx again

Looking at the pure latex bliss nature for example, they have both a Talalay comfort layer and support layer that’s 10" although at quite a cost. The King version I need is $42999 yikes.

Hi lebaryo,

The choice between Dunlop and Talalay in either a support layer or a comfort layer is only a matter of preference. They are both great quality and durable materials but they are different from each other (see post #7 here). Ideal is what works better for each person in a specific mattress based on their own criteria and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and personal preferences). Once certainly isn’t “better” than another or “more ideal”.

If you go to a place that offers both (such as Foam Sweet foam or any others that have both options available) then you would have a more accurate sense of which one you tend to prefer in either comfort layers or support layers or both.

Yes … Pure Latex Bliss is owned by one of the two producers of Talalay latex in the western world so it would make sense that they would use Talalay in all their layers. I would also keep in mind that PLB has MAP pricing which means that their minimum advertised price or the price they can give you over the phone may be different from what is actually available at the store … especially if you can show them a similar mattress design that uses the same materials at a lower cost (which is the most effective method of “negotiation” for mattresses or retailers where the selling price can vary and isn’t necessarily the best value they can offer.

Phoenix

Thanks for the reply Phoenix,

I was wondering if you have a recommended set up for the latex mattresses? On your main post, you mention having a main support layer with a comfort layer on top? This would mean 2 layers. I notice many vendors have a 3 layer configuration. I think this gives you a little more flexibility in the setup?

I’m most likely going to be ordering online.

I was looking at mattresses.net which sells a 6" + 2" configuration for $1,395 while sleepez sells a 3 x 3" configuration for $1,895 (the model 9,000). This would be for a king sized bed. There is also the option of going up to the model 10,000 for $1,995.

I’m going to try out a similar 6" + 2" setup today but I don’t think anybody locally has the 3 x 3" setup that I could try. I’m not sure what to do here…

Made some progress today.

I went to to a local dealer of Pure Latex Bliss and I lied down on the nature model.

I found the Nature a bit too firm for my liking. The dealer said that the nature uses Latex International latex that’s 10" with a 6" base core that’s 36 ILD, 2" middle core of 28 ILD, with a 2" top core being 21ILD.

I thought that the “Beautiful” model was much more comfortable and absorbed my body a little bit better. The beautiful used a 6" support core with a 36 ILD, a 3" middle core of 24ILD and a 3" top core of 21 ILD.

I’m thinking that based on my findings here withe the ILD numbers, I can make a pretty close order online from a good vendor if I continue to use Latex International latex.

Hi lebaryo,

There are links to some of the “theory” in mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here but there are too many unknowns and variables to use these to make specific suggestions for any specific person or use them as anything else but concepts that can be useful guidelines. There is also more in post #2 here about more vs less layers.

[quote]I found the Nature a bit too firm for my liking. The dealer said that the nature uses Latex International latex that’s 10" with a 6" base core that’s 36 ILD, 2" middle core of 28 ILD, with a 2" top core being 21ILD.

I thought that the “Beautiful” model was much more comfortable and absorbed my body a little bit better. The beautiful used a 6" support core with a 36 ILD, a 3" middle core of 24ILD and a 3" top core of 21 ILD.[/quote]

The specs you received are accurate (see post #2 here) and all of the PLB mattresses use good quality materials.

You can read a little more about “matching” one design to another in post #9 here but your testing can certainly provide a good guideline that a manufacturer can help you “translate” to some degree into their own designs and the options they have available. The Beautiful uses more soft latex in the top layers than many manufacturers would be comfortable with.

There are several manufacturers in the area that use a 3x3 design including Foam Sweet Foam and Savvy Rest dealers.

You are doing some good research :slight_smile:

Phoenix