Hi scoaste,
The good news is that you’re choosing between two products that use good quality and durable materials.
The Plushbeds 12" Botanical Bliss model uses 2 layers (2" and 3") of 100% Natural Talalay from Talalay Global, and a 6" core of 100% Natural GOLS Dunlop from Arpico. They list ILD numbers in the choice of the mattress, which I am assuming reflect the softness of the Talalay layers, but these do not coincide with the N1-N5 designations that Talalay Global provides for their Natural Talalay line. In the configuration you stated, it appears that you’d have a top layer of 19-21 ILD Talalay, and a middle layer of 24-26 ILD Talalay, according to the Plushbeds site. Talalay Global lists their “soft” Natural Talalay as N2, with a 20-24 ILD, and their “medium” Natural Talalay as N3, with a 25-29 ILD, as the closest approximations. I don’t know the ILD of the Dunlop core, as I don’t see a listing for that or specific densities for the Dunlop core on their web site. But it is rated as “firm”. The cover does has a zipper on it and you can replace the top layer if you desire or rearrange the top two Talalay layers.
The Foam Sweet Foam Urban Green 13" model has four layers of latex, and their latex is 100% Natural Talalay from Talalay Global, or 100% Natural Dunlop from Lien A. In your configuration, the “soft” Natural Talalay is listed as 18 ILD +/-2, which would put it at the N1 (15-20 ILD) level, and then the “medium” Natural Talalay is listed at 27 ILD +/-2, which puts it at the N3 (25-29 ILD) level. The “medium” Natural Dunlop is rated at a 4.7 lb, or approximately 26 ILD, and the “extra firm” Natural Dunlop is rated at a density of 5.9 lb, or approximately 38 ILD. The FSF Urban Green 13" is two-sided with a zippered encasement, as you mentioned, and all of the layers can be rearranged.
As you may already be aware, Foam Sweet Foam is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration, and I would advise you to have a detailed phone conversation with either of these companies before making a purchase in order to confirm your choice of comfort layers.
[quote]I am curious if other people have also researched these beds and particularly if others have actually tried them. I do realize that everybody has different needs and preferences, but nonetheless I am seeking others’ experiences and/or advice[/quote].
While you are seeking the advice of others, their comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful, but I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
Phoenix