Purchased From Dormio (Toronto)

lifebeginsatthirtyri · August 19, 2014, 12:18am

Hi there,

I am a new member and am thankful for all the great info on this site!

Here is my backstory - my husband and I purchased a Four Seasons mattress 5 years ago (they are made by Stearns and Foster). King sized. We had access to a friends and family price and it seemed like it was too good to pass up (750 for the set). Of course, after about 3 years it started sagging and causing back problems and they have only gotten worse since then.

My husband finally gave up and said it was time to get a new mattress. We knew we wanted latex thanks to what I’d read on this site a long time ago.

I’m 5’6", 140 lbs, curvy and a stomach sleeper. DH is 5’10", 190 lbs and a side/back sleeper.

Neither of us had a ton of time to commit to the process so here is what we did:

We visited both Dormio and Ideal Mattress as the idea of selecting our own layers really appealed to us. we also wanted 100% latex (no foam).

Ideal Mattress Ltd: The store was a little…dark? for my liking. They only really had 2 latex beds on display and I kind of felt icky lying on them. The only full latex bed they had was 6 or 7" of firm (I can’t remember the exact height), 3" of firm or soft, and 1" of soft/extra soft. I’m a stomach sleeper so Firm/Firm/Soft was the option we would go with. They wouldn’t do split layers (different on each side) and from what I understand, they glue their layers together which wasn’t as flexible as I’d like. I’m sure I could have gone back after visiting Dormio to see if we could have found a more comparable option at a cheaper price, but a) I’m a sucker for the experience and b) I believe in compensating the guy who does the work (i.e. John at Dormio spent almost an hour with us answering questions and discussion options. With the prices being similar, I would rather pay a few hundred more to the guy who did the work and invested all the time. THat’s just me though).

Dormio - there is a reason these mattresses are priced higher- the store is so nice!! Very clean, comfortable environment to shop for a mattress. Babbling waterfall. Spa-like music. Lots of beds to try out. We ended up dealing with John (the owner) who was fantastic. There were other people ahead of us and he was very polite but made it clear he was going to help them first, and then us. We didn’t mind waiting because it was really helpful to have his full attention.

Every mattress in the store is set up so it is soft on one side and firm on the other, so it is easy to try all the different combinations. We ended up really liking (and ultimately purchasing) (Dormio Pacific):

G.O.L.S. Certified Organic latex - 3x3" and 1x2" layer in Firm, Medium, Soft and Extra Soft. Husband and I were each able to customize our side, and since the layers are loose, we can adjust them later. Dormio also does a one time free comfort adjustment (even swapping out a softness if necessary if I recall). All in an organic cotton and organic wool cover. My husband and I liked the flexibility of having all the different layers. My side will be extra soft, medium, soft, firm (I think) and hubs will have extra soft, soft, medium then firm. Of course, if we don’t like it we can just swap it around

Pricing was higher than Ideal, but we were able to get to a price we were comfortable with (I’m sure he still made a bunch on us) and will be getting it in 3-5 weeks (hopefully sooner). I mentioned to John about Mattress Underground and he was the one who brought up the 5% off. He also said that he was really grilled prior to be added to the site

John was not pushy at all, answered all of our questions and even repeated answers when we asked what combination of layers each bed had over and over.

I know we probably could have gotten a cheaper bed somewhere but I’m really happy with the convenience of purchasing locally and the service we have received already. I also loved being able to try out 20+ latex beds all in once place.

I also noticed today that we didn’t get the 5% discount and when I called John, he honoured it right away. Classy guy.

So I just wanted to add to the forum with what we purchased. I will be sure to update this when I have the bed in house and have tested it out for a while.

Thanks again to all who contribute here (especially Phoenix!). Great site.

phoenix · August 19, 2014, 1:31am

Hi lifebeginsatthirtyright,

Thanks for sharing such detailed comments and feedback about John and Dormio … I appreciate it. I completely agree with you about their knowledge and the care they take with their customers and of course about the quality of their mattresses.

Your experience is a great example of how to assess the “value” of a mattress purchase based on the criteria that are most important to you.

John is also a true “professional” at what he does and they are a good example of why who you buy from can be one of the most important parts of a successful mattress purchase.

Most importantly … congratulations on your new mattress

I hope you have the chance to share your feedback when you receive it.

Phoenix

PS: It was good to talk with someone that was knowledgeable about mattresses (I think we both enjoy our conversations) … but for what it’s worth … he certainly “passed” with flying colors

lifebeginsatthirtyri · August 20, 2014, 1:08pm

Thanks Phoenix

If you read this - I’m wondering if you have any ideas on where I can buy a new foundation for the bed locally (Toronto). I currently have a low profile stearns and foster box spring that i’m pretty sure will have too much flex for the mattress. Dormio was asking $850 for their foundations and that is out of my price range, unfortunately.

My set up is a metal bedframe (like the standard brown or black one) that has a cross bar between the two sides that has a few ‘feet’ under it. The bedframe is attached to the headboard/footboard and siderails, so I can’t ditch it.

I’ve read your post on the different foundations but am wondering if you have any specifics re: where to get one in Toronto that isn’t silly expensive. Or if there is a way to alter the one I have to make it more solid?

Thank you!

phoenix · August 20, 2014, 7:07pm

Hi lifebeginsatthirtyright,

I don’t know any specific sources for foundations in Toronto (it’s not something that I’ve researched) but I would check with some of the stores on the Toronto list that sell latex mattresses. Other than that or the sources in the foundation post some of the online suppliers in post #21 here may also carry and be able to ship you a suitable foundation.

If you have a box spring that flexes then I would replace it.

Phoenix

lifebeginsatthirtyri · September 18, 2014, 3:55pm

I just wanted to follow up on this post.

We received our bed this weekend and couldn’t be happier. Delivery was very professional and quick. They showed up at about 8:15 a.m (we were promised a 8-10 a.m. window) and the two guys who set up were really nice and did a great job.

Here are my thoughts after having the bed for a few days:

SO comfy. I know it will take some getting used to, but so far I’m really enjoying sleeping on it. The temperature is great and I feel supported in various positions.The first night was just ok, but it has improved every night since then.
The smell - I know ppl talk about the smell, but yeah…there is a pretty strong scent. It isn’t super unpleasant…but quite strong in my opinion. It is the smell of animal/farm from the wool cover mostly. We’ve had the windows open since this weekend so hopefully it goes away soon.

We did end up getting the foundation from Dormio. It was a bit pricier than some other places, but…well…I’m lazy and couldn’t be bothered running around town. Oops

So there it is - we are really happy with it so far. If anything changes I will let you know. Thanks again to Phoenix and all of the contributors to this site. Such a helpful and pleasant place to visit!!

All in all we were very very pleased with our experience with Dormio. John was a pleasure to deal with and Steve (the guy who arranges for delivery) dealt with my incessant phone calls and questions Highly recommended!!

phoenix · September 18, 2014, 5:06pm

Hi lifebeginsatthirtyright,

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback … I appreciate it

Comments about the initial smell of natural wool aren’t uncommon (see post #23 here) but it will dissipate to levels that aren’t noticeable as it airs out.

Phoenix

sidesleeper · September 19, 2014, 1:58am

Congrats! I noticed the same smell the first day, but haven’t noticed it really since. We have a fan in the bedroom that runs at night which probably helped a bit.