Pure Latex Bliss "World's Best Bed" question

[phoenix]

Hi jwern01,

Pressure points are fairly easy to identify if a mattress is too firm in the comfort layers and preventing good circulation (just like when you sleep on a floor it’s quite clear where the pressure points are) and spinal alignment issues are also fairly simple to identify (such as lower back issues that come from a mattress where your lumbar is out of its natural alignment leading to the dreaded lower back pain) but overall aches and pains are usually a muscle or joint issue (depending on where the pain is coming from) and can come from a mattress that is either too firm or too soft. If it is too firm you can twist away from the pressure and sleep in less natural positions which can stress and tense the muscles and joints and if it is too soft you can also stretch muscles and ligaments or they will remain tense over the course of the night as the body fights to stay in its neutral alignment. Both are a sign that the body can’t “let go” and completely relax and recover and let the mattress do the work it’s supposed to do.

The key is always to find the right balance between your pressure relief needs and your alignment needs and both too firm and too soft can cause discomfort and pain.

The salesman said that if we liked the PLB Beautiful with a topper, we would probably like the Pure Latex Bliss “World’s Best Bed”… and they just happened to have one in Cal King on hand that had been ordered accidentally instead of a king, so they would give us a “special deal” at $3000 including tax, delivery, and throw in a PLB pillow. My wife immediately fell in love with the bed and wanted it, I felt it was a little soft but still comfortable.

Both the PLB Beautiful with a topper and the PLB Worlds Best Bed are very soft mattresses with very thick soft comfort layers. They could be suitable for side sleepers but they could be quite risky for back or stomach sleepers IMO. I would be very careful with both of these and make sure you had tested them to make sure they provided good alignment in all your sleeping positions.

The “value” is good compared to the regular prices for the PLB Worlds Best Bed (or at least the minimum advertised prices) but still not in the best value range for a 12" of latex mattress. I would also question if you needed 12" of latex although to some degree this can be a matter of preference.

My questions are 1) Is this really a good deal?

Compared to their normal prices … yes. It would be even better if it included the foundation with 4" of latex but I doubt that this is the case. Compared to some other options you may have (depending on where you are or on your comfort level with an online purchase) not quite as much.

2) How soft is this bed relative to others and will it become softer over time (i.e. if I think it may be a little soft now, can I foresee softness being an increasing problem down the road)?

This is the softest mattress they make with the thickest softest comfort layers. All foam materials will get softer over time even though with latex the process is slower. Softer materials will also soften faster than firmer materials because they are mechanically compressed more on a regular basis and like all foams … soft latex is not as durable as firmer latex. The firmest it will ever be is when it is new and if this is an issue now it will become more of an issue as time goes on.

You can “fix” a mattress that is too firm with a topper but it’s much more difficult to “fix” a mattress where the core layers are too soft or where the comfort layers are too thick and soft because it involves removing layers or adjusting deeper layers rather than adding layers.

3) Is Pure Latex Bliss a quality brand that I can trust to hold up over time and stand behind their product/warranty if there is a problem?

The durability of a mattress has nothing to do with the brand but with the construction and materials that are in the mattress (and all mattress manufacturers have access to similar materials). PLB is owned by latex international which makes the Talalay latex that is used in many of the mattresses in North America and the quality of the materials is good (latex is a premium material)

I wouldn’t count on any warranty though because foam softening and the loss of comfort and support that goes with it is not covered by any warranty and a warranty has little to nothing to do with how long a mattress will last for any particular person (and it is relative to the person and how much foam softening they can tolerate before comfort and/or support becomes unsuitable for them even though it may still be fine for someone else).

All warranties have exclusions that include how much of a permanent impression there has to be in the mattress with no weight on it before a warranty claim can be made (in the case of PLB it’s .75" which is better than most) but in most cases when a foam softens and you feel like you are sleeping in a hole, the foam will still come back close enough to level to be excluded under the warranty. Warranties are only about defects in construction and don’t cover foam softening.

Lastly, 4) are there any considerations that I am overlooking before I dive into a very expensive mattress purchase?

Again …I would make sure you had tested this very carefully for alignment in all your sleeping positions (it’s unlikely that this mattress would have any pressure point issues). This article and post #11 here may help with this.

I would also compare it to other similar local latex options (depending on where you live and on what is available in your area) to make sure it is the best local value and also with some of the online choices in post #12 here to make sure that you are comfortable with the price compared to other latex options you have available. In general I would consider that a 20% premium for a local purchase that you can test for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) would be worth a local premium over an online purchase which may have a lower price but where you wouldn’t be able to test it first. Of course each person can decide on any premium they think is worth it based on their own risk tolerance, the options and benefits provided by different manufacturers or retailers, and their personal “value equation”.

If everything checks out and if you are completely comfortable with the value and suitability of this mattress and that it isn’t too soft (or likely to get that way very quickly) then it would be “good but not great” value and I would certainly consider it if it appeared to be your best option.

Phoenix