Question about platform bed for SleepEZ 13000

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi. I’ve been reading your mattress forum for awhile now. My husband and I are looking to replace a 11 year old Therapedic dual-pillow top (flippable) mattress. It has been a pretty good mattress, but the body impressions are now fairly deep on both sides with the ubiquitous center hump. It has become virtually unbearable for me some nights with my lower back pain, and the bounciness of the springs drives me nuts. My husband still loves this bed (it’s the nicest bed he ever had) and is reluctant to get a new one, but I really wonder if his tossing and turning would be helped with a new bed. The compromise is keeping our current mattress for use as a guest bed. :pinch:

I’ve tried out all sorts of mattresses over the past year. I started with the traditional mattress store, but started reading about body impressions and came across more and more stories about the big manufacturers using cheap foam which compresses and breaks down quickly. Friends of ours bought a very expensive Simmons Beauty Rest around 2005 and are very disappointed in how it has held up. My mom bought an expensive Airloome mattress about a year ago and it is already compressing and developing the “hump” in the middle. This is what led me to look at latex mattresses.

I am leaning towards the 13000 from SleepEZ, which is actually very local to me (about 10 mins away), so I’ve been to their showroom a few times. I actually like all their latex models, and have had a really hard time deciding, but I’m thinking the 13000 with it’s 4 layers will offer us the “cushiest” feel even if the layers are a little firmer. I haven’t fully decided on the layer combination - depends how much my back is hurting. When I’m feeling good, I like X-Firm, Firm, Med, Med…but when my back is really bothering me, I like a little more cushion on top with the X-Firm, Firm, Med, Soft. I actually really, really like the wool cover over the 4-layer model (I like the stretchy one more over the thinner models), and I would rather spend a bit more up front and be truly happy than “cheap out” and go for a thinner mattress. I was encouraged reading the post from the man in LA who just bought a 13000 and seems to be really happy so far.

Anyhow, my real question is about a platform bed I am also considering buying from an online retailer in San Francisco. It is a Japanese style platform bed made out of hardwood (see link below). It has slats that are 2" apart, but also has optional tatami mats. The tatami mats add a considerable amount to the price since they require a freight charge. Do you think the 13000 mattress would be ok on this bed with just the slats or possibly plywood over the slats? Or do you think it would really be worth it to go for the tatami mats as a base under the mattress? Do you think the bed itself looks sturdy enough for the (Eastern) king size 13000 mattress?

http://tatamiroom.com/cgi-local/catalog.pl?category=PLATFORM_BEDS-10&show=detail&item=TB6385

I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks!

2

Hi Maia,

I can see you’ve done some good research and you are fortunate to live in an area that has such great choices :slight_smile:

One option that may be worth considering if you have a hard time making a decision because of changing preferences and circumstances is to buy a mattress and a separate topper which you can add or remove as needed depending on how you are feeling.

The platform bed you linked to looks very nice and with 2" spaces between the slats it would be fine without the mats. While there are contrary opinions … I would personally use slats rather than a solid plywood foundation because it provides better ventilation for the mattress. the only thing I would make sure of, especially with the larger bed sizes, is that the bed has good center support to the floor (this can be added separately if it doesn’t).

Just for reference … here are a few links that carry similar beds that I’ve come across from time to time. This of course is a very incomplete list and not extensively researched

http://nymattress.reachlocal.com/?scid=671375&kw=132968 NY area only
http://davisworld.com/store/organic-mattresses
http://www.allbeds.com/category/wood-beds/?sort=sales_stats&sort_direction=0&show=all
http://www.furnature.com/bed-frames.html
http://www.miwafuton.com/data/new%20version/bedframes/tatamibed_and_accessories.pdf
https://www.foamorder.com/platformbeds.html
http://www.thebedworksofmaine.com/Beds/index.htm
http://www.bedcetera.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=570 (Canada)

I hope you let us know what you end up deciding :slight_smile:

Phoenix

3

Thanks for the reply. I really like that particular bed because of its simplicity, hardwood construction, and it goes together without much hardware. The legs are also very heavy and solid looking. I just wasn’t sure about the slats. I decided to send an email to the retailer to ask them for more details about the King size.

I have a memory foam topper on our current mattress. It helped for awhile. The topper is still in good shape. Was contemplating trying it on the latex mattress just to give it a little extra cushion. It’s a 3" thick topper, but it’s egg crate style, so not solid. It’s pretty nice considering how little I paid for it (~$60).

I will keep you posted on what I decide. I just have to decide if I want to buy it sooner or wait until the weather cools down a little. Moving furniture in 110 degrees is less than pleasant. B)

4

Hi Maia,

I don’t blame you … it looks great … and very solid!

You should be in the pacific northwest … it’s one of the few times we can brag about how cool it is. We hit a high of 70 degrees today :slight_smile:

Phoenix

5

You have no idea how nice 70 sounds right now. We will have that in about 4-5 months. Even as I type this at 10 pm, my computer says it’s 102 outside. Ugh. I don’t normally mind the heat - it’s better than extreme cold for me - but it just seems hotter this year for some reason. I may just have to buck up and buy the bed though. Not sure I can stand to wait another 3 months for the heat to break!

I have been reading through older posts again, and am surprised/disappointed at how few people have come back to post reviews after getting their new mattresses. Perhaps it’s human nature to complain loudly. If everything’s fine, one tends to forget about it!

I am also really surprised at the fellow that posted about motion transfer being such a big problem. When testing them in the showroom, I never felt the type of motion transfer that our current innerspring mattress has. His experience sounds like what I’m sleeping on now. One little foot wiggle, and the whole bed shimmies and vibrates, even if it’s flat on the floor (and we have a concrete slab foundation here in the desert). But, this is the reason I think I will end up purchasing from SleepEZ (in addition to them being local). They seem to have an old-fashioned return policy, less a ~$100 “fee,” which is hard to beat. Might as well give it a try!

I also noticed several of your replies to others mention that thicker isn’t always better in latex. I am going to have to go back to the showroom again and really pay attention to why I liked the 4-layer 13000 over the thinner models. I think it just felt less like laying on individual layers of different firmnesses - on the thinner ones, they were either too firm as a whole or the transition between layer firmness felt less gradual. The 13000 was more gradual throughout the whole unit with a very firm base but a nice cushy top. At least, that’s how I’m remembering it now. :side:

Hopefully I will hear back from the bed retailer. I’d like to get that set up before I order the mattress!

6

Hi maia,

I completely agree with you here … but as you mention it seems to be “the nature of the beast” :slight_smile:

Layer thickness and firmness/softness work together in a similar way and can both play a significant role in the feel and performance of a mattress. Thicker layers (and mattresses) have a wider range of compression because there is more material to take up the weight and more “reserve” room for further compression. This is why a thicker mattress is particularly good for heavier people. The greater the percentage of it’s thickness foam is compressed … the firmer it will feel … and thinner layers and mattresses get firmer faster because they compress to a greater percentage of their thickness with similar weights. As you mentioned this greater range can lead to a feeling of more gradual compression and this would be especially noticeable with movement where say a sudden movement for example would feel softer underneath you because there is more “compression room” left in the mattress. You described the feeling well as a more gradual feeling where the mattress doesn’t get firmer as quickly.

For many people this is not necessary because the extra thickness and extra compression room wouldn’t be as noticeable with their height/weight/shape and sleeping style and sensitivity and changes in the firmness levels of the layers may accomplish a similar effect (although still not the same). In these cases the extra thickness may be paying for more material that doesn’t make a big enough difference that they could feel to make the extra cost worth it. In some cases, if there is too much soft foam on top for example or if the extra thickness allows the heavier parts to sink down too deeply, it can also lead to the risk of alignment alignment issues and a thicker mattress may require some firmer layers than a mattress that is thinner to help “stop” the heavier parts from sinking down too much. There are even some manufacturers that soften up their top layers just by using thicker layers of the same firmer ILD instead of using lower ILD’s.

In the end though this is all part of the “art and science” of mattress manufacturing and choosing the one that’s best for each person. There are always tradeoffs that add to something and take away from something else which is why mattress design and choices can be either so interesting or in some cases frustrating. There’s no “right or wrong” here and the “rule” is if you have good pressure relief and alignment and you can feel a noticeable difference that you prefer with a thicker mattress, and it’s big enough to justify the extra cost, then that’s clearly the way to go :slight_smile:

Phoenix

7

Considering we were originally looking at traditional “S” brands that cost as much or more than the 13000, the $2400 price tag doesn’t seem too bad. We aren’t skinny people, but we aren’t real big either. Kind of husky. :wink: I was looking at a mattress at Mattress Firm that had a gel layer - not foam - but supposedly the stuff that’s used in hospital mattresses. It was one of the “S” brands but I don’t remember which one. The gel was only the top comfort layer though. I couldn’t find a lot of info about how this gel stuff lasts. The bed was very comfortable in the store, and rather pricey, too.

What do you think of this Futon (Level 3 model at the bottom)? I saw this and the idea of having another flippable mattress is rather appealing, but I am concerned that it would be very firm with all the cotton in it. They also don’t say if it’s Talalay or Dunlop latex.

http://www.haikudesigns.com/futon-natural-mattress.htm

This shop is located in Boulder, CO and they also sell the lower/shorter version of the platform bed I like. I sent the same question to them. I’d be ok with the shorter one if they turn out to be more responsive. I also like the idea of buying online from a place that also has a brick & mortar location.

8

Hi Maia,

As you may expect … I completely agree that compared to “S” brands … almost all local manufacturers have much better value when actual materials are compared and of course the better ones like SleepEz have even better value yet. There is no comparison between manufacturers like SleepEz and the typical chain store mattresses or major brands. I just wish that more consumers knew how little they were getting for their money. Don’t forget too that your membership here gives you an additional 5% off which saves you an extra $120 :slight_smile:

The “gel memory foam” comes in different types and depending on the density and type would be comparable to memory foam in terms of durability. The ones that use particles will be less durable and the ones that infuse the gel will strengthen the memory foam matrix and they will last longer. There’s a little more here about the different types of gel that are being used in post #26 here. The “pure gel” (not to be confused with the gel infused in memory foam) is one of the most durable materials but it’s also much more expensive than latex. An example with a 1" gel layer is here.

Their latex mattress line is made by Ecosleep (but have a different name). They are the one sided versions and they can be “better than average value” depending on the outlet that is selling them.

My notes from some time ago (over a year) say that they also carried Vivetique but I haven’t been to their site in a while so I don’t know if that’s still correct or if they make their their latex futons. The specs on the futons don’t quite add up (the specs would indicate a mattress thicker than 9") but I believe that it has 6" of latex in it. They would be much firmer and have less “range of compression” than the 13000 because there is less latex, firmer cotton which would reduce the compression of the latex, and the type of layering you can use in a two sided mattress is more limited than a one sided version although any two sided mattress will add to durability. Cotton will compress to about 50% or its original thickness and become firmer as it compresses. Overall though they use very good materials and they have reasonable prices IMO. If I have a chance I’ll call to clarify the specs and update my notes.

It’s almost certainly Dunlop (which is all that Vivetique uses ). In general … if it doesn’t say Talalay or if it says all natural without mentioning a type … then it’s almost always Dunlop.

They are not in the same value range as SleepEz but they would certainly make a better choice than many other outlets. You have the best of both worlds … the ability to test the mattresses in person (which is more accurate) and local manufacturers with online pricing and value that are among the best in the country. If I was looking for latex I personally wouldn’t be looking anywhere else besides locally.

Phoenix

9

Hi Phoenix. I got a reply from the internet retailer in SF. They said there is a center leg. They sent me this link to show me what it looks like.

http://tatamiroom.com/cgi-local/catalog.pl?category=PLATFORM_BEDS-10&show=detail&item=TB6382

What do you think? I have to say, I really like the look of that bed.

I am really sore from a day of intense hiking on Wednesday, so I think I may go try out the mattresses again to see how they feel.

Hope you had a nice July 4th.

10

Hi Maia,

I have to agree it looks great. I really like simple clean lines and products that use high quality materials and are strong and well made and this fits the bill IMO.

And I had a great 4th … thanks :slight_smile:

Phoenix

11

Hi Phoenix,

I just wanted to update to say we finally purchased the “Tall Tatami” platform bed from Tatamiroom.com. Let me say first of all that their service has been excellent. They promptly replied to all email questions I sent prior to purchasing. I placed the order Wednesday night and the bed was delivered by FedEx yesterday! I was shocked at how fast we received it. We set it up this morning and, for now, we have our old mattress on it. When we removed our “box springs” we realized there are no springs in them at all, so they are really just slatted foundation boxes, except the thin slats are about 6" apart and covered by a thin sheet of cardboard that, after so many years, is sagging. I am curious to see if our mattress feels any differently tonight on top of this very sturdy platform bed. The wood it’s made out of smells lovely; it’s very faint and not overpowering at all.

Anyhow, I would highly recommend this bed to anyone looking for a nice, solid piece of hardwood furniture on a budget.

12

Hi Maia,

The cardboard over more widely spaced slats are fairly typical of lower cost foundations these days. It will be interesting to hear how much of a difference you feel although if there is a noticeable sag then your back would likely notice it.

As I mentioned before … I think the platform bed you purchased is beautiful and is also great value and I appreciate that you let us all know about it … pictures and all! Your new combination of mattress and bed would certainly put a smile on my face every time I walked into the bedroom :slight_smile:

Phoenix

13

Well, we finally purchased the 13,000 from Sleep EZ. I’m starting with their recommended configuration of x-firm, firm, med, soft. I went in and placed the order yesterday with Jeremy (great guy, by the way). One benefit to being local is that they offer free delivery and set up. Makes paying the 9% sales tax a little easier to swallow (although the MUG discount helped with that also! Thanks, Phoenix). So, now I just have to survive the remaining week on our old mattress until they deliver on Saturday (I am sleeping less and less lately and have taken to laying on the floor sometimes!). Photos will be forthcoming! :woohoo:

I thought I’d share details about how I decided for those interested in the differences between the SleepEZ style of layering and the AZ Premium Mattress style of layering…forgive me for the length!

I had a really difficult time deciding as I am sleeping so poorly on our current mattress that everything I tried felt so much better. It was difficult figuring out what was best for me. I drove all the way over to the AZ Premium Mattress showroom which is a good 45 minutes from me in light traffic. While APM’s models still felt great, trying them out actually solidified my choice in the 13,000 because APM’s mattresses use a different layering method (6" core plus 2" or 3" comfort layer). I really liked the APM soft model, but I was concerned it would be too soft for my husband. I also did not like the bamboo ticking that was on the floor models. It’s very soft to the touch, but it felt hot to me vs. the cotton/wool ticking. I do like the layer of wool. It seems to firm up the feel of the latex just a bit. Some people won’t like that - they would rather be as close to the latex as possible. I think APM offers a cotton/wool ticking as well, but trying the bamboo was good for me as it also ruled out the Ultimate Dreams mattress. (I hope this all makes sense!)

Also, I was told the models in the store have glued layers (meaning the top layer is one solid piece rather than split in half). This, to me, really changed the feel of the mattress as a whole. It seemed much more “Jello” like, so if I had ordered from him, I probably would have requested split layers in order to reduce the motion/vibration transfer (the motion transfer is not as severe as our old-school innerspring, but feels more like vibrations moving across/thru the latex rather than the “bounce” of an innerspring). Anyhow, these comments in no way reflect poorly on the quality of APM’s mattresses. I would not hesitate to buy from APM if my budget were lower as I liked their models as much as, or more than, SleepEZ’s lower priced thinner models. I think the 6"+2" at APM felt softer and cushier to me than the 3+3+2 “special” at SleepEZ (which is also mostly Dunlop, so that’s could be more of the difference). I did like the 9,000 at SleepEZ.

Also, both companies offer a model with a polyfoam base and a layer of latex on top, which I expect would be similar to the Ultimate Dreams model. To me, the poly base made the whole mattress feel squishier and the combination of the two foams felt completely different from all-latex models. Of course, I do not know what density of polyfoam either place uses, since I didn’t ask, so it could be that it was lower density than the Ultimate Dreams.

I do like the thicker 13,000. After laying on so many thinner versions, I do understand that thicker is absolutely not necessary to getting a supportive and comfortable mattress. Had I not been able to try out a 13,000 I wouldn’t have even wished for thicker. But, once I laid on it, I knew that was the one for me. As I said before, the transition between the layers feels more subtle and the whole thing is very supportive and almost cloud-like without being too soft. It’s a little “Princess and the pea” but since I’ve been saving up for this for awhile and could afford to spend the money on thicker, I figured I might as well since that is the one I truly loved.

Interestingly enough, I liked the 9,000 better than the 10,000 at SleepEZ. Not sure why that extra 1" makes such a big difference, but oddly, the 9,000 felt closer in overall feel to the 13,000 than the 10,000 did.

Of course, others may disagree as to what’s soft or firm and cushy or squishy, but this was my experience for those who are comparing the models from a distance and thinking of ordering online. Both are very friendly and very knowledgeable, but their models do feel different.

14

Hi Maia,

Wow … What a GREAT post and I am really grateful that you took the time to go into your experiences and comparisons in such detail. :slight_smile:

More than anything … they show all the different parts of what I have called each person’s “value equation” and the type of testing on different layering styles and combinations that can help each person come to know more specifically what may work best for them.

You are fortunate to live where you do because of the high quality and value choices you have available and sometimes the final choices between “good and good” are the most difficult of all as we try to match our needs and preferences to the more subtle differences in mattresses that are more difficult to recognize but can be important to each of us. You did a great job of testing for specifics and some of the points you mentioned will be very helpful for others that are in a similar position.

So thanks again for such an informative post and feedback and most of all … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

15

It’s finally here! Delivered and set up for us this morning. We also got 2 free pillows, as advertised, except they forgot to put them on the truck this morning, so when we stopped at the shop to pick them up, they upgraded us to King size pillows! The pillows seem very nice. All the people at SleepEZ we’ve been in contact with have been exceptionally friendly. Can’t wait to sleep on the setup tonight! Fingers crossed for a deep night’s sleep.

16

Hi Maia,

Great news!

Thanks for the pictures and I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences with sleeping on your new mattress.

Phoenix

17

Well, we’ve had the 13,000 for just over a week now. We got a split Eastern King, both sides configured the same - bottom to top - with X-Firm, Firm, Med, Soft. Overall, we love it. Even my husband, who didn’t really want a new bed to begin with, said he loved it after the 3rd night. He slept like a baby on it from day 1. :stuck_out_tongue:

I, on the other hand, took a few nights to adjust. I wasn’t feeling well the first couple nights, so that probably didn’t help. The bed felt very firm to me the first couple nights and I had trouble falling asleep. The second night though, I slept through the night without waking (this has been rare for me). I now fall asleep ok, and I have been sleeping through the night ever since (unless our pesty animals are restless and wake me up). I feel very supported and I like the non-sinking-in feeling of the mattress. This morning, I finally slept in a little and it was divine. I didn’t want to get out of bed! I think we hit the nail on the head with the layering for our needs. I don’t think we will ever go back to an innerspring mattress. The all foam feeling is just wonderful. :silly:

Also, we feel NO motion transfer at all. If you tap on the sides of the mattress, yes, you can feel some vibration move through the bed, but we have not felt each other’s movements in the night. I am baffled by those who say they feel “shockwaves” travel throughout their latex mattress (not from SleepEZ though, that I know of). I was certain the latex wouldn’t be as good as memory foam at absorbing the motions, but it has exceeded my expectations in that department. Neither of us feel a thing at night. That being said, I also think we aren’t tossing and turning as much as we used to. I will also say that I love the split down the middle. We don’t feel it through the cotton/wool cover and I can only presume that it helps reduce motion transfer, so if that’s an issue for someone, I would highly recommend a split comfort layer if possible.

Also, I am still having some back pain, but it has moved up from my lower back to my mid back. I am thinking I need to figure out a different pillow setup. I tried the shredded latex pillow that came with the mattress and didn’t even make it through the night with that. I got a kink in my neck. My husband loves it though. It’s just too springy feeling for me - the same qualities that I love in the mattress, I hate in the pillow! I’ve gone back to my old feather pillows, but when I wake up they are so flat in some areas and lumpy in others that my head ends up in strange positions. Next is trying a polyester fiber pillow we have laying around. My problem is that I sleep in all positions - stomach, back and side - so it’s hard to find one pillow that works for all those positions. I may try a wool pillow from www.shepherdsdream.com as they sound lovely. :unsure:

I would highly recommend our entire setup to anyone in the market for a latex foam mattress. With our discount, we paid just under $2500 for a 12" thick, 4 layer mattress. It’s thicker than our old one! Our wood platform bed frame is fantastic. It looks great, it’s very solid, and it’s a bargain at $655 with free shipping from www.tatamiroom.com.

I have new organic cotton sheets and duvet/shams coming from the Company Store that I got on clearance. (Our current sheets from Costco we got as a Christmas gift last year and they are already coming apart at the seams.) All that’s left is a wool mattress protector and my pillow setup and I think we will have a very high end bed for a very reasonable price! We’ve supported a local small business and a few online businesses (one large-ish and the rest small) in the process.

I will try to post back over time with how the mattress feels and is holding up.

18

Hi Maia,

Thanks for another really informative and detailed review :slight_smile:

Phoenix

19

Are you using the SleepEz foundation with the Tatamiron platform bed or does your bed rest directly on the Tatamiron?

20

No foundation. Mattress lays directly on the slats of the tatami frame. I posted pictures; if you go to the first page of the thread, take a look at those you’ll see how it looks.

:wink: