Ready to take the latex plunge, just a few more questions

[phoenix]

Hi schmiggyjk,

One big concern is that we haven’t actually tried out any 100% latex beds. No one around here (west michigan) seems to have any. I am basically going to spend over 2k sight unseen, and that worries me a bit. I doubt so many on the internet would lie about the latex greatness, but still. This is a long-term health and financial investment for us.

I would definitely suggest testing latex if at all possible because it has a different feel from other materials (especially memory foam of course). TD-Max made some good suggestions of a couple of latex mattress manufacturers that may be available in your area and there may be others as well. If you let me know your city or zip I’d be happy to let you know of any in your area I’m aware of.

1. The frame. I saw the frame/support thread and Ive read about the 3" recommendation, so I guess I just need to sort through those and see what will fit latex and our budget. Unfortunately it seems the USboxspring King-metal version is out of stock, which is disappointing, at it probably meets our budget, and has the legs so we could use it as a standalone foundation. I thought about getting it from SleepEZ, but it is a bit more expensive and I would still need a frame for it.

Yes … the metal frame foundations aren’t being made in Eastern King versions and the other sizes are only available until the supplies run out. Their regular version though is one of the very few KD foundations that have gaps less than 3" (its the only KD type listed in the foundation thread that does). The SleepEz price for this is the same as US Boxspring ($380 for the Eastern King) except SleepEz has free shipping so they are slightly less.

2. Portability. How hard are these latex going to be to move in the future? We may be moving somewhere and I concerned about care and transport, durability during, etc.

Latex itself is heavy of course but because these are layered … you can take each layer and move them separately (fold it carefully and put it in a plastic bag or box if you are storing it) which makes it easier. It’s the same reason they can be shipped through UPS instead of truck freight.

3. Dunlop or Talalay. I hear conflicting reports on this. Some think Dunlop should last longer whereas say Talalay is more comfortable. Does it matter? Will SleepEZ do a layer or two of one, say base of Dunlop, and Talalay on top?

In terms of the durability of the different types of latex …I think post #2 here should help. In practical terms I would treat blended Talalay and 100% natural Dunlop in a similar ILD as being very similar in terms of Durability.

Normally it’s best to talk with the manufacturer directly about the options they have available but in this case I know that you can choose any layers you wish (including 2 Dunlop layers and a talalay layer).

4. Cover/pad. Outside of the wool cover included, should we get a pad for stain protection as well? Is it not needed? Will it take away too much from the latex feel? If we should, recommendations?

Yes … I think a mattress protector is important. There are some tradeoffs involved in choosing between the different types (including how much they will affect the feel of the mattress). There is more information in post #89 here along with some links to various options.

Hope this helps

Phoenix