My husband and I have had our simmons/ Plush Phenom from Sleepys for 6 years or so, it is mush now and was pinching in my pressure points. So we got a substandard Broyhill 12 inch cushion firm for such a bargain. It’s hard and my kidneys feel like crap. 10 nights of the required 30 is going to kill me. On the hunt again. We need a winner our budget for a king is below 2000 so I’m looking at the “Sleep on Latex” out of Chicago- Dunlop mostly I think. I just hate not being able to try these things. I’m in NYC. I’m 165lbs and hubs in 230lbs (age mid 40s) we are both side sleepers. Hips and shoulders being comfy and getting some support seem to be at a contradiction… Lost at this point. If the only way is to pay up then maybe we get a queen. I don’t want synthetic latex and can’t do springs. Any thoughts?
Hi Real100latex,
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the durability guidelines I linked relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).
I’m not clear why you are looking to avoid innersprings or synthetic latex.
Some of the most knowledgeable people I know in the industry that could sleep on anything they wish to sleep on innerspring/latex hybrids (often a pocket coil) but of course others sleep on all latex or memory foam mattresses as well and when you are looking at high quality materials it really is a preference choice. There is also more about innerspring support cores vs latex support cores in post #28 here and in post #2 here.
All the latex you are likely to encounter (either Dunlop or Talalay that is made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have a reliable certification such as Oeko-Tex, Eco-Institut, or Greenguard Gold (see post #2 here) or C2C (see post #13 here) and based on actual testing I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s.
The choice between different types and blends of latex is also more of a preference and budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice and any type or blend of latex is a durable material relative to other types of foam materials. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about how Dunlop compares to Talalay in general in post #7 here but the best way to know which type or blend of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own testing and/or your own personal experience.
Subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you wish to deal with is completely transparent about the materials and components in their mattresses (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your criteria and the quality/value guidelines here (the same post I linked earlier in this reply) … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the New York City area are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix