Think I’m going to go with the Talalay. The tri-zone thing on the dunlop I tried was nice, but as I read elswewhere on this forum, someone who changes position a lot might end up worrying about trying to get into the correct zone.
I will probably not pay for the additional inches added, since I assume that will make it virtually impossible to exchange the mattress for another and wouldn’t perfectly solve my problem anyway, and I’ll address the sheets situation later after I’ve got everything else set up.
I think this would be more of a potential issue with a higher number of zones. With three zones the center zone would be in the middle third of the mattress and there really wouldn’t be any issues with “matching” the zones to your sleeping position. Of course this is a separate issue from the type of latex you prefer and Talalay latex is certainly a good quality material as well.
I would always make sure you check with a retailer or manufacturer about any exchange or return options you have after a sale. I think it’s probably a good idea though because it leaves you with more options (you could still add a layer underneath the mattress or add a topper should you find you need it after you have slept on it for a while).
Perhaps I am overthinking the zone thing. But somehow I’ve got to make the choice between the dunlop and the talalay, so I’m looking for any small thing to help me choose. You say they are equally good products more or less, yes?
Mark at Dixiefoam said I could exchange a mattress within 10 days and only pay delivery charges. But this leads to an interesting question: If I really don’t like the Talalay, is the dunlop going to be that different? Or is one better off trying a diffferent type of material mattress if they don’t like the latex one they buy? If one doesn’t like Coca Cola, aren’t the odds good that they might not like Pepsi that much either, and should go with something like Ginger Ale instead?
Yes … the choice between them would be a preference. For example I tend to lean towards Talalay (although the overall feel and performance of a specific design would be more important to me than the materials that produced the feel and performance) and my daughter much prefers natural Dunlop after trying both.
The difference between Talalay and Dunlop is quite noticeable for most people but “feel” itself is subjective and some people notice the differences much more than others (assuming that the firmness levels and mattress design are the same because this will also affect how a mattress feels). The link in the previous post would describe how most (but certainly not all) people would feel the difference.
The difference between them would be larger and more noticeable for most people than the difference between Coke and Pepsi
So if I try one for 10 days and hate it, might be worth swapping for the other brand of latex, huh?
As I mentioned, since I wasn’t able to compare a firm talalay against the firm dunlop he had on the floor, it’s a bit of a gamble to go with a firm talalay, but something is pulling me in that direction anyway. Perhaps because I perceive the all natural Talalay as somehow ‘better’ or healthier than the Dunlop blend? I really don’t have any strong idea of which mattress of any style is going to feel better after 8 hours of sleep night after night, and don’t really trust the 5 and 10 minute test runs, so I guess it’s all a bit of a gamble as I see it.
I guess there’s nothing left to do but place an order at this point. Might do this tomorrow…
Also, do you know if there is a higher risk of an allergic reaction with latex v. other mattresses? Is one style "safer’ than another, or is there similar risk in any of them?
Hopefully you are doing more than “5 or 10 minute” test runs and are using the testing guidelines linked in post #1 here.
Latex is more hypoallergenic than other materials because of its ability to ventilate and control temperature and humidity in a mattress. It doesn’t provide a good environment for dust mites which produce the most common allergens in a household.
Latex allergies themselves are very uncommon in mattresses as you can read in post #2 here. In most cases … latex allergies are to the surface proteins that are mostly washed out in natural latex and don’t exist in the first place in synthetic latex.
In most cases … latex is also tested against higher standards such as Oeko-Tex standard 100 class 1 (or other similar testing protocols depending on the type and manufacturer ofthe latex) for harmful ingredients and VOC offgassing than other types of foam materials (such as polyfoam and memory foam). Latex is generally considered to be the “safest” of the foam materials. You can also read more about the different types of latex in post #2 here and post #6 here.
Of course there are also many individual answers to “how safe is safe enough for me” and for those who want to go down the rabbit hole of all the conflicting information that is part of a very controversial subject … then post #2 here and the links and posts it leads to would be a good beginning.
I actually didn’t follow all the steps to a T, but as much as I could bear. And I’d like at least partial credit for researching these issues at all before blindly dropping money at Sleepy’s:)
I’m not going to read up or worry about allergies, but leave that can of worms alone and hope for the best.
Why do you think Mark at Dixiefoam would say he thought the Talalay was a slightly better product than the Dunlop?
He didn’t even have the firm talalay I would get on the floor, but would have to order it. And he said that he would charge me the same price as the Dunlop even though he said Talalay is usually a bit more expensive. (I think he said the Talalay would be 100% natural, the Dunlop a blend).
Taken together, these two facts indicate he was nudging me towards Talalay.
I generally take people at face value so he probably means just what he is saying and he thinks that the Talalay is a slightly better product than the Dunlop.
Blended Talalay is generally more costly than blended Dunlop and 100% natural Talalay is more costly than both and if he is offering them at the same price then the Talalay would probably be better “value” based on their “commodity value” but you would need to ask him whether he is “nudging you” in a certain direction or why.
I wonder what the chances are that any mattress will help my back pain. I’m sure the world of back pain sufferers is full of people who tried all kinds of different mattresses that failed to improve their symptoms. I know that’s certainly true of other products and treatments related to back pain.
Is there any real way to know that my 300 dollar Sleepy’s traditional mattess is aggravating my back issues, or is any worse for me than a fancy latex one would be? I’m very worried I’ll spend 1200 bucks on a new mattress that does absolutely nothing for my pain issues, ya know?
Also, did I read in the thread you cited re allegies that you feel combination sleepers will often leave the healthier side sleeping position and end up in the less healthy stomach position because their bed isn’t giving them enough comfort in the side position?
For back pain sufferers (and neck pain), the side is generally considered better than the stomach and should be what we strive for, yes?
While a mattress can’t help a medical condition … it it keeps you in good alignment in all your sleeping positions then it will give your back a much better chance to rest and recover and your spine a chance to decompress and rehydrate which can help and support any other treatments you are pursuing.
Again this would depend on whether it is keeping your spine in good alignment in all your sleeping positions and allowing your back to completely relax without any tension in a neutral position. The testing guidelines in post #1 here can help you test how well it is working for you in terms of support and alignment. If your back issues are in the lower back then you would want to pay particular attention to making sure that your pelvis and hips aren’t sinking down too far which will tilt the pelvis and put your spine out of its neutral alignment.
This can happen for some people yes but it would probably be more common to "twist’ away from the pressure under the shoulders and sleep in a half stomach half side position. Each person can have a very different sleeping style and react to pressure or alignment issues in different ways. In general though your body will try to compensate in some way for pressure or alignment issues by tightening muscles or changing positions to relieve the parts that are under too much stress just like when you are injured other parts of the body can compensate and take over which can sometimes create new issues.
Not necessarily. There are no “rules” because each person’s physiology is different and back pain has many different causes. In general though either side sleeping with the knees drawn part way up (not straight like a soldier) and a pillow between the knees or back sleeping with a pillow under the knees (or with the legs elevated slightly on an adjustable bed) would relieve back tension and decompress the spine most effectively for most (but not all) people.
For neck pain the first place I would look is the suitability and support of your pillow. Neck pain could come from twisting the head and neck when you sleep. This would be especially true for stomach sleepers (who would generally do best with a very thin pillow or no pillow at all)
What do you think of this mattress, Phoenix, an icoil base with a layer of latex from Keetsa? Haven’t tried it, but it’s in the the same price range of the one I’ve thinking of buying at dixiefoam.
Any reason to run down there and check it out, or probably not worth the trouble?
With only half the thickness of latex it’s not in the same value range as the Dixie foam but it’s also a different design which would have a different feel and performance so it may well be worth testing to see how well it worked for you in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) because it would be different from the Dixie foam latex hybrid as well and some people may prefer an innerspring/latex hybrid over a polyfoam/latex hybrid.
I actually don’t trust myself too much on mattress testing – too neurotic, too impatient, etc – so a lot of my choice will be on guesswork and faith alone.
I think I’m still leaning towards ordering a firmer version of the Talalay I tried at Dixiefoam, and hoping for the best. It’s my understanding if I hate it, I can exchange it within 10 days for another one (wish that exchange period were longer…). I guess I would likley exchange for the Dunlop one since you say people have very distinct preferences for one over the other. I may take the holiday weekend to think about it some more, and if I find myself around some more mattresses in the meantime, try 'em out.
Phoenix, can you tell me the height of the metal bar that keeps the mattress in place on the Reverie adjustable bed? How many inches above the bed it extends?
Another worry I have about a 6" inch short mattress is that that metal bar will stick out in an unattractive manner if it’s meant to hold a much taller mattress.
I measured it and the top of the metal bar is just a smidgeon over 7" above the base.
It would probably look a little odd yes but I would be a little more concerned with the possibility of hitting it when you were sleeping if (your feet go close to the end). If your mattress is a little thicker with the cover and by the time you add some bedding it may be flush and they could probably add a little extra thickness on the bottom if you needed it as well.
So it’s only 7" above the base, meaning a 6" mattress would only leave 1" of metal, even before bedding and extras? If so, that doesn’t sound too bad at all. I was worried about 4 or 5 inches sticking up… So I guess your mattress and most mattresses are actually taller than the base (which certainly sounds preferable)?
I would say that 6 - 7" is on the thinner end of mattress thickness in North America (although there are certainly quite a few in this range). Thinner mattresses are more common in Europe and Asia.
