Thank you for getting back to me.
Hi Sgk1289,
Youāre welcome!
Phoenix
Iām shopping for mattresses and seem to be heading for either latex or hybrid. Iāve read ratings but they seem possibly biased. Also, Iām in Naples, Fl and need to lie on these. Organic, high value and quality awa warranty and ease of return important. Thoughts?
Hi KDrew,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
When shopping for a mattress, the first thing I would advise you to do would be to read the mattress shopping tutorial here. I suggest reading it as you would a good book, referring to it and not attempting to memorize things.
To make things easier, in its simplest form, choosing the ābest possibleā mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then ā¦
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Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) ā¦ and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or āfine tuneā the mattress and any costs involved if you canāt test a mattress in person or arenāt confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress (see the durability guidelines here).
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Comparing your finalists for āvalueā based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Regarding reviews, I am in agreement with you, and while other peopleās comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful, I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about using anyone elseās suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). Reviews or other peopleās experiences in general wonāt tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or āvalueā of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
Some of the better options or possibilities Iām aware of in the Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, FL. areas (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here ) are listed in post #2 here . You can check with the vendors listed there regarding the things that you listed which are important to you and see what they might have to offer.
Phoenix
Hello I was looking at one of your recommended Mattress Storesā¦ the Latex Mattress Factory. I get the impression that it maybe better for me to buy 3-3" toppers one firm, one medium and one soft. The idea that one size fits all may not be what I need. I get the impression from Dunlap that is going to be firmer even in the softer version. I have tried lieing on Dunlap and Talahay in Kansas city where I live. I am 5.7 and 165 and sleep on my side. The total cost is about 1000 dollars with the latex mattress factory and they have a topper that is rayon and cottonā¦ has any one tried the soft on top and medium and then firm on the bottom combination? THe price is greatā¦ but I could not find any reviews of it. I know Mattress underground recommends the store so that does count alot. Perhaps Phoenix did a review on that mattress or in particular the 3 piece topper combination mattress? Also what about the myessentia Bionda? Is it worth the price? I live in KC so there is no place to try the mattress out. And I am not sure if it is all natural or not? I did like the airloom in regular stores but the price was a bit steep. I do like soft but when it sinks too much it bothers me slightlyā¦ for instance memory foam. My preference by far is to have totally natural productsā¦ Price is also a consideration. But it maybe worth biting the bullet to get something special. I tried Talahay and it seemed slightly better than Dunlap but it was a slightly harder to turn over. The cooler the mattress the better for meā¦ which is a another consideration. So any help you can give me on the Latex Mattress factory would be greatā¦ I do go to San Fran at the end of July so I could perhaps go to the My essentia storeā¦ Thanks a bunch for your helpā¦
Hi iwriter,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
Much of what youāre asking in your questions deals with me āpicking outā or making specific suggestions for you regarding a mattress, which is something that Iām unfortunately not able to do. I can certainly help with āhowā to choose, but itās not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first āruleā 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will āfeelā to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or ātheory at a distanceā 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).
What I can do is make some more general comments on some of the other topics youāve brought up that you may find useful. First, Iāll recommend that you start your mattress shopping experience with a review of the mattress shopping tutorial here.
What youāre describing is a component-style system, where layers may be chosen and rearranged to achieve different levels of comfort. These systems are quite popular with latex (and sometimes memory foam), and a firm/medium/soft combination is one of the more popular ones. Many of the site members listed here offer such component systems (as well as others online), and if youāre curious about such an arrangement I would recommend a detailed phone conversation with the manufacturer, at which time you can express what comfort level youāre attempting to achieve, and they can ask more question about your physical characteristics that can assist them in making a recommendation of certain layers that they honestly believe will work best for you.
At a similar ILD, Dunlop will tend to feel a bit firmer than Talalay especially in the uppermost layers, as Dunlop āfirms up fasterā than Talalay when compressed beyond 25% or so has a higher compression modulus).
While other peopleās comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful, I would be cautious about using anyone elseās suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words, other peopleās experiences in general wonāt tell you much if anything about the suitability or āvalueā of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here). All latex will tend to be a durable material, so I Would again suggest a phone conversation with a knowledgeable manufacturer or retailer regarding your needs (and information about any all-latex combinations youāve tested in person) and use their experience and advice.
Per the information I listed previously, this isnāt a āreview siteā but instead a resource for how to select a mattress, so you wonāt find any specific āreviewsā on particular mattresses.
You can perform a forum search on Essentia or Bionda here. The Bionda uses good quality Dunlop latex, but you may wish to do some careful value comparisons when considering this product, as it can be in a bit of a higher price point for other items providing āsimilarā componentry. While price is certainly important of course ā¦ the āvalueā of a mattress purchase is what is most important and price is just one of many factors that can affect the āvalueā of a mattress purchase. There isnāt a āformulaā that can be used to assess or ācalculateā the value of a mattress because there are so many different variables and criteria involved that can affect the price of a mattress that can each be more or less important to some people and not to others who may have completely different criteria or definitions of āvalueā. The value of a mattress purchase is also relative to how a mattress compares to the other finalists you are considering or to other mattresses that are available to you in your area (or online if you are also considering online options). There are many reasons that a mattress that may be āgood valueā for one person or in one area of the country may not be good value for someone else that has very different needs and preferences or that lives in a different area.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for).
The latex used in that mattress is all GOLS certified Dunlop latex.
Yes, Aireloom mattresses can be quite expensive, but more importantly you need to make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials before making any purchase. Unfortunately youāre unlikely to find out this information as it is not normally provided to consumers (you can use the earlier link to search for information about Aireloom on this site as well).
Much of this will depend upon the softness (ILD) of the latex used within the mattress, specifically the uppermost layer. All latex will be quite resilient, but softer later can be more difficult to reposition on that firm latex. Latex will be easier to reposition upon than memory foam.
As youāre already aware, the Latex Mattress Factory is a site member here and I think highly of their products and advice. If you are considering your own component-style mattress from them, I would strongly suggest a phone call to them directly with your questions and use their guidance on how to achieve a finished product that they think will serve you best.
I know youāve already looked at some local stores in Kansas City, but just in case you missed a fewā¦subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you wish to deal with is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here ā¦ the better options or possibilities Iām aware of in and around the Kansas City area are listed in post #2 here. There are a few who offer all-latex mattresses.
Phoenix
I just want to add that we just bought a mattress from the Latex Mattress Factory. Certainly a lot of the decision making process is personal preference, but I wanted to add a couple things that are beyond that.
First of all, the people at Latex Mattress Factory were very helpful in the process of deciding what to purchase. And I actually changed my mind and wanted to change my order just before it shipped, and they were very helpful. My husband and I are just on the endpoints of their recommended weights for the soft/medium/firm, and I wanted to go a little soft on my side and more firm on my husbandās side than they recommended, but decided to change back to the standard right before it shipped. And that was no issue.
Another thing to consider, is they have fewer choices on type of latex and ILD choices than some of the other places I looked at. Also, the cover is very basic (no wool topper part), so it has a slightly less finished look, I think, than some of the other, more expensive choices. We decided this worked just fine for us, though, and decided we would try as is and if we wanted something between us and the latex, we could purchase a cover separately. I think the quality is probably equal with the more expensive places, but these things I just mentioned play into the lower overall price.
We have been sleeping on the soft/medium/firm for two nights now. Actually my husband switched his side to soft/firm/medium and he likes that. Iām happy with the combination, although I was also happy with soft/medium/medium but I think I will stick with soft/medium/firm for now. For reference, I weight 115.
Hopefully this is somewhat helpful! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
Hi CFT221,
Thanks for the update, and congratulations on your new mattress! :cheer: You certainly chose a product using higher quality componentry, and Iāll be interested in your opinion on it once youāve had a chance to sleep upon it for a while longer. Iām happy they were able to accommodate your layer preferences before the item shipped. And you are correct that they are more focused on specific Dunlop choices to minimize SKUs and help keep prices under control.
Phoenix
[color=black]Thanks for the very informative site; as an Analyst, I certainly appreciate your detailed, organized and substantive approach to educating consumers. My wife and I have been sleeping on a Simmons for 10 years and Iām looking forward to a ādisruptiveā change. Hopefully I can find something for two adults 140lbs and 170lbs, one w/lower back pain, who like the springy/bounce of tradāl coil mattresses.
Re: your business membership criteria, I see that all members have āā¦agreed to provide a bonus or discount to the consumer members of this siteā¦ā. Is that a membership requirement (i.e. if a business meets all criteria but does not agree to provide a discount to consumer members, are they excluded from the business membership list?)?[/color]
Hi Sam.Attress,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
I do hope youāll find the information presented here on the site quite useful, and I would begin your research with the mattress shopping tutorial here.
Regarding business membership here on the site, this is an invitation that is not offered lightly and there are many things that are vetted before such an invitation is proffered. You can read more about this in this post, post #1 here, our core values, and the membership information here. A bonus or discount is one of the things that retail members agree to.
Phoenix
I am having a difficult time determining if the dream cloud mattress is a good fit for me or a good mattress in general based on the multitude of articles I read here.
Hereās what I can tell you about the composition of the mattress I am considering from Dream Cloud:
-.5ā³ Cooling Layer ā This layer is .5ā³ of Gel Infused Memory Foam that provides cooling to the top layers of the mattress
- 1.75ā³ Comfort Layer ā This layer is 1.75ā³ of soft quilted memory foam designed to provide pressure relief and comfort.
- .5ā³ Response Layer ā This layer is .5ā³ of natural hypoallergenic latex designed to provide bounce and contour.
-.25ā³ Support Layer ā This layer is .25ā³ of DreamPlush supportive memory foam that provides additional body contouring. - .5ā³ Transition Layer ā This layer is .5ā³ of DreamPlush high density supportive memory foam that works to provide a transition layer between the upper comfort layers and the lower coil support layer.
-8ā³ Support Layer ā This layer is 7ā³ of high quality steel pocketed innerspring coils with a 5-zone layers that provide exceptional support to the body with varying stiffness depending on the zone, giving you support where it is needed most.
-1.5ā³ Base Foundation Layer ā This layer is a final 1.5ā³ of high density super soft memory foam that provides the lower foundation layer to the mattress and deep compression support.
-individually foam encased pocketed coils.
There are 630 coils in the queen size luxury DreamCloud
I am 5ā2" BMI of 26, and pregnant. I despise the tempurpedic mattress we purchased 8 years ago, and need a solution that helps me to not wake up sore. I canāt even move in this tempurpedic mattress and I am back/side sleeper.
Any advice on this mattress or other brands to review would be super helpful!
Many thanks!
Hi jmiller09.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum!
Congratulations on your pregnancyā¦ though I am sorry to hear that your tempurpedic mattress does not agree with you and that you wake up sore.
Dreamcloud is a new bed in the box entry that launched at the beginning of 2018, and sells online only ā¦. their parent company
Nectar Sleep* has been in business since 2017 You can read some of the comments and discussions regarding Nectar a forum. search here (just click on the link) and it will bring up more information about them. Their mattresses are manufactured in China and the product has 6 layers with thicknesses between .25" and 1.75"of mostly memory foams of unknown densities. If you are able to acquire more complete details of the information listed here, and post them back here Iāll be happy to comment upon about the quality of the materials inside it or help you identify any potential weak links in the mattress,
As far as other brands go, while I can certainly help with āhowā to choose ā¦ Itās not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first āruleā 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will āfeelā to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or ātheory at a distanceā 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).
Iām not sure what youāve read since you found the site but just in case you havenāt read it yet ā¦ 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 ā¦ 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 youāve 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā 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 (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for).
While again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will āfeelā for someone else or whether it will be a good āmatchā in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress ā¦ outside of PPP (which is the most important part of āvalueā), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you canāt see or āfeelā and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
I hope this gives you a good start in your search and once you had a chance to read through this information and decide what type of materials would best suit you and perhaps narrow down a few mattresses that use good quality and durable materials, if you have more specific questions I would be happy to assist you.
Phoenix
Hi - A newbie here - have back issues and just started looking for a mattress. A side sleeper with disc issues, about 128 lbs, 5ā5". Fortunately I have not bought anything but thought Iād do some homework online first. I went to Mattress firm and tested out a number of mattresses - I liked the feel of the Simmons Beautyrest Windward - of course the price was far too rich for my blood! And now after having read some of what you have on this forum, I realize that i need to be looking at the quality of the materials as well as how the mattress feels. The amount of information and number of choices re: mattresses is overwhelming - can anyone point me in a general direction to a mattress that would have a similar feel to the windward just to get me started in the right direction - thanks!
Hi Bulgingdisk.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum!
It is quite fortunate for you that you did a bit of homework as the major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you arenāt able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here ).
While you usually wonāt find an mattress that is āequivalentā to a ātargetā mattress you have tested locally made by a different manufacturerā¦ in some cases the āart and scienceā of approximating a mattress has already been done to a large extent and an online manufacturer or retailer may have already āmatchedā their mattresses to a specific mattress. In other cases they may be aware that one of their mattresses is a close approximation to another mattress based on their own personal experience (even if it isnāt in the mattress description) so if the mattress it approximates is available locally then this would give you a chance to test a specific local mattress that was a reasonably close approximation to a mattress you are considering online. Attempting to find something that is exactly the same would be an exercise in futility and often a frustrating experience especially if you are trying to do that on your own. There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can āmatchā or āapproximateā another one. This being said you could be on the right track by seeking guidance from an experienced manufacturer or retailer, who would be much more qualified to best approximate a mattress feel based on all the specs and the personal needs and preferences you may provide.
While the many mattress options on the market, the amount of information and misinformation can be overwhelming if you approach the shopping experience in a more āscientificā way by narrowing options based on quality/value, suitability and on your own personal value equation you can quickly realize what to look for and where to look. I would suggest to not be tempted to rush the process but to approach it systematically. Youāve already narrowed the ānumber of choicesā based on the quality of the componentry within a mattress and although Iām not sure what youāve read since you found us, I would suggest starting your research with the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ā¦ 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 youāve 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā 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 (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for).
I hope this gives you a good start and once you have a chance to narrow down your options please let me or any of our Expert Members know and if you have more specific questions weāll be happy to assist you.
Phoenix
Thank you so much for your quick response! its a long process but Iām willing to do the legwork requiredā¦
Hi bulgingdisk.
You are welcome! Sometimes we are faster than otherā¦
You are quite right, there are no shortcuts with this ā¦ but more often than not if legwork is done with āsubjective objectivityā it pays off when you get things just right. I myself donāt want to part with my 10 years old mattress even though it went through quite a few moves and wasnāt well handled. It needed some cosmetic adjustments ā¦ but it just feels so good.
Good luck!
Hi bulgingdisk,
Great feedback from Phoenix. You mentioned the overwhelming choice and dare I say āconfusionā that comes from this industry. Being around since 2009 we know that finding that perfect mattress is difficult and itās what guided our product development. I do hope you consider the Novosbed. Our mattress comes in 3 firmness options and we offer a free Comfort+ kit to ensure you find the mattress best suited to your body.
Best of luck in your search!
Mark
Do you have any recs for independent sleep shops in Seattle or nearby that would be good to contact? thanks!
Hi bulgingdisk.
We have decided to discontinue the provision of listings of potential retailers in various geographic regions (unless they are already approved site members), because of the difficulty in maintaining such lists in a retail landscape that is constantly changing, and most importantly the confusion it was creating with the consumer members who incorrectly assumed that these businesses had indeed gone through the strict qualification process and were approved as members of The Mattress Underground. Such an assumption is unfair to both the consumers seeking assistance, as well as the very businesses and manufacturers who meet the criteria to become Trusted Members of The Mattress Underground.
You can perform a Forum Search and you can type in the ākey termā any city or area you would be closer to and consider driving such as Seattle or any other area and see what other businesses have been discussed in that region which may be helpful to you.
Whatever business youāre considering, I would always confirm that any retailer or manufacturer that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and also make sure that any mattress that you are considering meets the Post #13 quality/value guidelines here.
Good luck! and once you had the chance to narrow things down a little further, feel free to post back with any specific questions and I or any of our Expert Members weāll be happy to assist you.
Phoenix
got it and thanks for the info!