We have owned our Lady Americana Serenity for about 4 years now. A wear pattern started to form after about 2 years. It hasn’t gotten any worse but my hips are killing me from the existing wear pattern! (And of course you know how great the warranty is). The store said if must just be a manufacturing defect and they don’t carry Lady Americana anymore due to the increase in poor quality. (They sang their praises to sell it to me though). I’m a side and back sleeper. It’s time we get a different mattress. We are also considering getting an adjustable base. The other thing I HATE about the Serenity is the SMELL. After 4 years I can still smell the latex and it drives me crazy! I have a nice waterproof mattress cover (from the big name retailer that sold me the Serenity) but between the latex pillows and the latex Serenity I can still smell it. Before finding your site and having my eyes opened, my husband and I went shopping and like the feel (and lack of latex odor) of the Sealy Optimum Newness with the Reflexion 4 adjustable base. Of course they sing it’s praises but I can’t trust them because they did the same thing with the Serenity. Can you steer me to a similar product that doesn’t carry the “Big Name” but will have a similar soft feel without the latex odor? Buying online is fine and we have a fairly flexible budget but I can’t “smell” the mattress online. I’m located in Oklahoma City.
Hi dawnfinlay05,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!.
You can see the specs of the Eco Comfort Serenity in post #6 here and I suspect that the biggest reason for the “wear pattern” you are experiencing is the 2" of polyfoam quilting on top of the latex which is “on the edge” of the quality/durability guidelines here that I would normally suggest.
There is more about the smell of latex in post #2 here but it’s very uncommon that blended Talalay latex still has a noticeable smell after that long (any odor normally dissipates to levels that most people don’t notice in a few days to a few weeks) so it’s possible that the odor you are experiencing may be from something else in the mattress.
I’m not sure what type of latex is in your pillows or the origin of the latex but they may also be part or all of the cause of the smell.
Most of your mattress uses good quality materials that are most likely still in relatively good condition (the latex and the Omalon foam) so it may also be worth considering mattress surgery as a “last resort” alternative to disposing of the mattress (see post #2 here).
I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you 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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) 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).
There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one but every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” and unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same materials, components, and design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a way to match one mattress to another one based on specifications. I’m not so sure if you would even want to match your current mattress anyway since if all the layers and components were the same then you would most likely end up with the same issues over time.
Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so it’s also unlikely that you will find another mattress that is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” one of the mattresses you mentioned in terms of how it “feels” or in terms of PPP.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other mattresses that would be just as good or even better in terms of “comfort” and PPP and there would certainly be many mattresses that used the same or better quality and more durable materials … only that they will use different combinations of materials and may not have the same “feel” or exactly the same design and you may prefer one type of mattress over others. Different people can also have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare because of differences in their body weight, sleeping style, or individual circumstances and sensitivities that will affect their experiences on the same mattress so the only way to know how two mattresses compare “for you” in terms of comfort or PPP will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience … regardless of how they may “feel” or compare for anyone else.
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Oklahoma City area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines I linked earlier in this reply) are listed in post #2 here. I would certainly make sure to include Oklahoma Mattress Co in your research.
If you are also open to an online purchase then the tutorial posts includes several links to the better online options I’m aware of as well (in the optional online step).
Phoenix
Thank you very much for your quick and informative reply. I agree with your deduction the wear pattern is from the top layer and not of the latex itself. We are keeping this mattress and moving it to our guest room so mattress “surgery” may be an excellent option. I am very excited about the local companies your recommended. I will be going to visit Jim this week to discuss building a mattress. Our pillows are the latex ecocomfort pillows recommended to us when we purchased the serenity. Funny enough, my husband cannot smell any latex odor from the mattress and the pillows like I can. My 6 year old daughter can as well but my son cannot. It must be a genetic thing (like tasting aspirin and smelling “asparagus urine”). It is a very strong odor that I’ve smelled from day one. It smells like new bicycle tires. Hopefully Jim will help us build the best mattress for us and maybe I won’t be able to smell it. Haha. Thank you again for your time and wealth of knowledge.
Hi dawnfinlay05,
I’m looking forward to your comments after your visit and of course to finding out what you end up deciding 
Phoenix