There are only 3 locations in my area (Kansas City) selling latex mattresses. I have ruled out one because it was too hard & the outer cushion was not latex. I am trying to decide between the other 2. One is a Savvy Rest 10", with 3 layers of Dunlop latex. You can choose soft, firm, or medium for each layer and choose which layer you want top, middle, and bottom. The cover zips open and you can change the layering (which is on which level). I like this. Also it’s split length wise so the person on one side of the bed can have the firm layer on top while the person on the other side of the bed can have the soft layer on top. The store representing this product says to use either a platform bed or bed slats (which my bed does not have). The fire protective barrier is wool and it has an organic cotton cover. 20 year warranty. This is $500 more than the product below. The owner of this store also has a 7" 2 layer mattress that they say is more like a futon or for a child’s bed.
The other store has a 7-7 1/2" mattress sold with box springs (slats 1" apart), with 6" solid Talalay core and then Kevlar (or another salesman told me rayon made with wood pulp for a fire barrier) with Bamboo over it. 15 year warranty.
Both are comfortable. I am a lightweight side sleeper; am attracted to latex because I’m an environmentalist and because of the durability; not for health reasons. (no allergies, back pain, etc)
First of all in terms of thickness … latex for many people works well with only 6" … particularly if they are lighter. If a 6" single layer gives you the pressure relief you need and you are in alignment and it just generally “feels good” then there’s nothing or nobody in the world that should tell you it isn’t thick enough. Generally a single 6" core works better in Dunlop but this is also not true for everyone and your own experience should be the best guide here.
Most people though would prefer a slightly thicker mattress if only because it provides options that are more difficult to achieve with only 6". For example … you could have a 6" support core and then have a 2" or 3" comfort layer over this for pressure relief (particularly important for side sleeping). This would give you an 8" or a 9" mattress (the extra inch in both mattresses is the ticking and the quilting).
I am assuming that the outlets you were referring to were …
Ortho mattress is also in your area but I wouldn’t put them in the same category in terms of either quality or value.
If you hadn’t checked with Lebeda … then they would be worth a phone call as they make a latex mattress with a 6" latex core and a 2" comfort layer (last time I checked) which may work well for you.
In terms of being environmentally sound … bamboo is not as good a choice as organic cotton because it is a rayon fabric using bamboo cellulose which is more correctly called artificial than natural. While it certainly feels nice, the manufacturing of rayon (made from cellulose pulp from many sources) is not so “friendly”.
An inherent rayon fire barrier is a good “non toxic” choice (they use silica in the rayon and often kevlar thread), while wool is a more “natural” and environmentally friendly choice. Wool is also good for temperature regulation in a mattress and there are studies that say it encourages deeper sleep but the “tradeoff” of wool is that it will slightly firm up the feeling of the latex … especially as the wool compresses.
Each person of course has different needs and preferences based on their weight, body profile, and sleeping positions so it’s difficult to compare these two in terms of what is best for you.
In terms of value however … both independent manufacturers that I mentioned have better value IMO than most retail outlets that sell Savvy Rest.
Savvy Rest uses either organic Dunlop latex made by Coco Latex or 100% natural talalay in their mattresses. Both are very high quality materials and the mattress itself is also high quality. The “organic” label means that the latex manufacturer has complied with the requirements of production that meet the organic standards along the whole production chain. 100" natural Dunlop latex may be the same material but because the manufacturer has not gone to the expense and difficulty of achieving the organic label … it cannot be labeled “organic” even if the material is the same.
In terms of durability … there is a strong argument that either blended talalay latex (usually 30 - 40% natural latex and 60 - 70% synthetic latex or SBR) or NR Dunlop is more durable than 100% natural Talalay … expecially in the softer versions or ILD’s of NR Talalay that are often used in comfort layers. While there is some argument around the internet about this … the manufacturer of the latex believes this which is why they warranty the material only 10 years rather than 20. My own research and conversations with manufacturers who use it also seems to confirm this (again in the lower ILD’s). I also believe that the actual NR (natural rubber) content of 100% NR Dunlop is in most cases higher than the corresponding 100% NR Talalay.
So with all that said … the Savvy Rest 9" latex mattress with 3 layers of organic Dunlop is $2439 in queen. The same basic mattress can be purchased online using 100% natural Dunlop latex made by Latex Green (also very high quality) for $1750 from SleepEz who is a member here (meaning I know them well and respect their quality and value). The same choices of layering and “split layers” are also available. It is also available in blended Talalay at the same price.
Savvy rest also sells their 9" 100% NR Talalay for $3339 in queen. The exact same layering and materials are available from SleepEz for $1995 here.
Overall I believe that a local purchase, especially from a local manufacturer, is well worth while when they carry the mattress that you want (and can actually test) at a good value … even if the price is slightly more than is available online. If the local price though is significantly more than online … then the value of testing the actual mattress that you buy is diminished and the significantly lower price would become more of a factor … at least for me.
Hope this helps sort through some of the tradeoffs that may be important parts of “value” for you.
I like the idea of the split layers with different layers of firmness as I could change my needs/comfort in the next 20 years, and maybe someday I’ll have a sleeping partner (!) who would want a different layer on top, so I plan on going with the Sleepez, so thanks for telling me about that option (plus it’s thicker than the Lebeda).
Now my question is what foundation to use? I have a 20+ year old box springs and there are no bed slats on my 4 poster bed.
SleepEz is a great choice and it would certainly fit your criteria :).
Since a latex mattress generally does best with a rigid, even, and supportive foundation … and since your box spring is over 20 years old … I’d suggest that you will need a new foundation.
You have several options that you could use for your 4 poster. If it has a center support and you can add slats directly on it (minimum 3" apart and preferably less than that) … then that would work well but it would be quite low. You can also add either a wooden slatted or a wire grid foundation (similar to your boxspring but more solid and rigid) onto it that is a similar height to your current boxspring if you prefer or need more height. I personally believe that a slatted wood foundation or strong wire grid foundation is much preferable to a solid platform foundation because it allows the mattress to breathe and ventilate moisture. Make sure too that you have center support down to the floor on a king size bed.
If the suggestion came from SleepEz, then they are very good at making suggestions based on their many customers and that “average” people of a certain height, weight, and sleeping position would normally prefer.
Did you have a particular latex combination that you tried that you liked better than any other?
Was Shawn’s suggestion based on Talalay or Dunlop?
It would also depend as well to a large degree on the specifics of your height and weight but overall I would tend to trust Shawn’s suggestions unless our discussions here indicated that a different layering was clearly preferable.
Which type of latex and which model you are choosing (they have different layer thicknesses) could also make a difference in your choices.