I need some help, to be quite honest. Long story as short as possible… We bought a purple mattress nearly 3 years ago, and highly regret it. My wife was pregnant, it solved her problems, but created new ones for me, and now that she is no longer pregnant and lost the weight—she hates the bed. Our prior bed that we loved, was a Beautyrest from Mattress Firm, some 10 years ago. My only complaint was it wasn’t a king (for when I got married) and it slept a bit warm. (If it helps I can get more info off the label as its our guest bed now). We had a separate King given to us, it was a Macy’s brand, that was okay, but slept very warm and was indented pretty good by a much larger person before we inherited it. We definitely need the space of a King though.
We have been slowly researching, reading, etc–and found that the Temperpedic Breeze (Soft) feels pretty darn good to us as both the other beds we have are more plush then the Purple Mattress, by at least 2 points on a 10 scale. But I feel I am buying into a brand and paying a premium, and less buying into something unique at this point. The more I read on Temperpedic on Mattress Underground, that only seems to confirm my opinion. I stumbled on GhostBed a few days ago, and have been reading up on it, but found that it is likely more firm than what we need, as it seems to have a firmness closer to the Purple (though appears to have many improvements in approach).
About Us, and our desire:
37 and 38 yr old
I am a side sleeper 100%
Wife is 80% side sleeper, 20% back sleeper.
I am 8’1 @ 180lbs
She is 5’ @ below my weight.
Ultimately at a high level our desires are this:
Good warranty
Fairly cool bed (similar or better than the original Purple).
Plush (4-6 out of 10, assuming a Purple is a 7)
Can be on an adjustable base (we have one)
Helps reduce our pressure points. (I have them in hip and shoulder, wife gets them in back).
We don’t have anywhere in Orlando (34787) that we know of to experience Latex (that I have found), nor a company that isn’t just peddling the big names of Sealy, Temperpedic, Sleep Number, Beauty Rest, you get it. I am in Orlando (zip: 34787), and cant seem to find many local small shop “i know my stuff” mattress companies. We do have an “Original Mattress Factory”, but my parents went that route—and it didn’t go well and resulted in mattress toppers. Oh and I have a 2 year old, making mattress shopping not easy even when we go into the big box stores!.
Suggestions/thoughts appreciated!
Note: as for materials, all mattress toppers I bought in the 100-300 range from Amazon, trying to make the purple—better, resulted in me in sweats. They just don’t breathe. Not sure if that helps guide recommendations, but it is my experience. Memory Topper with “gel swirls” and all the like to “keep it cool” just failed me after a short period of time.
Ok, so upon further review, seems myISense isn’t very plush even at low levels… makes sense, as its adjustability is purely in the center… (I read this on reddit).
So I am now looking at av ariety of beds…
Nola Signature 12
Brentwood - Oceano Luxury Hybrid (This one worries me because they claim “cooling gel” but everytime I use a mattress topper (2-3in) I find I am sweating in the middle of the night).
Nest - Alexander Signature Hybrid - Plush or Medium (leaning Medium)
WinkBeds - GravityLux in Soft
Plushbeds - Luxury Bliss Natural Latex (but I have zero latex experience), and doesnt seem as plush as a temperedic is (which we like).
It seems they all have reasonable cooling, and are good for pressure relief for side-sleepers. They all sit at $2k or less, which is great too.
Ill keep updating based on research, its just… mentally exhausting!.
So, removing WinkBeds out, for questionable durability.
But along with #5… That puts SleepEz into the mix. SleepEz chat was super quick, and so they found a place I can experiment with latex. So that might be a tomorrow trip! Not sure how I like the sound of “sleeping on Jello”.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum. I am sorry to hear of your discomfort on your Purple Mattress.
There are many fans of the older Simmons Beauty Rest mattresses! Their more “traditional” construction of a quilted top innerspring mattress was popular in the old days. Do. you happen to remember which model of Beauty Rest it was? I would be interested to see if we can find the layer specifications.
Just for the sake of reference … the materials in the Tempurpedic Breeze are as follows … Quilt
Tempur-Breeze & Microsuede
100% Polyester Comfort / transition Layers
2" TEMPUR-ES comfort layer 4.1 LB
2" TEMPUR Support Layer 5.3 LB Support System Polyfoam core (Dual Airflow System)
3.5" Airflow Baselayer 2.2lb
3.5" Airflow Baselayer 2.2lb
While this mattress would not have any weak links in terms of durability for you and your wife’s BMI, compared to many mattresses made by smaller manufacturers … there is nothing special about this Tempurpedic line outside of their name recognition and the amount of advertising they do. You can see some of my general thoughts about Tempurpedic in post #10 here and the posts it links to and while for the most part they do use good quality materials … for most people they certainly wouldn’t be in the best value range compared to many other similar mattresses that use the same or similar quality materials (or sometimes better quality) and are in much lower price ranges.
The most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability (which is all about how long you will sleep well) and in terms of durability, a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality and durability of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label.
As you are both side sleepers, a good starting point for a good comfort layer for is 3" and then depending on weight, body shape, preferences, and the firmness of the support layers, to go up or down from there. Most side sleepers will fall in the range of from 2" - 4". And because you are both within a BMI of 20 - 30 II assume this is true of your wife, since I don’t know her weight) and are considering mattresses with poly or memory foam in the comfort layers, I would keep these recommendations in mind:
Polyurethane foam (often called polyfoam): If your mattress is one-sided then I would make sure that the density of any polyfoam is at least 1.8 lb per cubic foot or higher. If the mattress is two-sided then I would use a minimum foam density of 1.5 lbs per cubic foot or higher.
Memory foam (or gel memory foam): If your mattress is one-sided then I would make sure that any memory foam is at least 4 lb per cubic foot. If the mattress is two-sided then I would use a minimum density of 3 lbs per cubic foot.
I always have a hard time pointing people in the right direction because definitions of soft and firm can very so much, especially in regards to support. Firmness and support really aren’t as tied together as it may seem. For example, there are foams that that very soft (between 10-16 IFD) but actually have higher support than foams with higher IFDs.
Additionally, comparing the softness/firmness of a mattress you might consider with another mattress on the market no matter how widely available might be is no possible (except in general terms) because a mattress wok as a whole and in combination with the individuals sleeping on the.
So, I’d say a firmness rating scale is unreliable at worst and at best only possible as an internal way to compare mattresses made by the same company or/and … tested by the same individuals. To give you a quick example someone with an “hour-glass” and very curvy body profile which are also is sleeping on their side might have trouble with most mattresses even in soft configuration. You can see this 3-page more extreme alignment/pressure points real case scenario we currently have in progress to give you an idea of how different the perception of softness/firmness can be from person to person
As you are considering a GhostBed, I would suggest reaching out to or visiting them so they can help with making the best comfort/support choice. If they are given your stats and information about your body types, sleeping styles, general preferences and history, some general information about mattresses you have tested and done well with, and any other specific information or circumstances that could affect your choice of a mattress, they’ll be able to help guide you.
As you mentioned that you slept hot on all toppers you purchased (which I suspect were memory foam variations) you may wish to consider a mattress that has latex in the comfort layer as it tends to sleep the coolest of all the foams and offers the “plush” feel that many desire while offering secondary support and reducing pressure points.
Additionally, I am not sure if you came across some of our posts that discuss temperature regulations issues, but you can read more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here more about tracking mattress temperature regulation issues potential causes ~ Post #2 here (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) and the posts it links to that may be helpful. You may also be interested in the information in post #29 about temperature regulation and mattress microclimate.
As far as warranties go, they only cover defects in a mattress which are generally defined as visible impressions that are more than a specified amount when there is no weight on the mattress (normally from .75" to 2") and don’t cover changes in the firmness of the materials and the loss of comfort and support which is the biggest reason that you will need to replace a mattress. This I would put more stock in the return/trial policies of any company you may be considering.
Fox Mattress specializes in sleeping cool as well as temperature and humidity regulation, and they offer latex (amongst other) options. They are located about 90 minutes away from where you are. GhostBed has a showroom about 3 hours from you, but doesn’t offer latex…but you would be able to test their mattresses in person which is a plus. Luma Sleep offers latex and hybrid options while their HQ are about an hour from where you are., they don’t have a showroom any longer. You may want to call them or ask questions directly on LumaSleep dedicated forum on TMU
There is no shortcut to doing this fast and ensuring the mattress is a good fit. The good news is that if you do it right then you don’t have to worry about it for the next decade or even more. I know it isn’t quite that straight forward and “linear” to select a mattress. There is a lot of contradictory and confusing information. I would step back a bit and would not add more mattresses to your list. it is easy to get into an impulse shopping mode and select something based on cleverly crafted advertising verbiage. and first, try to understand a bit more your needs and preferences. I am saying this as I am noticing that you selected a very wide range of mattress types and materials. Once you determine what type of mattress and materials you prefer and need you can use new criteria to eliminate and narrow your mattress search based on these criteria. Then you can apply a second and very important criteria of “durability” … eliminate all mattresses that do not meet the durability guidelines for my BMI … then a third “temperature regulation” e.g. eliminate all mattresses that have the potential to sleep hot… and so on. But that is all covered in the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones which would include the major brands such as Serta or any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the quality of the materials inside it. When assessing any product, also be sure that you find out 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 helps you as you continue in your research. I look forward to progress reports or future questions
You are actually hitting on some key observations I was making myself. The list kept getting longer, and the confusion was growing, which is not good.
Ill check the tag of the mattress upstairs for the model. My only complaint really, was it was warn down, and just a bit hotter than ideal. Funny thing is, MattressFirm even mentioned people love the pervious BeautyRest mattresses as well–seems to be a common theme.
You mentioned side sleepers and BMI:
I did see a typo, I am 6’1 @ 180 (not 8’1), and for completeness, shes 5’ @ 120(ish). We have pretty standard frames, and keep pretty healthy.
I will read throug that active-thread on alignment on pressure points asap!.
Yes, all my toppers were memory foam variants. It was this, that made me start thinking I needed latex of some form, even if its only a bit. We did love a (i think it was) 3inch topper, and how it felt–but I felt like I was also in a sauna within 30minutes. So we definately like a plush bed. We dont like how difficult movement is, once you get to the 3inch foams though. (By itself).
As far as Temperpedic goes, I had found that Post you linked, and had made the same discovery and assumptions, before you approved me to this forum. So I was happy about that, its ultimately buying into a brand name.
As for mattress foundation/microclimate we use an adjustable base, very very heavy/strong one, and we use cooling sheets such as Sheex. (We have two of their cooling types) and have used Bamboo sheets with some decent luck. Often I find myself sleeping without a comforter even on the purple bed, during our Orlando summers. (With ceiling fan on, room temperature at 73)
I did see Fox Mattress, and it is a hike with a 2yr old—but it may be the best chance we have to experience a variety of options, and start figuring out what we like.
Thank you so much for your reply, and supporting this forum as a whole. It is a treasure-trove of never-ending information.
You are most welcome and thanks for your appreciation.
I look forward to seeing you getting on the “straight and narrow” with the mattress selection once you had a chance to peruse the additional information I included above.
Keep us posted!
So, we did the hike to Fox Mattress today, and I can see why they are highly recommended. Chelsea (daughter of the owners), was extremely helpful. Chelsea and I spoke a few minutes, and I filled her in on our challenges. About the third mattress she showed us, was the Key West which was the most plush one they had on the floor. Its layers were basically:
Quilted Cotton Cover
Talalay Latex
High Density 3LB Super Soft Density Preserve Foam
High Density 3LB Density Preserve Foam
Quantum Coil
It felt extremely close to the high end Temperpedic we were originally interested in, probably overall better material, and at 1/3 off. We believe in the product far more as well. My wife and my spine seemed much more straight in this bed, than others as well, which was a good sign.
I primarily run into 3 concerns with this mattress:
Will it sleep hotter than my current mattress? (Purple classic)
Will it help relieve my shoulder pain? (It doesn’t appear so, but it was than the purple.) Note: I think my shoulder pains for the last decade plus, have been because I sit at a computer all day…and ergonomics are beating me up badly.
They do not have a return policy, it is a 90 day comfort exchange. So, they would try to customize it further–but Chelsea did admit, that there wasn’t much they could do around the shoulder area which is my main concern. But she did indicate it would soften up a bit compared to the floor model.
As I go through the checklist, this mattress seems to be moving in the right direction.
Feel: The Latex + Topper seemed to be right for us. We tried alternatives including a pure latex, but that was rejected instantly by the wife the moment she laid on it.
Material: It uses High Density 3LB foams, and talalay latex
Cooling: Coils on the bottom, and highly breathable Latex—I believe is a win
Cost: 1/3 less than the Temperpedic
Thoughts on my concerns? Or feedback in the thought process?
Purple (current): Sleeps reasonably temperature neutral, way too firm, trigger points shoulder, hip for me, and back/neck for wife.
Chattam & Wells Luxe IV: (Previous Bed), King size but was ‘inherited’ from a single man that was over 300lbs, and ‘wore it down’ a bit before we received it. Now one whole side feels VERY deep for me (firm and uncomfortable), but we used it for over a year before it broke down that much. Wife likes the softer side that wasn’t worn down, she sleeps warm in it in summer, fine in it now (Florida “winter”).
Simmons Beautyrest (My original mattress) Manufactured 12/08. I cant find the tag with the name, but it is a Model: M20915.70.7472 Prototype ID: MPD101, MPD583, MPD490. This mattress still not bad at all, too small, sleeps pretty warm.
And last comment, all 3 are here because we use them as guest bedrooms. So wife has been experimenting on them a bit to realize we prefer softer beds. We will likely phase the Chattam out first when we have a new mattress.
I’ve been to Fox Mattress, great folks over there and always seemed happy to help. That said maybe I can provide a few suggestions that might assist you on your quest. First let’s have a look at the inside of your current mattress and see why it doesn’t work for you or your wife.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s inside an original purple mattress (all white cover):
As you can see there’s 2" of the gel polymer, 3.5" of (1.8lb, unknown ILD) HD polyfoam and 4" of (2.0lb, unknown ILD) HD polyfoam. Now without knowing your body shape or seeing any photos (showing alignment) it sounds like you are going through the gel comfort layer and your hip/shoulders are hitting the support layers below. Your wife complaining of neck issues could be pillow related or it could be an alignment issue with the shoulders not going into the mattress if this occurs with side sleeping. I would suggest you both take a photo of each other in side sleeping position and check if your spines are straight or not (you should be able to draw a straight line from your tailbone through the base of your neck and out the top of your head).
It sounds like you do like hybrid mattresses and in Florida sleeping hot can definitely be an issue so my suggestion would be to go for a latex hybrid with all talalay on the comfort layers above the coils. I always suggest in cases like this getting one that has a zippable cover so you can tune it (adjust the latex layers) to your own preferences in case it doesn’t work perfectly right out of the box. Not sure if Fox can custom build you a mattress like this (might be wort asking) and how much it might cost. This way you could have them help you try different combos of latex foams at the factory (even creating a split if needed so you have your wife have different zones). If they won’t do that then there are quite a few other manufacturers that could help you get something like this that would work well for you. I’ll leave Sensei and Phoenix to speak to those options for you.
Thank you for the feedback. I have seen you helping others, and love your approach as it is extremely supportive and complimentary to Phoenix/Sensei’s help.
I did ask Fox about a zipper, and they said that mattress didn’t have that as an option, and it was advised against doing zoning, as the mattress had already pretty soft Talalay, not sure how much that is true, but it seemed they believed there was not a lot more softness that could be done for my shoulder.
I was talking to the wife about doing photos as we were driving to Fox Mattress, so we will do that asap. I believe your description is spot on though. I think my hip and shoulders are pushing past the 2inch grid. (Note: we did try the newer Purples, but now the grid becomes more significant and doesn’t feel great…though they did give us an upgrade option making it pretty cheap to upgrade).
We will do those photos ASAP! Thank you again, everyone is extremely appreciated, and I hope my journey helps others in the future.
Happy to help and honestly I do it really just because I know from personal experience just how unpleasant sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t work for you can be.
Getting back to your case, I’m not sure why Fox didn’t like the zoning idea unless maybe they either don’t want the hassle or perhaps she misunderstood what you meant. In any case I think the best way to think about what you need is if you take a set of coil springs and lie directly on top of them. Ideally if they were a perfect match your spine would be exactly aligned (assuming you had the right pillow) while lying down. It might be uncomfortable due to pressure from the springs but overall there shouldn’t really be any pain in your neck/back/hips from lack of support. This is obviously almost never the reality and so the layers you put above must do two things; 1) provide pressure relief and 2) make any adjustments needed to bring your spine into alignment. Add to this that people have different heights, shapes, weights, sleeping positions, etc then that obviously complicates the number of variables involved to find the best solution for you. The basic premise is that if you are heavier (not just lbs, BMI is important here because it involves weight distribution), is a side sleeper or have a more curvy shape then you will likely need more depth to this upper layer than someone who is a stomach sleeper at the other end of the spectrum. I would suggest you’ll need at least 6" of layering (pref latex talalay) above the coils including 2-3" of comfort layer and the rest as a support layer to correct any alignment issues. You could add another 3" if you were having trouble getting the alignment corrected but this is no guarantee since there are some cases as I outlined above which just can’t be fixed without zoning (although you may reach an acceptable compromise in some cases). That would also be a very thick mattress (8" coils + 9" comfort/support). I would always try to tailor a bed first using uniform layering because zoning is more complex/expensive and should be reserved as a last resort. Hope this makes sense.
Let us know what you see in the photos and it may help some in figuring out your mattress needs.
So, this just got extremely interesting for me. I had mentioned a “straight spine” at Fox, and they said that too straight a spine could cause other pains/problems at the hip (i wasnt sure how to process that statement, so I let it roll) (my wife quoted it, when I was taking these pics).
Looking at the pictures, and marking them, I just…cringe. First 3 are on the Purple, last one with my wife is on the Chattam that she feels better on right now. I can definitely see why I prefer a thinner pillow, and am often at the “far end” of the pillow, for my necks sake. We use to have a lower BMI (not that it is higher) as gym rats, but you know… toddlers and time. Anyways enough excuses on that piece.
Those photos are very telling, I’m glad it helped provide some clarity on why you may be having mattress issues. I find it strange the folks at Fox said a straight spine causes problems but you were right not to argue because often it won’t help your cause. Think about if you stand straight up then start bending to the side at the waist a bit and hold it…after a while you’ll see it’s not a very comfortable position because it’s not neutral. Same thing happens when you lie sideways on a bed. Now ideally the spine is perfectly straight but some people may tolerate more bend in the spine before they feel any discomfort or pain while sleeping. Just look at young kids, heck they can sleep straight on the floor or in an airplane/car and wake up ready to raise hell the next morning. People with injuries, joint issues, elderly, etc will have a much narrower range where it remains comfortable but again all people will prefer the spine in a neutral position (barring some serious medical condition like Scoliosis).
In your photos on the Purple mattress it looks like you have a large bend in the spine near the middle of your back but I also see your shoulder is rolled over underneath you (which I suspect is from the lack of give in the bed in that area on the Purple mattress). So really you have 2 issues there, 1) you need support near your middle so it doesn’t sink into the bed too far and 2) you need the bed to have some give in the hips and especially the shoulder to allow you to sink into the bed more for good alignment. This is not likely a case where just adding more toppers will fix the issue.
In your wife’s case you can see why she would prefer the other bed. In the purple mattress you can see her spine is quite bent almost in a slight hammock shape while in the Chattam her lower back looks fairly straight (likely because her hips can sink into the mattress more) but her shoulder needs more travel into the mattress to stop her spine from bending in the mid back area.
At least you’re now starting to see what to look for and how to make it work for you.
Thanks for all the feedback, greatly appreciated!. I look forward to next recommendations, as I am at a loss for options. I was thinking flobeds before, but it doesn’t have an adequate topper for my wife (and no way to evaluate). FloBeds seems to think an Egg-Crate topper is great, but I have always found them the first thing to fall apart-degrade, so that one puzzles me as well.
Thoughts? I’m interested in where Phoenix would suggest I go from here.
Summary of where we stand:
We understand our body’s are not straight, and that we need a lot more “give” in our hips and shoulders.
We really like talalay, but it needs a pretty dang good cover on top of it for my wife to like it. (Which is what Fox Mattress has)
Fox Mattresses solution may not be quite “right” for us, but it sure as heck is getting closer.
Any suggestions on where to go from here? I’m staring to research talalay and zoned mattresses, but any direction or next step recommendation would be appreciated.
Not sure if Phoenix or Sensei have suggestions but I guess the first question I’d be asking myself is what type of mattress do I want. It sounds like you were heading in the hybrid direction but then you mentioned Flobeds which only sell all latex beds (you may want to try one first locally if possible) so I wasn’t sure. Then the next question is are you looking for a turn key product or did you want to try a DIY setup (again going this route can have some additional challenges but can be very rewarding when you get it right). After that I’d ask if you have budget constraints or is it basically don’t care and just want it solved (I’m probably in this category right now myself). Once you’ve gone through these questions then you can start to narrow down your choices and figure out who to work with and/or what materials you might need. It’s really too bad Fox wasn’t more willing to work with you to try something like a custom hybrid talalay mattress because it may have created a great option that others might be interested in later as well. I can’t say I’m totally surprised because last time I was there they pretty much focused on polyfoam and memory foam mattresses but not sure if that is still the case now.
Quick comment on the flobeds topper, it’s actually convoluted (eggcrate) talalay latex so it’s WAY more durable than the old polyfoam eggcrate toppers we all had in university for our dorm mattresses. I haven’t tried it myself so I can speak to how it feels personally but the design is to make the top layer super soft (which an ILD 14-15 topper would definitely do).
Thanks for the reply, and I do hope to hear from Phoenix/Sensei
So, originally I was “all over the map” which was called out by Phoenix. When we were at Fox Mattress though, what became apparent is we really did like the mattress they suggested–it just didn’t solve all the problems, it IMPROVED many of the problems. So, if I use that as the “ah hah” moment, that was a Talalay mattress with (great) topper, it just wasn’t zoned in a way that helped further align my spine, or reducing my shoulder compression. So, FloBed does seem very compelling. I did see the egg-topper was talalay, this morning about an hour after my inquiry, so this is a good thing. Unfortunately, there is no place for me to test a FloBed locally. There is a “Relax in Comfort” near me, that sells SavvyRest which has many Talalay variants (FloBed without the zoning) that I was going to go check out, as our next step in the short-term.
Right now I lean FloBed, I don’t know how I feel about doing a DIY mattress (beyond what a FloBed would be), and we were hoping to finance the bed (building wife’s credit up). The price we actually have some flexibility on, and right now appears to be in the 3-4k range based on FloBed and FoxMattress being in that range. But that’s also why I hope to get more feedback or suggestion on next steps.
It appears you have been receiving some excellent guidance from Mattrebuild. I’d add just a few more cents to the tally.
As Mattrebuild mentions a latex topper of medium firmness will easily last a decade or so. The 2" convoluted latex at 28 ILD will act like a 16 ILD topper creating the soft but resilient cradle (takes on the shape of the body better which provides more even support and aids in better pressure relief), has a higher support factor you most likely need for your side sleeping. See FloBeds hardness specs in the image below. (This does not apply to you but FYI …very soft ILDs (around 14) for higher BMI ranges under increased mechanical stress tend to wear out faster.)
From my discussions with them, they have settled on this design and use convoluted latex across their all-latex mattresses for decades because based on consumer feedback and reports of pressure point relief and better skin blood circulation (similar to the setup used for hospital patients post-operation)
Additionally, you can request to replace the convoluted layer with a solid layer of the same thickness latex and your choice of ILD (from 22 ILD to 36 ILD) if you prefer, or … you can initiate an exchange if you wish to try the convoluted version to experiment with.
[center] https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/66/2021-02-12_flobeds-ild-talalay.jpg[/center]
Their vZoned mattress has 13 possible firmnesses (each side of the bed) and 100 Night Money Back Firmness Guaranteed Test Rest to get the right firmness. If returned during this time you’ll get a full refund, but you will have to pay for the shipping back. For example, a queen mattress would cost about $79 to ship to the Continental US. They offer their UPS account to return at the same price, so your risk would be about $148.
Again, it’s good to know FloBeds made it into your finalists. With its customization options, it has a high probability of being a good match for you and your wife as the vZone offers customized lumbar support, shoulder, and hip relief which will allow for your spine to settle in its neutral alignment. You can switch around the comfort layers until you are happy. I noted in the alignment photos you uploaded that the pillow elevation is too high and can add some pressure on your cervical (especially for your wife) I would address the pillow issue a little after the mattress purchase as the pillow/mattress combo is an important part of the alignment puzzle.
FloBeds’ cover is organic cotton stretch knit quilted to organic wool which is preferred for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The cover is good quality and also unzips for comfort exchanges, cleaning, and hanging in the sun and I don’t see any red flags that may be cause of concern. Is there something specific that your wife is looking for in a cover?
This option has the advantage of store visits and maybe trying mattresses in several sittings. Many times, our perceptions change with our mood … our bodies are funny that way… so it is a good idea to double-check that it is really getting closer to what you need.
Yes, memory foam is not for everyone but many people got used to this particular feeling. Memory foam can be a “love it or hate it” material and it certainly has “weaknesses” that latex doesn’t have even though they are roughly equivalent in terms of their ability to relieve pressure. You are probably wise to avoid it if your experience indicates you don’t do well with it in the long term.
Just in case you want to peruse other options here are some other Trusted Members that offer Latex beds [some offering zoned options as well]: Arizona Premium Latex Mattress Factory Nest Bedding Foam Sweet Foam My Green Mattress Luma Sleep
It certainly looks like you are making great progress. I’ll be interested to learn of your eventual decisions.
