second thoughts...

Hi passim,

If I was in your shoes and you can I would be tempted to cancel the order and give yourself some time to do some more extensive research first so you an find a mattress that is a better value or perhaps a more suitable choice than what you ordered. You will be sleeping on any mattress you buy for a long time and a mattress is one of the most important purchases you can make because it will have a bigger effect on how well you sleep and your overall wellbeing than almost anything else so it makes sense to make a choice that is the best match for all the criteria that are important to you.

The first place I would start is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones. The tutorial also includes a list of the better online manufacturers and retailers I’m aware of that sell memory foam mattresses and many of them make mattresses that are close approximations of the Tempurpedic line but in much better price ranges.

While I don’t think that gel memory foam is “complete hype” … it’s true that the benefits of gel are often exaggerated. There is more about the different types of gel materials and gel memory foam in post #2 here and much more detailed information in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

There is also more about all the many variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here and the posts it links to so if sleeping temperature is a major consideration for you it can help you choose materials that tend to sleep cooler. In many cases the mattress protector and the type of sheets you use can also make a significant difference in sleeping temperature regardless of the type of mattress you choose.

If you let me know the city in Colorado you live in or your zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

Phoenix

How nice of you to respond so quickly. Yes, I live in Pueblo, about 35 miles south of Colorado Springs. I am open to all options, even an online purchase if I knew it was right for me. I will visit the store tomorrow to cancel the transaction; hopefully that is doable. I will take your advice and read all the links you have suggested. Thank you so much! All I want is a good nights sleep! :slight_smile:

Hi passim,

The better local options I’m aware of in the Pueblo area (subject to following all the steps in the tutorial post) are listed in post #3 here.

Phoenix

Great list! Thank you very much. I purchased the bed I’m having second thoughts about from Denver Mattress Co. and I simply feel I paid too much for a mattress. :ohmy: Yikes! I do feel I should stick with them now since I started with them. I am liking the idea of latex. I’ll go see what they have. I will let you know what my experience is with them on getting out of the deal on the expensive Tempur-Pedic mattress… I hope they aren’t too tough to deal with. Thanks for your help on this. I’m still reading through your information. It’s truly amazing and quite helpful to me to know more going into this. Wish I had read it first! :oops:

Hi passim,

Which bed did you purchase … the Tempur Cloud Luxe Breeze you were originally considering?

Phoenix

Yes, I purchased the Tempur Cloud Luxe Breeze from Denver Mattress but it has not been delivered yet. It is the bed I’m having second thoughts about. I’m sure it’s a fine bed; I just think it’s too much money for what it is. I’m also concerned that it might be too soft now that I’ve read a lot about mattresses and the comfort of keeping the spine straight. That is especially important for me since I had a double laminectomy plus fusion of 3 vertebrae and already experience a lot of pain, stiffness and arthritis. I’ve got to be careful what I buy. I still haven’t decided what I want. But I don’t like the smell of off gassing and I’m pretty into natural fibers. Leaning towards latex and natural fiber ticking… Just a thought anyway. I am right now on my way to Denver Mattress to kill the deal if I can. Wish me luck.

Hi passim,

I would agree that the mattress uses good quality materials but wouldn’t be in the best value range for most people compared to other similar mattresses that use the same quality materials and are in lower price ranges and may be just as suitable for you in terms of PPP.

Good luck … and I’m looking forward to finding out how it works out :).

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix. I was able to get a complete refund on the Tempur-Pedic $$$ and actually the store manager was really nice. :cheer: Yay for Denver Mattress Co! I was nervous about asking for the refund! He was so nice that instead of just leaving, I asked about latex mattresses, as sleeping to hot, off gassing smells, and price were big issues for me. He showed me the iChoice Air and iChoice Latex. $2399, a price I can live with. Both have a 3" Talalay latex removable topper that is very soft and springy (no mention of density number). The Air is pretty cool in that it has a 3 zone air chamber support system. I like air as I’ve been on a Sleep Number for several years. The 3 chamber is different from Sleep Number and was noticeable in that I could feel the air raise or lower my lumbar spine while lying on my side. It felt like it moved my spine into a nice straight horizontal line without dips or curves. So it felt like it provided better support for me. I did not however like the the warranty on the Air, only 2 years on the air mechanics… So as much as I liked the Air, I will probably get the solid Latex bottom instead. They are good looking mattresses too. Here’s a link if you want to take a look. 404 | Denver Mattress I know if I ask you what you think you’ll tell me what you tell everyone who asks you to decide for them, that it is very individual in terms of PPP. But really, should I get the Air or the Solid bottom? Ha! At least I know now if I don’t like it I can return it within 90 days for a full refund or trade it on something else. My mattress intimidation is over and I can buy without fear. Your articles were an invaluable resource to me and I thank you very much! You will be getting a donation via PayPal. :slight_smile: I’ll let you know how it goes with my iChoice Air or Latex? and Denver Mattress. Forever in your debt in Colorado!

Hi passim,

You can see the ILD’s of all the latex layers in post #5 here. The only lower quality material in the iChoice Latex is the 1" layer of 1.35 lb polyfoam but it’s only an inch and deeper in the mattress so it wouldn’t be a weak link in the mattress and all the other materials are good quality.

While any type of mattress can work for some people and the type of support core would be a personal preference … you can see my general thoughts about airbeds in this article. The airbed also has 2" of 1.5 lb polyfoam which would be “on the edge” in terms of being a weak link eve though it’s under the latex topper. Between the two I would lean towards the “mostly latex” version over the air version.

Phoenix

Phoenix, it was so kind of you to respond again so quickly. I am so ready for a new bed! I read your article about air beds and I will take your advice. And thank you for the ILD’s of the topper and all the bottom latex layers. I copied them into a file for safe keeping. I will definitely purchase the iChoice Latex and with any luck at all, start catching up on the sleep I have been missing! Thank you again for the great articles and advice. I am so fortunate to have found your site before it was too late and I made a very expensive mistake! Pay Pal and I will be getting to know each other again. :wink:

Hi passim,

If you have done some careful testing and the iChoice latex is a good match for you in terms of PPP then it would certainly make a good quality choice.

Assuming that you decide to pull the trigger … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix

I pulled the trigger and will have a new bed next Friday. Yay! :cheer: Thanks so much for your help! The articles were invaluable!

Hi passim,

I’m looking forward to your feedback when you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Well, it’s been a month now and I like the latex mattress so far, as far as how it feels and it does sleep a little cooler than the memory foam. It’s very lively and bouncy, but I’m having more back pain with it than my 12 year old Sleep Number with memory foam topper. It may just be that I haven’t given it enough time. Hmmmmmm… How long should I give it? Here’s the kicker…I was very disappointed with the delivery experience. First they delivered a scared and visibly crushed in the center foundation (the bed actually visibly sagged in the middle) and also they brought me the topper from the floor model bed!!! Really? It was spotted and dirty and I couldn’t help but think of all the feet and people lying on it for God knows how long. I called immediately and was told that the delivery man was supposed to tell me that the topper they had ordered from Denver didn’t arrive and they wanted to get me something so I wouldn’t be sleeping on the floor. I don’t know what happened, but sending out crushed foundations and floor models without any explanation at 8:00 PM on a Friday night was unacceptable to me. But I took it, covered it, slept on it, and I waited another week to get a new foundation and topper. Believe it or not the new topper was soiled with black soot on all of the corners. Apparently the bag it was in was not thick enough so it had holes and dirt from the floor of the truck had gotten all over the soft thick zip off covering. So now I’m pretty angry,but not at the driver. (I know it’s not his fault) I tried spot treating it to no avail. Will have to take it to a laundromat and put it in a jumbo washer to get the soil out. What’s even worse is, I NEVER heard a word about it from the salesman or the store! :ohmy: Just WOW. Okay, all that said, when does latex stop putting off that rubber smell? I am just a little nauseated by the smell and hoped it would be gone by now. Opinion… Should I send this whole thing back or give it another month to see if the smell goes away and the mattress becomes more comfortable for my 7 year post surgical back? Of course I pay shipping both ways wouldn’t you know! Thank you in advance for your opinion on this matter. :slight_smile:

Hi passiim,

Thanks for the update and I’m sorry to hear about some of your more negative experiences with the topper and the foundation.

The normal adjustment period would be in the range from just a few days for some people and up to about 90 days for some others but it would typically be in the range of a few weeks depending on how different your mattress is from what you are used to sleeping on. There is more about the adjustment period in post #3 here. If you are still experiencing back pain after 30 days then it’s more likely that the mattress isn’t the most suitable “match” for you in terms of PPP and you may need to make some adjustments.

Post #2 here has more information about the most common symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the most likely reasons that can cause them.

If you are experiencing lower back pain … then the most common (but not the only) reason would be comfort layers that are too thick and/or soft which are “allowing” your hips/pelvis to sink down too far before they are “stopped” by the firmer transition and support layers and are putting you out of your neutral alignment range for too long over the course of the night.

There is more about the smell of latex in post #2 here. Talalay latex generally has a somewhat sweet smell but the strength of the smell can vary from batch to batch. For most people it’s not an issue (and some actually like it) and the smell dissipates to levels that they don’t notice in a few weeks but some people are more sensitive than others and some batches may have a stronger smell than others so in some cases it may take a little longer. There is also more information in post #3 here that may help as well.

If your topper was soiled I probably would have asked them to replace it when I received it but it’s quite possible that 3" of 14 ILD Talalay latex is too thick/soft for you on top of that specific mattress and if I was in your shoes I would first consider trying to sleep on just the mattress without the topper to see if this helps with your back pain. If you notice improvement but you need some additional softness or pressure relief in addition to the mattress by itself then you can add a different topper that may be a more suitable thickness and firmness using the information in post #2 here and the topper guidelines and sources that it links to.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, Thank you for your prompt reply. I will try it without the topper tonight and see if it’s a too soft topper causing my pain. My bed must be made of the Dunlop rubber because it is certainly not a sweet smell. If the rubber smell, which I find objectionable will eventually go away, I would live with it. If it does not dissipate for 6 months, that would be too long, especially going into winter here in Colorado in a closed up house, and I would rather send the bed back now. I actually do have an above normal sense of smell and I’m sure many people wouldn’t be bothered much by it, or perhaps not at all, but for me it smells nauseatingly like rubber and I prefer no smell at all in my environment, no perfumes, scented candles, or room fresheners, especially in the bedroom. Hopefully this makes sense. OMG! Hopefully I do not end up back on my old Sleep Number bed! :ohmy:

Hi Passim,

It’s actually Talalay but the 100% natural version has more of a rubber smell than the blended version. It “should” be long gone by 6 months. Just out of curiosity does it seem to be coming more from the mattress, the topper, or both?

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix… Oh My Gosh! I thought it was coming more from the topper, but once I took the topper off and put it into another bedroom with the door closed, I realized the strongest smell was coming from the mattress itself. I’m not saying the topper has no odor, just not as strong. I was initially confused perhaps because there are holes all throughout the topper to make it less dense, allowing the smell to rise up from the solid mattress through the topper and into the air above. Also concerning… When I removed the topper I noticed a less than smooth surface on the mattress. If you unzip the stretchy mattress cover you can see that the foam mattress itself is covered by a felt like material so you can’t even see the latex foam like with the topper. Although I haven’t slept without the topper yet there are wrinkles in the felt covering that are concerning. Will the thick felt material covering the mattress stretch and become more wrinkled? I don’t wish to borrow trouble but this material does not have any give like the stretchy zip off covers. I will let you know as I plan on sleeping on the mattress without the topper tonight. I do not have the physical strength to put the topper under the mattress as I probably should do. :frowning: If the smell gets to me too much I will go sleep in another bedroom and report back to you here. After going back into the bedroom to put on clean sheets and mattress cover, I am more inclined to think this whole thing is going back. The smell is nauseatingly strong and it’s getting too cool here in Colorado to leave the windows open It’s been a bad experience from the start. If the smell were to dissipate soon I would live with it, but I have a warranty to consider. Thanks for your help in all of this. :S Susan

Hi passim,

Thanks for the update. While it seems that the smell is coming from something in the main mattress … it should also also dissipate over time although of course if you are very sensitive to it then you may notice it for longer than others would. Removing the topper should also help to air it out a little quicker.

This would most likely be the non woven fire barrier in the mattress that is required to pass the fire regulations. It shouldn’t be wrinkled enough to affect the sleeping surface so it’s possible that it has somehow shifted or bunched inside the mattress but fire barriers aren’t as stretchy as a stretch knit cover that would be used in the topper. I would call and ask them about this if it affects your comfort or if you can feel the wrinkles because I doubt that they would all be like this.

If you can … I would try and sleep on the mattress without the topper to see how it changes your “symptoms”. I wouldn’t use the topper under the mattress because it could also change how the mattress feels.

It may also be worth going back to Denver Mattress to see if you can smell a similar smell from their floor models which should give you an good idea of whether the smell will dissipate enough to be acceptable to you.

You have 4 months to try the mattress and still be eligible for an exchange or refund under their return policy so you have some time to see how things develop.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix. I will let you know how it goes tonight. Yes, the whole mattress is encased in the fire barrier material, folded and stapled at the sides. I’ll bet most people don’t unzip that top cover and take a look as it looks rather cheesy inside. Interesting that the topper needs no fire barrier. Thank you for passing along the warranty information. I for some reason I thought it was 3 months, so glad to know I have plenty of time to decide. I may call and ask for a new/clean topper cover, but will do so tomorrow after I sleep on the mattress only portion of the bed and only if I decide to give it more time to odor dissipation. I’m glad I have the option to sleep in the quest bedroom if it’s uncomfortable or too aromatic. Thank you again. You have been a fabulous resource! :slight_smile: Susan