I have spent a lot of time working through the wealth of information on this site to choose a new mattress. It has been very interesting but not easy. To anyone who is just starting the process and maybe feeling a little frustrated or overwhelmed, I would say keep going. Everything will start to come together at some point and you will find answers or guidance for almost all of your questions on this site. I would like to clarify one thing. I have almost decided on a Natural 10000 blended talalay mattress. from Sleep EZ. The following layering was recommended. Firm, Med, Soft for me and F, M, M for my husband. (FYI, I am 5’10, 160 lb., side sleeper and he is 5’8, 205 lb., side/back sleeper.) It sounds about right to me based on what testing we have done but I am a little curious re: why the recommendations from another manufacturer for a similar mattress were F, M, M for me and Super Firm, Extra Firm, Firm for my husband. Is this just a matter of terminology (which I think you said to ignore in one of you tutorials) or do I need to further consider the firmness selections for the layers, especially for my husband.
Hi JCLARE,
It’s not uncommon at all for different manufacturers to make different recommendations or suggestions and this can often be as much the norm as the exception. This could be because of differences between the specific materials and components in each mattress (including the thickness, type, and blend of the latex layers and the type of cover and quilting), differences in “word” ratings for firmness, or most often because of genuine differences in opinions between different people about which mattress will be the best “match” for any specific person. Online recommendations or suggestions are as much an art as a science and for most people there won’t be a specific “best” mattress and there will be a range of different mattress designs that will be a good match for their body types, sleeping positions, and preferences. The range of mattresses that will be suitable for each person will also depend on their sensitivity where they are in the range between “princess and the pea” and "I can sleep on anything. Post #8 here discussed all of this in much more detail.
There is more about the different ways to choose a mattress that is the best “match” for any specific person and how to reduce the risks involved with each of them in post #2 here.
There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between different mattresses or manufacturers/retailers in post #13 here.
Phoenix