Shopping for a latex mattress in Vancouver BC

Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for such a wonderful website! So far I have mostly browsed, so my apologies in advance if you have already addressed these questions/issues elsewhere on the site.

I am in the process of shopping for a new mattress and bed, and have essentially decided to try out a latex mattress. My old coil mattress served me very well for a long time, but it needs to be replaced. Given the changes in the industry and my own personal desires, it seems like latex is the way to go.

FYI, I am roughly 5 ft 9 inches and 165 pounds, female. I used to be a serious swimmer and have a “swimmer’s build”, i.e. wider in the shoulders and narrower in the hips. I have had a lot of injuries in the past (got rearended while cycling decades ago!) and as a consequence I have a high degree of bilateral asymmetry which leads to spinal alignment issues. But I have great physios!

My first issue is this: I have tried a number of different latex mattresses at various shops in the Vancouver, BC area and am having a hard time finding one that is firm enough to prevent too much compression under my hips while at the same time allowing my shoulder to sink in enough. I sleep predominantly on my side. I did get excellent help on this issue from Don at Snug Sleep in North Van - he is selling a combined mattress/bed system that provides zoning in the base layer via variable materials and variable slat spacing. However it is really expensive - on the order of $3000 to $3500, plus a few hundred dollars more if you want legs. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any trial period or possibility of exchange. Any advice on this topic would be appreciated.

In terms of other shops in the Vancouver area, I have visited Green Building Supplies who sell Sleeptek, Dream Designs and North Shore Linens. I’m going to visit Majestic Sit and Sleep again, but they are in the midst of moving and the showroom is quite chaotic. One of the issues I am finding with shopping for latex mattresses in the Vancouver area is that they seem to mostly be sold by small, independent businesses who cannot afford to offer trial periods and any exchanges are very limited at best - again, advice appreciated!

Lastly (for now), I was reading your post that talked briefly about the importance of compression index. Without pulling out my (very) old text books, I am interpreting this as meaning that the stress/strain curve is non-linear in the elastic range? From a practical sense, this seems to imply that, for example, two two-inch layers of the same material will perform differently than one four-inch layer of the same latex material as measured by density or ILD, or ?? and putting aside the issue of natural variability. Can you confirm/discuss?

Thanks,
SkookumSleeper (or hoping to be)

Hi SkookumSleeper,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

As you are in Vancouver, subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around Vancouver, BC are listed in post #2 here. There is also a list of some online mattress sources for Canadians in post #21 here.

You seem to be curious about zoning, and various zoning systems can be very useful and worth considering for people who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to “match” to a mattress, more complex medical issues, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here. Also in post #2 here and post #7 here (latex momzone unique properties). While there are many “zoned” systems in the market, there aren’t too many all-latex ones. Two site members that use customizable zones include Flobeds (they are very experienced with their unique V-Zone system) and the Reverie Dream Mattresses (although they aren’t “zoned” in the more traditional sense of the word because they have cylinders that can be rearranged to provide different levels of firmness and feel).

Regarding comfort exchanges, while nothing has a 100% success rate, with a local purchase for the majority of people, careful testing using the guidelines in the tutorial rather than just testing for the more subjective “comfort” of a mattress (which often won’t predict how well you will sleep on a mattress or how it will “feel” when you sleep on it at home) and some good guidance from a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer will usually result in a mattress choice that is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and will generally be “close enough” so that if any fine tuning is necessary it would be relatively minor and involve different mattress pads, sheets, mattress protectors, or perhaps even a topper if a mattress is too firm (see post #4 here and post #10 here). The cost of comfort exchange programs are built into the price of a mattress, so the decision of whether or not to offer such a program would be up to the retailer and their business model, and isn’t necessarily an issue of being able “to afford” such a program, but trusting in their expertise in helping their local customers find a mattress that suits their needs, and choosing not to build the price of such an exchange program into the price of all of their mattresses where everyone effectively subsides the few who might choose to exchange an item. Of course, if being able to return/exchange a product is an important part of your personal value equation, make sure to become completely familiar with such programs before finalizing any purchase.

Regarding a “compression index”, I’m a little stumped there. Perhaps you’re referring to the compression curve for latex foams? There is an article here (scroll to the bottom of the page – Talalay Comfort Zone) that summarizes it quite well. I’d advise anyone to avoid getting too technical with details and trying to predict how a mattress will feel, and instead trust your own personal testing and guidance from an educated and experienced manufacturer or retailer, as this will have a more practical application.

Regarding splitting layers, there would be little if any practical difference between two 2" support layers and a single 4" support layer if they were all the same type and blend of latex and the same ILD and were inside a tight fitting cover with 3" inches of latex of the same ILD on top of them (as an example). Two 2" layers would respond a little more independently and because the elasticity of the top 2" wouldn’t be connected and “pulling back” on the bottom 2" when it compresses and “in theory” it may act a little bit softer but in practical and real life terms most people wouldn’t notice any difference in terms of performance or firmness.

Also in “theory only” … two 2" layers that were exactly the same ILD as a single 4" layer could be less durable over the course of a long lifetime because they will act more independently and abrade each other slightly but I don’t think that any difference would be significant or even measurable in “real life” terms and the other factors that affect durability (see post #4 here) such as the firmness of the layers would play a much bigger role. It certainly wouldn’t be a concern of mine.

Multiple layers would have more options for fine tuning though both before and after a purchase because for example a support core with a medium over firm layer would be a little firmer than a medium layer and a little softer than a firm layer (closer to the medium) and you would also have the option to rearrange the layers to firm over medium which would still be in between a medium and firm 4" layer but closer to the firm. You could also use the softer top layer in the middle to create a firmer feel compared to having the soft on top. The main advantage of having more layers in other words is that for those who need it can provide more options to customize the layer combinations either before a purchase or by rearranging or exchanging layers after a purchase. While this is attractive to some people … it can also add some complexity that may not be necessary or may not justify any extra costs involved in having more layers for others.

Outside of a mattress with more layers having more options to customize the mattress, if a mattress is a good match for you, then one isn’t inherently any better than the other. And one of the advantages of trying mattresses locally is that you can try many different types and styles and combinations of materials and components and firmness levels and compare them to each other in “real time” based on your actual experience rather than just “theory” instead of trying one online mattress at a time and not knowing how it compares to the other mattresses that you could have tried or purchased instead.

I hope that answered your questions. If not, please let me know.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

The information and the prompt reply are greatly appreciated! Your list of retailers in the Vancouver area has identified some that I was not aware of - so far I have visited about half of the area retailers for latex mattresses.

I just wanted to clarify my comment regarding the lack of exchange or “fine tuning” options for the small retailers. The source of the problem is the lack of available options/combinations to try in person - a lot of the stores are small, rents are really high, and so there aren’t a lot of floor models to try out, although you can order them sight-unseen. High risk if there is no exchange or fine-tuning program.

I’ve also had mixed success with respect to the knowledgeable retailer issue. Some have been great, others just enthusiastic, and others not particularly either! But as I am sure you can tell, I fall firmly into the analytical camp, partly to support decision-making, but also just out of interest.

Thank you for the technical information as well, and I will be back in touch if I have more questions. I haven’t had the chance to review all the information you have provided yet but will let you know if I have more questions.

I am beginning to think however that it might be best to avoid a zoned mattress if I can find a layered version that solves the shoulder problem.

SS

Hi SkookumSleeper,

I’m glad the information and list were both useful.

That’s understandable to be cautious if you’re not able to test out an item in person, as you’d basically be in the same position as ordering something online where you’re not able to sample it in person. This is one of the reasons why many online retailers offer exchange/return options, and would certainly be something to consider in such a situation as you described.

My advice is to try not to learn everything, but “just enough” to know if the people with whom you’re dealing are knowledgeable, and then rely upon their expertise. This can help avoid analysis-paralysis and falling into the “rabbit-hole” of trying to predict comforts based purely upon specifications.

Searching for a zoned mattress can introduce more variables into your mattress shopping equation, which many people do find more confusing and intimidating.

From one of the posts I linked to in my previous reply…[i]latex is a somewhat unusual material because it is very point elastic (can adapt very well to different body shapes and redistribute pressure without being “held back” by the material next to the compression) and has a high compression modulus (how quickly a material becomes firmer as you sink into it more deeply). This means that even with soft latex or latex layers that aren’t zoned it can become firmer more quickly under the heavier parts of the body (such as the pelvis) as they sink in more deeply which can “stop” them from sinking in too far and keep the spine in better alignment. This is the reason for zoning in the first place to “hold up” some parts of the body while “allowing” others (such as the shoulders) to sink in more deeply to maintain good spinal alignment.

Monozone latex layers have been used successfully for decades because the unique properties of latex (or some other high quality materials) allow it to adapt to different body types and weight distributions and maintain alignment more effectively and in a way they have a form of “built in” zoning because of their specific properties which means that zoning isn’t as “necessary” as it would be with other types of materials that don’t have the same properties or response. While zoning can certainly be helpful in some cases even with latex … this isn’t necessarily true in all cases and the key with any mattress design or zoning scheme is that it is a good “match” for the unique needs and preferences of a particular person in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and what works well for some or even many may not work at all for others.
[/i]
Phoenix