Shopping for Coil/Latex in Massachusetts with no Synthetic FRs

This is my first latex mattress purchase. I have an allergy to PU foams and formaldehyde. I also wonder if I am sensitive to FRs.
I found a great thread here with suggestions for latex bedding manufacturers in MA.
I have called several and visited one.

Mattress Maker of New England in Brockton will make me a latex bed with wool as a fire barrier if I give them a notarized letter saying why I want it.

The more important issue here is quality of latex and springs.

I’m 5’4", 130 lb and a stomach and side sleeper. Need very good support for hips and stomach but also softness for side. Not an easy combination to satisfy.

From experience I know I love sleeping on bonnell coils. My shoulders like them; I just hope they’ll hold up for my stomach sleeping over time. Mattress Maker of New England can make a 660 coil count bonnell with a 3" layer of natural latex. They have 5 grades of firmness and after I tried out the medium one, that felt best. They will not include any PU foams or synthetic FRs.

Their price for a full-size bed is a little over $1000 including a 30 mile delivery trip, a 60-day exchange period (Id pay round-trip delivery for that), and a 15-year warranty.

Does everything about that sound good or should I give Spindle a try - or another company?

Hi LookingNow,

Wool can certainly be used as the fire barrier in a mattress (see post #2 here and the videos that are linked inside it) and there are many manufacturers that use it instead of other types of fire barriers (some of which such as the inherent viscose/silica fire barriers also don’t use any chemicals). You don’t need a prescription to buy a mattress that uses a wool fire barrier to pass the testing regulations … only to buy a mattress that hasn’t passed the fire regulations. There is more about fire retardants in post #2 here and in post #4 here.

The innersprings in a mattress aren’t normally the weak link in a mattress in terms of durability and it’s almost always the quality of the foam above the innerspring that will be the first to soften and break down. There is more about the factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here. There is also more about the different types of innersprings in this article and in post #10 here. A good Bonnell coil with a good insulator and good quality foam on top (such as latex) can be a very durable choice.

If the Bonnell coil and an insulator and the latex are the only layers and components in the mattress then there would certainly be no weak links in the mattress in terms of durability and the price is reasonable IMO.

I can’t answer whether it would be worth it for you to have a few more finalists in the mix when you are making your final choice (I would personally prefer to choose between two or three finalists) but a visit to Spindle will certainly let you compare an all latex mattress to an innerspring hybrid to see which one you prefer in terms of PPP. There is more in post #2 here about innerspring support cores vs a latex support core.

Phoenix

Xxx

Hi LookingNow,

Just for future reference, you can find any type of innerspring that is made without a foam surround, not just a Bonnell.

Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

It sounds like you made a great choice and I hope you have the chance to share your feedback when you receive it.

Phoenix

I apologize for taking so long to respond…I’ve been straight out and sleeping elsewhere until my new mattress arrives.
I will certainly give an update as to how it works out. And thanks again for sharing your knowledge with me!

Cheers,
LN

Hi LookingNow,

That would be great … thanks :slight_smile:

Phoenix