Side Sleeper

Hello- I have been searching for a new mattress for quite awhile. I’ve tried latex- not really a fan. I am 170 pounds, 6 foot 1, with wide shoulders and narrow hips. Because of my wide shoulders I believe a zoned mattress would be most beneficial. I’ve ordered an Alexander Signature Hybrid (which doesn’t have zones, but I’m hoping will work) but would like to have a backup. Any recommendations?

Right now I’m sleeping on a DIY latex mattress and really do not like it- my shoulders get all out of wack. Any recommendations on how to sell the pieces of that as well would be helpful.

Have you read this document. It should give you a bit more help in finding the right mattress for you.

Oh, and I have to ask. Have you considered a cotton mattress. Joybed makes one, or two in different comfort options. Or maybe an old time, wool mattress may be right up your alley? It really comes down to what is going to work for you.

joybeds.com for a cotton mattress

holylamborganics.com for a wool mattress. Although, you have many options if you want a wool mattress.

surroundewe.com also has a nice, organic, wool mattress if this is your choice.

and earthsake.com makes a hemp/wool mattress with boxsprings, or even a hemp vegan mattress.

Read the documents, check out the websites, and call around because this is a mattress you’re going to be living with for the next ten to fifteen years.

Take a look at the V-Zone from FloBeds. I’m thinking you might like a softer section so your shoulders can sink in, and this might work.

Hello Jacksonhp9!

Welcome to our Mattress Forum :slight_smile:

Congratulations on purchasing the Alexander Signature Hybrid! :cheer:
I understand your concerns, most people with your body type have difficulties finding the right fit so I hope the Alexander works just fine for you and that you would not need to look into mattress zoning options.

Zoning systems of various types can sometimes be useful and worth considering for people that have more difficulty finding a mattress with the right “balance” between comfort/pressure relief (under the shoulders especially) and support/alignment (under the hips/pelvis especially) or 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. You may want to first read this article about mattress zoning and in post #11 here and the additional posts it links to but once again the only way to know whether any specific mattress (zoned or otherwise) will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience.

With zoning, you’d need to take into account how your weight is distributed, the distance between the hip and shoulders and where within the mattress you need to position yourself to get the desired alignment and comfort.

I am sure you came across this article already but it is worth reading about innersprings and their differences here it in the context of zoning. Good suggestion from April to look at FloBes options and advice. They are also TMU expert on mattress zoning issues.

I would hold off for a while with selling your DIY components until you determine that your new mattress is a fit just in case things do not turn as well as you hoped for with Alexander Hybrid and you would need to camp on for a little longer on your DIY. Selling a mattress or components on the forum normally requires prior permission (see the forum rules here ) but since you meet all the other criteria I’ve decided to allow it “after the fact” in this case. Usually, interested subscribers would see your post and send you a PM, so you may want to watch your inbox as PM’s do not send notifications.

It may also be worth listing it on Craigslist as well since there are many people that look for used mattresses/components as well

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, thank you for your advise. After about 2-3 weeks on the Alexander I’m pretty sure it’s the same story as the DIY latex- not enough give in the shoulder, and not enough support in the lumber. I’ve got quite a bit of aches and pains throughout the day. I visited Mattress Mill in Bozeman (I live in Montana) to try out their mattresses (they’re a family business and make much better quality than the normal stores). From that I discovered I really liked their air mattress that offers zoning support- after lying on it for about 40 minutes, my shoulders were in a neutral position for the whole car-ride home and it felt great. Right now from sleeping on the Alexander my shoulders are quite slumped or caved forward. So I’m leaning towards Flobeds or an air mattress- the only problem with the mattress mill is that they don’t sell their air beds in full sized which is what I’m looking for. I could go twin XL, but I’ve gotten used to having more space and quite enjoy it. I think flobeds could work out quite well as well, since they also are adjustable and offer good zoning and are family-run and eco-friendly. I have contacted them about possibly seeing if I could use some of the layers of my DIY mattress for the mattress as well- but if not, I may have to bite the bullet and buy the V-zone, and work on selling the layers or turning them into crafts (any links to guides on making pillows or seat cushions or anything like that would be awesome. I love projects, especially during quarantine, and latex seems like it has a lot of potential). So right now my choice seems to be between the V-zone or possibly going to twin sized and getting the air mattress, or looking at other air mattresses, since zoning seems to be really beneficial for me as well as durability and knowing that I’m buying from an environmentally friendly and “good” company. A lot of info- but I’m trying to nail this down, and I think I’m on the right track. Thanks for the forum and the advice- it’s a great service to those of us looking for a healthy night’s sleep.

Hi Side Sleeper,
I we t through a terrible 14 months trying out and returning a few latex and innerspring mattresses. I finally found relief for my shoulder and good lumbar support with the Winkbeds Memory Lux Firm model. They also have a zoned innerspring called the Soft. These two would work for you. I wasn’t happy with my latex layers - I got okay back support but not good shoulder give. Anyway check out Winkbeds website. They have terrific customer service and they are made in the USA and shipped out with options to choose from. Good luck. It isn’t a fun process but once you get the right mattress all is well. Also the Memory Lux models have their special patent airfoam and it does not run hot - which I ran into when I had the tempurpedic( terrible heat retention).

I was looking at winkbeds, but after reading many reviews I was put off by reports of them not lasting very log before developing body impressions- anywhere between 6 months to three years. I would like something that would last longer ideally. I like flobeds as they adjust the mattress to your body, and have a great record of low returns and positive reviews online and on the forum. Perhaps if it doesn’t work I’d look at winkbeds again, but I’m really hoping flobeds is the right choice for me.

I would love to hear Pheonix or any other expert’s opinion on this plan of action tho.

Hi Jacksonhp9!

The breakdown of their material can be attributed to any number of things from the BMI of the people sleeping on the bed, to the durability and quality of the materials in their product. If you haven’t already, I would recommend you read our Mattress Durability Guidelines to get a better understanding of what materials can affect the useful life of a mattress, especially as it pertains to your personal statistics.

air mattresses airbeds pro and cons articleFrom what you previously described about your needs, I would consider the air bladder to be a “weak link” but you can see some of my general comments on and in the here. While any mattress can be a good match for a specific person because each person’s needs and preferences or the criteria that are most important to them can be very different … in general terms, I would tend to avoid them unless there is a very compelling reason that an airbed would be a better choice in “real life” (outside of the many “marketing stories” that you will hear about them) than the many other options or types of mattresses that are available to you.

As I mentioned in my earlier post to you, FloBeds is one of our Trusted Members of this site and like all the members here I think very highly of and consider them to be among the “best of the best” in the industry. in terms of quality.value and exceptional customer service. You are correct, their mattresses are using zoned latex which is among the highest quality material that can be used in a mattress and it is unusual for its abilities to be both soft and supportive at the same time. There are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of their lineups that would be a cause for concern in terms of the durability and useful life of any product they sell.

If you have any particular questions you can reach out directly to them on their dedicated expert forum and they would be happy to guide you through their choices and products directly! … I’d just make sure to give some specific information about your sleeping positions, BMI, or what it is you seek in a mattress.

I’ll be interested to learn of your eventual decisions.
Phoenix

Hey Jackson,
What feel did you get of the Alexander Hybrid?