Sleep Science Latex Mattress Update

[phoenix]

Hi jwilock,

I wonder if anyone has an opinion about the current version of the Sleep Science 9 inch latex mattress offered by Costco. I’ve read older posts but they seem outdated. When I called the number in the Costco listing for this product I didn’t get Costco I got South Bay, who was knowlegable and helpful. According to them the new bed is all Talalay latex manufactured in the US. It has 3 inches of ILD 19 latex on top with 6 inches of ILD 32 latex beneath it. They said it passed some kind of Ecotach (sp?) test but I don’t remember the details. On top of all the latex is a 3/8 inch quilted cover of wool and some organic but fireproof wood derivative. I didn’t ask for any more details, but a quilted top over the latex sounds good.

A mattress is only as good as its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it so in terms of quality and value this mattress could be directly compared to other mattresses that used the same materials in a similar design (6" base layer and a 3" comfort layer) regardless of the name of the manufacturer.

The Sleep Science Natural Latex mattress uses good quality materials but is somewhat more costly than other mattresses that use the same materials and have a very similar design (6" support core under a 3" comfort layer with a quilted wool cover) that are made by some of the manufacturers that are members of this site and sell latex mattresses online listed in post #21 here. It likely also has a little less wool in the quilting than some of the other online options you have (it needs an inherent fire barrier and doesn’t use just the wool as a fire retardant layer). The fire barrier is likely a viscose / silica (not wool) inherent fabric (see post #2 here) but there are also other types of inherent fire barriers as well. It also doesn’t have options to rearrange or exchange layers to further customize the mattress to your needs and preferences after a purchase so it would be an “all or nothing” purchase although Costco has a good return policy if it turns out that it’s not a suitable choice for your specific needs and preferences. The latex they use is most likely blended Talalay (30% natural and 70% synthetic latex) and not 100% natural latex which doesn’t come in the specific ILD’s that you mentioned.

Overall it would be better quality/value than most mainstream mattresses but is not in the same value range as many of the other Talalay latex options that are available. Like almost all the latex you are likely to encounter (Dunlop or Talalay and synthetic or natural) … Talalay latex is Oeko-Tex standard 100 certified for harmful substances and VOC’s and offgassing. Latex is generally a very “safe” material regardless of the type or blend of the latex.

So my problem is that like many here I have never tried a full latex bed. I like the feel of the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme and from what I’ve read of ILD numbers for latex it kind of sounds like 3 inches of 19ILD over 6 inches of 32 ILD might feel pretty close. The nice thing is that it is thin enough so I can easily fit a memory foam topper over it if I ever want to adjust the feel. I hate buying a mattress I’ve never tried, but I’m beginning to think that lying on a mattress for 10 minutes in a show room isn’t much of a test any way. Of course the nice thing about Costco is the unbeatable return policy. If we don’t like they’ll come take it away and return our money, even after a few months, not just a few day. They have a sale on the King version of this bed starting on Dec 1. So I’d like to do my research before then and know if this is one we should consider.

I would strongly encourage you to try some Talalay latex mattresses before a purchase because the “feel” of latex is very different from memory foam (see post #2 here) and they are more opposites than they are similar.

Also, is the idea of putting a memory foam topper over a latex mattress not a good idea for some reason?

This would be strictly a matter of personal preference and when it comes to preferences and PPP there is no right or wrong … only what works best for you. Many people like the “feel” of thinner layers of memory foam over latex (or latex over memory foam) which has a feel that includes some of the properties of both.

Oh, and does anyone know of a store in the Sacramento, CA area that might have all latex beds we could try out to see how latex feels to us?

Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Sacramento area are listed in post #5 here which includes several options where you can test some latex mattresses. I would keep in mind though that Talalay and Dunlop latex have a different feel so I would make sure that you have the chance to test Talalay with similar firmness levels to get some sense of how Talalay latex feels for you. Pure Latex Bliss uses blended Talalay in their mattresses although the designs and firmness levels of the latex layers are different from the one you are looking at.

Or, can anyone offer an opinion of what it is likely to be like given its specs?

This would “feel” similar to other mattresses that used the same or very similar layers with a similar cover regardless of which manufacturer made the mattress. 3" of 19 ILD Talalay latex in a comfort layer would generally be considered to be quite soft (it’s the second softest that they make) and the 32 ILD support layer would generally be considered to be “medium” firmness but softness and firmness and the “feel” of a mattress is very subjective and varies with each person’s weight and body type, sleeping positions, preferences, and individual perceptions so how it feels for you may be very different from how it feels for someone else.

When you can’t test a specific or similar mattress in person then you would be dependent on the knowledge and guidance of the retailer or manufacturer to help you choose a mattress that “on average” is the best match for you in terms of PPP (and if they only sell one then you would only have the one option) and if there are no options to customize the mattress after a purchase then the return policy would also be an important part of your personal value equation and purchase decision because only your own testing or experience can tell you how good a match a specific mattress is for you.

Phoenix