First off thank you Phoenix for the awesome forum, it has been invaluable.
My fiancee and I are mattress shopping, and I wanted to try out a latex mattress. We Checked out Healthy Back is Bethesda, MD and really liked the Bliss Essence 10" Latex. But the $2400 price killed it. We shopped a few of the nearby stores that carry the triple S brands, and nothing compared to the all latex mattress. So online I went to look at some of your recommended shops.
I think I have narrowed it down to the SleepEZ 10,000 Natural Latex split queen, or the Brooklyn Bedding 10" Total Latex. Both being 9" of latex with a 1" topper of wool or wool/foam. This is different than the Bliss Essence we tried that had nothing but latex as far as I can tell. Price wise SleepEZ is winning out allowing me to combine their current 5% off, with your 5% mattress underground discount, while Brooklyn Bedding will not combine the 5% with the discount they offered me. So on to my questions.
How does the wool topper layer effect feel compared to a mattress with just latex?
Does the split queen style of SleepEZ effect durability? We tend to spoon in the middle of the bed when falling asleep and would be right on top of the seam. (When I spoke with a SleepEZ rep they said the split mattress is nice because you can swap layers around between the sides to figure out what you like, and then decide if you need to exchange anything. Basically making an online purchase more comfortable)
Lastly, do you know of any significant differences between the two mattress? Any and all advice is much appreciated.
Pertinent facts
Queen Mattress
Both of us are 5’ 8", 140-150lbs
Mainly side sleepers, with some back thrown in.
Fiancee has some pressure points issues in shoulders / hips in current old innerspring.
We prefer a medium firmness
There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses but both of the mattresses you are looking at use high quality materials and there are no weak links in either of them.
A quilted cover can make a significant difference in the feel and performance of a mattress vs a more stretchy knit cover but the choice between them is really a matter of personal preference. There is more about a wool quilted cover vs a more stretchy knit cover in post #6 here and there is also more about quilted covers in general (including covers that use quilted polyfoam) in post #12 here.
There is more about the pros and cons of split layering in post #2 here but it won’t affect durability no.
The differences would depend on which options you choose with each of them but outside of the different firmness options or types of latex that are available with each one (which is described on each site) and any differences in pricing or return or exchange policies the biggest differences between them would be in their designs.
The Total latex mattress has a 6" core that gives you a choice between blended Talalay and 100% natural Dunlop and a 3" blended Talalay comfort layer and has a bamboo cover that is quilted with both wool and a thin layer of polyfoam. The comfort layer can be exchanged for a different firmness level after a purchase if you you need to change your original choice for a softer or firmer version.
The SleepEz has three layers that are each 3" thick and you also have a choice between blended Talalay and 100% natural Dunlop with each layer. It uses a cotton cover that is quilted only with wool and no polyfoam. The layers can be rearranged and any one of them can be exchanged for a different firmness level after a purchase so there are a few more options to customize the mattress after a purchase.
There is more about the differences between a single 6" layer and two 3" layers in post #2 here.
You are looking at two high quality/value options and when you are down to to finalists that are a choice between “good and good” and if there are no clear winners between them then your final choice (see post #2 here) will come down to a matter of best judgement based on your phone conversations with each of them and all the objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.