Although this company was not my no 1 choice in terms of product, I simply could not justify the addtional cost of going with the other option. I want to thank Phoenix for his input and his website as it is clear that it takes a tremendous amount of work to answer questions, search for answers, and reply to those questions answered. TheMattressUnderground is a valuable resource without a doubt.
Ideally I plan on providing the following updates/impressions (no pun intended): Time of delivery, 30, 60, 90 days, and 1 year.
My mattress was shipped same day as I placed my order and four boxes showed up 6 days later. UPS coincidentally didn’t damage them.
The contents of each box was clearly notated on the top and the heavy duty staples were used to keep them closed. Aside from the foundation the boxes weren’t very heavy (~45lbs/each).
Foundation: Very easy to assemble. Aside from the bolts used to attach the sections together the rest of it was constructed using heavy duty staples. The force used to apply them must be tremendous because some of the staples were sunk deeper into the wood than you would expect. IMO the foundation is reasonably priced. Tip: The holes in which the bolts slide through are not extremely tight and as a result there is some play in the sections. You just have to make sure you plumb these sections perfectly vertical before you really tighten the screws. If you don then your slats may not rest completely flat along the recessed edges.
Latex Mattress: All of the pieces (2 at a time) were wrapped in black sheet of plastic taped closed and then bagged and taped closed. Very easy to unwrap. I just opened the side of the plastic bag and then pulled the tape off the black plastic sheet instead of using a knife.
Assembly was fairly easy and straight forward. The latex sections were cut relatively straight in that I didn’t notice any sections which were off so much that it would be a problem. Waving the sections into position was easy. The cotton cover appears to be well constructed and of a heavier feeling fabric than I had anticipated. Once everything is zipped up the cover is tight but not overly so. If you have a footboard it can be somewhat of a pain to zip along that section. Just be patient.
Observation: When you look at a sheet of latex you’ll see that the pin holes along the outer edge are smaller and less numerous. I suspect that this area along the edge may be slightly firmer than the rest of the sheet. (Phoneix would know). So I decided to position this edge in the center of my mattress hoping that IF there’s some possiblility of seperation that the “firmer” section would make it even more less likely to happen.
Initial impression: My god it’s quiet. No sounds of springs or creaks when either of us move around and we really don’t notice the other person is there. We have S M F and initially it seems to be on target for me. I’m not exactly heavy (180) nor do I have overly broad shoulders so it didn’t feel very soft like an ultra plush innerspring would. I’m sure as the cover stretches a little and things settle down our impressions will change slightly. My wife, who has lower back issues, is very happy and she is the only reason why I went latex. The first thing she said was how cool it felt. I hoped she would notice and hopefully sleeping will be pleasent during our humid, hot, summers.
Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed and informative feedback … I appreciate it
This is typical of some latex molds and would probably be more useful on the outside where it can provide a little bit of extra firmness on the edge of your mattress. They won’t affect any separation (which won’t happen with soft or firm latex).
It has been almost a month and things seem to be breaking in very well. I’ve notice that the mattress has ever so slighly softened up (S,M,F config) so I’m not sure if it’s the compression of the wool cover, or the break-ing of top most layer of latex, or a combination of the two. There was an adjustment period for sure. I expected this since our bodies were used to sleeping on a poorly performing mattress. We never slept poorly on this matters but our bodies had to “re-learn” the proper posture for sleeping. I would notice when my body wasn’t relaxing like it should. There continues to be a very slight latex odor but it is diminshing. It’s not overwhelming but it’s noticable when I pull the covers to get in bed. Motion isolation continues to be much better than our old innerspring. Wifey, who has a large hip to waist ratio, is a side/back sleeper and remains happy so far.
I had to break down the matress two weeks ago to build and install T-Slats. Two things I noticed; No 1. Some of the bolts around the foundation needed to be re-tightened up which in my opinion is perfectly normal for this kind of set up. No 2. I noticed that the fabric of the top portion of the cover had really loosened up. I think it is normal because of the way it’s constructed (quilted, non-stretch knit, wool layering). For sure it does not interfere with the feel of the mattress.
Something funny: Since the cover for foundation leaves the bottom exposed the cats will crawl up onto the bed slats which support the mattress. Sometimes they’ll rough house while they’re there and we’ll feel them bumping around.
It’s good to see that things are working out so well. Who knew that you bought a dual purpose product … a mattress/foundation to sleep on and a playhouse for your cats. I guess everyone’s happy
The foundation has remained quiet. Both of us are sleeping well although lately I’ve noticed that the top portion of the cover continues to stretch/loosen and as a result in the center I’ve begun to feel it bunch underneath. Jury is out as to whether this will become an annoyance down the road.
After 60 days your cover will have have lost most of its initial stiffness and gone through most of the loosening that would be part of the initial break in period so things should “stabilize” where they are. I haven’t heard any feedback about any “bunching” issues with their cover so it may also be worth talking with SleepEz to see if they have any suggestions because it’s always possible that your cover doesn’t fit quite as tightly as it should.
Thanks for the updates. This is the mattress we have been looking at getting and we are so close to getting it. It is difficult buying an item like this online without testing it out, but these forums have made me feel more confident about doing it.
Have a question, did you get the free pillows and if so how do you like them?
Thanks for the updates. This is the mattress we have been looking at getting and we are so close to getting it. It is difficult buying an item like this online without testing it out, but these forums have made me feel more confident about doing it.
Have a question, did you get the free pillows and if so how do you like them?[/quote]
We did opt for the free pillows. TBH we have not used them simply because we don’t have pillow cases that will fit them (King size) and we already had single-piece latex pillows. The pillows they provide consist of a stretch knit case filled with shredded latex*. You can adjust the size of the pillow by removing some of the latex.
*Good way to get rid of their leftover latex from making Custom and King size beds.
I have the Sleep EZ 10,000 mattress too (S, M, F). Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to check on this, however, I’ve only had my mattress for two weeks.
The mattress has basically settled in. Everything is fine, no issues, or concerns. We’ve traveled a bit these past couple of months and it’s interesting how the feeling of sleeping on latex differs from innerspring. I always look forward to getting home and into the latex. Neither of us have found the need to move layers around as the S/M/F setup appears to be working well. My wife suggested that we flip the top layer so that any wear evens out. I doubt it’s necessary but I’m not inclined to disagree as the “juice isn’t worth the squeeze” if you guys know what I mean. In any case, if I can remember I’ll give a six month and 1 year review.
It’s great to see that things are working out so well for you and now that you are past your break in and adjustment period you can look forward to sleeping well for many years to come.
Both of us are still sleeping reasonably well. There has been a new development however. A few weeks (1-2 months) ago I noticed that the top two layers on my spouses side had shifted due to the appearance of a bulge along the outer edge of her side of the mattress. I unzipped the mattress and confirmed that the top two layers on her side had shifted away from the center by approx 1" (top layer) and .5" (middle layer) . I inquired with EZ about potentially gluing the halves together and I believe I also asked if there was something which may cause the shifting. I had not received a reply. I also conversed with our resident expert (Phoenix) via pm as well.
It was suggested that perhaps the sections were stretched when the bed was built and that resetting the sections in a more relaxed/normal state would prohibit the shifting. I rebuilt the bed trying to make sure the the cover as square as possible and added the sections with minimial waving.
Yesterday I noticed that her side has again shifted (she sleeps in the center/left side of the bed) so I will rebuild the bed again before I consider gluing the halves of each section together (We have same S/M/F profile).
What I did notice and I never thought about last time is that the sections seem ever so slightly longer than a queen. I wonder if with the compression created by zipping up the mattress that it is this extra length that is causing the center of these sections to relax which allows them to then shift.
I also wonder if this is more likely to happen on a queen because both occupants are sleeping closer to the center when compared to a king size mattress.
In any case this is where I’m at now. For those of you that have glued halves back together did you re-align the sections to re-form the pinholes that were originally sliced in half?
My wife hasn’t complained about this shifting causing her a problem but it is bothersome to me with my OC.
[quote] A few weeks (1-2 months) ago I noticed that the top two layers on my spouses side had shifted due to the appearance of a bulge along the outer edge of her side of the mattress. I unzipped the mattress and confirmed that the top two layers on her side had shifted away from the center by approx 1" (top layer) and .5" (middle layer) . I inquired with EZ about potentially gluing the halves together and I believe I also asked if there was something which may cause the shifting. I had not received a reply. I also conversed with our resident expert (Phoenix) via pm as well.
It was suggested that perhaps the sections were stretched when the bed was built and that resetting the sections in a more relaxed/normal state would prohibit the shifting. I rebuilt the bed trying to make sure the the cover as square as possible and added the sections with minimial waving.[/quote]
The issues you are having are certainly not the norm with split layering so I’m certainly curious about what may be the cause.
The only things that could normally cause these types of issues that I could think of would be either putting the mattress together with one of more layers somewhat “bunched up” inside the cover where part of the layers are more stretched and part are more compressed (this would be the most common reason), an issue with the foundation underneath the mattress, moving the mattress, or the cover loosening or stretching more than normal (unlikely but possible).
You may need to do a little more than “minimal” waving to put the layers into their ideal position where they are square and not stretched outside of their “relaxed” shape because latex can be very stretchy and it’s very easy to put the layers inside the cover with the inside part of the layer stretched a bit and the outside areas bunched. In these cases you would need to lift the edge and “wave” the layer into position at the same time as you are “pushing” towards the center so that the layers are more evenly compressed and distributed (you can see an example here of another member that mentioned how the layers didn’t seem to be the correct size or fit right inside the cover). If anything I would try to make the middle a little more “bunched” and the outer edges a little more “stretched”.
I would also check the foundation just to make sure there are no issues underneath your mattress that could be allowing some areas of your mattress to sink into the foundation more than the others which could cause layers to shift.
One of these should solve any shifting issues you may have but the first step would always be to phone Shawn at SleepEZ because he may have some additional suggestions as well.
If you do decide to glue the layers together then you can use a glue such as here or here and any upholstery shop should also be able to provide you with a spray glue that would be suitable. While it isn’t really necessary … I would try to match each side as “best practice”. ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: sleeplikeabear.com/Latex%20Foam%20Project%20Tools%20Latex%20Glue%20and%20Accessories
One other suggestion is that it can be a good idea to flip the layers (or at least the top layers) once or twice a year because it can help even out any compression over time and slightly extend the life of the layers (see post #2 here). While this isn’t “necessary” because latex is already the most durable foam material anyway … every little bit can help
I’m planning on giving it another go this weekend. I did flip the top layer when I rebuilt the bed a few weeks ago. It is strange that only the top two layers move. This time I’m going to rotate the cover 180 degrees and see if I can replicate the movement on my side. It’ll be a few weeks before I can report back.
I rotated the cover 180 degrees and rebuilt the bed where my side now contains the layers which are suspected of shifting. I noticed that the top two layers of this particular side are about .25"-.50" wider than the base layer. I wonder if that’s why these layers are shifting? They’re getting stretched when she sits on the edge of the bed.
The latex is so stretchy that it doesn’t have “exact” dimensions so it could be from the bottom layer being bunched or the top two layers being stretched. If you pick up the edge of the top layers and “wave” them like you would a sheet that you are putting over the bed and push a little towards the center you can even out the edges. The video here or here (from about the 3:00 minute mark) will give you examples of what I mean. If you make little adjustments as you are putting together the layers to keep them flush and square this will help the latex to lie in a more relaxed and square position. If your foundation is flush (like the second video) rather than recessed (like the first video) then you can fold back the cover over the foundation when you assemble the layers and then lift the edges of the cover back up once the layers are flush and zip it up. It should be a tight fit. ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint 1: youtube.com/watch?v=8vJIgs5mjOU | Archived Footprint 2: youtube.com/watch?v=-agWGkjRKKU
