Hi cprice88,
I don’t have any personal experience with any of these mattresses so I can’t speak to any differences between their covers but each of them would be able to provide you with more specific information about the details of their covers when you talk with them on the phone that can help you compare them. I can make some comments about the different options each of them have available though.
[quote]Flexus Comfort
They have dunlop only for cores; talalay is just for top comfort layer. It looks like the cover is very thin on these, right? Seems like this may be the best value if we decide to mix dunlop/talalay, though we might like a more cushy cover. Or guess we could always do a mattress pad or topper later if we want a cushy layer?[/quote]
They offer 100% natural Dunlop in their bottom layers and blended Talalay for their top layer in a number of different configurations. They range from their thinnest mattress which has two 3" Dunlop layers to mattresses that have two 3" Dunlop layers with either a 2" or a 3" Talalay top layer to their thickest mattress which has three Dunlop layers and a 3" Talalay top layer.
[quote]Spindle Mattress
Seems like the best value if we decide to go all Dunlop, but fewer options to customize. Comfort layer swap is a little pricier and they don’t really accept returns. What is the cover like - does anyone know how thick/padded it is? Having trouble telling from what they say on website.[/quote]
They use 100% natural continuous pour Dunlop in all the layers in their mattress. The continuous pour latex they use comes from Mountaintop and is available in firmness levels that are as soft as the softest Talalay layers which is unusual for Dunlop latex.
[quote]Arizona Mattress
Seems like best value if we decide to go all Talalay and they offer the choice of organic or blended at different price points. I’m confused about the covers - are there two options? A bamboo vs. a cotton option? The pics make it seem that way. How do the two covers compare in thickness/cushion/quality? Also, these are 2-layer mattresses 6" core and 3" comfort layer - as opposed to all the others we are considering having a 3"/3"/3" construction. What are the pros and cons of two layer rather than three layer, when the finished product is about the same overall thickness (9-10")?[/quote]
They have a wide range of mattresses that include options for 100% natural Dunlop latex with a Talalay comfort layer, an organic Dunlop mattress, and mattresses that include all blended or 100% natural Talalay. They generally have a 6" core layer with different firmness and thickness options for the comfort layer. The wool quilted bamboo cover is part of the upgrade from a blended Talalay mattress to a 100% natural Talalay mattress. They can also provide customized options that aren’t listed on their site.
[quote]SleepEZ
Getting a little more expensive for what seems to be same product, but they do have more options of combining dunlop and talalay in any configuration we like and it’s all natural latex, right, no blends? They seem to have very easy/straightforward exchange and return policy. Their cover seems to be thicker/cushier than others - is that true? Does it have thicker wool layer in it?[/quote]
Their mattresses that include a wool quilted cover include the option to choose 100% natural Dunlop, blended Talalay, or 100% natural Talalay in any of their layers. They have the option for either two 3" layers, Two 3" layers and a 2" comfort layer, Three 3" layers, or four 3" layers. They also have a number of other options besides their mattresses that have a wool quilted cover that you can see here along with all their current special prices listed on the same page.
[quote]FloBeds
Their basic blended talalay mattress seems like a pretty good value, comparable to the others above. But it seems like their main differentiator is they have a 4-layer option that costs a little more. And they have the blended vs. organic option, but their prices on the organic are really pushing our limit. They also have the vZone option, but we don’t want to spend that much and figure we could always add a topper later if we have the need to modify/customize the feel at that level. Is there anything else that differentiates FloBeds from the others above? What is the cover like? It looks like pretty standard quilting, not thin but not thick either.[/quote]
They are a little more costly than the others for the same thickness but they are also a little different from the others because they include some options that that the others don’t have including a convoluted top layer (although they provide the option for a solid layer as well for those who would prefer to switch it out) and they also offer their vZone mattress that has customizable zoning which is also unique. They offer the option to choose between blended Talalay (from Latex International) or 100% natural Talalay (from Radium).
There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and there is more about the differences between Dunlop and Talalay latex in post #7 here but the best way to decide which type of latex you tend to prefer would be based on your own personal testing or experience.
There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
I think your next step would be to talk with each of them and ask them any of the questions about their mattresses that are important to you because a more detailed conversation is one of the most important parts of an online purchase.
[quote]Just to add to my own conversation 
now that I realized the local store sells Savvy Rest I’m wondering if there are certain configurations we should make a point to try based on our general preferences/statistics (below). Both of us are in our 40s.
Sleeper 1
male, 170 lbs., 5’8"
side and back sleeper - snores if on back and hoping new mattress can help encourage more side sleeping
Sleeps deeply and doesn’t move around much. Claims to prefer softer feeling mattress comfort layers, but then always has low back pain after sleeping on soft hotel/guest beds; current main complaint about our mattress is discomfort due to body impression in the wool pillow top layer (it’s a 15 yo S&F innerspring - so yeah, it’s way old and we can easily do better!) Hates the IKEA guest bed we have, which is a firm foam with a 2" latex topper (one of their more expensive toppers). Likes daughter’s Sealy innerspring plush that has 1" memory foam on top.
Sleeper 1 tends to like memory foam, but sleeper 2 hates the sinking feeling of memory foam and how long it takes to reshape when moving.
Sleeper 2
female, 120 lbs., 5’3"
side sleeper, sometimes stomach
Tends to prefer overall firmer support in a mattress, but with a nice cushy soft topper to reduce pressure points especially on shoulders. Light sleeper and moves a lot when sleeping. Allergy sufferer (especially dust/dust mites). Has suffered from chronic neck pain/tension (ever since a surgery 20 years ago) and headaches, so needs really solid alignment support. When we travel, a too hard mattress causes bad pressure points on shoulder and hip; a too soft mattress sometimes causes neck pain to worsen, though the type of pillow actually tends to matter more than the type of mattress. Sleeper 2 is actually fine with the current old bed, but no body impression on that side; ok with the IKEA guest bed described above though it’s a little too firm; also finds the Sealy described above very comfortable.[/quote]
Only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to know which type of mattress design or materials would be best for you based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or theory at a distance (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
When you are testing mattresses locally I would avoid trying to guess which combination of layers may work best for you “in theory” ahead of time and decide on the combination of layers and types of latex that are the best match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on careful testing and personal experience and on what your body tells you.
There is more about the different ways to choose a mattress (either locally or online) that can help you make the most suitable choice and identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them in post #2 here.
All of the mattresses you are considering are certainly high quality and good value choices and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of them. They are also all members of the site which means that I think highly of all of them and I believe that they all compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.
Once you have narrowed down your choices to to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and if at that point there are no clear winners between them then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing and experiences or online conversations with each of them, your confidence about the suitability of each one, the options you have before and after a purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
