Thanks for your input Phoenix!
[quote=“Phoenix” post=49875]
It’s not possible to provide specific advice because there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in which mattress or material or mattress design would be “best” for you and this can be very different for different people.
There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and there is also 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 the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is always how well it “matches” your specific needs and preferences and the only way to know this is based on your own personal testing or sleeping experience. [/quote]
I respect your point of view and understand that the “right” mattress choice must ultimately be a personal one.
The bigger question then is whether one personally prefers Dunlop or Talalay because the finished product of either natural mold or natural continuous pour Dunlop is relatively similar in real world results in contrast to Talalay even if there are differences between the different Dunlop production methods.
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The ability to rearrange or exchange layers (or purchase a new layer at a very reduced cost in the case of Spindle) is certainly one of the advantages of a component latex mattress but each manufacturer will have differences in their exchange or return policies and some of them would be more attractive to some people and some will be more attractive to others so which one is “best” depends on each person’s criteria and their confidence that one of the configurations that are available will be suitable for them. There is more about the different ways to choose a mattress (either locally or online) that is the most suitable “match” for your specific needs and preferences and how to identify and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them in post #2 here. [/quote]
I’m comfortable with making an online purchase for a quality latex mattress over paying higher prices locally, but it does make sense to possibly try to limit the risk of buying from an out-of-state seller by finding an exchange/return policy that is best suited for me if I"m not certain I will select the right firmness level when making the initial order.
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This would depend entirely on how you defined “superior”. It has been Oeko-Tex tested for harmful substances and VOC’s using the same testing protocols as 100% natural Dunlop so it’s certainly safe and it would be in a similar range in terms of durability to other types and blends of latex (all latex is a durable material relative to other types of foam materials). You can read more about synthetic continuous pour Dunlop latex in post #2 here and there is more about natural rubber and synthetic rubber in post #2 here but once again it will come down to a preference and budget choice and whether a mattress that uses any type or blend of latex will be a good match for you in terms of PPP and the options you have available if it isn’t. There are many people that prefer natural or even organic latex for “personal” reasons that believe it’s “better” but if you ask them why it’s better their answers will often be based on opinions that don’t have real evidence to support them. [/quote]
I’m not sure I got a clear answer on real world performance differences between synthetic and natural Dunlop; however, my take away is that Natural Dunlop offers possible performance improvements now and over the lifetime of the mattress, but it is difficult to quantify based on differences between how individuals actually sleep on various mattresses combined with personal subjective and objective preferences. In addition, the value equation on how much to spend on perceived and actual improvements of natural over synthetic vary based on the individual.
Personally, I just want a high quality mattress that provides support, is quite comfortable to sleep on each night, and will hopefully last as long as a decade if possible. I’m under the impression that Natural Dunlop or a Talalay blend is more likely to meet these personal requirements than synthetic Dunlop. But I still don’t know if I am being influenced by theory and marketing over actual real world performance.
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If a mattress has split layers that have the same firmness on each side and with a comfort layer on top of it and a quilted cover you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a split layer or a solid layer of the same firmness. [/quote]
Thank you for this information. I was ready to rule out Arizona’s Talalay option only because of that reason.
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Again these are preference choices. I personally prefer the “feel” of Talalay for example while my daughter much prefers the feel of Dunlop which is what she purchased (she tested both). When it comes to these types of choices where there isn’t a better or a worse then your own preferences will always be more important than the preferences of others. In the past there were probably more people that preferred the “feel” of Talalay comfort layers than Dunlop but with softer Dunlop being more commonly available I would guess that the percentages are more even than they were in the past. [/quote]
I suspected more consumers likely preferred a Talalay comfort layer over Dunlop, though it makes sense that the softer Dunlop choices have bridged the gap.
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If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).
If you decide to take on the challenge then I would either use the specs (if they are available) of a mattress that you have tested and confirmed are a good match for you in terms of PPP as a reference point (the same type and blend of latex in the same thickness and firmness levels and a very similar cover which can also make a significant difference to the feel and performance of a mattress) or use a “bottom up” approach (see post #2 here). [/quote]
The DIY option is likely more of a risk to attain the right firmness level on the first try, but I don’t see how complicated it would actually be to build one based on your advice: choose 3 3" layers with the desired firmness levels and then find a high quality cover. Again, the risk is knowing what the right firmness levels actually are and the exchange/return costs if they aren’t.
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I would always keep in mind that the only way to know for certain whether any mattress, material, or design will work well for you will be based on your own personal testing or sleeping experience. You are certainly looking at some good options but nobody else can tell you which one would be “best” for you because it will always depend on your risk tolerance, your preferences, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
When you are down to finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and none of them have any weak links or lower quality materials in their design and if 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, your conversations with each of them, your confidence about the suitability of each one, the prices, the exchange or return options you have after a purchase, any additional extras that are part of each 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[/quote]
Thanks for your input. Again, I genuinely appreciate it!