split firmness, latex or latex over spring, in NYC

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Hi all. My first post, after skimming a bunch from this forum. Thanks Pheonix for assembling such fantastic info!

My wife and I are looking to replace our queen mattress - it’s long overdue, and I think contributing to my wife’s back/hip pain. I like latex, having enjoyed a latex mattress years ago. We found ourselves in northern NJ yesterday so stopped in at the Paramus Ikea and both liked the Morgongava pretty well, though it was the first mattress we’ve tried. Weren’t crazy about a few others at the store.

Later in the day we swung by Scott Jordan and tried the Berkeley line. Both the all-latex and the “Oslo” (2" latex over one layer of springs) seem like strong contenders. The dual-layer spring model seemed to firm for both of us, and the “ultra plush” model was way too far in that direction.

One mild surprise was that my wife clearly did best on the firmer side of each of these two mattresses in the showroom, while the softer side was definitely for me. For each of us, the proper side was pretty obviously more comfy and aligned us properly.

So, a few followup questions:

[a] If I needed a softer surface for these two Berkeley models, is it safe to assume that’ll be true for other latex and latex-over-springs mattresses? For mattresses of other materials too? Would it be a mistake to get something which comes in a single firmness?

(b) Does the need for a split-firmness queen lead anyone to other specific recommendations for places to try in & around NYC?

[c] It wasn’t clear how we’d decide on the Oslo vs. all-latex, both seemed really good if different. Any thoughts? Should we keep coming back until a preference becomes clear?

Thanks!

Chuck

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If it’s any help to you, we are in the NYC area too, and we tried the BE mattresses at Scott Jordan. We liked the same two mattresses and also were split in firmness preferences for both. We assumed that we’d be buying a split firmness latex mattress on the basis of our experience there, but ended up buying a single firmness latex mattress somewhere else. It wasn’t a “compromise”-- we both liked it best. I don’t know if the situation is BE specific, but I wouldn’t assume you will absolutely need a split mattress just on the basis of your experience at one store.

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Hi nyc runner,

As sas95 suggested … I wouldn’t make this assumption no. It will depend on the specifics of a mattress and what your testing indicates and you may well find that some mattress designs work well for both of you (see the first part of post #2 here).

I’m assuming that you’ve seen the New York list in post #2 here which includes the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the NYC area (subject to the guidelines here) but your testing doesn’t indicate anything specific no (although a few of the stores on the list do sell split firmness mattresses).

If your careful testing indicates that they are both a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) then it would be strictly a preference choice yes.

Phoenix

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Thanks sas95 and Pheonix for your help! I wanted to relay how the rest of our mattress story played out.

After more discussion and reading, we were leaning toward the all-latex BE at Scott Jordan. When we returned, the price had gone up significantly on that mattress (at least a couple hundred bucks, IIRC) and they didn’t offer to honor the price we were quoted a couple weeks prior. This was enough of a surprise, and put the mattress enough over our original budget, that we didn’t pull the trigger then and there.

We decided to try ordering from Sleep EZ, - the 10,000 series, with split layers of soft, medium, and firm. Organic, talalay. This just seemed like a lot of bed for the $$$, and we came around to feeling that with their superb return policy, there was less risk buying before trying than with buying many of the options we could try in a store but only return for store credit. We reckoned we really needed a few weeks to know if a mattress was gonna work, not a few minutes or even hours. The split configuration and the firmness assortment seemed all but guaranteed to meet both our needs - at most, we might have to exchange one or two halves of layers.

Well, we tried every conceivable combination and neither of us found the right combination of comfort and support. Everything seemed either too firm or too pillowy. In the end we returned the whole thing to Sleep EZ. Kudos to them for their return policy, and also their phone support!

Went back to Ikea, where we’d previously ruled out the latex options. Once again the Morgongava seemed a fair bit too soft, and their second-most-expensive Latex option seemed rock-hard. I noticed a few broken slats under the Morgongava, and hypothesized that maybe this plus the thousands of people plopping onto the mattress had taken their toll, and maybe we could trust that Ikea’s (and other reviewers’) “medium firm” description meant that what we’d experience at home would be quite different from their display model. Buoyed by that hope; by someone’s assurance that we could ultimately get store credit for a return and not just another of their mattresses; by exhaustion with the whole process; and by a desire to not spend a lot more than necessary for comfort and durability (and some promotion which gave us a nice discount), we decided to take one home.

Indeed it was an entirely different experience in our bedroom (on a slatted Blu Dot “Nook” bed) than at the store. This one actually felt too firm for both of us at first, though I - who needed a softer configuration in the Berkeley mattress - found it perfect within a day or two. My wife surprisingly took longer, and for a while we considered getting a topper; but within a few weeks she too found it very comfortable. Five months later, we continue to find it just right, and we sleep well and wake up with no mattress-induced discomfort. We’re very happy with this mattress, and can’t imagine that spending triple or more would’ve gotten us any more comfort. And hopefully durability will be at least pretty good, for this all-latex model. Lastly, we dig the sub-8" profile which, combined with our Nook, has made it possible for our daughter to climb out of bed since we brought it home, when she was about thirteen months old (and more recently, into bed)…

1 Like
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Hi nyc runner,

It seems that it took some time and effort to get there but I’m glad that you found a mattress that works well for both of you (and your daughter as well)

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback … and I think you made a good quality/value choice.

Most importantly … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix