Store suggestions in zip 21703

Hi redbird,

There is more about the different types of mattress pads in post #10 here and there is more about wool mattress pad/toppers in post #8 here and the posts it links to.

I would keep in mind that a mattress pad or a topper will change how your mattress feels and performs so unless you can test the combination together to make sure that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP it may be a good idea to wait until you’ve slept on a new mattress to see if it needs any fine tuning before buying a mattress pad.

I’m glad the site had been helpful and it sounds like you’re doing some good research.

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding and of course any other comments or questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix

Thanks for the links!

I was looking at Sleep EZ’s site and I can’t find the ILD for their different firmness options. Anyone know what they are?

Hi redbird,

The approximate ILD’s of their 4 firmness choices are listed on their site here but they would be able to give you more specifics when you talk with them on the phone (which you would need to do anyway) and unless you are familiar with how different combinations of latex layers with the same type and blend or latex, the same layer thicknesses, and the same firmness levels feel for you in “real life” they would be the better source of guidance about the firmness levels of their layers that would have the best chance of success than using ILD numbers that may not be particularly meaningful to you anyway.

Phoenix

When I look at that page on their site, it’s different than the one you linked - it doesn’t list the firmness, weird!

I did look and feel my neighbor’s Plushbed. It was a medium firm, which on their site, is listed as 29-31 ILD. It was surprisingly softer than I had imagined it would be - I was kind of expecting a hard slab of concrete, lol!

If I am not able to go to American Foam Center to try out specifically what they would recommend for us, at least I can compare what the Flobeds site recommended for our firmness and compare that to the firmness listing for Sleep EZ and make an educated guess (after talking to Sleep EZ too, of course). Especially because it seems Flobeds firm would be equivalent to Sleep EZ’s medium.

Hi redbird,

If you scroll down to near the bottom of the page (to the right of the picture of the picture of the foundation that says “Fully Upholstered 9” High") you will see a box that lists the ILD range of their 4 firmness choices.

I would be very cautious about using just the ILD numbers for a single layer as a way to compare the firmness or feel of two mattresses that have different designs because the type of latex, the thickness of the layers, the firmness of each layer, and all the other layers and components (including the cover) will all have a significant effect on how the mattress feels and how it compares to another mattress or “matches” a particular person in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). I would also keep in mind that the Flobeds mattresses use a 2" layer of convoluted latex in the top layer that is 28 ILD but would “feel” closer to the mid teens in terms of firmness because of the convoluting (which they will also change out for a solid layer with a different firmness level on request).

Using ILD information by itself without taking into account all the other parts of a mattress design and all the other layers that can also affect the feel and firmness of the mattress can be somewhat misleading because only individual layers have a rated ILD … not the mattress itself.

There is also more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (either locally or online) that can help you assess and minimize the risks involved with each of them in post #2 here.

Phoenix

Thanks for that! I keep waffling back and forth between “I’m going to just buy one online now” to “Let me slow down and REALLY think about this”.

I called Sleep EZ and they suggested firm, med, and soft in all blended talalay. After reading almost every post about Sleep Ez, I am reconsidering ordering maybe some of the layers besides the comfort layer in Dunlop. There was also another post about ordering the topper in a zippered cover separately that gave a more cushioned pillow top feel. There was also a post about someone who tried Arizona and Sleep EZ and they felt like they sunk in more in the Sleep EZ’s mattress. So that has me reconsidering the 3 3" laters as opposed to the 6" core.

Sounds like I need to have another conversation with Sleep EZ or go to American Foam Center to see if they would be able to accommodate my preferences for testing purposes.

Hi redbird,

This would be a preference choice rather than a “better/worse” choice but there is more about the difference in “feel” between Talalay and Dunlop in post #7 here.

If both mattresses were the same type and blend of latex then this would most likely be the result of differences in the ILD of the layers because you will sink into softer layers more deeply. There is more about the pros and cons of two three inch layers vs a single 6" layer in post #2 here.

Well, I let the side of me that wants a new mattress now take over and have ordered a Sleep Ez 10,000 with all talalay soft, med, firm. Sleep EZ suggested that Dunlop had more inconsistencies and talalay would be more than sufficient when I called them back today.

I think, at the very least, I have done more research than the average Joe, and I feel good about that. Thanks Phoenix for your wisdom in all things mattress!

I will report back once I receive it with setup and initial impressions. A lot of people post, but never reply back about what kind of mattress they end up with or any review, of sorts. That’s what I would have found infinitely more helpful anyway!

Hi redbird,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I think you made a great quality/value choice and I always appreciate it when the members return to share their experiences after they receive their mattress and I’m looking forward to your comments when you’ve had a chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix! I ordered it yesterday and it shipped yesterday and I have already received a tracking number, saying it should arrive by next Monday.

Also, forgot to mention that they are having a sale right now until next Sunday. So, I got 5% off for the sale and 5% off for being a forum member, plus 2 free pillows. I chose one shredded and one regular to see which I liked best. So a king split came to about $ 1800 total.

UPS shows my mattress has arrived in Harrisburg, PA. Wonder how long it’ll take to get to me? :slight_smile: I can’t believe I’m so excited about getting a mattress!

Hi redbird,

I think one of the hardest parts of buying a new mattress is the time between when you order it and when you actually get to sleep on it and all the thoughts and uncertainty that goes with it.

It shouldn’t be long now :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Well, I’m the proud new owner of a latex bed from Sleep EZ! :cheer: I was thinking I was going to have to put it together by myself, but luckily my husband was home yesterday and surprised me and put it all together. I think it took him about an hour and a half (with our 3 year old running around!). He definitely reiterated how heavy it was :ohmy:

First, the cover of the mattress is amazing! It was hard to tell from the website, it kinda looked like your standard poly mattress cover - but it is just comfy and soft, plush cottony goodness.

I unzipped the cover and checked out the layers and all was well. My husband layered them firm, med, soft on both sides (I was going to do one side med, firm, soft - still might do that for testing purposes). It was a bit taller than our old Ikea Morgedal mattress, but the sides of the mattress are not rigid and a bit flexible, making it slightly easier to get in and out of bed (We have a low Ikea bed with adjustable slats which I have set to hard under my hips and soft under my shoulders).

I then sat on it and immediately thought “ok, this feels very similar to my neighbor’s Plushbed” in that the sides were a bit squishy. But I never got all up in her bed and laid on it very long well, because I just thought that would be weird!

I love the feel of the bed. I get what others are saying about it feeling “alive” and kind of like you’re laying in jello (not mushy jello, but supportive jello??). It conforms to your body and you have this amazing feeling of being kind of weightless but very well supported at the same time.

I then laid on it and it was a great feeling. It felt firm and soft at the same time. Especially compared to out Morgedal, which was a medium firm, but was way firmer than this! The top has a good, plush feeling about it and the cover makes it moreso. I can’t see right now needing another topper or pad. We have the SafeRest waterproof mattress protector and these sheets, which I love, from Ikea:

I have a lot of neck/shoulder pain (shoulder injury, chronic shoulder tension) and I noticed an immediate difference when I laid on my side in the shoulder area. My shoulders were able to relax and sink in a bit to alleviate the pain and tension, whereas the Morgedal was too firm and I often woke up with both shoulders hurting, even though I only have an injury on one side. The stomach sleeper pillow that I had been using from Sleepy’s felt even better to lay on, like it was able to meld into the mattress instead of it being totally seperate from the mattress - and I often put my arm under my pillow and it felt so much better doing this too.

My husband laid on the other side and we tested the movement and verified we could not feel each other moving around (our 3 year old also sleeps with us :ohmy: and that was one of the reasons we got a king bed in the first place).

I did get one shredded and one regular free pillow from Sleep EZ. The regular one seems like it is going to be almost perfect for me in firmness and size - it’s a tad smaller than a standard pillow. I have a much older really firm latex pillow made by Latex Int’l that I couldn’t use. I am going to let it air out for a while, because I did notice the smell was making me a bit nauseous. It’s not a really bad smell, but it’s just - unusual! The shredded pillow is too thick for me, they really stuffed it full, so I’m going to take some of the latex out and put it in another pillow cover. I did unzip it and it seems like it’s going to be a messy process, so I’ll save that for some other time!

I usually fall asleep pretty fast, but I think I fell asleep even faster last night! My shoulders have been hurting pretty bad from all the snow shoveling this weekend, but I woke up remarkably refreshed! I had a great night’s sleep and it really was so comfortable, cozy, and enveloping. I did not want to get out of bed this morning and I wished I could lay there all day! When I woke up I realized that I had slept on my side the entire night when before, I slept on my stomach often to alleviate my shoulder pain.

I will try to take some pictures and post them and I think I will swap some layers around on one side just to see how it feels. So far, I am loving it (only been one night, though!) and am hoping this love affair continues.

Thanks again Phoenix for all of your guidance and thanks to Sleep EZ for offering a mattress at so much less of a cost than buying it at a local store, and for the great customer service and fast shipping! This has been the most expensive mattress we’ve ever bought, but it’s a purchase I really feel good about. After all, you spend how much of your life sleeping? And if I don’t have quality sleep I am a grump!

Hi redbird,

Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed comments and feedback about your new SleepEZ mattress … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

It’s also great to hear that your initial experience is so good and I’m looking forward to any additional comments and feedback you have the chance to share as well.

Phoenix

[quote=“Phoenix” post=49540]Hi redbird,

Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed comments and feedback about your new SleepEZ mattress … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

It’s also great to hear that your initial experience is so good and I’m looking forward to any additional comments and feedback you have the chance to share as well.

Phoenix[/quote]

Thanks for everything, Phoenix - you’re awesome.

Here’s some pics of the cover:

And here’s pics of the pillows:

I did swap the layers for the other side to med, firm, soft and laid on it briefly, but I will have to sleep on it to see if I feel any different. Slept on the same firm, med, soft last night and had a great night of sleep so so far, so good!

I noticed that my husband put the cover on upside down so that the tag is in front instead of in back and that the layers looked a little lumpy and uneven. I tried to straighten out everything by myself. It is kinda difficult to do yourself - especially if you can’t pull the cover over a foundation. If you don’t have someone holding the cover taut it’s hard to get everything to line up just so.

Hi redbird,

Thanks for the pictures :slight_smile:

I think that most people would agree with you that assembling or rearranging layers is certainly much easier as a two person job!

Phoenix

Still loving the new mattress, although I’ve had some physical issues that haven’t let me gauge everything completely. I slept very awkwardly holding my daughter as I fell asleep one night and had one of those kink in your neck next couple of days. Then we had an ice storm here and I fell on the ice and hurt my hip and back!

Overall, through all the injuries, it has been very comfortable and my neck and shoulders are definitely not hurting as bad when I get up in the morning. I started using the solid latex pillow a couple of days ago instead of my stomach sleeper pillow, since I have found that I am sleeping mostly on my side now instead of my stomach. My neck has definitely felt better using that because of more support where my neck and shoulders meet.

I’ve slept on the other side of the bed that’s medium, firm, soft and I can tell a slight difference in the firmness, but haven’t slept on it enough to really tell if it’s better for me or not. I am happy sleeping on the firm, medium, soft so far.

Every night, I look forward to getting in my bed and have that “Ahh” feeling when I lay down!

Hi redbird,

Sorry to hear about your mishaps and I hope that you are back to normal quickly.

Thanks for taking the time to share another update :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix! I think I am healed up now from my fall. My lower back started hurting badly for a couple days and I couldn’t tell if it was from falling, sleeping on a hotel bed, or the new mattress (or a combination, or my overall bad posture!). It has started to go away, but I was wondering if my hips were sinking in too much into the mattress. I haven’t done a spinal alignment or anything - it’s just going to take longer than I expected to determine if I need to switch layers or not.

At this point, I don’t think so because I am not in almost constant pain from my shoulders like I was before, which is so relieving! I have still been sleeping on my side and not my stomach as well - and still am waking up feeling like I got so much better of a night’s sleep than before.

My husband has been out of town for work and only sleeps on the bed maybe once a week. He said he feels like he is going to roll off the edge sometimes though because of less edge support than a traditional mattress. Although he wanted to switch his side back to FMS from MFS - don’t think that really has anything to do with edge support though.

Hi redbird,

The only way to know whether any part of your body is sinking in too far or not enough is based on any “symptoms” you experience when you sleep on a mattress. I would tend to wait until your experience has stabilized before making any changes to your mattress and if your lower back suddenly starts to hurt for a couple of days and this wasn’t happening previously and it has started to go away then it would most likely be from “other reasons” than your mattress.

Most latex mattresses don’t have (or need) edge support because latex is such a supportive material (see post #3 here) but for those that sleep with more of their weight on the very outside edge of a mattress or that are in higher weight ranges then firmer support layers or configurations under the softer top layer can reduce the feeling of “roll of” on the side of the mattress (and/or the feeling of “roll together” in the middle).

For most people though it’s more a matter of getting used to the “feel” of a different type of mattress.

Phoenix