stretch covers

Hello, I’m wondering if anyone with stretch covers could help answer some questions. I’m referring to the stretchy encasement covers like the PLB for putting latex pieces into. Most all the information have been people examining the feel difference between stretch and quilted covers. It was hard to tell how thick or substantial the PLB cover is, it seemed substantial enough and offered a nicer surface feel than a quilted type. Of course the PLB floor models looked great, however a lot of pics I’ve seen online of other stretch covers don’t look all that wonderful. Looks like a twisted floppy sock in some instances. Like putting a fitted sheet on a bed with lines or patterns that are all skewed. I’m not sure if this is due to cheapy versions, using the wrong size or just a caveat of a diy stretch cover. They just don’t seem to fit ‘snug’, the mattress ends up looking misshapen with excessive bagging of the cover here and there and I personally wouldn’t want to feel it bunched up under my sheets.

There are some well fitting looking examples like Mark in Texas posted I think it was of his SleepEz cover. Do these type of stretch covers end up losing their ‘stretch’ and bag out over time? All new things tend to look fantastic, but elastic things tend to wear and stretch and no longer snug back up to the way they were. Many people here move their layers around in their zip covers and hoped maybe they could give some insight after having a stretch cover for some time how they hold up in that regard. (just like old socks I have where they become ‘baggy’ and fall down…obviously they’re old and need replaced, but a pair of socks isn’t a $200+ cover)

Also I’m having trouble understanding what constitutes a ‘proper’ encasement or ticking for latex. I’ve read that latex requires something thicker, more protective to block uv rays (sunlight) and ozone (which I’m guessing is just slowed down since O3 is in the air and all covers breath to an extent). In the case of a thicker cover or ticking like a quilted version this makes sense since there’s multiple layers. Outer surface cloth, inner cloth and usually some sort of foam, wool, cotton or other fibers in varying thickness. For anyone who’s used one of the stretch knit type covers, are they a single layer? Double? The one from SleepEz looks fairly thick but people have pointed out it’s a matelasse type fabric (woven to include 3d texture, rather than true quilting). My concern is it’s not all that thick, just appears thicker. What makes one thinner (non quilted) cover suitable for protecting latex while other less expensive stretch covers are considered lacking protection?

I guess in my head, I can see the difference between a quilted cover @ $220ish - a thin jersey sheet type cover around $40ish. But then some stretch knit covers are also around $200 while others are $80 and that’s a big leap comparing thin to thin… Is the stretch cover from SleepEz (or similar) really that much more protective/suitable than other zippered covers?

So far the quilted seems the most durable, likely to last with least amount of wear. The stretch cover feels a bit nicer since it doesn’t interfere as much with the latex but my concern is before long it will lose its’ ‘stretch’ and become loose and baggy. In the $200+ range, it’s more of an investment and longevity is important to me. If a thinner stretch cover is just as protective, then wouldn’t something like this also be thick enough to protect the latex? Granted it’s not ‘stretchy’ but it does appear thinner than a standard quilted wool or cotton cover and would have more ‘give’ to it. Much as I like the thinner stretch cover because it has more feel, the thinner quilted cover would also provide more feel of the latex than traditional quilted ticking and at half the price of a PLB type cover. Despite a nicer initial feel, I’m concerned with longevity of a stretch knit PLB type cover and problems down the road. Rather not be kicking myself in a year or two fighting a bagging bunching mattress cover (if that’s a problem) knowing the heavier ticking was the same price. I’ve also been avoiding cheapo encasements, but if the thinner ones are just as good for latex then I can’t see paying double for essentially the same thing. (referring to the thinness of the cover to allow the latex feel, regardless of ‘stretch’ properties).

Thanks for any input, hopefully some owners of stretch covers can chime in with their experience as to how it’s holding up or give a heads up to any pitfalls to be careful of.

Hi brass,

I don’t have personal experience with any of them so hopefully some others that do will share their thoughts about the cover they own but there are a few stretch knit cover options listed in post #4 here (from the larger list of cover suppliers in the component post here). The manufacturers that sell them are all very knowledgeable and will be a reliable source of information and answers to your questions about the covers they sell.

Phoenix

Yes and no. All fabrics, even woven fabrics have some stretch to them. Even twills and denims come in at 1-2%. For example a pair of jeans might come out of the dryer fitting pretty snuggly, but they loosen as you wear them. When I wash our twill or our knit 100% cotton cases, they always shrink a bit. But in a few months, they will loosen up and fit as they were supposed to fit. Upholstery and bedding services always make their cases a little bit smaller than the pillow or cushion size because of this growth factor. Perhaps since a stretch cover has elastic threads as opposed to a knit cover being made of just cotton it will stretch less over time. However, between the weight of the pillow at one end and the sheets at the other end, even if its expansion is minimal, I wouldn’t think it would be cause curling of the latex.

[quote=“brass”]
I’ve read that latex requires something thicker, more protective to block uv rays (sunlight) and ozone
[/quote]Quilted vs. Stretch - In my house, we have three arrangements of latex. 1. On my kids’ bed, they have 3" of natural latex with 2 batts of wool around them encased in a thin twill futon case. We have had these for 4 years. 2. In our showroom of the living room we have a day bed with 6" of latex with one batt of wool, a twill case and a sheet over that. We have had this for two years. 3. Under the day bed in the trundle we have more 3" samples each encased in their own 100% cotton double knit case. We have had these for 1 1/2 years. The wear on these three pieces is different and interesting. 1. The bedroom mattresses have latex that is still quite fresh, no yellowing. 2. The day bed, exposed to sunlight from the big window and lots of kitchen air since we cook a lot, has very slight yellowing on edges if you pull the wool away to peak. 3. Although the trundle samples get no sunlight as they only come out for a showing, they have the most yellowing. True, it is slight, but it is interesting since they have the thinnest case and still get the kitchen air. I can see the slat lines on the bottom piece, white where the slats are and more yellow where they aren’t. Also the surface, particularly of the top piece, is also slightly aged.

That said, even though a thicker cover does prolong the life of the latex and help it retain its antioxidant that keeps it from succumbing to age, I can see a reason for picking a stretch or a knit cover. If getting 30 years out of your mattress isn’t as important for you as letting your the latex absorb every single pressure point and feeling that return of support, I can see where a less fabric would help that cause.

[quote=“brass”]
The one from SleepEz looks fairly thick but people have pointed out it’s a matelasse type fabric (woven to include 3d texture, rather than true quilting).
[/quote]If you see vertical channels in the case, that’s quilting. Usually diamonds indicate that as well.

Hi Brass

I bought a cover from TemperPedic…they won’t sell to a retailer, but I got an older model strtch with zip bottom. Works great…I have a 10 ’ cover with foam in 4 layers in it. Does not bag or sag. The 49$ one on Amazon is cheap…I did not like it. The quilted stuff looks nice, but I have been reluctant to try…they often have wool on underside, and I am not sure what that does to the “give” of the knit covers. Hope that hel;ps.

diynaturalbedding, thanks for the information about the different types of covering and results with the latex. That’s really interesting how much noticeable difference there is. It almost sounds like air itself is a large culprit since there’s so much effect on the latex even without direct sunlight.

Princess and Pea, which cover are you referencing on Amazon? The only covers I’ve seen there for around $50 are usually called velour jacquard zippered covers, is that the one? (they seem to pop up everywhere from Amazon to Ebay).

The covers I was looking at, one is the 4 way stretch from SleepEz. My concern with that is the stretch possibly losing its’ elasticity after a few years as far as shape retention/original snugness and the fact stretch covers are inherently thinner. While I like the feel of the latex unimpeded I also don’t want to risk premature degradation.

The other option I was considering was the quilted organic cotton from mattresses.net . Has anyone used this one personally? It doesn’t look overly stuffed with batting, so it looks like it may be thick enough to protect the latex well and yet thin enough to feel the latex a little better. With less amounts of filling or batting (whatever it’s called in the loft of the quilting), hopefully it would also be less prone to body impressions. High loft quilted covers look great and feel good in the beginning but my concern is if that batting flattens out down the road, there’s no way to replace it (vs replacing a worn out top layer inside the cover at a later date).

Brass, I had many of the same questions and ended up ordering the quilted cotton cover from mattresses.net I’m waiting for the delivery now and can hopefully report more soon. Still, it will come down to personal preferences, and you may prefer being closer to the latex, which is what we have enjoyed since buying the latex layers first.

That specific cover seemed like middle ground between their bamboo cover, which is thicker, and the SleepEZ stretch, which was my other choice. It was also good to learn that the senior staff member at mattresses.net uses the cotton cover. I figure that he can probably easily choose components so it was nice to know that he likes that cover. But, as Phoenix says, it will come down to your own preferences.

For me, there were also practical considerations. I want to be able to easily move the mattress and didn’t think the stretchy one would help in that regard. I’ve also noticed that the top two latex layers can drift a few inches and I’m hoping that the cover will hold things together better.

bbny, thanks for your input. That was something else I thought about too like you did, how easy it would be to move for rotating it. Might stay together better, more to grip with the cotton quilted. It’s hard to tell from the pics on their website, the still shots almost look a little yellowy (I’ve seen organic cotton that looks an off white or with flecks in it), but the video of their covers it looks like it really depends on the lighting. In some shots it looks darker, others it looks pretty white. Not that it matters, it’ll be under sheets and a mattress protector. Kind of a shame since so many covers look great just to have to cover them up :stuck_out_tongue: If you can, let me know what you think of it.

Brass

We received the Organic Cotton Zippered Mattress Cover from Mattresses.net a couple of days ago. They make the covers to order in their factory so it takes a couple of weeks to receive them. The quality is excellent and we are very happy so far.

The cover does exactly what we wanted it to do. It not only protects the latex, it also keeps the layers together so we’re not constantly having to adjust them. It helps that the dimensions of the cover are accurate and the latex fits snugly within the cover.

It does change the feel somewhat - I get the impression that it is firmer. My wife remains happy with the configuration of the layers, however, I’m adjusting and need a few more nights to be certain. But, the case definitely gets a thumbs up.

Hopefully this is a help :slight_smile:

bbny

PS - You asked about the color and it really is an off-white.

Hi bbny,

Thanks for the feedback on your Arizona Premium cover … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

bbny, thanks for your input. The wait time doesn’t seem too terrible, especially taking into consideration they’re made as ordered and not simply stocked. I had a feeling it might firm things up just a bit, but I’m glad to hear you like it and that it’s as nice as it appears. The off color I think would be more common with organic cotton (vs bleached) and doesn’t concern me either since regardless of what a cover looks like it’ll be covered by sheets and a protective cover. Definitely helps that it’s nice and snug to the latex dimensions. This is the cover I’ll most likely end up with since I keep coming back to it. I appreciate your feedback since you got it and glad it’s working out well for you :slight_smile:

How substantial is the zipper and how easy is it to get the layers of the bed together and then zipped up?

Thanks!

Hi benjammin,

I don’t have any personal experience with the cover or the zipper so hopefully bbny will see your post and share their comments but I do know that I’ve never heard of any issues with the zipper from any of Arizona Premium’s many customers over a period of many years…

For most people putting a component latex mattress together with two people is a fairly simple process (and even one person can do it) but there are a couple of “tricks” that can make it much easier. The first is to fold the cover over the foundation to secure it so that it stays in place (with some types of platforms this isn’t possible) and the second is to use a lifting and “waving” or “flicking” motion to move the layers into place and to align them inside the cover. Once you get the hang of it then it’s much easier. There is a good video here and here (from about the 3:00 minute mark) and here and here that shows the assembly process of a component latex mattress. The covers are designed to fit tightly and many people comment that at the end it looks like the layers are too thick for the cover but if you zip it carefully everything will fit perfectly.

Phoenix

Thanks. I wonder if it’s worth it to get a cover that the top zips off for easier cleaning (yes I know you could also put a mattress protector over the cover).

Hi benjammin,

If you are using a mattress protector then vacuuming or spot cleaning is generally all that is necessary for a mattress cover but if for some reason there is a greater than normal chance that your mattress cover would be soiled then it could be handy to remove the top part of the cover to wash or dry clean it and in the case of a wool quilted cover it can also be handy if you wish to remove the top panel to air it out in the sun to activate the natural self cleansing properties of wool.

Phoenix

Just wanted to share my experience. Bought an Arizona Premium Mattress bamboo/wool cover (to replace our PLB cover). We are having issues with the zipper. The cover doesn’t seem to be sewn evenly - in a couple of corners the base of the cover is much wider than the top and pulls the zipper to the point of bursting. There is also one spot (maybe more, haven’t checked yet) where the zipper was not even sewn onto the bamboo top layer (see picture). I did a quick search here and found this thread. I will be emailing them as well. Not impressed with my first experience with mattress.net :-/

Hi Bazinga,

It’s not clear to me that the cover has an issue or a defect from your pictures but it can be a little more tricky to work with a putting a stretch cover around a latex mattress when you are dealing with a complete mattress that has layers that are glued together instead of individual layers (individual layers are a little tricky as well to place them in the cover squarely so they are even and laying flat).

I would probably suggest that you put the cover inside out around your foundation first (see the video here from about the 3.00 minute mark) so that you have a square surface on the bottom that fits squarely around the foundation and then very carefully (you will need two people) put the mattress on top of the flat bottom of the cover and then make adjustments so that the mattress is square with the bottom of the cover all the way around. Then you should be able to pull the cover back the right way again to fully enclose the mattress and then if the cover is the right thickness you will be able to carefully zip it up by compressing the latex slightly where you are zipping (the latex will usually be a little higher than the cover so that the fit is tight). The sides should go faster but you will need to go carefully around the corners.

I would also talk with them on the phone rather than emailing them (see post #4 here) so they can provide you with any other suggestions that may be helpful and if you believe your cover has a defect I would send pictures to Mattresses.net that clearly show any defects before you call them.

Phoenix

Thanks for the description. That makes a lot of sense!

The cover arrived with the zipper not sewn into the seam (shown in the previous post, zipper is closed, white “zipper material” isn’t attached to the cover seam, so there is a hole above the zipper). I don’t think I want to try the foundation trick just yet because I don’t want to put any stress on the zipper. Maybe this picture (a little zoomed out) makes more sense. I have already emailed them, but will definitely call them, thanks for the suggestion.

Hi Bazinga,

I can see what you are referring to where the zipper seems to be detached from the cover fabric (although the hole seems to be below the zipper rather than above it).

I hope you have the chance to let us now the outcome of your conversation with Mattresses.net.

Phoenix

The website flipped the pic when I uploaded for some reason. But the hole is is at the top of the zipper material at the top edge of the encasement. And I checked, we have a platform bed and the platform is a few inches bigger than the mattress, plus the legs that come to the outside edge of the platform. So it’s a no-go on fitting the encasement side down around the frame :-/

Hi Bazinga,

That will probably make it more difficult to fit a full latex mattress evenly inside a stretch cover and you will probably need to do some “fiddling” and aligning to end up with the cover fitting squarely around the mattress. I would start by making sure that the bottom of the mattress fits squarely inside the cover and that the corners are flush with the corners of the cover and then work your way up from there.

Phoenix