Considering BB Aloe Alexis from Brooklyn Bedding. Mario @ BB suggests comfort level 6. My fear is that this is the “stock” answer, as 6 is the medium. Who wouldn’t like “medium”, right?
I see reviews by folks in the 165 to 185 pound range saying how happy they are with their “6”. But, I am a 205 pound side-sleeping male who wonders is my added weight might make the 6 wrong for me. (Odd thing is, I can’t tell if I would be better off going up or down in firmness.)
Anyway, are there any side-sleeping folks in my weight range out there who have the Aloe Alexis? What firmness do you have, and what are your thoughts concerning how “right” it is?
Is the lack of support at the edge of a latex mattress really an issue? No tendency to roll off the bed unless you plant yourself in the middle is there?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
BTW, I have read extensively on this site, and still wonder.
I would keep in mind that the most effective way to choose the firmness of a mattress is with your own personal testing on the mattress or if that isn’t possible then to use your local testing on similar mattresses as a reference point in combination with more detailed conversations with the manufacturer on the phone.
Perceptions of softness and firmness are subjective and each person’s experience on a mattress can be very different depending on many factors so each person’s experience on a mattress is unique (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). I would be very cautious about assuming that someone else’s experience on a mattress will be similar to yours or about using anyone else’s experience on a mattress as a guideline for your purchase.
One of the features of the Alexis is that there are two layers that can be exchanged so if you need to do any fine tuning to the mattress after a purchase either for pressure relief, support, or personal preference reasons based on your actual experience that there are good options available to do so.
Edge support is not an issue for most people when it comes to foam mattresses unless they sit on the very edge of the mattress or sleep with the heavier parts of their body on the very outside edge (which isn’t the norm for most people) and the mattress is in the softer range. You can read more about edge support in post #33 here. With a mattress that has edge support it’s also important to make sure that the method used is a high quality material so that the edge support materials are not lower quality and don’t soften or break down faster than the materials used in the inner part of the mattress because edge support can sometimes be a way to reduce the cost of a mattress by using lower quality/durability materials (such as polyfoam) to replace the latex.
I agree with Phoenix completely but I will tell you a little about my choice.
My choice was AA level 3 (firm), I am 6 foot and 215 lbs. I loved it but I do side sleep a lot and it was too firm for me. Next, I did a comfort exchange and wound-up with a version not offered: 36 ILD under 28 ILD. I would call it a level 4. It is as firm as I can get it without hurting my shoulders. If I had originally started with a level 5, I believe it would have been fine also.
Side support is not an issue for me - it feels a little different when you try rolling out of the bed but you grow accustomed to it.
Mario is really good at giving advice…He said I should go with a level 5 but I was convinced I must have a very firm mattress so he didn’t try to stop me only reminded me they can exchange it if I find it too firm.
I am happy with my choice and would not hesitate to do it again.
This is my story after 3 months and 1 full week.
Jeff