tempflow eros

Hello,

I am researching mattresses. Saw the I-Comfort Acumen made for Sleep Country (Canada) and liked it but have read many negative reviews. Lots of complaints of the i-comfort getting soft and less supportive over time. Also contemplating the Tempflow Eros. It seems to get a lot of good reviews but, there are no dealers here in Canada (Toronto area). They will ship here but it really adds to the cost and I am concerned that if I do not like it I may be stuck as it is a long way to send back to CA. I believe the Tempflow is made of better foam (5lb) than the i-comfort (4lb). Do you have any suggestions? I really liked the biogreen and low VOCs of the Tempflow though I hear that the FTC is challenging the VOC claims. Also, like the idea of “cool” technology as I experience hotflashes most nights.

I am 5’9" and 132lbs. My husband is 5’8" and 186lbs. We both tend to sleep on our side and I have had some back issues. If the mattress is too hard I feel pain in hip and shoulder.

We just need something that will last, support back, yet relieve pressure points. I have only owned individual coil spring matresses and have no experience with memory foam or latex. Can you give me some insight? Are there any companies like Tempflow in my area?

Thank you,

Chris

Hi Christine,

The first place to start is the tutorial post here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

It also includes a link to a list of some of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of and a link to a list of some of the better online manufacturers and retailers that ship across Canada.

Some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Toronto area are listed in post #1 here.

The FTC challenged the “no VOC” claims because anything over background levels (that aren’t defined) can’t claim no VOC’s. You can see some of my comments about the FTC action here. You can also see some of my comments about Relief Mart and their mattresses in post #9 here.

Phoenix

I am very familiar with the I-comfort. I searched for a couple months and since we never had a non-spring mattress and after doing a lot of research I decided yo go ahead and try the I-Comfort. The only reason is because Mattress Firm has a 1 year exchange or refund. So I thought what the heck. We had the I-Comfort King Prodigy with adjustable bases. Needless to say in less than one month the bed failed. I am 5.10 235 and my wide is 5.3 125 and her side of the bed already sagged in the middle so bad she had to put a pillow against her side so she wouldn’t fall off the bed. My side never got soft and was very firm it started hurting my back after 2 weeks. I know that evey body is different and every body needs time yo adjust. No bed should fail within a month. Mattress Firm solution was for us o rotate the bed so I would have the soft side. I looked at her in disbelief…said Hell if that is the case then why don’t my wife and I just switch sides. NOT…Made then come get the bed and bases and now I have been talking and emailing Rick from Tempflow. He is VP product development and seem to be straight up and will explaine and answer any question you have. Basest on a lot of conversation with Rick and researching the company Tempflow which is just one, they also have selectabed.com and parent company is Relief Mart I am going with the Tempflow Hermona, I am side sleeper, hip pain and back pain and Rick gave me 3 choices but after I explained in detail my medical issues I have had the Tempflow Hernona is the one to try first for us. They give you 120 day no risk trial.He is straight up and will take care of you.

Thank you so much for your replies, Phoenix & jdeck. I am not going to get the i-comfort as I am hearing too many bad reviews. I think I will call Rick at Tempflow and also check out some of the local companies Phoenix posted. One of those companies in Pickering is about 20 minutes from my home. I will let you know how it goes. :slight_smile:

Hi Phoenix,

Have been speaking with Dr. Rick at Tempflow via e-mail. He has been very kind and helpful. He is recommending the Tempflow Flexia or an Airpedic 900 with the biogreen memory foam. Do you know anything about the Airpedic mattress? Is it a well-built mattress?

Chris

Hi Christine,

As you can see in post #9 here … I think highly of Relief Mart and Dr Rick, they use good quality materials in their mattresses, and none of them have any weak links in their design.

I’m not as big a fan of airbeds however (see this article) but having said that … theirs has a separate firmness adjustment in the center zone which can help offset some of the inherent weaknesses of most airbeds and the urethane air bladders themselves are more flexible and durable than most types of air bladders (which can add some progressive resistance to the air) and the comfort layers they use above the air bladders are all good quality materials so they would be a “better” choice in terms of quality, durability, and performance than most of the competing airbeds on the market IMO.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Got busy and had to put my research on hold but, am back at it again. Today I visited one of the factory direct businesses you recommended: Factory Mattress in Pickering, Ontario. I looked at latex mattresses there. I tested out a 7" talalay (spelling?) 29ILD mattress which felt pretty good. He said that this latex was made from soy. Pardon my ignorance, but is this a synthetic or natural latex? He can also do the same mattress in Dunlop natural rubber. The owner said that their latex is manufactured in the USA, not China.

I had been looking at the Tempflow Flexia which Dr. Rick mentioned would give us the support we needed for my husbands lower back with an layer of softer memory foam on top to relieve my pressure points. I talked with the gentleman at Factory Mattress about doing the same type of thing with latex. He said that he could use a 6" core of 29ILD latex (either dunlop or talalay) and add 1" on the top and 1" on the bottom (total 8" ) of softer (25 or 22ILD latex) to help relieve pressure points. Do you think this would be good?

I would appreciate your thoughts on this idea & which latex would be best. From reading your material it seems that you think highly of latex mattresses. Also, does the rubber smell of dunlop latex dissipate quickly? Or does that smell remain?

Thanks,

Christine

Hi Christine,

Either you are getting some misinformation here or there has been some kind of misunderstanding because there is no such thing as latex that is made from soy. If the Talalay is a blend then it would be about 70% synthetic rubber and 30% natural rubber and if it’s 100% natural Talalay then there would be no synthetic rubber in the foam. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

If the latex is Talalay then it would be either Latex International or Radium and if it’s made in the US then it would be Latex International.

If it’s Dunlop Latex on the other hand I would want to know the blend of natural/synthetic but it could be made in many countries. There are two Dunlop manufacturers in the US who both make continuous pour Dunlop (one only makes a synthetic/natural blend and the other makes anything from 100% synthetic to 100% natural) but most of the 100% natural Dunlop latex you will see would be made either in Sri Lanka or in India and it’s not likely it would come from China (they don’t export much Dunlop latex to North America).

I can only speak to the quality of the materials and if all the materials in a mattress are either Talalay (either blended or 100% natural) or 100% natural Dunlop then it would certainly be good quality and there would be no weak links in the mattress.

Outside of durability though … there are too many unknowns, variables, and preferences involved for anyone else to know whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and you would either need to use careful and objective testing to assess this or if you can’t test a mattress in person then you would need to make a choice based on a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) that can help you decide which of their options is likely to be the best match for you.

You can read more about the smell of rubber in post #2 here. In most cases it will reduce to levels that are either fine or undetectable for most people in a few weeks or less although there are occasional exceptions and some batches where a stronger smell can last longer. Some people may also be more sensitive and for them it may take longer for the smell to reach a level that they either don’t notice or that it isn’t an issue.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you for your feedback. Soy latex sounded odd to me, haha.

A couple more questions:

Is it worth it to buy organic latex?

Do latex mattresses need to be flipped? (Just wondering if the idea of putting the 1" softer latex to both sides of mattress is a good idea or just put 2 " of softer latex on top and none on bottom with no flipping.

Does a latex mattress break down as easily as memory foam, making deep body impressions. My friends purchased a Tempur pedic mattress a few years ago and they said that after a couple of years they each have their own “hole” to sleep in. Yikes!

Thanks,

Chris

Hi Christine,

It would really depend on the person and their thoughts about the importance of organic farming methods. Organic Dunlop isn’t really any different from 100% natural Dunlop that doesn’t have the certification in terms of feel, performance, durability, or safety so people who choose organic Dunlop latex would normally do so for personal reasons. There is more about organic latex in post #6 here.

Any mattress that is made two sided will benefit from flipping but of course only two sided mattresses can be flipped so one sided latex mattresses don’t need to be flipped (and can’t be flipped). Latex is a very durable material and one sided latex mattresses will last for a very long time but even a very durable material such as latex will last longer in a two sided version. There are also tradeoffs in a two sided design though and limitations in how a two sided mattress can be layered. There is more about the pros and cons of a two sided mattress in post #3 here and the posts it links to.

Latex in general is the most durable of all the foam materials (polyfoam, memory foam, latex foam) although all foam types have more or less durable versions. There is more about the factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here.

I don’t know which Tempurpedic mattress your friends are sleeping on but I would also keep in mind that their mattress would probably last much longer for most people (if the mattress was appropriate for their body type and sleeping positions) than it seems to have lasted for them.

Phoenix