The Serta iComfort mattress ... what's the buzz

Phoenix,

Thank you for your advice and prompt response. We will test the others as well.

Sunshinegal

Thanks for the response. Last week I took a day off and drove the family 100 miles to Idaho Falls to test out the Snowmass and Aspen. Despite promises that both were on the floor, the Snowmass was not there when we arrived. I was livid. I tried the Aspen and didnā€™t really like the feel as it felt too soft. The salesman told me the Snowmass isnā€™t much different. Iā€™m debating whether its worth trying again in a week or two. Any thoughts on whether you think that statement is true (not much difference between the two)?

Also, Iā€™m curious if you could give me your opinion on the longevity of these two mattresses. Would they feel substantially similar at year 3, 5, 7 as they do after an initial break-in period?

Today I went to a local mattress shop (Sealy) and asked if they had any latex mattresses. The guy said they donā€™t sell them due to heat trapping issues. Is this true? He tried selling me on the S&F Duval Firm and Blisswood Firm. They were about $1800-2000 for king sets. Safe to assume you would avoid these?

I value your opinion.

Hi Jaxson (sorry about the wrong name in the last reply),

I would have been more than a little upset as well if they assured you on the phone it was there!

While the difference between the two is not huge ā€¦ it would definitely be noticeable and everyone Iā€™ve known to try both of them have said they can feel the difference. How much someone weighs would also make a difference in how they each felt and some people who are lighter or less sensitive may not feel as much difference. Both have 2" of 24 ILD talalay in the comfort layer but the Aspen has an inch of Super Soft polyfoam underneath the latex and has a stretchy unquilted ticking. The Snowmass has an inch of firmer HD polyfoam in the quilting above it (and the quilting would make the polyfoam a little firmer as well). Both use 32 ILD talalay in the support layers but there is 4" of this in the Aspen with 4" of firm polyfoam underneath this while the Snowmass has 6" of latex underneath this and 2" of firm polyfoam under this. So the Snowmass would be both a little firmer in the comfort layers and slightly more supportive in the support layers (because of the extra latex). I personally believe that the firmer polyfoam in the quilting is a better construction than having polyfoam sandwiched in between the latex layers.

There is not really a break in period with latex as there is with memory foam or even polyfoam (to a lesser degree) and latex itself is very durable so the feel will be much more consistent over time. While all foams will soften including latex ā€¦ good quality latex will take much longer and in 3, 5, or 7 years and well beyond that they will stay ā€œsubstantiallyā€ the same with only minimal changes.

As to whether it is worth taking a long drive to test a single mattress which may or may not ā€œworkā€ for you ā€¦ thatā€™s hard to say ā€¦ but it is not the same as the Aspen. It may provide good feedback for an online purchase though even if it doesnā€™t work out since the specs of the latex at least are known.

Phoenix

Thank you for that. Weather permitting, may be heading back over tomorrow. Iā€™ll follow up with my thoughts. Hopefully it will work out, but if not Iā€™m likely to ask for your opinion regarding the best online options. Thanks.

Hi Phoenix,
Iā€™m glad i stumbled across your thread today. My wife and I went out ā€˜just lookingā€™ at mattresses today with the idea that we should get some type of foam mattress. I had back surgery in January and my lower back still isnā€™t quite right, although much better for sure but I still have some circulation and nerve issues to sort out. We live in Edmonton, Alberta and today checked out a few mattresses we thought were alright. Weā€™re going from an 8 year old ā€˜cost-effectiveā€™ spring mattress so I think a brand new cot would probably be an improvementā€¦ We test-drove the iComfort Insight at Sleep Country and The Majestic and The Imperial at Foam King. All felt great but the iComfort offers a longer warranty than the Foam King mattresses and The Imperial felt bouncyā€¦ The Imperial was the only Latex foam we tried outā€¦ but they want $2200 vs under $1400 for the iComfort ($2100 for their Majestic memory foam). Iā€™ve read you refer to Talalay and have read interesting things about it. The bouncy one from Foam King - The Imperial ā€œfeatures a 4ā€ layer of ā€œTalalayā€ latex foam bonded to a 3" layer of Energia, which is then bonded to a 3" layer of extremely firm Reflex foam"

Is that a smart $800 more to spend on the FoamKing? Or is the imperial a good mattress but there are equivalents available at much better prices?

Thanks so much for your time.

Mike

Hi MikeB,

Some of the better options Iā€™m aware of in the Edmonton area include ā€¦

https://www.tmasc.ca/ is a smaller sleep shop with stores in Edmonton and Calgary, AB. which specialize in high quality premium mattresses and some very high quality bedding products. They carry SleepTek and Greensleep customizable latex mattresses and Berkeley Ergonomics customizable pocket coil/microcoil/latex mattresses along with Natura and VI Spring (which are ultra premium mattresses). I have known Daniel who is one of the owners there for several years and they are exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful and have great integrity and are also one of the members of this site.

https://healthybedroom.ca/. They are a retail direct store for several brands made by Araam Inc in Edmonton and are next door to the factory. On their Tangerine Foam site they sell their Tangerine Foam brand of latex, latex hybrid, polyfoam, and memory foam mattresses along with some Sova innerspring/polyfoam and polyfoam mattresses. These use good quality materials, can customize to some degree (they only have one ILD of latex) and have good value. On their Healthy Bedrooom site they sell their Sprout and Zen Green mattresses which include latex/pocket coil hybrids and all natural latex mattresses which include hand tufted cotton along with wool and silk and they also sell Hypnos and Haastens which are an ultra premium natural fiber/innerspring range of mattresses. They are knowledgeable and transparent about all the materials and components in their mattresses.

Latex Foam Mattress Manufacturer Edmonton They used to be primarily a furniture, upholstery, drapery, and blind store that sold high quality products but have recently begun to focus more on their mattresses. They make latex/polyfoam, all latex (100% natural Talalay and organic Dunlop), polyfoam, and memory foam mattresses that use high quality materials in a range of prices. They use high quality materials including polyfoam up to 2.8 lbs (nothing lower than 1.8 lbs in their lowest budget lineup) and 5 lb memory foam and are knowledgeable, open, and transparent about all their mattresses and foam quality. They will also make custom designs for those that need something other than their standard designs. There is some good quality and value here.

https://www.thefoamking.com/ makes a range of foam mattresses that use high quality materials including memory foam, latex, and Energia. They have some better than average quality/value.

https://www.lbal.ca/ Retailer in St Albert, AB. They carry Organicpedic (OMI), Natureā€™s Embrace, Naturepedic, and Savvy Rest mattresses which are all good quality mattresses but I would make some careful value comparisons because some of them may be in higher budget ranges than other similar mattresses. I would avoid the Serta mattresses they carry and I would make sure that you can find out the specs of any of the Kingsdown mattresses they sell before you consider them as well.

Furniture & Home DĆ©cor - Bring Home To Life - IKEA CA There are some better options here (along with some low quality options I would avoid). There is more about their mattresses in post #3 here.

bodo.ca/ Carries intellibed mattresses which use buckling column gel in the comfort layers. An unusual but fairly costly material and while it would be worth testing because buckling column gel it is somewhat unique material ā€¦ I would make some careful comparisons to make sure that the benefits are worth any premium in price compared to other high quality materials such as latex or memory foam.
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https://www.mattressmattress.com/ Retail store in Edmonton that carries some Springwall, Restwell/Spring Air, and King Koil mattresses that may be worth considering but I donā€™t know how transparent they are so I would make sure that they can provide the specs of all the layers and components in any mattress you are considering here so you can confirm that there are no lower quality materials or weak links that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress and I would avoid the major brands they also carry.

For those that visit Calgary there are also some good options there (see post #2 here).

Warranties are selling tools and have nothing to do with how long a mattress will last. The materials in a mattress and how it is constructed are your only meaningful assurance as to longevity and the iComfort uses some lower quality foam in the comfort layers of their mattresses (the weak link of all mattresses). The Imperial feels bouncy because of the resilience of the latex and the Energia foams which are both very high quality and have high resilience.

I tend to look at things in terms of value rather than price and none of the mattresses you are looking at have good value IMO although the materials in the Foam King mattresses are far superior to those in the iComfort (which I would not consider at all).

Post #21 here has a list of various online sources that are available in Canada if you are comfortable including online sources in your research.

Phoenix

Quick follow-up to my post about a month ago when I thought I wanted an icomfort. I searched the interwebs for reviews, and landed here. After reading all the stuff on this site, I realized I had no clue what I was doing and needed to learn more about mattresses.

I ended up going with Sleep EZ 10,000 blended talalay. It is three 2.8" latex layers that finishes at about 9". I did his/her ultra firm, firm, med. Did the his/her on their suggestion that I could test other configurations by switching. Made sense. Turns out that I have no need to experiment since it is perfect in this configuration as suggested by sleepez based on my weight and sleeping preferences.

Putting it together was not too bad. Getting the bottom layer perfect is key. No instructions includedā€¦ I think Sleepez should include a document that gives you the quick start.

SleepEZ customer services is top-notch. Sometimes I canā€™t believe that I had a mattress shipped from AZ to DE, but at the end of the day, itā€™s perfect and I got more bang for my buck.

Phoenix, many thanks.

Hi Jimdog,

Thanks for the feedback ā€¦ and congratulations on your new mattress !

One more for the good guys :slight_smile:

Phoenix

If you donā€™t need to buy a mattress right away and want a Gel foam mattress I would wait a few mouths. There is a new Gel foam product coming to stores very soon, some may already have it. It is a Gel foam made by Flexible Foam & Future Foam. The process was developed by Bayer Chemical. Instead of ground up gel sprinkled into a memory foam wile it is being poured the gel is poured with the foam and is part of its structure. There are lots of rumors about the gel migrating out of the AUT foam, with the Bayer process that canā€™t possibly happen. Gel is also very strong so having it part of the foams structure makes the foam stronger. You still get the cooling aspects of Gel but in a much better thought our package. I am working on the 1633 testing on one now and should a couple beds available soon. I really didnā€™t like the design of the AUT foam so we havenā€™t made a Gel bed till now.
Ryan

Hi Ryan,

Thatā€™s great news! Iā€™ve been posting about the ā€œvalidā€ versions of gel for a while and have been a little jealous that the nearest version that I could even test is over 500 miles away. Iā€™m really optimistic about its potential when used in a meaningful way and Iā€™m really looking forward to the feedback as people try it.

And just to make it easier to find you since youā€™re a manufacturing member here and are allowed to post your links ā€¦ hereā€™s where to find you ā€¦ https://www.beloitmattress.com/

Thanks for letting us know :).

Phoenix

I need help. I, too, was considering the Serta iComfort prodigy. Iā€™ve had a Kingsdown mattress for about 7 years or so that Iā€™ve always hated. I finally got rid of it and now desperately need to buy a new mattress. I want to go with memory foam or anything thatā€™s NOT an innerspring mattress. I really liked the Serta icomfort, either prodigy or insight, and I also liked the tempurpedic rhapsody. But, the price of either is a serious investment. As a single mom, I need to be frugal. Can you help me make sense of this quickly so I can get a new mattress by the weekend? Iā€™m tired of sleeping on a bean bag!!
Itā€™s just me in a king size bed (at least for nowā€¦); Iā€™m 5ā€™4" and a side sleeper. Iā€™m 45, if that matters, and donā€™t have any major back complaints. Iā€™m in Tampa, FL and would appreciate any advice at all on what to look for, where to go, what to buy. Thank you!

The closest place I know to you is The Original Mattress Factory in Orlando, FL. They have a nice Latex set. You can check it out at https://www.originalmattress.com/.

Hi Alysal,

The first thing I would do is read the tutorial post here. Rushing to buy a mattress will often lead to poor value purchases which is a shame because what you buy will have a big effect on how you feel for the next decade or so. A mattress is one of the most important purchases most people make.

As you can see from this thread and others on the forum ā€¦ none of the choices you are looking at are particularly good value (or in the case of the iComfort good quality either) and the best quality and value will usually be from a local factory direct manufacturer or a better sleep shop that are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, use higher quality materials, and have better prices.

Some of the better choices in and around the Tampa, Clearwater, St Petersburg area include ā€¦

https://www.pittsburghmattressfactory.com/ Local factory direct manufacturer with outlets in Ellenton and Bradenton. They make a variety of mattresses including double sided and true HR polyfoam (the best kind of polyfoam) and Dunlop latex. While they are not ā€œcheapā€ and are priced higher than many independent manufacturers, they do use high quality materials and would be worth a phone call and/or a visit as a reference if nothing else.

https://www.manta.com/c/mm2fvf1/bartow-mattress-upholstery Local factory direct manufacturer in Bartow, FL. They have been making mattresses for over 100 years and make traditional two sided innerspring mattresses as well as 6" two sided latex mattresses on a working box spring. They are open about providing information about the quality/density of any of the materials or layers in their mattress. They will make memory foam mattresses but like many smaller manufacturers tend to prefer more resilient materials so they tend to discourage it and may not have any memory foam on their floor.

https://www.matterbrothersfurniture.com/ Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs, Naples, Fort Meyers, FL. They are a local manufacturer that makes a range of mattresses including latex and polyfoam/innersprings (and some memory foam). The sales people there are often not as knowledgeable about the materials they use however (for example they know little about the foam density they use) but they told me they would find out if asked. Certainly a better option and higher quality and value than larger name brands or mass market outlets but would require some research because being a manufacturer with several stores the knowledge level of all the salespeople on the floor may not be up to the ā€œnormā€ of most local manufacturers.

HOME - InnoMax Smaller national brand normally sold through retail outlets but with a factory direct outlet in Clearwater. Makes a range of mattresses including latex and memory foam and better value.

Body Rest Mattress Manufacturer in St Petersburg and Tampa. They sell to retail stores but they have a local showroom where consumers can test their mattresses and be referred to a retailer. They are owned by Commercial Bedding and make the Green Karma line which uses PET recycled materials which are rather unique and a non toxic and durable alternative to traditional polyfoam as well as their Green Earth and
Panache lines which includes latex, innersprings, and memory foam.
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http://www.orlandomattresscompany.com/ and Atlas Mattress Factory Lake Hamilton, FL. They are local manufacturers who are working in partnership and make a range of good quality mattresses. They generally make commercial mattresses for hotels and cruise liners but they also sell direct to customers at the Atlas Mattress showroom. They make traditional mattresses (innerspring/polyfoam using a wide range of foam densities depending on budget), latex, latex hybrids, and microcoils and are transparent about the type and quality of the materials that they use. Both Orlando Mattress and Atlas Mattress can provide information about the materials inside any of their mattresses. They can also custom build.
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810 beds Retail outlet with outlets in Tampa, Brandon, St Petersburg, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Tarpon Springs. Carries Panache and Body Rest mattresses (both owned by Commercial Bedding) and Serenity Mattress which are both local brands. He has a very close relationship with both and can order a custom mattress if necessary. Better value than most retail outlets, knowledgeable and helpful.
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http://www.somnissleep.org/ Retail store in Tampa. Carries Innomax, Organicpedic (OMI), and Reverie mattresses which are all high quality mattresses but some of them are in higher budget ranges. They also carry mLily which are a Chinese memory foam import. The owner is knowledgeable and focuses on the materials in a mattress rather than ā€œmarketing storiesā€ which of course is a sign of a better outlet and better customer service.

www.clearwater-discount-mattress.com/ or http://www.tampabaydiscountmattress.com/index.html Retail outlet with outlets in Palm harbor and Tampa. Carries several alternative budget brands that tend to use higher quality materials and have better value than most major brands. While they donā€™t know every detail of the foams in their mattresses (they donā€™t actually make them), they have told me that they will find out for you so that you can avoid having too much low quality materials in your mattress.

https://bedpros.com/ Retailer with stores throughout the area. They carry Pure Talalay Bliss mattresses which are a high quality talalay latex mattress and because the specs are known can also provide a rough blueprint for an online purchase where the value may be better. I would not consider any of their other mattresses or let them steer you in any other direction using ā€œsales techniquesā€ (I donā€™t know them but many chain stores do this). There is nothing else there that I would consider unless they can provide all the specs you need that will ā€œproveā€ that it would be worth considering.

http://www.mattressdr.com/ Retail store in Tampa and also sells on ebay. Carries Diamond mattresses.

https://www.designinteriorsfurniture.com/ Tampa. Carry a wide range of Jamison mattresses.

https://www.thebetterbackstore.net/ Port Richey. Carry Jamison which makes some higher quality mattresses including gel memory foam and latex.

https://www.mattressavenue.com/ Port Richey, Spring Hill. Carry Pure Latex Bliss talalay latex mattresses. I would avoid the major brands they also carry.

Contact Famous Tate in Florida Tampa, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Oldsmar, Spring Hill, Brandon, Port Richey, Wesley Chapel. They carry Therapedic mattresses (including latex hybrids) but make sure you can find out the specifics of all the layers in any mattress you consider here.

This topic also has some feedback from one of the members here about their experiences with some of the manufacturers mentioned here.

Hopefully this will help you a bit ā€¦ and I would certainly take the time to do a little research if you can but if your time is limited it is exceptionally important to only go to outlets who will tell you exactly what is in every mattress they sell rather than telling you stories based on ā€œcomfortā€ alone which may feel great in the store but will have little relationship to how a mattress feels or performs when it is in your home or the quality or durability of the materials in it.

Phoenix

From what they say on the Original Mattress website regarding their latex mattresses, are these specs good?

Mattresses & Box Springs

Our Latex mattresses and box springs offer a truly unique feel combined with superior comfort, support and durability. There are two models available, both of which feature a two-sided design and the highest quality Talalay latex foam core. This core is approximately 40% natural latex and 60% synthetic latex. A blend is best as it creates the most consistent and comfortable product. Our Latex box springs feature four-fold torsion modules with additional wire, an additional wood slat and offer superior support and shock absorption.

overview
comfort choices
pricing & sizes
how to buy

Comfort Choices:

Latex Foam 
Latex Supreme 

Mattress Thickness:
9" ā€“ 12 Ā½" (Tolerance Ā± Ā½")
Warranty:
12 Years Non-Prorated

Mattress Components:

The Latex models use a selection of the following materials depending on your comfort choice:
All Latex models are padded equally on both sides of the mattress.

6" TalatechĀ® Talalay Latex Foam Core - 30-34 ILD, 4.7lb/ftĀ³ Density (Tolerance Ā±.25lb/ftĀ³)
Convoluted TalatechĀ® Talalay Latex Foam Topper ā€“ 17-21 ILD, 3.25lb/ftĀ³ Density (Tolerance Ā±.25lb/ftĀ³)
FR Fiber
Quilted Panel Featuring a Premium Damask Fabric Cover
Heavy Duty Cloth Handles

Box Spring Components:

Amish Built Wood Frames ~ featuring 1 x 4 side slats and 1 x 3 cross slats
Blended Cotton Felt Insulator Pad
Skid Resistant Fabric Cover
Patented 4-Fold Torsion Grid Modules ~ provide extra shock absorption and durability
Special Sinuous Wire Springs ~ provide added corner strength
Hand-Tailored Box Spring Cover

Also, is it a good that all of their King sized mattresses are hinged and can be folded top to bottom??

Finally, do you have to flip or rotate latex mattresses? If so, how often? THANK YOU!!

Hi Alysal,

The two OMF latex mattresses each have an inch of polyfoam on each side (which is the maximum I would recommend) but other than that they use high quality materials (talalay latex). Because they only have two latex options however ā€¦ the specific layering of either of them many not suit some people in terms of pressure relief, alignment, or preferences. In other words even a mattress that uses the absolute highest quality materials (like quality latex) can have ā€œbad specsā€ if the construction and layering arenā€™t suitable for the person lying on them. This is why itā€™s important to buy a mattress that provides the pressure relief, alignment, and personal preferences that are necessary for each individual. Even the best materials can cause discomfort and back pain if the specs donā€™t fit the individual.

OMF is also a little unusual in the world of latex mattress manufacturers in that they include a ā€œworkingā€ box spring (or torsion spring) with their latex mattress. Most manufacturers believe that a solid non flexible foundation is better suited for latex and that a box spring is not as desirable. It will certainly change the feel of a mattress however whether this different feel is good for an individual or whether it helps or hinders alignment would depend on each person. This means that a latex mattress on a boxspring will feel different from the same mattress on a solid foundation. They are good quality however.

This can be a help in moving the mattress through difficult spaces but is designed to not have an effect on performance. It can certainly be helpful in some circumstances.

While latex is a very durable material ā€¦ it can also benefit from being flipped (if two sided) or turned to extend its life. The less durable materials (like polyfoam) or materials that can compress (like various types of fibers) can also benefit from either flipping (if possible) or turning to even out the wear or compression and give the most used parts time to rest.

Its a good idea to flip and/or turn your mattress every couple of weeks for the first 3 months and then gradually less frequently until after about 6 months you are doing it once a season. If you have a two sided mattress you can alternate flipping and turning. With most material there is a more rapid period of softening or compression at the beginning and this can be better evened out with more frequent rotation or turning in the first few months and then less frequently after the initial softening and compression.

Overall ā€¦ OMF (like most of the smaller independent manufacturers) is better value and uses higher quality materials in any given price range than most if not all of the major manufacturers. Regardless of the quality of a mattress though, the most important part of buying a mattress is that it fits your individual needs and preferences.

Phoenix

Update: after being stranded in Denver while trying to connect for a flight back to Jackson, I was able to get to a Denver Mattress and try out the Snowmass. Unfortunately, it just didnā€™t work for me as I felt my hips were sinking too much, creating a bit of a V shape out of my spine. On a whim, I went into an IKEA and tried out their latex mattress. I was quite surprised when they actually all felt quite good to me! They were quite a bit firmer than the Snowmass and my spine felt good while lying on them. Unfortunately, the documentation was quite sparse so I have no idea what their construction is like. Are you familiar with their mattresses? The two in particular I would consider are the Sultan Edsele at $1,000 for a king and the Sultan Engenes at $800. These prices seem ridiculously low to the point where I naturally tend to think there must be something wrong with them. I tried doing more research on IKEAā€™s website, but I think you need adobe flash, which I canā€™t get on my iPad. Any thought would be very much appreciated. Also, if you have any suggestions for alternatives, based on the profile I have provided (Snowmass too soft, IKEA stuff much better), that would be appreciated too.

Hi Jaxson,

What your experience on both the Aspen and the Snowmass is telling me is that the ILD of the support layers may not be enough for you.

Both of these mattresses use 24 ILD latex in the comfort layers and 32 ILD latex latex in the support core underneath this. The softer feel of the Aspen comes from using a different softness of polyfoam under the latex comfort layer while the Snowmass uses a firmer polyfoam which is quilted (making it a little firmer yet) over the latex. The Snowmass also uses more latex in the support core than the Aspen which can also contribute to any differences in feeling and/or alighment between the two mattresses.

The Ikea Edsele is made of ā€œmostly naturalā€ Dunlop latex which has a higher sag factor (gets firmer faster than talalay latex) so it will feel firmer than talalay in the same ILD. This means that it may not provide the same degree of pressure relief, especially for side sleepers, because the ā€œtop partā€ of the mattress is not as soft. It will however provide better support as it will stop the hips from sinking in as much (both because it is firmer and because it is Dunlop). It also has a different ā€œfeelā€ from talalay and is not as ā€œspringyā€.

One of the challenges of buying a mattress is to find the right combination of pressure relief and alignment that work for individuals weight distribution and sleeping positions and the tradeoffs between the two are sometimes difficult. This can also be made more difficult by sleeping partners who either have different weight distributions or sleeping positions. Stomach sleeping expecially needs the most hip support (keeping the hips up) because stomach sleeping can lead to a swayback position which overextends the lumbar and can lead to back issues. On the other hand, side sleeping needs a thicker softer comfort layer than other positions because there are more "bony protrusions) in side sleeping (hips, shoulders, pelvic crest) that can create pressure problems and more ā€œgapsā€ in the body profile to fill in. Normally combination sleeping ā€¦ particularly side/stomach ā€¦ needs the thinnest and firmest comfort layer possible that adequately provides pressure relief on the side and as firm support layers as possible and comfortable to allow for the best alignment while on the stomach.

The Engenes is also Dunlop latex but it is 20% natural and 80% synthetic which is not nearly as high quality a material as the more natural Dunlop. SBR (synthetic rubber) when used in Dunlop latex will tend to be stiffer (not as elastic) and not as durable so I would tend to avoid it when there is a more natural Dunlop available. The best Dunlop is 100% natural Dunlop.

It is important to test a mattress for pressure relief in the position that is most prone to pressure issues (mostly the side for most people). This is mainly the job of the top few inches of the mattress. It is also important to test for spinal alignment in all your sleeping positions. This is mainly the job of the firmer layers that are under the comfort layers of the mattress.

While the Ikea seems to provide better support ā€¦ I would make sure that I tested it for pressure relief while lying on it completely relaxed for at least 15 minutes on your side. While different people have different tolerances for the amount of pressure that is comfortable for them ā€¦ for most people sleeping directly on a firm Dunlop comfort layer may provide great alignment but not the amount of pressure relief that would be comfortable for them over the course of the night. Of course this Dunlop core (for alignment) with a softer 2-3" topper (for pressure relief) could also make a good choice if it was necessary and there may be better quality and value options and wider choices in Dunlop available through independent manufacturers.

Hope this helps.

Phoenix

Thank you! Two questions, if I were to just order online, say from sleepEZ, what configuration would you suggest? Also, do you know of any good stores in Salt Lake City? Itā€™s a 4.5 hour drive, but might be worth a weekend trip.

Hi Jaxson,

The best way to choose a layering is to test mattresses which have known specs to get a clear sense of the ILD and thickness of the comfort layers and support layers that work best for you. Each experience helps ā€œpoint toā€ the best layering for each individual. For example ā€¦ I would say that a 32 ILD core is on the soft side for you and 36 - 40 (firm) talalay would work better or even firm Dunlop. The layers interact however so knowing that the support core needs to be firmer is only an approximation rather than giving an exact layering scheme that works for you. For example the comfort layers on the Snowmass may be perfect but the support core was likely too soft. Thatā€™s why its important to ā€œdifferentiateā€ pressure relief and alignment when you are testing mattresses so that you donā€™t mix the two up or go by an overall feel. The iComfort you tried for example had a softer comfort layer than the snowmass but the core is likely a little firmer.

If you decide to purchase from an online manufacturer such as SleepEz ā€¦ I would let them know your ā€œspecsā€ (height, weight, and sleeping positions) what you have tested and your feedback about each one. They are very good at either going by ā€œaveragesā€ (which works well for most people which is why they recommend it so often) or will adjust the averages based on your testing. They are the ā€œexpertsā€ with their own mattresses and their construction based on many hundreds (or thousands) of customers and their feedback.

At this stage it is unclear the type of comfort layer which works best for you. If you are comfortable on a firmer comfort layer (such as the Ikea) and have no pressure problems ā€¦ then medium, firm, extra firm would likely work well for you. If you need a softer comfort layer ā€¦ then soft medium firm would likely work well (especially for side sleepers). Each of you should test mattresses separately since you may have different needs and the mattresses can be made with a side to side split to accommodate each of your needs.

There are a couple of factory direct manufacturers in Salt Lake City if you decide to take a trip there. I would call first to make sure what they have on their floor for you to test before making a long trip. Sometimes they can make a mattress with certain materials or layering but may not have it on the floor for you to test.

See post #2 here for the updated Salt Lake City/Provo list

Hope this helps. Keep in mind too that there are many people that are happy with an online purchase who have done little testing and even if the layering is not quite right ā€¦ a layer exchange at a low cost will normally solve any problems. While I personally believe that some testing will help a lot to narrow down the best layering and in some cases save the frustration of deciding which layers to exchange ā€¦ its at least nice to know for those that donā€™t have many good options near them that even without a specific ā€œperfectā€ mattress that you are duplicating that the odds are good that you will end up with a mattress that is superior in all ways than anything you would otherwise have purchased.

Phoenix

PS: There is a store in Idaho Falls[/url] which carries several latex mattresses from Natura which use talalay, dunlop, and various combinations. While they donā€™t list the exact specs, Natura does list the general construction and materials and they would certainly be valuable in giving a general idea of different latex layerings that may work well for you.
ADMIN NOTE:Retired Website | Archived Footprint: completecomfortbeds.com/category/natura

Hello Phoenix,

     My new wife and I (just married) are looking for a new bed and I'm hoping you can help us find a good one.  We just came back from looking at the icomfort and we thought we liked it (until i found this site).  We live in NY (not far from NYC) and are looking to buy a king size bed.  My wife is about 130lbs and tends to sleep on her stomach, while im about 185 and sleep mostly on my back/sides (im figitty).  Recently, ive noticed that i wake up aching and kind of sore and i think our old bed is the culprit.  I'm a big golfer, so my back is a bit sesitive.  Can you help us find a good bed for a good price?

Very best regards,
D&E