Want to buy a new latex mattress, but a little nervous

[phoenix]

Hi Lost,

To get to the point, I am not a fan of spring mattresses, and I would like a bed that will last a long time. IKEA was having a sale this month with their foam and latex mattresses 15% off. I really liked their Morgongava 100% latex mattress, and we were going to buy it when someone else bought the last mattress 30 minutes before we got there.

As long as the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice.

In other words … one type of mattress isn’t inherently better or worse than another as long as a mattress you purchase is a good match for you in terms of PPP, uses good quality and durable materials, and compares well to the other mattresses you are considering based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.

There is also more detailed information about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to.

Later that night I discovered this website, as well as Sleep EZ. Even though we will be blowing our original bed budget by 25%, we are looking at buying the 8" Natural Latex Mattress in Queen size with the layers as follows: 2" soft talalay, 3" medium Dunlop, and 3" of firm Dunlop latex foam. I guess this is the most common arrangement. I am a little nervous buying the mattress because it is a lot of money at $1,245, and because we have not tried it out in person. Also, I seem to like and need a softer bed, and my boyfriend thinks he wants a firmer bed, though he can sleep on anything and also likes our travel trailer bed. Finally, does anyone have anything good or bad to say about the thin cotton/rayon mattress cover that comes with this mattress instead of their normal, thick cotton and wool cover? From what they told me, you can feel the actual latex a lot more with the thin cover, and some people really like that according to the guy on the phone.

I’m assuming that you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps most importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists (based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).

What do you guys think about going with a soft, medium firm arrangement? I wonder what it will be like compared to sleeping on 4" of medium foam? Do you think Sleep EZ beds are a good value today? Does anyone have any warning advice for me? Sometimes I can be too optimistic and not objective enough when I really want to buy something, so I am scared and looking for things to look out for and/or some reassurance that this bed will be a good buy.

I would always keep in mind that the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

While your own careful testing or personal experience is the most reliable way to know whether a mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP … when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (which would include SleepEZ) and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would be very cautious about about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because any mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).

There is also more about the pros and cons of a quilted cover in post #12 here and there is more about the pros and cons of a wool quilted cover vs a thinner more stretchy non quilted cover in post #6 here.

As you probably know from your reading here SleepEZ is also one of the members here which means that I think very highly of them and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.

While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. The mattress you are considering uses very high quality materials (100% natural Dunlop latex and 100% natural Talalay latex) and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress so it would make a very durable choice.

What do you guys think of the Platinum Mattress Protector by Leggett and Platt that Sleep EZ sells? Does it sleep hot? Does it feel like you are sleeping on plastic?

There is more about the pros and cons of different types of mattress protectors in post #89 here. The “thin membrane” types of protectors like the platinum are a popular choice and generally have little effect on the feel and performance of a mattress and they don’t feel like plastic but for some people the semi breathable membrane in these types of protectors can impair airflow enough that they can sleep warmer than they would compared to other types of protectors without the membrane that are more breathable.

Phoenix