Website/ Forum reader, joined as a member today !

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Phoenix,

I have been doing a fair share of online mattress research for a couple weeks, and in that time came across your wonderful website, where I have spent several days reading and comparing info.

I am not usually a forum participant, but your site has been a wealth of info and has answered many of my questions in purchasing a new mattress.
I felt the need to share my thoughts, and seek a little help.
You have my appreciation upfront.

My Husband & I are 62 and are in need of replacing a very old, broken box spring(20 yr), and a Nikken foam mattress(10 yr), no innerspring or latex.
We live about 45 min outside of Pittsburgh, PA.
We have never had good luck with innerspring mattresses, even in our younger years, but that may be due to what we could afford back then.

We are in the market for a good 100% latex mattress, but one within reasonable costs that won’t need replaced for a while.
I have watched youtube videos, visited Mattress Company websites, searched for Brick & Mortar stores in our area, read advice on sleeplikethedead.com , and visited a couple local stores.

I am 5’3", 158 lbs., medium boned, short stature with some arthritis in my neck and hip, and get sciatica off & on. I am very mobile, don’t like to sit.
My husband is 5’10", 270 lbs., one knee with some arthritis & torn meniscus, a herniated disc in his lower back (30 years in Vol. Fire Dept.), very large boned. He has a desk job, and because of limited mobility is not very active outside of yardwork (riding mower & weedwacking).

We like the idea of the zip open, layered mattresses that can be split for each sleepers comfort and switched out or rearranged, and have wittled down our choices to:

SleepEZ, using Dunlop for the Support Cores and Talalay for the Comfort layer. Their original latex (non organic) with 4 layers is workable in price.

FloBeds, using all Talalay layers in different firmness. And V Core option.
Their website recommended the V Core for my husbands weight and side sleeping, but the price is still high for us, especially when you include their foundation, even though we feel the V Core would offer more self adjustment options.

As it stands, we are leaning toward the SleepEZ version and and just about ready to push the button.

My question is to clear up some confusion of mine regarding Talalay vs. Dunlop when used in the support layers.
Over time, will the Dunlop compress more than the Talalay in the Support Core layers with a heavier weight sleeper and shorten the lifespan of the mattress?
I do realize that in 5 years any layer could be purchased at full price from either SleepEZ or FloBeds for replacement.

Sorry this is such a long winded first post as an amateur.
Thanks again for all the great info you have here.
LylaCat

2

Hi LylaCat,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I’m happy that you’ve found us!

I’m not sure if you’ve read it yet, but the best and first place to start your research is 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 more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones. This will be much more useful than “review” or homologation sites.

With your husband’s higher BMI, you’ll want to reference post #3 here that has more information and suggestions about heavier weights.

As you may already be aware, both SleepEZ and FloBeds are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.

Choosing to go with a latex mattress certainly would suit your needs for durability, and with the component-style systems you mentioned you have the ability to not only customize down the road and replace layers, you can also have the mattress split on the left and right side for different comfort preferences.

While there are many websites that try to portray Dunlop as being more durable than Talalay or the other way around … I treat them as equivalents and as a preference choice rather than a better/worse choice in terms of durability and in a suitable design and firmness level both have a very long history that shows that in some cases they can last for decades.

The most “popular” choices in terms of a combination of foam characteristics that most people seem to prefer in terms of performance and price (value) is Talalay in the comfort layers and either NR Dunlop or Talalay in the support layers although any type of latex can be used in any layer and some people (including my own daughter who prefers Dunlop in the comfort layers) have much different preferences than others so I would make sure you have tested both to see which one you prefer. Your own experience and preferences are always the most important factor in choosing between them. In some cases (depending on the many factors that play a role in durability ) latex mattresses with firmer layers can last over 20 years.

Before making any final decision, I’ll always recommend a detailed phone conversation with an manufacturer you’re considering, as they will have the best knowledge of their products and can provide choices that they honestly think will best serve your particular needs.

No worries. And you’re welcome!

Phoenix

3

Hi Phoenix,

Spent a marathon weekend on the Internet over Labor Day.

I had already read your mattress tutorial before I made my first post here, and also read many of the links that I felt applied to my own situation.

Before that, my husband & I had visited a local Sleep Store that sells factory direct, The Original Mattress Factory. I am pretty sure they are based out of Cleveland, and have a factory in Pittsburgh.

Their innerspring mattresses seem very well made, using Bonnell spring systems. They have a couple of Memory Foam mattresses, and their Foundations look strong & well made.

Unfortunately they only carry one Latex mattress, it is a hybid of latex and polyruethane foams, is two sided and can be flipped, but only comes in one choice. One side firmer, one side softer. It felt good when lying on it, but we weren’t totally sold on the comfort level, or the manmade foam component.

The salesman was informative but not pushy, told us we should come back as often as we need to so we could spend lots of time trying different beds. Any salesperson could help us as they don’t do sales commissions. No Big Sales Events either, the prices always remain the same. Only negative is that once your buy, there is no return on any mattress.

I would feel very confident purchasing through them if I was looking for an innerspring.

In the Latex arena, I still liked the SleepEZ for its component capabilities, and its cost was a little more manageable for us.
Savvy Rest and Flo Beds also offered great interchangable layer systems, but with our budget they were both cost prohibitive.

After more reading & research on your website, I discovered Arizona Premium Mattress Company which offered a ‘Do It Yourself" mattress. I could choose Natural or Blended Dunlop for the core layer or (layers) and Blended or Natural Talalay for the comfort layers. They also offer many other mattress options, including innerspring hybrids.

After weighing all the variables, we decided to go with Arizona Premium. However, I discovered that a custom mattress could not be ordered using their online order form, and had to place the order by phone.
We ordered a Queen DIY mattress, split configuration, 4 – 3inch layers each side with customized ILD’s. This will give us the option to self adjust the latex layers as needed.

Mine: 1. Blended Talalay- Soft, 2. Natural Dunlop- Med, 3. Nat.Dunlop- Firm, 4. Nat. Dunlop- XFirm
Husband’s: 1. Blended Talalay- Med, 2. Nat.Dunlop- Firm, 3.Nat. Dunlop- XFirm, 4. Nat.Dunlop- XFirm

And we opted for their knitted Bamboo/Joma Wool mattress cover, which I personally feel will last longer than their Organic Cotton cover because my husband is a large man and is a fitful sleeper who tosses & turns a lot, and has worn out several 100% Cotton sheet sets.

Since our mattress is considered custom, we understand the delivery time may be longer than most. We have a 60 day period to exchange out any of the layers for a new ILD, but there is no Full Refund on a DIY purchase. A bit of a risk I guess, but for us, the money we saved was worth that risk.
And if we had purchased through our local Orig. Mattress Factory sleep store, we would have taken that same risk with no Refund.

I guess these things are all relative to your own particular situation as you weigh pros & cons. We are hoping this will be the last mattress we will buy, as we are close to retirement age.

This is our story so far, and wanted to share it with your readers, and pay it forward.
This website and forum are a wonderful tool to gather info and opinions on what is out there in mattress shopping possibilities.
And my sincere thanks to you for the work & time you put into this effort.

Once we receive our mattress and use it for a couple weeks, I will certainly update the forum with our findings.

Best Wishes,
LylaCat

4

Hi LylaCat,

Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed post regarding your shopping experience, and congratulations on your new mattress purchase! :cheer: As you’re aware, Arizona Premium is a site member here, which means that I think highly of them, and you certainly chose something that uses good quality and durable materials.

I appreciate your offer to follow up with comments on your new mattress, and I look forward to learning about it once you’ve had a chance to sleep upon it for a while.

Phoenix

5

LylaCat, thanks so much for your detailed post! My husband and I are new members to this forum and are going to AZ Premium tomorrow to ‘shop’. I wish we could wait a month to hear how you like your custom mattress!

Phoenix, any thoughts on their “Eco Sleep” setup? The price point is definitely an attention grabber. So does that setup (3" Talalay over springs) – is the support layer the springs and the comfort layer the Talalay?
I have back issues and my husband thinks innersprings is the only way to go (little old school) He is concerned very much about the ‘durability’ and ‘sagging’ issues with Latex/Foam/anything new!
thanks so much -

Annette in AZ

6

HI Annette,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

The EcoSleep mattress from Arizona Premium uses good quality and durable materials. The innerspring unit is the pocketed spring Caliber Edge from Leggett and Platt, using their Bolsa spring and thicker gauge steel along the edges for extra reinforcement in that area. Placed on top of that is 3" of Talalay latex. You may choose the Talalay in multiple ILDs – 19 (plush), 28 (Medium), 32 (Firm), 36 (Extra Firm) – to accommodate your comfort preference. Hopefully you’ll be able to sample these when you visit them in person.

While all of the layers of a mattress work together and contribute to comfort, in this scenario the innerspring unit would be primarily responsible for deep support and alignment, while the Talalay latex layer would primarily be responsible for surface comfort. You can read more about the two functions of a mattress, support and comfort, in this article.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with using an innerspring unit for a support core within a mattress, and many people have an affinity for that type of product and the support/comfort characteristics it provides.

Latex is one of the oldest foams in the industry, the genesis resulting from the vulcanization process invented in 1839 by Charles Goodyear. Foamed rubber (latex foam) began production in 1929 by Dunlop, and has advanced since then. The Talalay latex process became commercially viable in the late 1940s. In contrast, polyurethane foam using the common TDI isocyanate process began production in the 1950s, and memory foam originated from the Ames research project in NASA in the 1960s, and after this discovery was released to the public domain in the 1980s it began to appear in mattresses in the early 1990s. So latex is actually a very proven material, and I think your husband may be confusing it with memory foam, which is the “new kid on the block”, relatively speaking, but it’s still been around for quite some time. All foams are constantly going through improvements in chemistry and production.

Latex is generally considered to be the most durable of the three major foam types, and can be a very durable support core (if used instead of a spring unit). Post #28 has much more detailed information about latex versus springs.

Phoenix

7

Hello Phoenix,

The Holidays seemed to come quickly this year, so I am sorry I haven’t responded sooner to update you and your readers regarding our mattress purchase this past September from Arizona Premium Mattress Co.

Well, we have been sleeping on our mattress for about 3 months now, and I just have to tell everyone that we absolutely love it!!! This was the best move we have ever made to help with our back problems.

From the first night I slept on it, I saw measurable improvement with my back issues. There was probably a 1 week adjustment period for myself.
My husband is very pleased with it and finds it very comfortable and supportive for his herniated disc problem.
As for myself, I feel like I have a new lease on life!
The daily lower back spasms I used to experience, especially after getting out of bed, have completely disappeared.

To update, it is a Build Your Own mattress in a zip top bamboo cover with (4) 3 inch latex split layer components of various densities on each side of the bed to accommodate our differing body weights.
It rests on an 8 inch Wood Slat Foundation that is supported by our original 8 inch Metal Bed Frame with a center bar support.

It is a 12 inch high mattress, which may seem like overkill, but we felt 3 layers of latex might not support my husbands 275 lb. weight.

Total height of the bed from the floor is 28 inches.

I am only 5’3", so it IS a little high for me, but I manage. I just stand with my back to the edge of the bed and kind of flop backwards to get in. And my legs dangle when I get up, so I just kind of slide out. :slight_smile:

If we could have done anything differently, we would have ordered a 5 inch high Wood Slat Foundation that we found offered by another company which looked similar to the one we bought from Arizona Mattress. This would have shaved 3 inches off the height of the total bed setup.

Arizona’s very helpful and polite salesman originally quoted me a price for a mattress they have online that has a 6 inch Support layer with a 3 inch Comfort layer, meaning a 9 inch high mattress.
But I still liked the idea of several layers we could change around to adjust the support and softness.

The only down side to my purchase was that because it was a Build Your Own bed, there was NO Return Policy. And the order had to be placed by phone, you can’t order a Build Your Own on their website form.

Also, Arizona Mattress did not offer the option to Exchange out a latex layer for a different density, again because it is a Build Your Own.
Before purchasing my mattress, I thought I would have a 60 day period to do an exchange.
But during the ordering process, I discovered I hadn’t read the info on their website close enough.

So we were fortunate that we did not feel the need to change out any of the layers, because we probably would have had to purchase them in addition to what we had originally ordered.
At one point, I did switch 2 layers on my side of the bed because I thought it was a little too soft, but found it uncomfortable when sleeping on my side, so ended up switching it back to the original layering.

All in all, we are extremely thrilled with our mattress purchase through Arizona Mattress Co., and I would recommend them in a heartbeat!
The mattress is of good quality materials, and it fell within a workable price range for us.
We find it to be the best mattress we have slept on in our 62 years. And that speaks volumnes.

Everyone I spoke with at Arizona Mattress was very helpful and courteous.
And even though my purchase was not from their basic offerings, they were always very accommodating with me.

Also, Ken was very understanding when we discovered our credit card had been compromised somewhere else, and was quick in helping me remedy things so our order could be placed.

Our order did arrive earlier than it was expected, even though the tracking showed delivery at a later date.
Fortunately, we were home when all the boxes arrived.

Thank you, Phoenix, for this great website where anyone can spend some time reading the tons of info you offer and picking other peoples brains while trying to figure out what may work for them.
This was a great help to me and was surprisingly very educating.

The best to you and your Readers in the New Year, and Happy Sleeping to us all!!

Regards,
Lylacat

8

Hi Lylacat.

And welcome back to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Thanks for your kind words and for such a detailed and heartfelt update and description of your experience with Arizona Premium Mattress, one of our Trusted Members and Expert Member of our site.

I am happy that your mattress worked out so well for you and that 3 months later both you and your husband are pain free and sleeping sound throughout the night.

I appreciate you returning here with a follow up for the benefit of others who may read your account. Thanks again for taking the time to share it with us. I hope that you’ll find some time to post again and I am looking forward to any updates you might have sometimes down the road.

Phoenix