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[phoenix]

Hi LylaCat,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

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’m happy that you’ve found us!

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’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.

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).

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

We are in the market for a good 100% latex mattress, but one within reasonable costs that won’t need replaced for a while…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.

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.

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?

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.

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

No worries. And you’re welcome!

Phoenix