LATEX LAYERING FOR A PHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSON
Over four months ago, after having read about the quality, prices and transparency of various manufacturers in The Mattress Underground, I visited a few manufacturers in the LA area and the last one I went to, because it was far from my home, was Flexus, in Covina. Being severely disabled, going to their company was not easy for me, as the drive took me over an hour. I left the car on two crutches and in much pain, unsure whether in my condition I would be able to make a sound choice I could live with for many years. Flexus’ owner, Henry Ortiz, kindly assisted me while I moved from bed to bed in his showroom, while he repeatedly exchanged the layers on 10" latex mattresses (with three layers of 3"each), as I wanted to try different densities or ILDs to find the one that would work best for me.
Since I suffer from severe hip as well as back and shoulder problems, the right layering meant reaching for an elusive balance: for my shoulders to sink in as needed – so that while side sleeping they (and my neck) would hurt the least, and for the latex resiliency to support my body so that my hips would not collapse too deeply into the latex –otherwise it would be practically impossible to turn or get out of bed. The process of trying out various layering combinations was time consuming but Henry was both knowledgeable and patient. I ended up choosing a mattress with a top layer of 3" 28 ILD Talalay, while the middle and bottom layers were both 3" 31 ILD Dunlop.
As exhausted as I was from the experimenting of different layers in over a dozen combinations, Henry’s reassurance that I could exchange one of the layers so that I could make the bed firmer or softer should I need to, for a mere $ 50.00, at any time in the future 90 days, meant a lot to me. Because of my severe musculoskeletal condition and high level of pain he even waived the usual regulation of a 30 day minimum time before his customers can ask for a layer exchange.
Due to personal circumstances I was unable to sleep on my new Flexus 10" mattress for two full months, so I only started sleeping on it during the third month. It took me time to realize how my body was adapting to it under different levels of pain and physical stress and I realized that 30 days was a fair time also for me to figure out how I reacted to the new mattress.
After 30 days I came to this conclusion: the mattress was soft and comfortable enough on the shoulders when I slept on the side but it was definitely too soft on the hips which collapsed too deeply, making it very hard for me to turn around or get out of bed.
So I called Henry at Flexus, explaining as best I could why I was calling him at the very end of the period he allows for an exchange. I mentioned to him that I was skeptical that I could choose the right exchange layer in his showroom, as I was much in pain and did not trust my judgement on a trial that was only a few minutes long. Henry reassured me once more, explaining that he would come to my house himself, in the next few days, bringing with him multiple layers that he would allow me to test for comfort – and he kept his promise.
The first layer of my mattress that Henry exchanged at my house was the middle layer which originally was a 31 ILD Dunlop and became a 35 ILD Dunlop. In my ignorance I had previously thought that I needed to exchange the lower layer, as I thought I needed a stronger base, so that I almost did not want to test the mattress with the middle layer changed, thinking this would be a loss of time. I was proven wrong. Henry’s intuition, based on long experience, hit the mark: a firmer middle layer felt right for me from the very start, so much that I had no reason to try any of the other layer combinations. So this layer exchange meeting was fairly brief and as he left –charging me just $ 50!–he even told me that if necessary, in my case, I could still exchange another layer later on!
Now this took place well over a month ago, so that I now know that the layer change does work for me, it was not just a first impression, and that is why I am finally writing this review of my experience, not just to thank Henry, who surely deserves it, but to point out to other people reading The Mattress Underground’s most helpful research and forum, that Phoenix is correct, when he says that the manufacturer knows his product best. Of course, we are talking of the serious manufacturer, who can truly help the customer.
In my case, the firmer middle layer was, for sure, a little firmer on the shoulders that I would have liked, while side sleeping, but with some pillow height modification that firmness is bearable for me. Also, I found out that the firmer base is what allows me to sleep on my side (and not to collapse on my stomach), even if I still have to use a body pillow. Most importantly, with the new, firmer latex middle layer, my painful hips manage to turn around with minimum discomfort (considering my condition) and I get up from bed helped by the bounce of the mattress, which makes it much easier than before. And all this with a minimal change of ILD in only one layer! Moreover, now I get up more rested and without the morning lower back pain I had before.
It is only fair to acknowledge the fact that Henry Ortiz went out of his way and was very generous with his time much beyond what anyone could expect from any mattress manufacturer. His professional knowledge of the resilience and other qualities of latex he uses, allowed him to make the right choices for me and made me understand why his customers are satisfied. I have worked with some of the best physical therapists in the world, but when it comes to alignment and firmness issues in a latex mattress, Henry is a master. And needless to say, the quality of his latex as well as the organic cotton/wool mattress cover, are all excellent, just like I read on this site. Thank you for leading me in the right direction, Phoenix. Your excellent work in presenting the mattress market has greatly improved the quality of my life.
