New here and this seems to be the least biased place I can find info on mattresses. There’s so much volume, however, that I’m having a difficult digesting it all. Anywho, I have read most of the articles and the intro post and I think either a latex or a spring (or hybrid) would benefit me most. I plan on checking out some of the recommended Atlanta locations in person but I would also like to review mattress specs online. Could I get some recommendations of mattresses or manufacturers that will help get my search going?
Me:
5’11"
160lbs
Have some lower back issues likely caused by my old mattress. I went to a Sleep Number store and they showed me that my butt and hips were a major pressure point in the mattress. I think they dropped it to 25-30 before it disappeared. (Guess I have a big butt…)
I’ve recently been sleeping on my side mostly due to immediate back pain from sleeping on my back on my old, cheap Ikea mattress. But on a good mattress I will sleep more on my back and I want a good amount of core support for this reason.
As latex seems to be rather appealing, I was wondering if there was any risk of allergic reactions to latex mattresses. I don’t have an allergy but I’m worried about developing one or meeting a partner who has an allergy.
In the same vein, I would like something that sleeps fairly cool and is also decently sex friendly, but I do not want to sacrifice support or comfort.
Also, I would like to pay around $1200 but would potentially go all the way to $2000 (absolutely no more than that) on a superb “perfect” mattress
I know no one can recommend “the one” mattress that will be perfect just for me, but I just want an idea of the type of mattresses that would benefit me the most based on these preferences. Just trying to get an idea of what’s out there without sifting through the sea of cheap mattresses and misleading companies.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always 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”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable 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).
It’s good to see 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 more 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’ve 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 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.
There is more about latex allergies and sensitivities in post #2 here. It would be very rare for someone to have an allergy issue with a latex mattress partly because foamed latex is very different from the dipped latex that can trigger an allergy (balloons, gloves, condoms etc) and partly because there is no direct contact with the latex in a mattress.
While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
There are many variations of each type of foam material (latex foam, memory foam, polyfoam) but in very general terms latex is generally the most breathable and “temperature neutral” of all the foam materials followed by polyfoam followed by memory foam.
There is more about mattresses and sex in post #2 here. You certainly won’t find any agreement or consensus about this because it really is a matter of personal preference but it would probably be safe to say that there are more people that would probably agree that more resilient materials such as latex and polyfoam and innersprings that have more resilience or “bounce” would probably be their preference over less resilient materials that have no bounce such as memory foam.
It sounds like you’ve seen this already but just in case you haven’t … subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Atlanta, GA area are listed in post #2 here.
If you are also considering online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be well worth considering as well (assuming that the materials and components in any mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body weight).
If you are considering latex or latex hybrid mattresses then one of the links includes a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that would be well worth considering.
Many of these are component mattresses with loose layers and zip covers that allow you to fine tune the comfort and/or support of a mattress after a purchase by rearranging or exchanging individual layers and some of them are finished" mattresses with glued layers. There is more about the pros and cons of a component latex mattress with a zip cover and loose layers vs a finished mattress with glued layers in post #15 here and post #2 here.
Post #3 here includes a list of many of the online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses as well (with some overlap with the members list).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else has the same needs and preferences, criteria, or circumstances or would make the same choice.
In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Thanks for all the info Phoenix. It is comforting to know that latex in mattresses is different from synthetic latex that causes most allergic reactions. I will be checking out some latex mattresses in the Atlanta area showrooms over the next few days. I’m sure I will have more specific questions for you and I look forward to your advice!
You may have misread some of the information in the post I linked. True latex allergies are an allergy to the surface proteins in natural latex … not synthetic latex (which doesn’t have the same proteins) but the foamed latex that is used in mattresses is different from the dipped latex that is used in other products and the washing process that is used with foamed latex and the fact that there is no direct contact with the latex in mattresses makes allergy issues very unlikely.