Hi,
I read your tutorials and am ready to start the journey to find my next bed. I’m intrigued by latex, but don’t know offhand where to try them out in my area of the US. The only mattress factory I know of in town is Comfort King… but they aren’t members here. (Do you know anything about them?)
Where should I start?
Kind regards,
David
Hi dbergan,
Welcome to the site and it’s great to see that you’ve already read the tutorial 
[quote]I’m intrigued by latex, but don’t know offhand where to try them out in my area of the US. The only mattress factory I know of in town is Comfort King… but they aren’t members here. (Do you know anything about them?)
Where should I start?[/quote]
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Sioux Falls area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meet the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in posts #2 and #3 here.
I don’t think any of the manufacturers or retailers there have any all latex mattresses (although some use latex in the comfort layers) so if you are interested in testing “all latex” mattresses you may need to take a drive to either Omaha/Lincoln or to Minneapolis/St Paul.
Phoenix
Hi,
Just visited Beds by Design tonight and they DO have all latex beds. In fact, most of the showroom models were all latex of different densities and thicknesses. Well… synthetic latex, anyway.
I’m surprised they aren’t members here because, the guy’s educational piece resonated really well with what I’ve read on your site. He talked about the 20 and 30 year durability of their foam (dependent on the density), and the purpose of the core vs purpose of the comfort layers. The below videos will give you an idea.
Video of how they explain their beds
Comparison of foams
Duron v Latex
List of all their videos
My next question is… what exactly is their synthetic latex, and how does it compare? (Also known as Duron and the longer-lasting and denser Duronmax.)
I was quite impressed with the quality of their beds. Especially like how all their mattresses had zippers to show you exactly what is inside. They also made comfort guarantees, so that if one layer wasn’t working for you (or was damaged, spilled on, etc), they would come to my house, unzip the mattress and replace whatever was needed… only costs me the price of the material they are putting in. Thus, even 20 years from now, when the Duron gives out, I could have that layer replaced for only the cost of the material. (The core was guaranteed for life.)
What’s your take on Duron?
Kind regards,
David
Hi dbergan,
The members of this site certainly aren’t the only source of good quality/value mattresses across the country and there are many manufacturers and retailers across the US and Canada that make high quality/value mattresses that I think highly of that are included in the hundreds of local lists throughout the forum but aren’t members here … at least yet . Membership is generally a side effect of my ongoing conversations with retailers and manufacturers over a longer period of time as I come to know more about them and they come to know more about the goals and ideals of this site. When the site first started there were only about half a dozen members initially and the list has grown to now being over 40 and over the coming years it will continue to gradually increase. In other words the process of membership is somewhat “organic”. Membership on the site is a recognition of the quality, value, and service that also existed before they were a member here.
Duron is a trade name for a foam material which means that it would either be polyfoam or latex but I would make sure you confirm which type of foam it really is since that is always more important than the trade name of the foam. Most of the online references to Duron indicate that it’s a high density polyurethane foam (see here for example) in which case it would be comparable to other polyfoams that are in a similar density range. In the video it “looks like” latex and if it is then it would be comparable to other types of latex that are the same type (Dunlop or Talalay) and blend of natural or synthetic rubber. Synthetic latex is a less costly material than natural latex and the lower price of the material should also be reflected in the lower cost of the mattress compared to other latex mattresses that use more costly versions of latex that have a higher natural rubber content. The law tag on the mattress will specify the types of foam in the mattress so I would check to make sure it says latex and if it is latex then find out the type (Dunlop or Talalay) and the approximate blend of natural and synthetic rubber in the formulation.
Some of the information in the videos you linked is good information although it’s fairly generic … but some of them also contain some inaccurate and/or somewhat misleading information as well IMO so I would be be careful to differentiate some of the more factual information from the marketing information that they contain. For example some of their comments about innersprings, about polyfoam, and about the buildup of dust mites and body fluids building up in your mattress until the weight of your mattress has doubled aren’t accurate.
There are certainly some advantages to components mattresses where you can change or replace individual layers if you need to fine tune the comfort and/or support of the mattress (either initially or if your needs and preferences change over time) or if one layer softens or breaks down before the others (which is usually the case) so you can replace individual layers instead of the whole mattress.
As always … I would make sure that you make some very careful value comparisons based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you and make sure you find out the type and quality of every layer and component inside any mattress you are considering (not just the trade name of the material) so you can make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
NOTE ADDED: I have talked with Chad and have confirmed that none of the materials in any of the Beds by Design mattresses are either synthetic or natural latex and they are versions of polyfoam. Some of the materials are high performance polyfoams that are certainly a good quality material and have many of the properties of latex but are less costly than “real” latex (synthetic or natural).
Phoenix
The kid working the store last night was new. He had only been employed for a month, so understandably couldn’t answer many materials questions. (I got a lot of “we use this pink foam in the core” type of answers.)
[quote]The law tag on the mattress will specify the types of foam in the mattress so I would check to make sure it says latex and if it is latex then find out the type (Dunlop or Talalay) and the approximate blend of natural and synthetic rubber in the formulation.
[/quote]
When we go back, are there any other questions should I ask about their synthetic latex/Duron materials? I can ask for ILD specs… what else?
Also, what’s your take on their claim in the Latex vs Duron video about the shedding and durability of natural talalay latex?
Thanks for the recommendation. They were very informative and a great first stop. They visually explained to my wife all the facts about mattresses I had learned on this site. And that visual component can’t be underestimated. In fact, your tutorials might be more helpful with some videos that explain the concepts. (Maybe some of your member companies would give you permission to borrow their educational videos.)
Kind regards,
David
Hi dbergan,
When you are testing a mattress locally then ILD specifications aren’t important to know because they are a comfort specification that is a relative measure of firmness but is only one of the factors that can affect the firmness or softness of a single layer (not the mattress as a whole) and your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) will be a much more reliable way to know whether a mattress is “comfortable” or is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) than knowing ILD information.
The specifications you would need to know to make an informed choice are the ones that can affect the quality and durability of the mattress and are listed in this article.
Unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and specs and different layering combinations and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would only be a very small percentage of people) … I would tend to avoid using individual specs such as layer thicknesses or ILD numbers or other complex combinations of specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you and focus more on your own actual testing and/or personal experience. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you don’t fully understand then the most common outcome is information overload and “paralysis by analysis”. Choosing a mattress based on “comfort specs” would be among the least reliable ways to choose a suitable mattress.
This is one of the parts of the videos you linked that I would consider to be inaccurate or misleading.
There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here but latex is among the most durable foam materials in the industry and I (and many other manufacturers that have been making latex mattresses for decades) certainly don’t share his opinion. It’s possible that they were only using softer versions of 100% natural Talalay which can be less durable than blended Talalay so their experience with latex in general may have been more limited.
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 and body types in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
I completely agree that videos can be very helpful and there are many forum posts that link to various videos that I find informative and helpful all over the internet. As you mentioned some of the member companies also have great videos that are well worth watching (such as the Beducation series of videos here) so there would be little point to adding them to the site when they are readily available already.
At some point I do plan to include some videos on the site itself as well (and my fiance is very knowledgeable about video production) but that is most likely a year or two away as there are other “competing” priorities involving the ongoing development of the site over the next year or two that are already “in process” that are more important for now and it’s difficult to add any more hours to my days when I already spend 12 - 16 hours a day 7 days a week on the research, phone conversations, and forum replies that are part of my “normal” days :).
Phoenix
Well, after lots of reading, I decided to try the Reverie Sleep System. Couldn’t find any store locally that had one to demo, so I ordered a bed from their website. Love the idea of customizing my own firmness configuration, but we’ll see how it works out in real life.
Was there a discount or promotion with Reverie through your website?
Kind regards,
David
Hi dbergan,
Congratulations on your new mattress
You certainly made a high quality choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to try it out.
They provide a bedding bonus to the forum members here (see here).
Phoenix
I’m also from Sioux Falls and comparing BBD and Comfort King. They both seem well made and like a better option than a big box store.
Hi Quickstrike,
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to “fine tune” a mattress or the exchange/return options that are available to you).
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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) 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. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
If you can find out the specifics of the layers and components in any mattress you are considering and post them on the forum then I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials and the mattress as a whole.
Phoenix
ComfortKing has videos showing the components in their beds, They use Argos coils from Germany on most and Leggett &Platt on their high end stuff. 1.8" foam, natural latex, gel foam, somnigel, convoluted foam and other materials that seem high quality. I don’t know as much about the Beds by Design beds except they use Duron synthetic latex and have some beds built on foam core without coils.
Hi Quickstrike,
I have always liked their website and the videos they include for each mattress. They are very transparent and they make some very good quality/value mattresses.
You can see some comments about Beds By Design and their Duron material in post #4 here earlier in this topic. I would make sure that you are able to find out and confirm the specifics of all the layers in their mattresses and confirm that the law tag also lists latex as one of the materials in any of their mattresses that contain Duron to confirm that it really is latex.
NOTE ADDED: I have talked with Chad and have confirmed that none of the materials in any of the Beds by Design mattresses are either synthetic or natural latex and they are versions of polyfoam. Some of the materials are high performance polyfoams that are certainly a good quality material and have many of the properties of latex but are less costly than “real” latex (synthetic or natural).
Phoenix
I was told pocketed coils or foam core with high density polyurethane foam, synthetic latex (Duron) and they also have omnigel which is basically a high quality gel memory foam. The somnigel from Comfort King is a lot different material than Omnigel.
Hi Quickstrike,
I would make sure that you are able to find out all the specific information listed here to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any mattress you are considering before making any purchase.
The information you listed doesn’t say anything about the quality or durability of the materials and I would also make sure that you confirm that the Duron is really latex.
NOTE ADDED: I have talked with Chad and have confirmed that none of the materials in any of the Beds by Design mattresses are either synthetic or natural latex and they are versions of polyfoam. Some of the materials are high performance polyfoams that are certainly a good quality material and have many of the properties of latex but are less costly than “real” latex (synthetic or natural).
Phoenix
It’s Omniflow not Omnigel so I was wrong about that. I will have to ask for specific thickness of the materials used. ComfortKing is very up front about what’s in their beds. BBD just referred to 20 and 30 year synthetic latex on a foam core or quad coil with a gel foam and/or Omniflow top. Both places obviously don’t like each other…
Hi Quickstrike,
There has apparently been somewhat of a local “feud” between them for a number of years (see posts #3 and #4 here).
Phoenix
Yea I heard the President of BBD tell a customer that CK brags about their German coil and he wouldn’t want his salesman doing that. While at CK, the salesman trashed Duron and when I got home I saw his 1/5 Google rating for BBD. It’s rather childish from both parties. They should welcome the competition and push eachother to make even better products. They both make quality beds that blow big box stores out of the water. Im anxious to get my wife in to try some…after more research of course.
We picked out an Ultra Comfort from Beds By Design…debating on getting the adjustable bed to see if it helps with my sleep apnea, back pain, and heartburn.
Hi Quickstrike,
Hopefully you were able to find out the information here about the type and quality of the materials in the mattress … and if you did it would be great if you could post them on the forum for the benefit of others that are considering one of their mattresses.
Assuming that you have confirmed that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress that could compromise the durability and useful life of your mattress … congratulations on your new mattress
I hope you also have the chance to share your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
There is more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). Of course there are many other sources as well and prices can change on a regular basis so I would also include some internet searching in your research and I would also keep in mind that online advertised prices are often price controlled so make sure you call the stores you are considering to find out their best prices rather than just looking at websites.
I would treat all the major adjustable bed manufacturers as being closely comparable in terms of reliability so choosing an adjustable bed is really a matter of choosing the model that has the features that are most important to you at a price that competes well with other models that have the same features.
Phoenix
Synergy core not sure on density or thickness but appears to be good quality and has a lifetime warranty. 3"Duron Latex with 1"Omniflow and a Eucalyptus stretch fabric. They buy from L&P and make the beds in their warehouse. I felt more comfortable with them vs Comfort King…