Would like input regarding mattress, DLX, Brooklyn Bedding

Mattress Talk
1

Hello there! I am so thankful for this forum, I have spent hours on it reading and comparing.

I am a 55 year old female at 5’2" 118 lbs, side sleeper with hip issues, and have had frozen should we both shoulders. My husband is 6’3" 180 lbs, side sleep primarily but will also end up on his back. Says he will sleep on most anything.

We sadly are returning our Luxerion Hybrid mattress as it was just too hard for me, and we tried a 3" soft topper but that was way to soft and my hips and back just aches constantly. It is a solid mattress, my husband enjoyed it, I think latex is just not for me. So back to the rabbit hole.

Our last mattress was a Denver Mattress Doctor’s choice original in firm. I have a history with firm mattresses. But I am now 55 with more pains. I have been dialoguing with DLX and originally they suggested a 14" premier hybrid in medium for the both of us. Upon reading a lot I went and spent some time on the Stearns and Foster Elite Lux in medium and Firm and now I am torn. The medium was every comfortable, but I am not accustomed to the cushion and the sinking concerns me. But at my age, weight, etc…is that what I need? The firm had a pillow top and was also comfortable. But was it comfortable because of the pillow top? 20 mins on a mattress doesn’t give you the true long term picture. After mentioning to DLX customer service regarding my history with firm mattresses, they suggested instead the medium with the 12" coil for the extra support. But will that be hard?

Also not sure how you all feel about the Goodbed quiz, but it suggested as my number one the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid.

Can you guys give me your input?

2 Likes
2

It’s true latex can be over responsive for some. That’s why I like to use other materials like a wool topper with a shorter layer of latex. It settles the responsiveness.

I think this goes back to the usual - a bed needs to be soft on the top but strong underneath. Though the gradient of each changes based on needs. A bed can be hard on the top but soft on the bottom which would usually lead to discomfort, or it can be soft on the top and firm underneath which is usually what works best.

I think what you like is a strong support. The DLX mattress with 12" springs has less conformity, just by function and the fact the springs are shorter. Medium would be a good option, and if medium was too soft they also have medium-firm.

1 Like
3

I do like support! The thing that makes me nervous is that as I have read tons of posts on here specifically regarding DLX, in one of them they said that they usually do not recommend the 12" for side sleepers unless they are persistent. Being a lightweight side sleeper female, and hearing that gives me pause.

4

Hi Sduffy,

Time for a new mattress and decision, decision, it just aint easy as they say.

Currently for reference, I am 6’ 220 and my wife is 5’4", 135, 66 and 63 respectively. Both are side sleepers that start on our back, so call it 80/20. We use a king mattress. I always like to reference this, and I am glad you did, as it is important.

I have slept on all of these. I previously had the BB Hybrid in my guestroom, my MIL had the DLX Premier Hybrid 14" Firm/Medium which I had tested, and I have slept on the S&F Estate and Cassatt Firm. My MIL preferred the firm side of the DLX. They did not have the 12" at that point. I have also tested everything that Sleepez has in their showroom as well as what Mattress Makers of San Diego have to offer. I have not slept on an all latex mattress other than testing them.

Sleeping on latex is definitely a different experience than sleeping on most other materials and foam mattresses. I have tested Hastens mattresses that use no foam, mainly cotton, wool and horsehair, and they are really super comfortable, it is quite a different experience than most anything you will come across. I can see why you were not successful with the Luxerion. Latex, as conforming, durable and long lasting as it is, can offer a different type of pushback that not everyone loves. That does not mean it is bad, it just has to work for you. I get a little of with with my 3" firm Talalay Topper, but so far, we remain comfortable with it.

I recently tested a Mattress Makers Cardiff, which is a latex hybrid, but it has an inch each of Serene and viscoelastic memory foam, along with wool in the cover panel. The feel and support were amazing, plus there was no pressure to the hips and shoulders. That was a really nice combination. I mention this because not all, hybrid or all latex mattresses will provide the same experience. Mattress Makers created the Cardiff knowing this and through sleeper feedback.

If you were finding the S&F appealing, the DLX will likely be your preference. I would tend to agree with their assessment of the medium, mainly because you have the ability to go up one level or down if necessary. Although, I doubt you would need to go down a level from the medium for either of you. You also get one shot at the apple when it comes to exchanging a comfort layer, so there is some flexibility there.

I don’t think the 12" would necessarily make things too firm for you compared to the 14". I would expect it to feel a touch more stable. I have not personally slept on the 12", so I would take that as an observation based on the construction rather than firsthand experience.

You could always opt for the split internal, which is what I did for my MIL. She never used the medium side, though. She started on the firm and remained with it until she passed. She was 5’3", 170 give or take, and in her 80s. She previously had a BeautyRest that failed within the first 14 months. She claimed that the DLX was the most comfortable bed she ever slept in.

The recommendations I have made to several friends that I thought would do well with the DLX Premier Hybrid Firm have all been successful, so far.

It is worth mentioning that when you understand there are three sections to your mattress, support, comfort and cover/panel, and all three play an important role in your comfort, it makes it easier to talk about firmness. People’s perception of firmness can vary quite a bit.

For example, I sleep on a BB Firm Plank Luxe- a very firm (but not hard surface mattress), currently with a 3" Sleepez firm Talalay topper. We don’t need the topper, but I wanted to test it, and we like it enough to keep it on the mattress. There is a longer story there for another time.

When a mattress has a great support system that does its job of supporting everything above it, a firm comfort section and cover panel become less critical in terms of needing to be super firm. That is what I liked about the Mattress Makers Cardiff, and what I like about the DLX Premier Hybrid. They are firm and supportive, but allow your body to contour and get pressure relief in the right areas. That is very different from what I would call a firm-hard style mattress.

I can sympathize with your aches and pains, which is why my tendency is to move a bit away from my Plank Luxe in the future to something with a similar firm support system, but with a comfort layer and/or panel cover that is a little more forgiving.

One other thing I would not overlook is your pillow. A lot of upper body aches and pains can be related to pillow choice, especially for side sleepers. I have 3 or 4 pillows out of my collection of close to 100 that I rotate regularly, with 2 or 3 available to sleep on at any given time. I will also use the one that isn’t under my head as a pseudo body pillow, so I can rest my side sleeping body against it and put my arm on top. It helps complete the comfort zone for me.

And finally, don’t overlook the foundation. It really is the unsung hero of the whole setup. A bad foundation can make a good mattress feel horrible. Make sure whatever you put the mattress on is very robust, rigid, supportive and has very little, preferably no, flex.

As for the GoodBed quiz, I wouldn’t put too much weight on it. It can be useful for narrowing things down, but you have already learned something far more valuable from your own experience. You know what latex feels like to you, you know what sinking feels like, and you know what you are trying to avoid. I would say the BB Signature Hybrid is a very nice mattress, it is comfortable mattress, but if you like the S&F you would more likely like the ThermoBalance Elite over the Signature Hybrid. The TBE has a more robust support system and has a zippered comfort layer so you can modify the comfort firmness at home rather than needing to return an entire mattress.

At 118 lbs, primarily sleeping on your side, with the hip and shoulder issues you described, I would be looking for enough surface comfort to relieve those pressure points without allowing your hips to sink enough to bother your back. That is the balance you should be aiming for.

If the S&F medium felt good to you but you were concerned about the sinking, I would spend more time thinking about whether you actually experienced excessive sinking or whether you were simply not accustomed to that much surface contouring. Those are two very different things. Which is why the DLX Premier Hybrid is a nice option, they use a higher density HD foam, which adds to the durability and longevity of the mattress, while still providing that familiar firm but forgiving feel.

Hopefully this gives you a little food for thought. I always like to say there isn’t just one mattress that is going to work for any individual or couple. Many times, slightly different firmness levels can work because it is really about the overall construction and the thoughtfulness that goes into how the mattress is built.

I guess what I am trying to say is, look less at how the mattress is labeled or characterized, firm or medium, and more at what is inside, how it is constructed, the densities and quality of the foams, and the robustness of the spring support.

All the best,

Maverick

1 Like
5

Thank you so much for all of the Maverick! I was thinking about just what you said, was I actually sinking or was I just not used to the contouring…and that is such a good point for someone who has slept on firm coil mattresses forever. I think I really like the DLX, I just need to decide on the 12" vs typical 14". I think starting with the medium is a good idea as well. I watched the Goodbed review and loved how the top case unzipped to change the comfort layer.

1 Like
6

The other thing that makes me nervous is that the Luxerion Hybrid coils are also 6". And I find the mattress to just be too hard. Now the foam is obviously different…but what part would the coils play in hardness of the mattress…will it be the same in the 12"?

1 Like
7

I wouldn’t use the Luxerion’s 6" coils as a reason to avoid the 12" DLX, because the fact that both use 6" coils doesn’t mean they’ll feel the same. They’re different coil systems in completely different mattress constructions, so that’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison.

I think a more meaningful comparison is the DLX 12" vs. 14" itself. Those mattresses use the same basic Premier construction, but the 12" has the 6" coil unit and the 14" has the 8" coil unit. DLX offers that the only construction difference is the coil height, and testing has found the 6" version to feel somewhat firmer while the 8" version is somewhat more conforming. And generally speaking, this makes sense.

You stated that the Luxerion too hard for you in the shoulders and hips. We need to keep in mind that the Luxerion has latex comfort layers, which as you know, latex generally presents itself as being a bit firmer due to the pushback that is characteristic of latex. I’d personally be more interested in the 14" DLX. Not because “8-inch coils are softer,” but because the actual @DLX comparison suggests the 8" version gives a little more cushioning and is less firm in the support layer.

More importantly, the Premier has the interchangeable 3" comfort layer, so you can choose the softer comfort configuration if pressure relief is the problem. That’s a much bigger deal for your situation than simply looking at whether the coils are 6" or 8".

So I would not present this situation as “You didn’t like the Luxerion’s 6-inch coils, therefore don’t get the DLX 12-inch.” I’d say, “The DLX 12-inch won’t necessarily feel like the Luxerion just because both have 6-inch coils, but if shoulder/hip pressure relief is already a concern, the 14-inch DLX is the version I’d investigate first.”

Now to throw a money wrench into this, and you have to remember I am 6’ 220. I am one who likes a more robust support system, and would rather control the contouring and pressure relief with the comfort layers and cover panel. I am fully aware of the concept of DLX’s 6 vs 8" coil system. I am just someone who’s brain looks for the more firm or solid support and fix the rest with what is on top. But your husband is only 180lbs, not exactly plus size, so in this case, since he can sleep on most anything, the focus is really on you, which takes be back to the 14" DLX with the 8" coils.

I know it sounds like a ping pong match I am presenting, but I like to approach it in what I consider a more practical way. One that has the higher probability to produce the desired outcome.

Maverick

1 Like
8

Thank you! You brought up things I never would have thought about. Another great thing about this forum!