Would love feedback on our mattress buying plan: all latex vs tempurpedic pro adapt medium

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
1

My husband and I are on a somewhat time sensitive mattress hunt. The time sensitivity is coming from our aching backs after we purchased a “black friday deal” mattress in a box that didn’t fully decompress - we went from a queen to a king and had to move our old (beloved) mattress out of the house to make room for the new king, so we are currently stuck sleeping on a very wonky mattress or the couch.

After reading as much of the information on mattress materials and selecting a mattress as I could before testing out mattresses, my “wishlist” for my husband (5’11" 180lb, side sleeping) and myself (5’5" 175 lb, side and back sleeping, scoliosis with side to side and front to back curvature) is
2-4" of medium to firm comfort layer
6-8" of support
minimal motion transfer
good edge support
high quality material
durability/longevity

We have narrowed our choices down to 2 mattresses: an all latex (3" medium 100% latex “top”, 6" firm 100% latex “base”) from OK Mattress Company and the Tempur-pedic pro adapt medium.

Our take-away after trying a zillion combinations of layers of latex at the Oklahoma Mattress Company beds (which, by the way, HUGE thank you for having vetted these companies and giving a quality recommendation - the people we spoke with today were super friendly and knowledgeable and were not pushy at all) was that the 3" medium topper and 6" firm base (100% talalay latex on both) was the best for support and comfort, but that it was “bouncier” or “more springy” than what we were used to (we think our beloved old mattress was memory foam…or latex…or a mix of both). It seems “too easy” for my husband. His sentiment is that there isn’t much to the mattress, could it really offer what it says it can offer (consistency and longevity) without any other bells and whistles? I love that it is 100% latex (or as close as they can be), and there is transparency about the density/material of each layer

We also ended up visiting 2 Mathis sleep centers to test the tempur pedic that we liked the best (based on a recommendation I read in these forums to try the same mattress at different stores, which I now cannot find, but am very grateful for). The tempur-pedic pro adapt medium (all foam, not hybrid) at one store felt extremely similar to our beloved old mattress, and at another store felt a bit more firm. I definitely had a preference for the one that was so close to our old mattress, but my husband and I agree that we can both be happy on either of the ones we tried (even though they’re supposed to be the same). We feel it’s a bit better regarding low motion transfer and edge support than the latex. My husband is a bit swayed in favor of the Tempur Pedicby the “brand” and the ability to return/exchange if it doesn’t work for us. I dislike that I cannot find specific information on the thickness/material/density of each layer, so I don’t have as much confidence in the durability/longevity of the mattress. Neither of us like the idea of paying double for marketing and the ability to return/exchange.

Basically, if we took price out of the equation, either mattress seems like it would be a good fit for us . If the tempur pedic was the same price as the latex, we would probably go with the tempur pedic because it feels familiar. But it seems like a risk to pay double for a mattress where I can’t verify the quality/type of foam being used. The Latex is a little bit different feel than we are used to, and we don’t have the ability to return it if we sleep on it for a while and find we don’t like it, so it feels like a risk also, but not quite as expensive of a risk - and if we do like it, I feel more confident about it lasting longer, so it feels like a better value.

Given all that info (sorry this has gotten so long!), our “plan” right now is to order the Talalay latex from Oklahoma Mattress (assuming that after we do one last “feel” test of both mattresses, we are still comfortable giving the latex a chance) with the layers bonded together. We have the option to keep them separate, but with 2 rambunctious kids, we don’t want to deal with a topper sliding around unless we absolutely have to.

If, after a few months we find that we are not getting used to how the latex feels, we will get the tempur pedic pro adapt medium topper.

Is this plan feasible? Will the topper be able to go on top of the medium layer of latex? could we flip the mattress over so the bottom layer is the 3" of medium and the “top” is 6" of firm?

Are there other things we need to consider about adding a memory foam topper to latex that we haven’t considered?

If you have read this far - thank you so much for your time! and thank you in advance to anyone who has thoughts/suggestions about our plan!

2

The Tempurpedics of same model feel different in different stores because the mattresses are different ages and have different usage rates.

You should try it in several stores and take the average. I have found that Tempurpedic has had the most consistent feel among mattress brands.

Suggestion: try out both mattresses at same time assuming they have return policies.

Or try out latex….and if you dont like that….go back to Tempurpedic. I would definitely try Luxe Adapt Firm….very conforming and has a medium feel.

Which model Tempurpedic were you on before?

John

3

If you like Tempurpedic before, you will probably still like it now. But there is something to be said for trying something new!!!

I think latex is a solid new choice!

Joh

4

We weren’t on Tempur-Pedic before, we think we were on some type of memory foam mattress - the “feel” that has come the closest to our old mattress is the Tempur-Pedic, but it was a “store” brand from a local furniture store that has since gone out of business.

I think our biggest concern is that we won’t get used to the latex feel. When we lay on the medium latex, it feels great - offers comfort and support in all of my “weird” angles, my muscles are able to relax, but the “bouncy” feel is different - not bad, just different than what we’re used to. We also tried the firm latex and that feel was a lot closer to what our old mattress felt like, but was not pressure-relieving enough. When we lay on the tempur-pedic, it has the support and comfort/pressure relieving and also feels like what we’re used to - but the price tag (without supporting evidence for the quality of the foam) give me pause.

I just spoke with the person we’ve been working with at Oklahoma Mattress Company and told him about our concerns of not being able to get used to the latex feel (even though it checks all the support/comfort/pressure relieving boxes) and we are going to go back and see what happens if we add some memory foam to the mix to make it feel more familiar, and still get the quality latex material.

Does anyone have suggestions for how we could achieve more pressure relief with the same “feel” as the firm latex?

5

Seems to me that you like the memory foam feel. Either get a Tempurpedic because it is the best memory foam or throw some memory on top of your latex.

I like the feel and pressure relief of Tempurpedic…Ive tried to deny it by looking at other mattresses, but I keep coming back to Tempur. Im looking into latex also. I want all foam with no innersprings now.

Im looking at the LuxeAdapt Firm.

Let me know what you do!

John

6

Hi MichelleB and welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile:

My husband and I are on a somewhat time sensitive mattress hunt. The time sensitivity is coming from our aching backs after we purchased a “black friday deal” mattress in a box that didn’t fully decompress
my “wishlist” for my husband (5’11" 180lb, side sleeping) and myself (5’5" 175 lb, side and back sleeping, scoliosis with side to side and front to back curvature) is
2-4" of medium to firm comfort layer
6-8" of support
minimal motion transfer
good edge support
high quality material
durability/longevity

Sorry to hear of your experiences with the ‘bed-in-a-box’ you got on sale. These are popular but do not work for many consumers for varied reasons. Good to see that you you have such a clear understanding of the criteria for your finalist mattress and that you made such good use of TMU’s Mattress Shopping Tutorial, Mattress Durability Guidelines, and the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know.

We have narrowed our choices down to 2 mattresses: an all latex (3" medium 100% latex “top”, 6" firm 100% latex “base”) from OK Mattress Company and the Tempur-pedic pro adapt medium.
Our take-away after trying a zillion combinations of layers of latex at the Oklahoma Mattress Company beds (which, by the way, HUGE thank you for having vetted these companies and giving a quality recommendation - the people we spoke with today were super friendly and knowledgeable and were not pushy at all) was that the 3" medium topper and 6" firm base (100% talalay latex on both) was the best for support and comfort, but that it was “bouncier” or “more springy” than what we were used to (we think our beloved old mattress was memory foam…or latex…or a mix of both). It seems “too easy” for my husband. His sentiment is that there isn’t much to the mattress, could it really offer what it says it can offer (consistency and longevity) without any other bells and whistles? I love that it is 100% latex (or as close as they can be), and there is transparency about the density/material of each layer

As you are saying … you are looking at 2 entirely different mattresses, The Tempurpedic adapt pro is a 12" memory foam mattress of unknown density and layer thickness (this is common, companies use proprietary foam formulas and therefore are not transparent with the specifications of their products- great job determining this on your own!), while the OK Mattress is a 9" Talalay latex mattress. It’s only natural that they have entirely different feels but as we are creatures of habit I do understand that we are all gravitating towards the known. The Tempurpedic is also at a much higher price point

Memory foam, if there is an excess of inexpensive or lower density foam, can ‘break down’ prematurely, leaving ‘worn spots’ or ‘divots’ that can cause aches, pains and even misalignment in the spine. Memory foam is great for lack of motion transfer, but many find it to sleep ‘hot’; by its’ nature it keeps perspiration closer to the skin. Many people do enjoy the feel of memory foam that they have gotten accustomed to, and not necessarily that it is better for them.

Latex on the other hand is one of the most durable, and breathable, materials you can have in a mattress, again, as many people swear by latex while others find it uncomfortable, same as memory foam. The latex can last for many, many years…I am glad that you had a chance to do local testing in different venues. nothing can replace in person testing. Yes, you can have the 2 Talalay latex pieces bonded together, or you can get a zippered encasement to place them in this is a good solution as it would also allow exchange or addition of additional layers if you find 9" is not comfortable down the road.

Your scoliosis is another consideration; with slightly higher BMIs you want to make sure the support is good as well as having a comfortable top layer… you can read more on layers here, And here on glued vs unglued layers. Yes you could ‘flip‘ the mattress, but if its glued instead of encased you will be sleeping on the firm support layer side instead of the comfort layer, which could feel
considerably different.

We have the option to keep them separate, but with 2 rambunctious kids, we don’t want to deal with a topper sliding around unless we absolutely have to.
If, after a few months we find that we are not getting used to how the latex feels, we will get the tempur pedic pro adapt medium topper.
Is this plan feasible? Will the topper be able to go on top of the medium layer of latex? could we flip the mattress over so the bottom layer is the 3" of medium and the “top” is 6" of firm?

I am happy to hear you had a good experience with Oklahoma Mattress who are a long time Trusted Member of the site and are very knowledgeable. As far as a memory foam topper, the previous comments on memory foam stand – if you and your husband like the feel, and do not sleep hot, you can use it on the latex mattress, though it will affect the feel and the same premature wear issue could still be a concern.

All in all it sounds like you are both well along the path to finding a new mattress; hopefully the information I provided will give you some more to consider so that you make the best possible choice. Please drop by to let us know your experiences with your new mattress once you have had some time with it.

~ Basilio

7

Your decision ultimately comes down to feel amd preference. Latex is more durable than memory, but Id rather love a mattress for 5 years instead of hating a mattress for 20 years.

My suspiscion is you like the feel of memory foam better than latex. Nothing wrong with that….thats why it is a preference.

It might be exciting to try something new like latex though….but make sure you like it!!!

John