Hi JenWV,
My thoughts are very similar to Benjammins comments.
Englander is a licensing group and outside of their standard models … each licensee can build very different mattresses. Restonic is like this as well along with some other brands. In some areas they put thick layers of polyfoam either in the quilting or in the comfort layers above the latex and then call it a latex mattress when you are really sleeping on polyfoam which has all the issues of softening and impressions that comes with lower density polyfoam. If there is only around an inch or so for hand feel that is generally OK because the softening wont present an issue but when there is more than that … I also tend to avoid it. Here in Washington for example … Englander sells mattresses with lots of polyfoam above the latex in some chain stores (and they don’t tell you unless you push and know exactly what to ask) and yet they sell mattresses that don’t have any poly above the latex and are also two sided in a smaller sleep shop (and its made specifically for them). It always depends on knowing what is in the layers.
While the White Dove has better materials near the top of the mattress (the most important part) … it also includes a lot of lower cost polyfoam and it has the price of an all latex mattress. I would certainly consider this in a lower budget range but not at the prices they are charging. Compared to say the Sealy Embody Shelter which uses 6.5" of synthetic Dunlop latex over a polyfoam core, I would probably choose the White dove because it uses better quality latex which would be worth the slightly higher price but neither would be good value and I would tend to avoid them both.
The Serta iComfort Prodigy is a memory foam mattress that has a little latex in it (that’s not bad … it’s just not a latex mattress). You probably already know my thoughts about the iComfort lineup but if you don’t an analysis is here.
The OMF latex mattresses are good value and only have an inch or so of polyfoam in the upper layers. Of course it’s important to know whether they are suitable for any particular individual and they also put their mattresses on an active innerspring (which should be taken into account in terms of how they feel) but they are a factory direct outlet that has good quality and value.
There are more thoughts here as well as post #2 here about natural talalay vs blended talalay but in essence the blended is a little more pressure relieving and more durable (particularly in the lower ILD’s) and lower cost while the 100% natural is denser and a little more supportive but more expensive and a little less durable (at least in the lower ILD’s). Latex International (who makes both thpes of Talalay latex) talks about the difference in their two materials at their Pure Latex Bliss Blissipedia site here.
Mattress Mart of Ohio just recently changed ownership (which was a good thing). They manufacture their own mattresses in addition to carrying some major brands and were making Nature’s Calm mattresses just a short while ago (when I talked with the new owners on April 17th). It appears that they have since discontinued these and the number there now leads to a dental referral service. I’ll have to find out what is happening.
With the CMG mattresses … I also wouldn’t drive very far to test mattresses from an outlet that couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me what was in them on the phone. While CMG may make some better value options (depending on the outlet and the specific mattresses that they carry) … DFW or any outlet that isn’t transparent and tries to get you to go there before they will give you any information just isn’t worth a visit IMO.
Overall … I think that Original Mattress Factory or an online (on the phone) purchase would be your best odds of finding quality and value together and your experience on the OMF mattresses would also be valuable with an online purchase if neither of their latex mattresses were quite right.
I’ll try to find out what happened with Mattress Mart as well in the last month.
Phoenix