Your Advice Is Needed

Hi All:
So I began shopping for a mattress about 2 weeks ago, I started at SleepCountry and The Brick and negotiated some pretty good deals, but when I came home to research the specific mattresses, I came across this website (I’m new here), and well…I had to start from scratch knowing what I know now. This website has been pretty awesome with the wealth of information on materials and manufacturing of mattresses, buyer tutorials, and feedback/experiences from Phoenix and all the members. Thank you!

A bit of background on me: I’m in my early 30’s, 5’11 and 215lbs. I’m fairly active, mostly weight training at the gym. I suffer from back problems due to a car accident I was in. I have a compression fracture in my lower back and have bulging disc as well. Occasionally my sciatic nerves act up so I have pains running down both my legs. My back is often sore and aching from prolonged sitting or standing or bending over. When it comes to sleep, I have a pretty crummy hard rock mattress right now. I’ve had it for several years and there doesnt seem to be any softening. I begin sleeping on my back, but rotate often, and usually find it most comfortable on my side or stomach. My chiropractor has advised that I don’t sleep on my stomach because of the pressure it puts on my back, but I can’t help it.

In trying out the plethora of mattress options, I found that memory foam to be of most comforting to me, specifically the Tempurpedic available at most big box stores, which is where I started my search. I have broad shoulders, so when I sink into the mattress I feel the weight being transferred from my body to the mattress which is comforting. I didn’t feel comfortable with the stiffer/bouncier mattresses, especially on my upper body. Also, given that I sleep on my stomach and sides often, I don’t want to wake up with a stiff neck and sore and aching upper back and shoulders, hence I think a memory foam would assist with this the best as it molds to my frame. I did notice that my waist did sink a bit too low in the memory foam, which made it a bit uncomfortable for me and I didn’t feel much support in that area. Ideally, I’d like to find/make a mattress that allows me to sink in at my upper body so I can get used to sleeping on my back more often and also have a bit more support at my waist so that my back remains straight as its meant to be. So based on that, I think a 2 zoned mattress would serve my needs the best, unless someone thinks otherwise and can explain why. Any feedback would be appreciated.

As for what I searched and am interested in, I started at SleepCountry, I nearly purchased a Octaspring Dormeo 6700 mattress with 2 pillows, taxes and delivery for $1750. However, after coming across this website, I was unable to determined the specs of the mattress, specifically the densities of the foams. The only thing I could find is the information on their website and some mixed reviews. At The Brick I negotiated a deal for an even lesser price for a Sealy iComfort EFX30 mattress ($1300), but once again minimal information and worse reviews. After reading the step by step Buyer tutorial, I decided to forgo these two mattresses in search of something better. Let me know if you think that was a mistake and I should scoop up one of these mattresses. I looked up some of the manufacturers recommended by this website in the Greater Toronto Area. I went to go see 5 of them and here are my findings.

Foamite:
Great store with several mattresses to try out. Staff is very informative and knowledgeable. They manufacture their own foam from what I gather, rather than purchasing from other vendors. I was quoted $1329 for the following mattress for a custom built 2-zone queen mattress.
Top Layer - VG10 - Koosh VG - 2" 4LB (VG - VISCOELASTIC - SPACE AGE TECHNOLOGY FOR GREAT PRESSURE RELIEF)
Mid Layer - KN26C Medium - 1" 2.5LB (KN - KOOSH NATURAL (KN) - The best 2.5 lb and most natural high resiliency foam)
Bottom Layer - EC38 Firm - 5" 2LB (EC - ECOCELL - GOOD 2.0 lb. HIGH DENSITY SOY-BASED FOAM)
Here’s a link for more detail on their website to the various foam grades their carry: Different grades of foam for Sitting, Sleeping and Real Comfort | Foamite Custom Cut Foam
The sales rep did mention that for the top layer they would split it into 2 parts - the top and bottom areas (head and feet) would be a higher density memory foam for comfort, whereas the middle area (thigh/waist to mid back) would be a lower density so I wouldn’t sink in too much and there would be more support, but the sales rep didn’t provide specifics on the density.

DreamTime Bedding:
They manufacture their own mattresses and have several on display to try out and select from. Although they know what they’re doing and manufacture in the same building, the sales rep didn’t seem like she knew much or wanted to share/educate me much. In either event, I got a quote for a custom 2 zoned queen mattress $1100.
I’m not sure where they source their foam from, but I think it’s from Carpenter Foams.
Top Layer: 3" of 5LB (Lower/Feet), 3LB (Mid/Waist) 5LB (Upper/Head) Memory Foam
Mid Layer: 3" 3LB Memory Foam
Bottom Layer: 6" Blue Foam, she didn’t specify the density - although from speaking to other manufacturers, Blue Foam seems to be pretty good quality material.

SpringMade Mattresses
Seems like he’s in the business of custom orders and repairs. Seemed relatively knowledgeable about mattresses and material, but not so much as to how it should benefit a person when they are sleeping. Gets his foam from Carpenter and was willing to make a custom 2 zoned mattress for me for $800.
Top Layer: 3" of 4LB (Lower/Feet), 5LB (Mid/Waist) 4LB (Upper/Head) GEL Memory Foam
Mid Layer: 1" 2LB 3414 Foam
Bottom Layer: 4" 2.5LB - 3024 Foam
He said that after the Bottom Layer, he would add another Mid and Top Layer (so that I could flip the mattress every 4-6 months to prolong the life of the mattress. So in total it would be 12" thick. So to simplify, it would be 3" (5LB), 1" (2LB), 4" (2.5LB), 1" (2LB) , 3" (5LB). Not sure if this makes sense, or is a good idea.

TON Furniture
Showroom is connected to DreamStar mattresses and in fact, they manufacture his mattresses. There are many on the showroom floor to try out and select from. He advised that a 2 zone mattress is not a good idea as the different foams are glued together. Over time he advised that the mattress may rip at the seams where the foams are glued together which would make the mattress useless. Not sure how true this is as no other manufacturer mentioned this. So I don’t know whose being truthful. He advised that if you do get 2 zone mattresses, the mid layer should be 2 zoned, not the top or bottom layer as they will rip easier. He’s very informative however, definitely knows a lot about mattresses and will inform the consumer. He high recommended a pre-made mattress which he currently sells for $999, queen size. It’s called Reloks, here are the specs:
TOP:
Removable Deluxe Zippered Bamboo Cover
LAYER ONE:
2" Natural Mineral Foam
Copper Infused, All Natural Latex - Hypo-Allergenic.
All natural Talalay Latex - sourced from the rubber tree.
LAYER TWO:
2" Soy Transition Foam
A transitional foam layer allows a gradual exchange between the natural latex foam and the base to optimize comfort and support.
LAYER THREE:
6" High-Density Soy Foam Core
Made from high-density Soy Foam to keep you propped up and supported.
MATTRESS IS MADE IN TORONTO, CANADA

BB Bedding:
They know what they are doing. Good knowledge about mattresses, transparent in what they make and have to offer. Said he they would call me back on a custom order mattress but never did.

My thoughts are that Foamite and TON make quality mattresses, although Foamite is relatively more expensive and TON is resistant to making a custom mattress - and the Reloks mattress isn’t a memory foam mattress so it’s not my ideal choice. SpringMade offers the best price and a reversible mattress, but I don’t know if the density, inches and overall design makes sense. As for DreamTime and BB Bedding, I think I will forgo them. So, here I am at last, typing out my last sentences in hopes that someone has some insight, experience or feedback on any of the mattresses, quality build, materials and manufacturer that can steer me in the right direction. My budget is about $1000, with some wiggle room. Your comments and suggestions are encouraged and welcomed. In the end, I’m looking to spend my money where I can get the best good nights rest.

Many Thanks!!

NotSleepingWell

Hi NotSleepingWell,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Thank you for your detailed review of your shopping experience, and thank you for finding us and doing some good research on the forum.

While I can certainly speak to the durability of the materials in a mattress, ultimately the only way to know whether any mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (regardless of the firmness or thickness of any of the layers) will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience. I’m happy to speak to the quality of a mattress or help you make value comparisons, but comfort choices should always be based on either your own personal testing or on more detailed conversations with a manufacturer or retailer that makes or sells a mattress you are considering. There are too many variables and unknowns to use “theory at a distance” to choose a mattress based on height, weight, and sleeping position information unless you aren’t able to test a mattress in person in which case the manufacturer or retailer would have the most personal experience and information about the mattresses they make or sell and can use the “averages” of their customers to provide some guidance to help you choose between the options they offer, even with the custom-configurations you’re investigating. So, I’ll stick to providing some commentary on the information you’ve offered.

I’m sorry to hear about your back issues. Hopefully you can follow your chiropractor’s advice and eventually stop sleeping upon your stomach.

What you’re describing actually is a three zoned mattress. There’s a bit more about different types of zoned mattress here. Zoning systems of various types can sometimes be useful and worth considering for people that have more difficulty finding a mattress with the right “balance” between comfort/pressure relief (under the shoulders especially) and support/alignment (under the hips/pelvis especially) or who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to “match” to a mattress, more complex medical issues, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here and the additional posts it links to but once again the only way to know whether any specific mattress (zoned or otherwise) will be a good “match” for you will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience.

Foamite is a fabricator but not a foam pourer. The density of the materials you presented would all be good quality and there would be no “red flags” in terms of durability. I believe the numbers included in the name of the foams you described are the ILDs. Koosh is just a tradename for some of their polyfoam and memory foam. There is more about foams containing polyols derived from soy in post #2 here (polyfoam or memory foam wouldn’t be considered a “natural” material).

Density and hardness (ILD) don’t necessarily go hand in hand in polyfoam, so you’d want to get the specifics on any zoning you might be considering.

My concern would be with the 3 lb memory foam, as that’s lower than I normally recommend in the durability guidelines here. I’m not sure what you mean by “Blue Foam”, and without the density I wouldn’t make a decision to purchase.

All of the foam layers in this mattress would be good quality and durable materials for you. While a “flippable” memory foam mattress isn’t common, they are available. Memory foam isn’t a very supportive material, so its use on the bottom of a mattress isn’t common. However, in theory, being able to flip the product should be able to prolong the life of the mattress for you a bit, but this could change the feel and deep support at 3" of memory foam, so you may wish to try a “mock up” before making a decision.

I personally wouldn’t have a concern with this. The water-based adhesives currently being used are quite strong.

I don’t understand what you are trying to explain here – sorry.

The top layer is most likely the copper-infused Talalay from Talalay Global, which would be a good quality and durable material. The densities of the other polyfoam layers are not listed, so I can’t comment upon this. And the mattress is not a memory foam mattress, which you said you prefer.

I’ll look forward to your future comments as you move along your decision making process.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix:

Thanks for your concern and kind words, as well as your quick reply.

You’re right, it is a 3 zoned mattress and thanks for the links. After reading them I’m a bit confused on which zoning type I should go with. Although my compression fractured and disc problem are in my lower back I am getting a stiff mid-upper back with the muscle often time tightening to the point that I can barely move and even use my arms to reach for or carry things. So I’m not sure whether I should focus on going firmer under the lumbar and softer at the pelvis and shoulders or the reverse. My initial thought was the reverse (the first zoning type), firmer layer in the middle under the lumbar and pelvis and 2 softer zones above and below this.

The sales agent made it seem as though they make their own foam, as the Koosh was a proprietary foam. I’m not too concerned if the foam is not natural, I don’t have any allergies, and a little bit of off gassing doesn’t bother me in the initial life of the mattress. However, given their price point, I think I’m going to try with a couple of the other manufacturers to see what I can get as it seems their quality is just as good for a lower price.

Dreamtime - I called and spoke with Chris as he seems more knowledgeable (based on several other posts, especially the long thread with Hobotrader in 2013) than the lady I spoke to in person. He told me the Blue Foam is a 3lb ployfoam. He recommended a different configuration over the phone, but i’m going in to see him tomorrow so I will have more then.

Thanks for the tip on the reversible memory foam. I tried calling to speak with Mauricio about this but I wasn’t able to reach him. Given their close proximity to Dreamtime, I think I will drop by there as well to discuss this further and to see whether they can make a mock-up for me to test.

As for the ripping of the zones. Andy at TON Furniture, said that it is best the mattress be zoned in the middle (transition) layer. The top (comfort) and bottom (support) layer should be one slap of foam of 1 thickness and density. Only the middle layer should be zoned with different materials to minimize or reduce ripping/deterioration of the foam at the seams and prolong its life as opposed to zoning the top comfort layer. I hope this clarifies things for you. What are your thoughts on this?

The densities are as follows for the Reloks mattress from TON:
Top Layer: 35 ILD he didn’t know the density rating
Middle Layer 1.7LB
Bottom Layer is 1.9LB

What are your thoughts on Selene foam. Apparently its a new type of foam which is superior to the existing memory foam that I heard a couple of the manufacturers mention.

Thanks for your insight.

NotSleepingWell

Hi NotSleepingWell,

You’re very welcome!

You’d definitely want to sure that any configuration you investigated had adequate deep support in the middle zone, as alignment would be paramount for your pre-existing back condition. With a “softer” zone in the head and foot, this can allow for your shoulder area to sink in a bit more, and when combined with an appropriate pillow (for more neutral alignment) can offer a very comfortable solution.

Proprietary would simply mean that the foam, or the specific formulation or density/ILD combination, is specific to that particular retailer, and is not necessarily indicative of a foam that is produced by the particular fabricator.

If the 3 lb is accurate, this would be a very high density and good quality polyfoam for the 6" support core. A very high density normally seen for a polyfoam core is in 2-2.5 lb range.

Yes, this make more sense to me, thank you. Having a zoning system in the middle or even deeper layers is common, but I would tend to make my decision primarily based upon the comfort provided by the arrangement.

[quote]The densities are as follows for the Reloks mattress from TON:
Top Layer: 35 ILD he didn’t know the density rating
Middle Layer 1.7LB
Bottom Layer is 1.9LB[/quote]

The ILD is more important to know for the latex layer (density/ILD are closely related for Talalay latex), but a 35ILD is quite firm. The density for the 2" polyfoam core at 1.7 lb is just a little below what I’d like to see at 1.8 lb, and the polyfoam 6" core at 1.9 lb is a good density, but at your BMI “ideally” I’d like to see a slightly higher ILD for the polyfoams near 2 lb.

You’d have to provide me a link to what you’re specifically referencing so I an be more accurate in my reply.

Phoenix

Great post.

Hi Phoenix:

I went to visit Dreamtime and Springmade again yesterday.

Chris at Dreamtime advised against a 3 zone mattress. He said that getting a top comfort layer with 3 different densities is not recommended as the polyoils in the foam will not stick well to the glue and will eventually come apart. He said most typically the center zone that supports the pelvis and lumbar would be a high quality memory foam and the head and foot board zones would be of a cheaper/regular foam as apparently they will glue better. He had a few mattresses on display that he recommended based on my back and sleeping style. The first one is the one I liked the most, but that is also because I spent the most time on it, so it felt better over time.

Quilt: 3/4" Super Soft Foam / 20oz Poly Fabric
Top Layer: 2" 4LB Gel Foam
Middle Layer: 2" 2LB Soft Convolute Foam
Bottom Layer: 7" 3LB BioFoam
Price: $800 with box spring

Quilt: 3/4" Soft Quilt / 20oz Solo Poly
Top Layer: 2" 2LB Soft Foam
Middle Layer: 2" 13 gauge mini pocket coils
Support Layer: Foam encased and Lumbar Support
Springs: 1100 Double Tempered Pocket Coil
Price: $800 with box spring

Top Layer: 2" 5LB Memory Foam
Middle Layer: 1" 30-35 ILD Talalay Foam
Bottom Layer: 7" 3LB Polyfoam
Price: $1000 with box spring

I went back to Springmade, I spoke with Joe this time. I didn’t mention the previous mattress Mauricio recommended just to see what he had to say. He didn’t recommend a 3 zoned mattress either, stating that it would be very difficult to get it 100% right and that should there be any adjustments after, it would be more difficult to add/remove layers. I asked him if he’s run into any trouble with 3 zoned memory foam mattresses, and he said that he has had no issues - they glue just fine and don’t come apart. Here’s what he recommended. The cost is $900 including the box spring.

Top Layer: 2" 3LB Memory Foam
Middle Layer: 2" 25 ILD Dunlop Latex
Bottom Layer: 6" 25 ILD Foam

I’m very much confused now about 3 zoned mattresses. I’m not sure if they are beneficial to my needs or if the manufacturers just don’t to make them?

I can’t find much on Selene foams online, but I was able to find this bit of info here on this page: http://www.de-stijl.com.au/catalogue.php?dir=./5

Looking forward to your feedback, thanks.

NotSleepingWell

Hi NotSleepingWell,

Thanks for the updates!

It may be their experience as manufacturers that with their products this is what they’ve run into in the past, so I certainly would give credence to their thoughts.

[quote]He had a few mattresses on display that he recommended based on my back and sleeping style. The first one is the one I liked the most, but that is also because I spent the most time on it, so it felt better over time.
Quilt: 3/4" Super Soft Foam / 20oz Poly Fabric
Top Layer: 2" 4LB Gel Foam
Middle Layer: 2" 2LB Soft Convolute Foam
Bottom Layer: 7" 3LB BioFoam
Price: $800 with box spring

Quilt: 3/4" Soft Quilt / 20oz Solo Poly
Top Layer: 2" 2LB Soft Foam
Middle Layer: 2" 13 gauge mini pocket coils
Support Layer: Foam encased and Lumbar Support
Springs: 1100 Double Tempered Pocket Coil
Price: $800 with box spring

Top Layer: 2" 5LB Memory Foam
Middle Layer: 1" 30-35 ILD Talalay Foam
Bottom Layer: 7" 3LB Polyfoam
Price: $1000 with box spring[/quote]

All of these mattresses are listing good quality/durable materials. The biggest concern would be for your alignment, due to the low back issues from your accident, so you’d want to be sure that this level of support was adequate with any model you select.

He has a good point, and as I mentioned in one of the articles linked in my earlier replies to you, “zoning can be complex and may not be necessary at all, it should be approached with caution, especially if it is possible to accomplish the pressure relief and alignment you need without it.”

[quote]Top Layer: 2" 3LB Memory Foam
Middle Layer: 2" 25 ILD Dunlop Latex
Bottom Layer: 6" 25 ILD Foam[/quote]

I would have a concern here with the lower density memory foam (3 lb) and also you didn’t list the density of the bottom 6" piece – is it polyfoam?

Some manufacturers specialize in these products and others don’t – there is no right and wrong answer. But in the end I would trust your own personal testing over trying to make predictions based upon complex zoning specifications that very few people would be able to relate in their mind to a potential overall comfort (including many people who design mattresses - it’s a very difficult thing to predict B) ).

Selene is just the name of a hybrid memory foam mattress in your link. There are no meaningful specifications made about it there, so I can’t provide any meaningful commentary.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix:

Thanks for your comments on the mattresses. I guess I should keep 3 zone mattress on the back burner for now and will consider my other options based on the comments from the manufacturers and that there isn’t a reliable one that specialises in making them.

The 6" is a Polyfoam.

A couple questions regarding memory foam. The lower the density, the softer the foam is, am I correct? From the various memory foams I’ve tried, the ones with 4lb or 5lb in the comfort layer tend to be a bit firmer and don’t mold as well as the 3lb memory foams which were a bit softer and molded faster to my body. Even though I understand that the 4lb and 5lb are of better quality and are more durable, I tried a 3" 3lb at Springmade and it was considerably softer and more comfortable than several 2" and 3" 5lb memory foam comfort layers I tried. Are all memory foams constructed the same way or are there several differences? I was on the Carpenter website, where most of the manufacturers source their foams from, and they seem to have several different lines of foams. However, none of the manufacturers can tell me which line or memory foams they carry. http://carpenter.com/index.php/us/en/bedding/overview

Reading further articles on this website, I’m starting to think a soft natural Talalay latex, supported by a HR polyfoam or HD Dunlop would be a better choice. What do you think of the following constructs:

3/4" Soft Quilt
2 or 3" 20-25 ILD Natural Talalay
2" 30 ILD Dunlop
6" 3LB HR Polyfoam or 35-40 ILD Dunlop

3/4" Soft Quilt
2" 5LB Memory Foam
2" 25-30 ILD Natural Talalay
6" 3LB HR Polyfoam or 35-40 ILD Dunlop

I also noticed another retailer in the Trusted Members list, Dormio Organic Beds. I might give them a visit. Any thoughts on their beds?

Thanks,

NotSleepingWell

I just recently purchased a Dormio Organic bed. I am quite happy with it, though still fine tuning a few things.

A couple of things I think are worth mentioning, based on your previous posts …

They are definitely a more expensive brand, but they do deal in all natural organic materials.

All of their mattress layers are 100% organic dunlop latex … depending on the mattress model you can have anything from Extra Soft through Firm layers.

The mattress covers are organic cotton, some quilted with wool, some which include an unquilted wool layer. (Wool acts as a natural fire barrier amongst other things.)

My mattress appears to be well made, but due to the materials used to construct it, it definitely has a different overall look compared to a traditional mattress.

The sales people seem to be knowledgeable. (Disclaimer, I was not able to visit a showroom and purchased online / via email. Email responses were and continue to be prompt, courteous and well informed.)

WIth some Dormio mattress models, the case zips open / shut which allows for you to customize your layer arrangement or replacement components as needed.

I’ve been switching up my layer arrangement every few weeks to find what works best for me - it’s a workout but not an overly complicated process. That said, a showroom visit coupled with the knowledge of the sales staff would help you narrow down your preferences before you even made a purchase.

If you are local, delivery and initial set up are included with your purchase I believe. If you aren’t local, you will need to pay for shipping and will need to put your mattress together itself. Mine arrived in four separate boxes (3 for the matress components and one for the foundation.

Good luck with your mattress search!

Hi Sleepymath:

Thanks for your post, I appreciate the information you provided.

Seems like it’s all positive so it has intrigued me to go check them out since they’re about a 30 minute drive from where I live. I like that it’s all organic, although not a big concern to me as long as the materials and build are good quality. I especially like that the cover zips open, so that the layers can be adjusted. Price has me a bit concerned, but still worth the trip to find out more.

Will let you know when I check them out, thanks.

NotSleepingWell

Hi NotSleepingWell,

Thanks for that information, but without the density I couldn’t comment upon the durability of the polyfoam core in that mattress.

No not necessarily. The ILD of memory foam is not so significant because viscoelastic materials will change their firmness/softness with heat, pressure and humidity, and over time. To give a rough comparison with other materials, almost all memory foams are “in the range of” 15 ILD or less. Because of how viscoelastic foam changes in softness, the ILD is fairly meaningless. They would all qualify as “very soft”. Knowing the density of the memory foam however is important.

The primary factor in the quality of a memory foam layer (it is only used in the top pressure relieving layers of a mattress because memory foam is too soft to provide good primary support) is density. As a general guideline, under 4 lbs is low quality, 4-5 lbs is medium quality, and 5 lbs or better is good quality. The density (or the chemicals used to create the density) can also change how the memory foam performs (how stiff or soft it gets with heat/cold, how easily it “melts” under you or how durable it is are examples). There are many different chemicals that are added to memory foam to change how it reacts to different conditions even though the ILD of all memory foams at “room temperature” are fairly close. Depending upon the chemical configurations, I’ve seen memory foam in a similar line feel “stiffer” in the 3 lb version than the 6 lb version, and also vice versa.

Memory foam itself has a basic “set” of chemicals and method of manufacturing that is used but there are hundreds of variations between manufacturers and even the same foam manufacturer will often have dozens of variants and custom formulations which can change the recovery time, the breathability and heat retention, heat sensitivity, and many other characteristics of their memory foam, even when similar densities are compared. The support layers and the ticking/quilting can also make a huge difference in how the memory foam “performs”. This means that memory foam comparisons between different manufacturers, even of the same density, is not as easy to “translate” as latex (which has much more similarity in its characteristics between different manufacturers than memory foam) or even polyfoam.

The thickness of the memory foam layer and the type of layers under it can play a major role in alignment regardless of the quality of the memory foam itself. Memory foam in very low densities are also not as “gradual” in their response and so can be much firmer when cold and then melt more easily when warmed up and become too “soft” and a person may “go through” the memory foam onto the firmer layers underneath which can cause pressure issues in spite of the memory foam. Of course they are also not as durable. Lower density memory foams may also be more breathable because the internal structure is not as dense and “insulating”. There are also many other factors involved with heat retention of a memory foam however.

Memory foam and viscoelastic materials also have a characteristic called “creep” which means that over time … they become softer (lose some of their resistance to pressure) in addition to the variables of heat, pressure, and humidity. This means that someone who may be in alignment at the start of the night may sink deeper over the course of the night and lose alignment … even if the heat and humidity doesn’t change.

I know that’s a long answer to a simple question – but sometimes simple questions are not so simple. B)

There are many flexible polyfoam pourers worldwide, and here’s a list of some of the ones that are CertiPUR-US certified. I wouldn’t consider knowing the manufacturer of the polyfoam within the mattress necessarily important or a “quality specification” (of course making sure that it was not compressed for extended periods of time in shipping) and that information could certainly be considered proprietary by a manufacturer. And even if a manufacturer told you their foam came from FXI instead of Carpenter, to the layperson this would make no difference.

In general, I would want to know if the memory foam was CertiPUR-US certified, the density, and if it was sourced overseas and potentially subjected to long periods of compression.

[quote]Reading further articles on this website, I’m starting to think a soft natural Talalay latex, supported by a HR polyfoam or HD Dunlop would be a better choice. What do you think of the following constructs:

3/4" Soft Quilt
2 or 3" 20-25 ILD Natural Talalay
2" 30 ILD Dunlop
6" 3LB HR Polyfoam or 35-40 ILD Dunlop

3/4" Soft Quilt
2" 5LB Memory Foam
2" 25-30 ILD Natural Talalay
6" 3LB HR Polyfoam or 35-40 ILD Dunlop[/quote]

The materials used in each of the mattresses you listed here are durable and high quality, but only through your own personal testing would you be able to determine if the comfort would meet with your expectations.

Dormio is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration. They do offer products using very high quality componentry.

Phoenix

Hi sleepymath,

Thanks for your update and feedback on your experience with Dormio - I appreciate you taking the time to do that.

Phoenix