Zenhaven Mattress

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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I have come to almost ALL of these conclusions, too! I don’t think there’s much of a point of 1.5" softer talalay support-wise; it just changes the feel when you lay down. I cut the cover off my topper which made it softer and more conforming, which cut down the pressure. (I think it does make it squishier and warmer, though. I minded at first and then liked it!)) Still, I’m going through that and the 1.5" that’s sewn into the bed, hitting the N3 with my hip and shoulder. (I’m 135 lbs for anyone else considering.)

The OTHER thing is that that super lightweight latex on the soft side of the bed is really only meant to last a year or three (depending on who you ask.) The lower layers will last much longer though! But since they’re glued together, when you’re done, you’re done. Or I guess you order a “repair” or whole new bed through their warranty?

I think ordering an all-latex bed online with no frame of reference would be really hard, but if I knew now what I knew then, I wouldn’t buy this again. I’m still considering getting a component bed or DIY if the replacement isn’t an improvement, but that’s not ideal either as you usually need to make all the layer swaps (and pay for their shipping AND package them), within 30-90 days generally, if you want to see any of the money back.

I’m jealous of all the people who live close to the better latex bed manufacturers! Part of me thinks it’d be cheaper/easier to pony up for an inexpensive vacation to build a mattress on site and get it dialed in person rather than deal with all the swapping that people seem to do…I know you can’t lie on a bed in a store and REALLY get the feel, but for me, I can at least narrow out the soft ones. My back IMMEDIATELY hurts.

I didn’t say it will FOR SURE go to a landfill…they do have charity partners and also sell some of the beds as “samples” to friends, family and employees. But you have to let the delivery guys take it and do with it what they will. I do feel like this is a major marketing oversight on a company who caters to a more ecologically minded crowd…I live in a town that literally has the most non-profits per capita, it would be nothing to ensure it went to someone who could use it.

The devil I know scenario is a tough one, especially if you’ve finally started sleeping after a big disruption. You definitely don’t want to buy something that’s going to make you worse!

It is funny to me, when I was younger, I could sleep on just about anything, from sprung sofa pullouts to old futons to my rock hard childhood mattress… Humans are designed to sleep in the dirt! I’ve been severely ill the past few years, getting terribly out of shape, and I just seem to just get pickier and pickier. I do wonder if I recovered more strength, if more mattresses would feel comfortable to me.

22

Well, my new topper arrived again. It AGAIN has a glue seem a third of the way in…running right under where someone would sleep, not the center. And this time the cover isn’t sewn right and the latex doesn’t fit right within it, so it curls up funny no matter how much I shake it out.

…These guys gotta work on their supply chain. I appreciate the replacement but it’s now clear this isn’t a one-off unlucky warranty issue. Anyway, Zenhaven 2.0 arrives Monday. It’s probably too much to hope it won’t be defective but hope springs eternal!

23

Hi sweetandsourkiwi.

Clearly, your new Zenhaven configuration is having some issues. Hopefully, the Zenhaven 2.0 will meet your expectations.

I’m looking forward to any additional updates you have the chance to share once you receive your new mattress and sleep on it for a while.

Phoenix

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Thank you! At some point I will amass my conclusions into one cohesive post instead of this dribbled play-by-play…

1 Like
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(Another contribution to the “dribbled play-by-play …”)

Zenhaven is supposed to pick up my mattress on Thursday.
A replacement from Sleep EZ is on its way. We’ll see how it goes. I do have to say, though, that the Zenhaven customer service is pretty generous.

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SleepEZ is at the top of my list if this doesn’t work out. Why did you ultimately decide to give up on the ZH, and what did you order from SleepEZ?

27

But until the day I feel this matter is settled, I shall stream in my notes for that future post.

File this under Things No One Will Tell You About Mattress Shopping:

Delivery isn’t better, and “White Glove Delivery” is a joke. (I mean, I didn’t really think there’d be white gloves, but I imagined some concern at least.)

When I was shopping initially, I actually put a lot of weight into whether a company would deliver, and if I had to return it, if they would manage taking it away. You see, I’m a singleton, and disabled at that, AND live on the top story of a building with no elevators. So delivery seemed pretty clutch.

However, as I watched in disbelief and horror as ONCE AGAIN the delivery team smeared their grimy, muddy hands all over the mattress, leaving dark streaks of dirt…as they took the mattress out of a muddy plastic encasement and then PLACED IT ON TOP OF THE MUDDY PLASTIC THEY HAD JUST REMOVED IT FROM…all for the SECOND time…I re-evaluated. (I also re-evaluated why I didn’t just tell them to help themselves to my sink and wash up as this happened last time. Hope springs eternal.)

The fact that they showed up an hour before the “4 hour window” of delivery even began was annoying (so factor a day’s work into the cost there, if they show up after…), but watching as they blithely dirtied up something that can never just be “popped in the wash” felt downright disrespectful—not to mention, irreversible. I got the worst of it up with a damp rag, but there’s no way to get it all the way clean. I don’t mean in a germaphobe way…I mean they smeared actual, black grime on the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought in my life (and that includes my car.)

I tipped them anyway, because there are 7 flights of stairs and that thing is heavy. But…jeez.

So while buying layers and assembling them sounds like a giant PITA…as does unrolling a “bed in the box”…at least I wouldn’t wind up getting mud on something that never would have an opportunity to be muddied, otherwise. Something I hadn’t considered when weighing the pros and cons of delivery.

Footnote: this new mattress came from “Everton Mattress” in Idaho. This time, the pad is 50% wool, 50% rayon. Last time it was 70/30.

This time, the cover was stitched on straight to the mattress! The boxspring seams were still crooked.

At the end of the day, Zenhaven is a marketing and customer service face for a lot of 3rd party work. They’re outsourcing the factories. They’re outsourcing the deliveries. There is a lack of quality control, and it shows.

Oh the things I’ve learned…

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“Why did you ultimately decide to give up on the ZH, and what did you order from SleepEZ?”

I used every day of my Zenhaven trial period. During that time I flipped it more than once, tried different (thicker/thinner) mattress covers, tried it with and without the Zenhaven topper, and added new MDF panels between the frame and mattress. Nothing I tried resulted in comfort across all the positions I sleep in. I suspect the problem, for me, is that the comfort layers are just too thin (at 1.5") while the support layers aren’t supportive enough (either because they aren’t firm enough at the core, or maybe because they are compromised by having a too-soft layer at the bottom.)

I tried Savvy Rest latex mattresses in two stores, each about an hour or more away. These felt more comfortable to me than the Zenhaven, but even on sale they were too expensive. I chose Sleep EZ because they seem to provide products very similar to the Savvy Rest mattresses (with Talalay layers from the same supplier). The Sleep EZ 10" mattresses are much less expensive than the Savvy Rest 10" mattresses (even when the latter were at 40% off before a store closing.) The one possibly significant difference I noticed was that Savvy Rest uses brass zippers and Sleep EZ uses plastic.

I ordered a 10" “organic” Sleep EZ, all Talalay, with split layers (F-M-M on one side and F-M-S on the other). F-M-M and F-F-M, all Talalay, were the configurations that felt most comfortable to me in the Savvy Rest store.

For me, the Zenhaven issues came down almost entirely to comfort (not production quality, not customer service, not price.)

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@sweetandsourkiwi - I’m very sorry to hear about the delivery problems you’ve encountered. One thing you should be aware of regarding mattress warranties is that they generally exclude any stained mattresses from a potential claim. So from your description it sounds like the mattress as delivered to you would no longer be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. I know it would be an additional hassle and time consuming for you, but I’d immediately follow up with the seller and insist that you receive a new mattress in clean condition so that any potential warranty claim down the road would at least have some chance of being honored. I hope you’re able to ultimately find a mattress that meets your needs and provides you with many good nights of rest. :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the tip, Sweet Dreams! They did warranty the original mattress with the stains from the first delivery team…but I complained immediately, so that would have been on record. I figured I’d deal with this along with everything else if I decide to return it, but with your nudge, I will contact the company immediately. They need to know their mattresses are being consistently mishandled.

31

Cloud999, while I’ve had production quality issues as well as customer service ones (single-shaming), the comfort is my biggest issue as well. I too felt that the 1.5" comfort layer wasn’t enough, and transitioned too quickly to an overly firm layer.

I have BOTH toppers they sent on top of the mattress now and it still feels like too much pressure under my shoulder.

SleepEZ had recommended a 7" F-M with a free floating 3" S topper for me and I am still considering that. Interesting point on the zippers! A brass zipper would add a bit more class than plastic but I wonder if plastic is still durable (as I’m currently replacing a metal zipper in a pair of boots)…

32

“I too felt that the 1.5” comfort layer wasn’t enough, and transitioned too quickly to an overly firm layer."

An alternate explanation is that the covering isn’t stretchy enough. So, instead of allowing the latex to do its thing, it creates a hammock effect. It feels like that under my shoulder/hips when I’m on my side, or under my whole mid-section when on my stomach. I think latex is supposed to feel elastic at specific points (while also being more supportive across the whole surrounding area.) But a smaller/lighter person might not feel the same effect.

33

Interesting theory! It could be true. I had to cut the backing off my topper because it was basically a tarp-like canvas with no stretch…I’m going to try cutting the backing off the second topper soon. I feel like my covering is pretty stretchy on the mattress itself (I walked around on the bed to help break it in) but that could certainly contribute.

34

I spent the first night on my new Sleep EZ mattress. Zenhaven picked up my return on Thursday, FedEx delivered the Sleep EZ in 3 cartons on Friday, and my new bed frame arrived Saturday. I assembled the mattress yesterday (Sunday).

First impression: I find the Sleep EZ more comfortable than the Zenhaven. It feels more supportive, without uncomfortable pressure points, across all sleep positions (back, side, stomach).
It also feels “livelier” (if that’s the right word.) I mean it’s a little more jiggly/bouncy when moving around (in a good way, I think.) This is something I noticed on a Savvy Rest mattress I tried, too. Caveats: there is a new 20-slat bed frame in the equation, and I’ve only spent one night on it. Again, this is an all Talalay, “organic”, 10" mattress. F-M-M on one side, F-M-S on the other. I slept on the F-M-M last night.

As for the shopping experience, there’s no getting around it, setting up a zip-in system is a hassle. For me, the biggest hassle isn’t the mattress assembly itself, but the packaging. FedEx brought the cartons to my front door (no farther) and they are heavy (50-60 pounds each). They are secured with many large copper staples. Each carton’s contents are double-wrapped in heavy plastic. So, after unboxing you’re left with enough packaging material to fill a small closet (or a pickup truck bed).
Our recycling service will take the cardboard, but I dunno about the plastic.

The Sleep EZ and Zenhaven components seem to be very similar. The ones I purchased both contained 9" of Talalay. For the outer cotton cover, they may be using the same supplier (if the look, feel, and imprinted logos are any indication). The outer piping seems to be about the same. Sleep EZ (or their supplier) does the quilt stitching in a diamond pattern, which I suspect may prevent shifting better than Zenhaven’s straight/horizontal channel stitching. The top panel on my Sleep EZ comes completely off (it is not attached at one end as expected).

The Sleep EZ cost me $1,565.50 after a $179.50 discount. No sales tax, no shipping fee. The Zenhaven was $1899. For many customers … all else being equal (which of course is never the case) … the Zenhaven delivery and set-up may be worth the extra cost. But then, I now have the advantage of being able to zip open my mattress and rearrange/replace individual layers.

I have no complaint about Zenhaven’s customer service or product quality. They refunded my money (minus $99) before they picked up the mattress. The topper they sent me (free of charge) is mine now; the delivery guys would not take it. If you’re among the majority of ZH customers who find comfort on one of the two sides, I’d say you made a good choice. It just didn’t happen to work for me.

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Thanks for the update! I would love to hear more after you’ve spent more time with it. Do you still use your ZH topper on this bed or are you testing it bare?

What 20 slat bed frame did you get? Did you have to get a boxspring too?

Question…did your topper have the glue seam in it? Both of mine do.

(One thing…I don’t think the ZH layers can shift…they’re glued together.)

Glad you’re liking it better!

36

Hi Cloud999 and sweetandsourkiwi

I’ve been reading with much interest your ongoing dialog. It is always a great pleasure to witness consumer to consumer (C2C) Interactions especially when they come from informed and educated consumers. :slight_smile:

@ Cloud999

[indent]Thanks for taking the time to share your delivery experience and initial feedback … but most importantly…

Congratulations on your new mattress! :lol:

You certainly made a good value/quality choice and I am glad that you are enjoying it thus far!. As you are aware SleepEZ is a Trusted 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.

I suspect that SleepEZ’s sturdy packaging is a failsafe to prevent any damage or mishandling that may occur during shipping and while it may be a bit of a challenge to unpack, dispose or recycle it I’d say that overall, it’s worth the peace of mind on both ends.

I’m looking forward to any ongoing updates once you’ve had the chance to sleep on your new mattress for a while longer.[/indent]

Phoenix

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Sweetandsourkiwi,

“Do you still use your ZH topper on this bed or are you testing it bare?”
The mattress is bare (no topper); the tester is in a T-shirt and shorts.

“What 20 slat bed frame did you get? Did you have to get a boxspring too?”
The “Cherry Moon Dovetail Platform Bed” sold by Vermont Woods Studios. No box spring. However, I did add a center rail support (even though my own load & span calculations told me the 20 slats should be acceptable without one.) You never know, my cat could get really heavy in her old age.

“Question…did your topper have the glue seam in it?”
I don’t know. I did not notice one, but did not look carefully for one either.

“(One thing…I don’t think the ZH layers can shift…they’re glued together.)”
When I mentioned “shifting” above, I was referring only to the outer covering material, not to the latex. I’m thinking of the wool quilted to the cotton and how it’s all sewn together. Whether this is in fact ever an issue, I don’t really know. But one never can have too many things to worry about, right?

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“The mattress is bare (no topper); the tester is in a T-shirt and shorts.”

Okay, that made me laugh harder than it should have.

I could feel my glue seam instantaneously…it’s hard. I also cut the quilting off my topper and then it’s super obvious and also sharp.

Thanks for all the info! The Vermont Woods stuff is so pretty.

Please come back and give us the broken-in update!

39

I’ve slept on the Sleep EZ for 4 nights now. For me, it has been an improvement. It feels like I’m getting better pressure relief. Maybe the jury’s still out on whether I’m getting equal/better support.

The difference isn’t so dramatic (from the Zenhaven “comfort firm” side) that it might not be attributable (at least in part) to my new bed frame. My old frame was still pretty solid and flat. It had MDF panels over a steel-reinforced plywood base. The new frame has 20 closely spaced poplar slats. I added a maple 1x4 under the center. I suspect the difference is mostly due to the mattress (although a slight give/spring from the slats might help relieve pressure).

My BMI is about 27 (~15-20 lbs. huggably overweight). Someone with a lower BMI might not notice much difference. A back sleeper might actually prefer the Zenhaven. For me, the discomfort was mostly from pressure points when side-sleeping.

I dunno, maybe the Zen zoning in the outer layers was counter-productive for me. If the purpose of zoning is to increase support under specific body parts (esp. the lumbar area), then I would think you’d want it lower/deeper in the mattress and thicker than 1.5". Otherwise, the primary effect (on some sleepers/positions) might be to increase surface pressure on those body parts, without actually lifting/supporting them. Perhaps it has a net benefit for back sleeping (allowing the butt to sink more) but not for side sleeping, in my case.

Even after having both mattresses, a fair comparison is challenging. Ideally you’d want the two mattresses side-by-side, over exactly the same frames/foundations. Too bad they’re not both widely available in stores.

40

Thanks for reminding me, I did want to add something about the zoning. I figured in an N1 layer it would be pretty gimmicky and useless BUT…when I was walking around on the bed to break it in, I could really feel it! It felt like where my hip would rest was a lot firmer than say, the feet. My hips just hurt all the time now…(but, fibromyalgia). So I think there’s something to your point that it’s contributing to the harder feel.

I’m a BMI of 23.5 at 135lbs and 5’4.5", and only sleep on my side. Even with both toppers stacked on top of one another my tolerance for the Zenhaven is wearing thin. I’m considering getting the SleepEZ I had planned (a different configuration was suggested to me FMS with the S as a loose topper layer, with the option of encasing later and adding a topper similar weight to Zenhaven’s) and testing them side by side.

I have their boxspring over a metal bedframe. Also curious how this might contribute to sensations of firmness and how much difference it really makes.