$1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Mar 21, 2011 8:51 PM
Joined: Mar 20, 2011
Points: 71
Hello to all. I'm new to the forum and I hope I can get the info I need to purchase a soft and comfortable sleeping mattress that will last for at least 10yrs. I don't have a lot cash right now, but I need a new mattress now. I toss and turn for about 6hrs (no kidding) and sleep only 2hrs. I have a beat up old innersping that gives me terrible back pains. I have tried mattresses in stores and it seems the softer the better for me. Is it possible to get a very soft latex king bed for 1,200? If not, what are my alternatives? BTW,  I'm in Shreveport, La no luck locally, so I'm looking for internet stores if at all possible.

 

 

Thanks.

This message was modified Mar 21, 2011 by need2sleep636
Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #7 Mar 22, 2011 7:27 PM
Joined: Sep 11, 2007
Points: 116
need2sleep636 wrote:

 

This is very interesting; I didn't know that could be done. Tomorrow, I will most definately look into diy. This forum is great and full of helpful info. I must say, I just knew I was gonna get blasting for the $1200 dollar budget, but I was wrong; you guys are great!!!!!

 

Hey that's what the internet mattress guys are here for.  To steer you toward their website.  Good luck.

Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #8 Mar 22, 2011 8:23 PM
Joined: Aug 5, 2010
Points: 227
Good_Sleep wrote:

Hey that's what the internet mattress guys are here for.  To steer you toward their website.  Good luck.


Yes, be careful what you read on the internet, even these forums have sales folks showing up frequently.  Don't blindly follow recommendations.

Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #9 Mar 22, 2011 8:45 PM
Joined: Aug 5, 2010
Points: 34
On the DIY route, I followed BillB's setup here: http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/my-foambymail-8-latex-mattress-actual-setup-pictures/9029-0-1.html

I wanted an all-natural mattress without any chemicals so I skipped on the cuddlebed and threw a St. Geneve wool mattress protector over the latex for better airflow/comfort.

It really took some getting used to at first but now I notice my previous lower back problems are gone. It gives tons of support but the latex doesn't provide the sink-in feeling that memory foam has. I miss that but the lack of back pain is worth it.

Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #10 Mar 22, 2011 9:13 PM
Joined: Mar 20, 2011
Points: 71
My wife and I really love Slapp86's diy suggestion. BTW, I'm 6'2" 255lb and my wife is 5'5" 125lb. Every mattress that I tried and loved she also loved. I've read that for back and stomach sleepers firm is the way to go and soft is for side sleepers. Every firm bed that I tried did not fee comfortable to my back (laying on both stomach and back). Now the softer the bed was, the better. Being that my wife loves spooning, we generally sleep on our side.

 

 

   Can I go wrong with a polyurethane base? $250 for the base fits my budget nicely. I've read in places that foam is to be chosen by density and not ILD; is this correct? How long can I reasonbly expect a High resiliency poly foam base to last? Do they smell? I've read that foam mattresses smell, but I seem not to smell anything on the foam mattresses at the stores, what do they do to?

 

I was thinking about three layers, but first things first; the base. I was thinking a 76" x 80" 6" Thick - Lux High Quality Foam from FoamDistributing.com for $244. They state the density of this mattress is 2.8 pcf. Does anyone know how reliable their specs are? Or a  5" Thick x 76" x 80"
King Firm Mattress
From Foambymail.com for $150. Which one of these companies has the better quality and more reliable specs? Nevermind; same company different product.

This message was modified Mar 22, 2011 by need2sleep636
Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #11 Mar 22, 2011 10:54 PM
Joined: Mar 2, 2011
Points: 14
I just spent this exact amount on an excellent mattress:

 

Foam by mail 6" talaly base for $571--Radium--beautiful piece, no seams--ILD 36.

Second 3" talaly layer was Foam by mail, talalay, $273--Radium--no seams, one small tear from my fingetips getting it out of the box--ILD 29.

Third layer ,3" talalay,  ebay, mattresses/24/7--latex international, she had a soft 3" piece  $285--very good as well--one seam and one small tear.

Plus, $56 for a velour cover off of ebay.

Total price $$1185

 

Foam by mail uses two ILD's of tallay.  They have a 6" base with an ILD of 36--they cut these down and call the smaller cuts softer with ILD's of about 32.  The other 6" base they sell has an ILD of 29 and the cuts they make off of these they call IFD 20.  This info is per my phone calls to them.

The ILD on the 6" cores compare very close in feel to the Latex Internaltional I have samples of.  I am extremely pleased with their quality. 

This message was modified Mar 23, 2011 by jeff8407
Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #12 Mar 22, 2011 11:03 PM
Joined: Aug 31, 2007
Points: 793
Jeff, it sounds like you were able to put together a latex bed at a good price. Please let us know how the comfort is after a week. I hope you are happy. It sounds like the quality is there.  If you want firm or softer, what is the exchange policy?  What are you using as a base?
Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #13 Mar 23, 2011 6:37 PM
Joined: Mar 20, 2011
Points: 71
Has anyone here purchased a polyfoam base from  foamdistributingcompany? If so, did it smell? Does the outgassing that is related to polyfoam happen throughout the life of the mattress or does it end by letting it air out? I have a standard king split boxspring foundation, will this work with either the latex or polyfoam base?
Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #14 Mar 30, 2011 11:55 PM
Joined: Mar 2, 2011
Points: 14
Here is an update:

Had the mattress for more than a week now and my wife and I agree it the the most comfortable bed ever!  We built it in stages: starting with a 6" medium core, plus a 2" celsion topper.  That was to mushy so we added a 3" layer of 19ILD and it was much better.  Finally, after my back hurting, we ordered a 3" firm layer for the bottom and it is perfect.  Yes, I had to send the 2" celsion back, and wound up with 12" instead of my origian plan of 9", but the mattres was 35% the cost of the local guy, plus no sales tax.

Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #15 Mar 31, 2011 8:11 PM
Joined: Mar 20, 2011
Points: 71
jeff8407 wrote:

Here is an update:

 

Had the mattress for more than a week now and my wife and I agree it the the most comfortable bed ever!  We built it in stages: starting with a 6" medium core, plus a 2" celsion topper.  That was to mushy so we added a 3" layer of 19ILD and it was much better.  Finally, after my back hurting, we ordered a 3" firm layer for the bottom and it is perfect.  Yes, I had to send the 2" celsion back, and wound up with 12" instead of my origian plan of 9", but the mattres was 35% the cost of the local guy, plus no sales tax.



So what happend to the original 3" talalay topper you mentioned in you earlier post.

"Foam by mail 6" talaly base for $571--Radium--beautiful piece, no seams--ILD 36.

Second 3" talaly layer was Foam by mail, talalay"

When you say "plus a 2" celsion topper.  That was to mushy" did you mean the sinking action? I've read that latex 19ILD was very soft, so how did the feel of it differ from the 2" celsion topper? How does the 3" firm layer on the bottom affect the feel of the bed? I have a mattress now but I want to wait at least a week to post my thoughts on it. I do have a concern based on what I've read regarding low density visco not lasting as long, But it feels perfect to me and my wife.

Re: $1,200 to spend; please don't laugh
Reply #16 Apr 3, 2011 3:59 PM
Joined: Mar 2, 2011
Points: 14
Need2sleep,

 

 

I built the bed in stages, ordering a piece, trying it, then ordering the next piece.  I did have a mattress I was trying to copy however.

Sorry if my previous post didn't make sense, I got the ILD's wrong.  (I now have 3" firm base 36, 6" medium 29, and 3" of 19.)

I started with the 6" core.  It was too soft for support and too firm for the top layer.  I added the 2" celsion and got the feel I wanted, but was stil bottoming out--my wife found this perfect for her size, 130 lbs.  If I had an ajustable base I probably could have made it work.  So, I ordered a 3" firm piece for support.  The firm piece add an extra dimension of "depth" to the feel of the bed.

The 2" Celsion is not much different compared to the 3" of ILD 19.  The 19 has a similar feel and a similar "mushiness", it is just, a tiny bit, firmer; but, since it was three inches, instead of 2, the difference was negligible(the extra inch made a big difference)--my wife couldn't tell the difference. My wife and I both like the envolped feel of the soft latex, but the mattress cover made a larger difference than to the feel than the difference between the 15 and the 19.  It was simply a cost matter.  The 3" piece was $150 less than the Celsion.  So, we sent it back.

This message was modified Apr 3, 2011 by jeff8407