Here's the quick version.
1. First go and flop around on some mattresses ... any mattresses ... to find out what kind of overall feel you like ... plush to firm. This part doesn't have to be latex.
2. Next spend some time on ones that are "in the range" with at least 3" of latex in the very top (preferably all latex and at MOST 1" of poly) in all your sleeping positions to see if you can feel any pressure points. Make sure you use a suitable pillow when you do this. Ask for the specs of the ones that don't give you any pressure points.
3. Next spend some time on the ones that don't give you any pressure problems and check for spinal alignment on each of them in all your sleeping positions. This step too should be with either latex in the top (if you are considering this as an option) or all latex if that is what you are looking for. It helps if someone can help you here. When you're on your side your spine should be straight (a yardstick can help here) and when you're on your back there should be no "gaps" between the more recessed parts of your body (like the small of your back) and the mattress. Your spine should be in the same position here as when you are standing up straight with good posture so that no parts are sinking in too far or too little.
4. Make sure you get the exact specs of any mattresses that are close so that you can find out the ILD (softness/firmness) of the latex and the layering (the ILD aned thickness of each layer) that works for you. If the salesperson can't or won't give them to you exactly, then write down the brand and model and either look it up on the internet or post here if you need help.
5. DO NOT BUY anything while you are testing mattresses out no matter what kind of a deal you are offered. The stores or manufacturers that depend on phony sales and pressure are usually not so confident in their product they offer. Most of the better choices can be bought anytime at a good price. The most important part is to get to know what works for you. Then and only then are you ready to consider what to buy.
Thanks again, Phoenix! I'm heading out now to go mattress shopping and will report later what I found out. I'm headed to L&W, Lebeda and Ashley's! ; ) I called L&W to find out where they're located first cuz I'd never heard of them so I can tell you already that he (the owner) said he makes all his own mattresses except the latex. He said he gets those from Latex International?? He said the two types he has are Dunlop and they're 100percent natural latex. He said one has ilds of 36-38 and the other is around 40. He does not do layering cuz it comes this way to him. He said they're two sided so should be flipped after about a year and he sells them for $1600 something. Shouldn't there be layers of latex/foam?? I'm confused about it being one big slab...I forgot to ask how many inches thick it was but I'll find out when I go there in a bit.
sjeanine
Latex international is a high quality latex manufacturer that most of North America gets their quality latex from. They mostly supply latex that's made in a way called Talalay but they and others also use a method called Dunlop which is a little firmer and less "bouncy". Most people use a layering scheme when they buy a latex mattress but having said that there may be some where a single layer is perfect. This is less likely though unless you like a firm mattress with less "give" on the top. Any experience though will help you come to know what is right for you.
Good luck
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Hi, I'm back from my shopping and here's what I found out today:
Lebeda Matress:
Had two beds with 4" of Dunlopia Latex (that's what the lady said) on top of 805 coil springs...all inside the quilted lining....one bed had a bamboo top and the other had wool she said....One of them had some sort of extra support in the center top part...at least that's where she was showing it with her hands....She said her husband had a metal rod in his back and he loved the one bed with the extra support....I wasnt prepared to see these since I didnt know they made latex beds with springs...but, they were both extremely comfortable....both were around the same price of $2500. When I asked if she had any just plain latex mattresses, without any springs inside, she showed me another mattress that she said was 8" of latex only. It was sitting on box springs and was $1500 for a queen set but didnt feel quite as comfortable as the other two. She said it was their most popular bed that sold to most chiro's and other doctors. The ild of all three mattresses, according to her, was 33. When I asked to see the specs, she was quite guarded and wouldnt let me see them but was reading it to me....I cant remember any of it now....When I asked where the latex came from, she said Cedar Rapids, Iowa....Oh, the mattresses could not be flipped cuz of the springs...except for the $1500 set...it was 2 sided.
L & W Mattress:
This was a little "ma and pop" shop...his words! lol But, he did have one latex bed on display. It was 6" of latex from Latex International with an ild of 36 or 38...cant remember for sure which it was but it definitely felt stiffer than the ones at Lebeda and I told him that I was afraid the hardness on my shoulders would cause problems and he said he could add another smaller layer of maybe 1" of latex on both sides that was a smaller ild...like a pillow he said, then add wool before he sewed on the bamboo cover but....said he'd have to get back with me Friday about how much more it would cost to do that. His warrantee was 10 years straight and then 10 yrs pro-rated and he said if it was not right, he'd make it right by adding or taking away whatever I needed him to in order to make it comfortable for me. I liked this but a bit worried about what it will cost and also worried about how hard/stiff it was anyway. He said the mattress sits on a 85 coil spring box springs....thought that seemed like not very many springs for a queen...plus, I thought latex beds were supposed to be on a wooden/slat frame....what do you think?? Man, I still feel lost and overwhelmed here!
I looked for the Ashley store but couldnt find it....a Slumberland was where it used to be...they said Ashley went out of business but the guy in Slumberland showed me what he had in the way of Latex.....It was a Simmons latex mattress that was on clearance on a different companies box springs...cant remember the name of it. He said it was an unmatched set that used to be $1400 on clearance for $898 and with no warranty. Didnt think this sounded to good....Then he directed me to some other bedding called NxG memory foam....I have no idea what was in it. He just said it was new and much better than tempurpedic cuz it had no hot issues or sinking in problems....made by Simmons. It felt nice too but not sure what is in it so just thanked him and left.
Lastly, I seen a site today that looked interesting called Arizona Premium Mattress Co...They had some latex mattesses and other eco friendly type mattresses that had a new type of eco friendly memory foam....have you heard of them? I wondered what you thought of their mattresses?
That was today's looking...what do you think?? Any advice/suggestions at this point?? Thanks...
sjeanine
OK lets take this one step at a time through the 5 steps I posted earlier. 1. Flopping ... Did you flop and lay on a bunch of mattresses of any kind (this part doesn't have to be latex). What overall feel did you like best?
2. Pressure relief ... Which mattresses with latex in the top (doesn't matter what is under this top part in this step ... even springs are fine) did you lie on for a while and find that you didn't have pressure points. What was the ILD or softness of the top layer of latex in these? See below.
3. Not sure if you got this far. Did you get as far as testing any mattresses for how they aligned your spine?
Lebeda ... They have 5 mattresses with latex in the top that they emailed me the specs for when I was doing my research. 4 of them are talalay latex over something else (dunlop or poly) and one of them is pure dunlop. They are called the Grand Teton, The Acadia, The Shenandoah, The Yosemite, and The Acadia. From what you've said they also have 2 with latex over springs which I don't have specs for. What we need to know is which of these 5 did you like in step 2? I have the specs so you don't need to ask with these (although it would be good practice). I also would need to know which of the two (if any) spring models worked for you in step 2 and what were the specs of the top latex layer in these (thickness and softness). Your questions here and your experiences as they relate to specific mattresses and models are what we need now.
L&W ... I thought that they would be too firm. I would wait until he confirms how much it would cost to add at least 2" of softer latex to each side before I went any further here since you would need them on the showroom floor at this testing stage.
Slumberland ... They have some mattresses called Simmons natural care that have latex in the top (with some poly). Did you lie on any of these? If you did how did they go with step 1 and 2 and what were the models you liked.
Dunlop (Dunlopia) is one of the 2 ways that latex is made. Latex is often seen over springs and over poly as well.
I am very familiar with Arizon premium mattress company and I've mentioned them favorably in several threads. For now though ... since you don't live in Arizona ... It's the lay on bed experience and the specific information that comes from that through your specific questions that we need before I would consider a manufacturer that can build to your specs.
Next step is to "fill in the blanks" from your experiences today. This may involve checking out some of the mattresses you lay on and testing for specific things in step 2 (pressure) and step 3 (keeping your spine straight) and then getting the specs of the ones that fit for you.
I would also broaden your search to a few other stores (there are lots around you) but FIRST phone them and ask them if they have any all latex mattresses with less than 1" of poly on top and/or if they have any mattresses with at least 3" of latex on top of something else. If they don't have this they aren't worth going to.
Don't forget that we are in testing stage and the goal here is to find out what works ... not what to buy. Deciding what to buy and looking at price is the very last step and really not important at his point. If a mattress has latex in the top or is all latex then it is your plaground and research lab ... no matter what it costs.
NXG is memory foam and not something I would consider adding to the mix at this point. Lets keep it to latex and latex over something else for now.
Phoenix
OK lets take this one step at a time through the 5 steps I posted earlier.
1. Flopping ... Did you flop and lay on a bunch of mattresses of any kind (this part doesn't have to be latex).
No, just laid on three latex mattresses since that was what I was after.
What overall feel did you like best?
Yes, I laid on the "Reve" for $2399...which had springs so it could not be flipped but it felt the most comfortable one to me, at Lebeda. She said it was 4" of Dunlopia latex on 805 springs and 33 ild. I also laid on the $1500 33 ild 8" pure dunlopia latex...had a bamboo ticking...it was ok but felt firmer than the 4" on springs....weird.
2. Pressure relief ... Which mattresses with latex in the top (doesn't matter what is under this top part in this step ... even springs are fine) did you lie on for a while and find that you didn't have pressure points. What was the ILD or softness of the top layer of latex in these? See below.
33 ild on all the Lebeda's that she showed me in the store. She said that was all she had in latex. The one latex mattress at the LW Bedding was stiff and hurt my shoulder a bit when I layed on it and the owner told me that all mattresses are going to hurt your shoulders if you lie on them long enough on your sides....The Reve at Lebeda felt the softest and had the least pressure points to my shoulder but still could've been softer I think for me....
3. Not sure if you got this far. Did you get as far as testing any mattresses for how they aligned your spine?
I asked my son, age 11, if my spine looked straight but he wasnt sure...the manager at lebeda said it did...of course she would....and so did the guy at LW Bedding. I didnt lay on any of the mattresses at Slumberland. The sales person didnt seem very willing to talk about specs and I didnt think he seemed to knowledgeable.
Lebeda ... They have 5 mattresses with latex in the top that they emailed me the specs for when I was doing my research. 4 of them are talalay latex over something else (dunlop or poly) and one of them is pure dunlop. They are called the Grand Teton, The Acadia, The Shenandoah, The Yosemite, and The Acadia. From what you've said they also have 2 with latex over springs which I don't have specs for. What we need to know is which of these 5 did you like in step 2?
Hmmm, maybe I better go back again and see if there was some other beds she didnt show me but I did ask if that was all the latex beds she had and she said yes.
I have the specs so you don't need to ask with these (although it would be good practice). I also would need to know which of the two (if any) spring models worked for you in step 2 and how thick and what were the specs of the top latex layer in these (thickness and softness). Your questions here and your experiences as they relate to specific mattresses and models are what we need now.
Reve was 4" of dunlopia over springs and it felt the best to me but still a little pressure on my shoulder....it was 33 ild.
L&W ... I thought that they would be too firm. I would wait until he confirms how much it would cost to add at least 2" of softer latex to each side before I went any further here since you would need them on the showroom floor at this testing stage.
Ok, thanks.).
Slumberland ... They have some mattresses called Simmons natural care that have latex in the top (with some poly). Did you lie on any of these? If you did how did they go with step 1 and 2 and what were the models you liked.
No, I was only shown the one latex Simmons on clearance and then that other memory foam...He said it was all they had and I did not lay on either of them.
Dunlop (Dunlopia) is one of the 2 ways that latex is made. Latex is often seen over springs and over poly as well.
I am very familiar with Arizon premium mattress company and I've mentioned them favorably in several threads. For now though ... since you don't live in Arizona ... It's the lay on bed experience and the specific information that comes from that through your specific questions that we need before I would consider a manufacturer that can build to your specs.
Ok, I can go to Denver Mattress in Davenport, Iowa tommorrow or Friday probably and see what they have. But, online I seen their specs showed the Snowqueen, or some name like that, had some sort of PU foam...what is that?? I just dont want any chemicals....
Next step is to "fill in the blanks" from your experiences today. This may involve checking out some of the mattresses you lay on and testing for specific things in step 2 (pressure) and step 3 (keeping your spine straight) and then getting the specs of the ones that fit for you.
I would also broaden your search to a few other stores (there are lots around you) but FIRST phone them and ask them if they have any all latex mattresses with less than 1" of poly on top and/or if they have any mattresses with at least 3" of latex on top of something else. If they don't have this they aren't worth going to.
Ok, will do....will go out again tomorrow and Friday...possibly hitting up Lebeda again...and Denver Mattress Co.
NXG is memory foam and not something I would consider adding to the mix at this point. Lets keep it to latex and latex over something else for now.
K...thanks Phoenix...I'll report back when I learn more! ; )
Phoenix
Just to be a little more specific here ... I would do a little more prelim research on the phone before you go out again. The specs of the mattresses you lay on that you haven't alread menioned and finding out if they have the models they told me they did can be done on the phone before you go there. Finding out which other stores have latex mattresses can also be done at home. The more you can do on the phone the more fun and the less frustrating and confusing going to stores will be. I think you may be sort of "mixing up steps". Keep each one separate for now so on each mattress you lay on you are looking for one thing at a time specifically.
Step 1. is about overall feel. Softness, bounciness, plushness, and just the ahhh feeling. This tells us a bit about the overall construction you may like. In this step it makes absolutely no difference what mattresses you try or even if they have any latex in them ... it only matters that you know the make and model of the ones you liked and whether they felt plush, firm, bouncy, and all the other "feelings" that come to mind as you flop, lay, and roll around on them. It's just about an overall feel that you like.
Step 2 is specifically about finding out about a mattresses ability to relieve pressure. We want to know what kind of top layers work for you here. A mattress with an inch or less of poly in the top is still very helpful here since we are not thinking about actually buying anything you are "testing" for now ... only gathering information about what fits your needs.
Step 3 is about testing the mattresses that worked for you in step 2 for support and spinal alignment. It's still not about buying anything but about finding what type of deep support works for you. Even latex on springs and then knowing what kind of springs worked would help to know what kind of latex would give similar support.
Dont worry about whether any of the mattresses you "use" to gather information would actually be suitable for you. It's the information we want ... so we can put together an idea of your perfect mattress. None of the one's you test may be perfect but knowing what works and doesn't would give a much better idea of how to put together a "do it yourself" if that ends up being the way to go.
Hope this helps a bit. Just treat all the stores as your playground and research lab no matter what their mattresses cost. Do as much on the phone as you can. And most of all have fun with this. We will get there if you go only one step at a time.
Phoenix
Do a google search for "mattress moline illinois" and you will get a list of stores. One called the back store will also be helpful (It has OMI mattresses) but there are lots more. then do a google search on the other 3 parts of the quad cities to see if you get any more.
You will get lots of options and then call the ones that you think are worth it and ask them specific questions about what they have before you decide where to go.
If I can find them ... so can you :)
Phoenix