Mattress Forum

 The FloBed topper is convoluted with peaks and valleys on top.  If you go to their website there is a picture. My Brylane topper is smooth and only 1" thick which is perfect for me and it is soft.

I always slept on an awful rock-hard bed but I never knew what hard was until I returned the Rockaway bed I was allergic to and had no bed to sleep on.  Since I already wasted a week finding the bed and then another week arguing with the store to take it back for lying to me what it was made out of, I could not afford to take more time off from my tax season.  I tried at first the skinny exercise mat with my comforter over that over my carpeted floor that has padding underneath but this was also amazingly too hard since the padding under the carpet in my bedroom I guess is not a lot of padding. Then I ordered the 1" latex topper from overstock in a Queen size (ended up being a full size) and I put that over the exercise mat and my comforter over that which was amazingly comfortable.  I hated sleeping on the floor which was a pain to get up to go to the bathroom and it was colder on the floor since this was the winter time and heat rises but I had work and deadlines to do so I had no choice.  I could not sleep on the sofa downstairs since it was too skinny and I move around a lot and I need a complete dark room to sleep in which I have in my bedroom from the black-out honeycomb blinds that block out the lights on the street (But not the daylight in the morning that seeps on the sides). 

It was heaven getting my new latex bed but I went too soft at first wanting nothing so hard like my floor.  My bed now is very firm but softer than the set-up I had when I was sleeping on the floor. The Brylane Home's topper is so nice and was actually too big for my Queen bed and I had to cut it to fit but at least it was not too short.  I think if I was taller and heavier, I would have liked the 2" convoluted topper that came with the FloBeds Kit but it was too soft for me since I did not sink down enough to feel the X-Firm latex core which averages to 36 ILD with one of my cores a 35 ILD, another a 37 ILD and so on since it is an average.  You will NOT need a Super Firm latex core (44 ILD Average) if you are only getting two layers of latex since you will be very close to the very hard surface.  The blended Talalay latex is cheaper which my Super Firm latex cores are made out of since I had ordered all natural Talalay Latex for my bed but had to exchange two latex cores for the Xfirm ones. When I took out two latex cores over the slat box, it was too firm for me and then I would have needed a Firm under my X-Firm latex core but I wanted a thicker mattress due to my 6 foot headboard. My allergies were not bothered by the blended Talalay latex if you wanted to try that to save money.  The Talalay process must really clean the latex well since everything seems to bother my allergies.

The blended latex cores are 2.8" thick while the natural latex cores are 3" thick. So if you went with two 2.8" latex cores = 5.6" thick + 2" soft topper= 8.6" thick..  Or you may like a firm over an extra firm with only a 1" or 1.5" topper and I know Dave at FloBed will work with the customer since he tried to help me and maybe SleepEZ would also since I did not order a bed from them so I can only give you my experience.  If you get both firm and X-Firm latex cores so you have four cores, you can move them around also to see what feels best or get three X-Firm latex cores and one Firm latex core to see if one of you would like a softer side of the bed.

If you go all natural 3" X 2 = 6" + 2" topper = 8" so this will still be a mattress not too thick. Believe me my mattress with the three latex cores: 2.8 + 3. + 3. = 8.8 + 1" = 9.8" is not thick since it is over the slat box from FloBeds.com and their plastic legs. I have no problems getting in and out of the bed and I am only 4"10.5" tall and 100 lbs and as you know now age 49.

Whatever you decide to buy, were are all here for you and trying to help. I try to help since others helped me on this site before I bought my bed and when I was needing a new pillow and a new topper. I still appreciate the person and persons on this list that told me about that perfect Brylane Topper that was such a great price and really made my bed comfortable without it being too soft. Thank you again!

Lynn can you tell me the difference in feel of the blended and Natual talalay latex? Since you had both of them. Which one contours to the body more? which one feels more bouncy? Any other differences?

On another note the prices at flobeds have increased tremendously.

Thank you Lynn.
 

RichardP,  The softer the ILD is of any type of latex, the more it contours to your body but also the more you sink in (but it springs back .... less sinking in and less spring back but no indentations of my firmer pieces of Latex) and also the more bouncy it is. My latex cores are not really bouncy like a spring mattress since I have a very firm bed.  My blended latex cores are no less than 44 ILD so they do not confirm as well to my body as the softer 36 ILD that my X-Firm latex cores average to with a few more than this and one only 35 ILD.  But I wanted it this way since I wanted the Super Firm latex core for the bottom of each side of my bed to give as firm support as I can so the latex will not move into the slats of the pine box I am using my my mattress support. Hence, I can't compare the two but I can say, that they blended latex had less of an initial smell or at least the two pieces I got.  Anything knew wrapped in plastic has a smell to me so I always air out new pieces of latex over my Banister.  The Queen Size latex topper from Brylane Home had just about no smell and no seam.  Really the only two pieces of latex that bothered me with their smell was the Dunlap latex piece and the 1.5" Talalay latex pieces that Dave sent me that stunk.  I had company that weekend and it was embarrassing and that is when I also had the car accident that Sunday. The piece arrived a few days before the car accident.  It was also too soft. The 2" convoluted latex topper from FloBeds had hardly any smell but I did not like the depth of it nor did I like the seam since Latex International always has a seam for anything wider than a twin size I think.

I know I had three mark downs from FloBeds during my time of ownership as I checked their site daily to get the best price and the price difference. Sorry the prices have gone up. 

Wish I could help more.  I am tired form getting my oil change and getting a new tire on my car and then having to drive so far to my hair dresser and back since I like the way she does my hair.  I may rest my wrist for another night by cleaning up papers and throwing out old magazines and then getting a good night's sleep so I can work productively tomorrow.

Thanks RichardP for acknowledging that I am helpful which made my night. I try to help out by being as honest as I can with my situation and experiences.