Mattress Forum

There are few decisions more subjective than a mattress.  I'm 50 years @ 225 lbs and prefer a firmer mattress, my wife is 46 years @ 145 lbs with slight Scoliosis that doesn't cause her any pain and she prefers a softer mattress.  The good news is we're easy to please as we've been sleeping on a 10 year old Stearns & Foster flippable pillow-top queen without (much) complaint.

Any of the high rated custom shops like Flo-Beds, Custom Sleep Design, Sleep EZ, SLAB, Arizona Premium Mattress, etc would be safe to buy from.  Outstanding customer service comes at a price however, and because we're not overly demanding and I have a clue what will work for us we should be able to assemble components from Foam By Mail at a reasonable discount and if necessary add layers or exchange them within 30 days.  It appears from reports here that the FBM blended talalay from Europe is of the same quality as the Latex International blend.

Plan A (Arizona Premium style -- total $988):

• Base layer - FBM Eastern King 6" Talalay Latex Foam (ILD 33-38)                   $728
• His Side – FBM Twin XL 2" Talalay Latex Foam Topper (32 ILD)                       $135
• Her Side – FBM Twin XL 2" Talalay Latex Foam Topper (20 ILD)                      $125

Plan B (Custom Sleep Design style -- total $1,304):

• Base layer - FBM Eastern King 6" Talalay Latex Foam (ILD 33-38)                   $728
• Middle layer – FBM Eastern King XL 3" Talalay Latex Foam Topper (32 ILD)    $347
• Top layer – FBM Eastern King XL 2" Talalay Latex Foam Topper (20 ILD)        $229

Plan C (Big S style Latex Mattress – total $935):

• Base - FBM Eastern King 5" HD36-HQ foam (2.8 lb/ft3 density 38 ILD)             $359
• Middle layer – FBM Eastern King 3" Talalay Latex Foam (ILD 32)                     $347
• Top Layer - FBM Eastern King 2" Talalay Latex Foam (ILD 20)                         $229

It would be fun to actually try the difference between talalay over HR foam versus the all talalay design.  We've only had limited opportunity to test latex mattresses at a local Original Mattress Factory in Minneapolis where we determined our firm/soft preference.  The high quality (HQ) foam claims a life expectancy of 16 years. 

I would probably buy an inexpensive cotton mattress cover  until I was sure about the configuration and then get a simple bamboo cover  like these at SLAB for $200 (the wife thinks it's a must for that finished look.) We need a King bed platform and the Nomad looks like a contender. Any input on the design or accessories is greatly appreciated.