Mattress Forum

After many months of indecision, I finally took the plunge and ordered a latex mattress from FBM. Before describing my experience, some thanks are in order.  I have learned so much reading the posts on this board and I want to thank everyone for sharing their stories. Special thanks to BillB for the photo-documentary of his bed assembly; it was a motivating factor in my decision to go this route. I also appreciate the assistance he provided in personal emails.

Background: I own a converted schoolhouse that was constructed in 1890. It’s a second home that was rented out for many years, but I’ve been making improvements and plan to move back sometime over the coming months. Years ago, a portion of the attic was converted into a small bedroom that has a slanted ceiling. Given the space constraints, it can only accommodate a standard size (full size) bed with a very low headboard.

I started looking for a low profile platform bed about a year ago and finally found one that I liked at Charles Rogers in NYC – the Zen Platform Bed – but it was more than I could afford. Two months ago, during their winter sale, it was available at a discount with  free shipping. I ordered the bed and was faced with a decision about a mattress.

I am short, 5’ 2” and my weight varies from 135-150 lbs, side sleeper, love a soft bed. My BF is tall and weighs about 100 lbs. more than me. (Yes, we have slept in a small bed for many years.) He’s a back and side sleeper and also likes a soft bed. Fortunately, neither of us has lower back pain or other ailments and, frankly, we’re more fussy about pillows than mattresses.

Both Flobeds and Sleepez were above my budget, so I decided to go the FBM route. After reading all the different opinions and experiences, I was truly confused. There are absolutely no stores in my area that sell latex beds except for the S brands, so I was only able to try out beds with latex and other fillings. I liked one of the Vera Wang beds for around $1,800.

I called FBM twice and talked with Bambi who assured me that there wasn’t much of a difference between the medium and firm core; she said the 3” medium topper is actually the 6” firm core cut in two. I also struggled over whether to get the 3” soft topper or two toppers of 1” and 2” and maybe one should be medium instead of soft.  This was not an easy decision, as I tend to overthink everything.

Finally, I placed an order on a Friday for the 6” firm core with terry cover and 3” soft topper. The next day I sent an email to FBM asking if the order could be expedited. Bambi replied to my email on Monday morning, saying shipping would be $15 extra and she needed my credit card number since they don’t save them (this is good to know.) I called her on Monday, she checked the status of the order and to our surprise it had already been shipped. It arrived two days later, on Wednesday. I was truly amazed at the excellent service and prompt shipping.  The cardboard package with the 6” core was totally ripped apart when it arrived, but the mattress itself was not damaged.

Delivery of the platform bed was delayed, so I didn’t get to assemble everything until yesterday. Following BillB’s procedures, we placed the 6” core on the bed before removing the plastic shrink wrap (be careful cutting the string and plastic.) It was already inside the terry cover, which was zipped all around, and I was immediately impressed by its quality. I lay down on the mattress to try it out. Wow, this is nice.

I had expected a cheesy cover, but it was attractive and very soft. The bottom has nibs to keep the mattress from sliding around, but I was surprised that the zipper was located along the bottom of the cover. For some reason, I had the idea that the zipper would be along the top, which would make the topper easy to insert.  

We hesitated for a few minutes, afraid of unzipping the cover and not being able to get it back together. No problem. It unzipped easily (be careful around the corners and go slowly so that the zipper doesn’t catch any fabric.) We unwrapped the topper the same way (it whooshed much more than the 6” core) and placed it on top of the core. I rezipped the cover with one hand while pushing the latex in with the other hand and it closed very easily. Than I lay down again. Wow, this is nice (a little jiggly)!

Finally, I covered it with a Cuddle Bed mattress protector from Costco (same as BillB.) It has a a pillow top and can accommodate an 18” mattress, so there was sufficient fabric to tuck under the mattress. I am so used to fitted sheets that aren’t deep enough, this was a pleasant surprise.  I lay down again; wow, it feels so good and isn’t jiggly. 

Some other observations: Curiously, the 6” core has a label that said 100% polyurethane foam. Believe me, it’s latex, not PU foam. Both the core and topper have imperfections, but nothing worrisome. The holes in the topper seemed smaller than in the core and some were plugged. But honestly, I didn’t spend a lot of time inspecting the latex.  We sat on the edge of the bed to check out the support, and it was fine (no sliding off.) We also got out of bed, pushing our elbows down. No problem; the 3” topper was not too soft. 

I haven’t slept on it through the night, but yesterday I kept going upstairs to try it out for a few minutes and I loved every second. So far, I am thrilled with my purchases. Total cost: $629 for the latex mattress, topper and terry cover; around $45 for the Cuddle Bed; the platform bed was a little pricey (for me), $899 on sale, no shipping charge. For $300 less than the Vera Wang mattress, I got the bed of my dreams and a high quality latex mattress. I hope this post helps someone else trying to get a good night's sleep.

Ilene