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I have been researching getting a new mattress for hours every night for over 2 months now. I came upon this site and it helped open new door of what was possible. I never knew about latex mattresses or that one could make their own mattress to their own desires! Imagine that! I have been thinking of using Foambymail.com, FBM. I was wondering, before I commit, If there are any other similar sites that have the similar options or even more options for latex. I have saw many sellers on e-bay, but I am leery of that for some reason. The only 2 sites I can Find are: FBM and Mattress.net.
********Just to tell a bit about my sleep situation & prefrences: ******** I am a female, 29 years old, 5'6 and 180lbs. I am a side sleeper 80% & back 20%. I have some issues with my back (saciriliac joint) and like good support, but dont want to sleep on rock either. I will be sleeping alone in bed for most part, except when my 2 1/2 yr old decides to "snuggle". I have always chose a sofa over a bed & have mostly slept on sofa since I was 16. I now understand sleepin on a sofa at almost 30 is not the same as sleepin on one at 16. Any other mattress I have slept on has always been the coil/spring type. I have a king size bed that was a hand-me down from my mom from her guest room that sleeps terrible. So I ordered a new bed from ashley furniture & am waiting on it to be shipped. I need to order mattress soon, but didnt want mattress to arrive before bed. I prefer latex for most of my mattress, as it has give & support, plus it last a long time. I dont mind a small portion (top) being memory foam or base being a high quality PU foam. I rather have the DIY type mattress because each layer is easily replaceable & I am able to move them around to see what works best for me. I do not want springs. For my foundation I am using a boxspring with a 3/4 + sheet of plywood wrapped in fabric on top of it, between that and the mattress. Should that be ok? I have a few combinations of mattress ideas I keep toying with , but I would like the DIY experts to chime in and help me decide!!! From bottom/base layer up to top/comfort layer: Foam by mail: #1) 3" Lux foam, 3" firm latex, 2" medium latex and 2' 4lb memory foam #2) 2" lux foam 2" firm Latex, 2" medium latex, and 2" soft latex #3) 5 inches Lux foam, 4 inches medium latex and 2" soft latex #4) 2" firm latex, 2" med/firm latex, 2" soft latex and 2" 3lb memory foam Mix of FBM & mattress.net: #5) 3" Lux foam ( FBM), 3" Firm Latex (FBM), 3" "zoned" topper latex in Med/soft (M.net) #6) 3" Firm Latex (FBM), 3" "zoned" topper latex in Med/soft (M.net), 2" medium Mem foam (FBM)
Which one would be best? I have looked at so many options I think I've made myself confused! Is there something I am missing?
Thanks so much for reading! I know if anyone can answer my questions it isyou guys (and ladies) in this forum!!! Thanks again! Suzie This message was modified Sep 9, 2011 by suziesnow
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From FBM - Is the latex foam you sell natural or synthetic?The Talalay latex foam we carry is 100 percent natural latex foam made from rubber trees.
------------------------------------ So, they claim they are selling all natural talalay latex huh? Keep in mind only 3% of the latex available is 100% natural talalay. Also, it is my understanding the 100% natural talalay is only available in more limited densities. Look at a site named 'Sleeplikeabear.com'. They show a chart where 100% natural is only available in N2, N3, N4, N5 whereas blended is comes in about 8 different ILD's. Ask FBM where they get their 'all natural talalay' from. Personally, I don't get too bent on having 100% natural latex. Not sure, but I think it takes sap from 1,000 rubber trees to produce one twin sized all natural latex mattress. I know I read that somewhere. Sounds like a lot of tree tapping to me. -------------------------------- What I see in FBM is that they are a foam factory, not really a mattress provider. I look under their latex mattress, and they show one 6" model. The covers seem to be fairly cheesy. A terry cloth cover on a latex mattress? How about a real cover with some wool in the quilt?
As far as the right mattress for you, if they are a mattress provider, they ought to recommend which one is best for you. I guess the one benefit I see is they seem low priced. I did pretty well using SleepEZ. They are a mattress seller, not just a foam factory. We have a foam factory in Fremont. I wouldn't buy a mattress from them even though they'd love to sell me one. They don't have a return policy on a slab of foam either. I have no idea what type of cover they'd provide. I can tell you SleepEZ is one of the easier priced all latex providers and their customer service is great. They've been in business for many years. This message was modified Sep 10, 2011 by slpngoc
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| Thank you for your recommendation. I agree on the 100% latex, I really dont care either way.. a blend i would think would be best or more stable in the least. I would love to get a bed from one of those lovely retailers. To me, they have a good warranty, good products and do have a method to the madness so to speak. The only issue with that is the price, while it is not on the higher end of the spectrum, it is more than I can spend. I started out thinking I wanted a memory foam mattress,then learned of latex and I am sold. I wanted to go with the foam/latex layers just in case there is a component I dont like, it can be switched. It is cheaper, but may also be cheaper made too.. I have saw good things mostly about fbm, all except acoustical foam & since I cant find a similar foam manufacturer that will sell the pieces separately, I may go with them. My bed is being delivered Tuesday, so I need to order tomorrow. I may go with a foam core and part latex and see how I like it, if it works well...I will order more pieces. If not I can use those pieces as toppers for my sons bed and foam for pillows, projects and such... Thanks! |
| I hope it all works out well for you :) |
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To futher comment on what slpngoc said regarding the availability of 100% natural latex. According to at least 1 major latex manufacturer (I will not mention names), there is no way to visually distinguish between a blended and a natural mattress. The natural latex tends to be heavier, but by the manufacturer's own admission, that is easy to fake using fillers. Another major manufacturer had a similar response (or non-response actually) when I continued to press for proof of their product being 100% natural. Because it's impossible for even the manufacturers to visually distinguish between the two products, they have to keep them isolated from one another. Same goes for the mattress retailers (e.g. SleepEZ, Arizona Premium) who use their product. The only sure way for you to know is to send out a sample of the product you purchase to have it tested in a lab. Another option is purchasing a mattress produced using organic latex. Keep in mind the final product will not be 100% organic latex due to the chemicals they use to vulcanize the rubber. At least you'll have a paper trail, but the premium will be 25% or more than natural.
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| Arizona Mattress or : http://www.mattresses.net/ will sell latex components from Latex International for DIY latex mattress and they are less expensive than Sleepez and SLAB. You might want to check them out. Just because it's not on their website doesn't mean that they can't order it for you. Not as cheap as Foam By Mail but you might have more certainty where the latex comes from. |