Flobeds question
Just what I dont want to have to do, more hassle, ignore me as I am beginning to suffer actual depression over waking up in extreme pain every morning while laying on a $4,000 mattress  OK, now, the first thing I see on flobeds sight is I have to choose between Latex Mattress/Talalay/V Zone/Natural Vzone What? (I will have more questions, I know I can ask Flobeds but I want unbiased opinions if possible) Which one do I choose? Why would I choose this over that? also, for those of you who have had latex beds during warm times of the year, doesnt the bed react to that and dont they sleep warm? This message was modified Dec 11, 2009 by randys
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I did not choose the VZone. The reason is the Flobed has three layers of latex, and you choose the firmness of each layer (well and there's also the convoluted topper on top of the three layers). The VZone is one layer where you have different firmnesses for different zones of your body - for example, you might have softer latex in the hip area and firmer under your legs for that one layer of latex. For me, I thought I'd have a hard enough time just deciding how firm to make the three layers without the added confusion of deciding on multiple firmnesses for one of those layers. Maybe one of their mattress options has four layers of latex, I dont' remember. I believe the other choices among their mattresses have to do with how thick you want the mattress to be, whether you want 100% botanical latex or blended latex. To be honest, I just looked at all the choices and picked a price point that I was comfortable with. I have blended latex, eagle has the botanical. Reports are coming back that the botanical is denser and might offer more support. As to the sleeping warm, I think my mattress is warm, but I don't feel like I sleep uncomfortably hot. I haven't had it for the summer months, but last night was pretty chilly and I woke up feeling comfortably toasty. No one can answer your questions for you Randy. You have to jump in and talk with an expert (Flobeds) about your situation and then buy one, or make the drive out to Flobeds, talk to them and try out the mattress. Every time you come on these boards you want someone to tell you what you should do, and you haven't even taken the time to call the people who can give you the best answer, which is Flobeds. This message was modified Dec 11, 2009 by KimberlyH
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I have the v-zone, which is mainly for side sleepers. So, you can have it a bit softer (or firmer) under the shoulders or hips. I don't think it makes a huge difference. I find the main advantage for me is having it softer under the shoulders. That can be a source of pressure for me on a firm bed. I initially had softer under the hips, but felt like I was sinking in too much. So, I have that firmer for now. I don't think it matters too much what is under the head or legs. Firmer at the rib and knee area is a slight plus. In your case where you might need more customization the vzone might be a slight plus, but it does add an additional level of complexity. The natural is denser and thus might provide better support according to eagle. I would probably get that if I had to do over, but I don't think it would be a big difference. Yes, latex can be warm. Probably about the same as tempurpedic or other foam beds, based on my experience. If heat has not been an issue with the tempurpedic, I doubt it will be one with the latex. |
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KimberlyH wrote: I did not choose the VZone. The reason is the Flobed has three layers of latex, and you choose the firmness of each layer (well and there's also the convoluted topper on top of the three layers). The VZone is one layer where you have different firmnesses for different zones of your body - for example, you might have softer latex in the hip area and firmer under your legs for that one layer of latex. For me, I thought I'd have a hard enough time just deciding how firm to make the three layers without the added confusion of deciding on multiple firmnesses for one of those layers. Maybe one of their mattress options has four layers of latex, I dont' remember. I believe the other choices among their mattresses have to do with how thick you want the mattress to be, whether you want 100% botanical latex or blended latex. To be honest, I just looked at all the choices and picked a price point that I was comfortable with. I have blended latex, eagle has the botanical. Reports are coming back that the botanical is denser and might offer more support. As to the sleeping warm, I think my mattress is warm, but I don't feel like I sleep uncomfortably hot. I haven't had it for the summer months, but last night was pretty chilly and I woke up feeling comfortably toasty. No one can answer your questions for you Randy. You have to jump in and talk with an expert (Flobeds) about your situation and then buy one, or make the drive out to Flobeds, talk to them and try out the mattress. Every time you come on these boards you want someone to tell you what you should do, and you haven't even taken the time to call the people who can give you the best answer, which is Flobeds. again you assume things about me, yes i have emailed back and forth with them several times, but i wanted unbiased opinions too are you the same one that keeps criticizing me for the way I ask questions?  nevermind, you dont have to answer that...the purpose of these boards is to get the real inside scoop about what something is as opposed to what the sales person tells you it is...for instance, I will be asking people who get the new sleep science costco latex mattress with two sides to it, what they think and my real problem with flobeds is the assembly and taking this layer out and put that layer in, etc...i may end up getting one someday anyway...dont know |
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| The Vzone sounds complicated to me. We just got a Savvyrest split mattress and it has been fine for us. It's Talalay with soft, med., and firm layers, with a zippered top. We can switch them around to get the feel we want and have the option of trading out pieces of it if we can't find a comfortable combo. I did a crash course before deciding on this company and it's hard to wade through all the conflicting information on latex beds. It helped that there was a dealer a couple of hours away where we could go try them out as long as we wanted. Keep in mind that I'm still new to this. You just need to do your research and decide what's important to you. Good luck! |
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randys said; "and my real problem with flobeds is the assembly and taking this layer out and put that layer in, etc...i may end up getting one someday anyway...dont know" What you're calling a problem is actually a benefit to those of us who are willing to do what is necessary to find the best sleeping surface. Both Kimberly and I have threads that we posted regarding our FloBeds purchases that are quite extensive. You can get all the unbiased (or as a few prefer... "biased" according to some critics) opinions you want about FloBeds in these two threads. There are many other threads that have all kinds of information that you claim you're trying to acquire. You just need to do a little research and the information is there ad infinitum. In the end, you can call FloBeds, toll-free, and talk to either Dave or Dewey Turner and get all the information you need. But if what you're worrying about is moving layers around than possibly what you want is Habitat. Go to their website and read all about it. It is one of the best websites on the Internet as regards video demonstrations about their products. It sounds like they were made for you. |
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eagle2 wrote: randys said; "and my real problem with flobeds is the assembly and taking this layer out and put that layer in, etc...i may end up getting one someday anyway...dont know" What you're calling a problem is actually a benefit to those of us who are willing to do what is necessary to find the best sleeping surface. Both Kimberly and I have threads that we posted regarding our FloBeds purchases that are quite extensive. You can get all the unbiased (or as a few prefer... "biased" according to some critics) opinions you want about FloBeds in these two threads. There are many other threads that have all kinds of information that you claim you're trying to acquire. You just need to do a little research and the information is there ad infinitum. In the end, you can call FloBeds, toll-free, and talk to either Dave or Dewey Turner and get all the information you need. But if what you're worrying about is moving layers around than possibly what you want is Habitat. Go to their website and read all about it. It is one of the best websites on the Internet as regards video demonstrations about their products. It sounds like they were made for you. excellent input...seems habitat has 6 month full return policy, minus $75 which is a bargain! thanks...i know i seem to be a pain, but i am in pain most of the time, unable to do much physically regards picking up stuff and moving it around, etc.... your help is appreciated, i may ask here about experiences at habitat...randy |
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Randy: Good luck trying to find information on this site about Habitat. I'm sure that it is here, but unfortunately the subject you're looking for, more times than not, are not in the header of the thread. It will be buried down inside some thread about another topic. The thing about Habitat that turned me off is the fact that you cannot specify the ILD of the layers. All they do is sell the same 6 inch Dunlop core either without a topper, or with a 2" soft Talalay topper, or a 3" soft Talalay topper all glued togeather, this should prove to be quite heavy and hard to move around. You cannot exchange one for the other, or do any adjusting at all. They do have an excellent return policy. They return all of your money within a six month trial period and only reduce the payback by $75 to cover return shipping. This is the best on the Internet as far as I have been able to learn. There is no question Randy if you have a bad back that is giving you a lot of pain that moving the layers around can be quite difficult. I'm an older man with a bad back and every time I have to move these layers I wind up with a sore back even though I use a back brace. So I hear you loud and clear!! But I'm willing to pay the price in pain to have the ability to adjust my bed to fit my needs. FloBeds is the best on the Internet in this regard. I have had three additional layers of latex sent to me since the original mattress was delivered to my house. And I have a fourth layer that is shipping later this week. It has certainly been worth the time, the money, and the extra effort, to be able to find the best mattress for me given the fact that I have paid this much money, and purchased it over the Internet. I feel that I have the best that is currently offered, whether that is the Internet, or a brick and mortar store. To actually know what is in my mattress and what feels the best for me after having slept on it for several nights is hard to evaluate. For a man of my age this will probably be the last mattress I will ever buy. And someone will inherit an excellent bed. |
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| What's this fourth layer you're having shipped out? |
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KimberlyH wrote: What's this fourth layer you're having shipped out? Kimberly, I am having FloBeds shipped me a 100% natural firm piece of latex. This will take the place of the blended piece of firm latex that they had recently shipped to me. As you may recall I had this shipped as an experiment. This was due to the fact that it is so hard to find information comparing blended to natural by someone who is not selling it but actually sleeping on it. My medium piece of natural is on the lower end of the ILD range. It is 26.2 ILD. But the firm piece of blended actually felt quite similar to my medium piece of natural. The surface tension of the blended felt a little firmer, but as I laid on it the more dense material in the natural made them feel very similar after laying on them for about an hour. There is nothing wrong with blended latex! It is good material. It is just that I had all natural from the beginning and had come to appreciate the density factor. This was stipulated quite clearly in the PDFs newsletters that I have posted from The Polyurethane Foam Association. Density and ILD are two very different things. What I have found is that the latex industry does not seem to want to talk about this. The polyurethane foam people talk about it all the time. As you know the principal ingredient in furniture is polyurethane foam. The density of the material makes a great deal of difference in how this works out over time in furniture. Polyurethane foam is much less expensive than natural rubber. You can do more things with polyurethane foam for a much cheaper price than you can with natural latex. Blended latex is a compromise (and a good one I believe) between polyurethane foam and 100% natural latex. I believe, from my brief experience with my piece of blended latex, that Latex International's blended latex is a good product.It just has a less dense feel to it compared to hundred percent natural.I think the density factor can be compensated for if you go to a high enough ILD. This is probably the reason that Dunlop processed latex has such a different feel, ILD for ILD in regard to Talalay. There is just more material in Dunlop. So, we are right back to the old argument, what works for you? It's just very unfortunate that no company wants to do the experimenting necessary to give us a full and complete picture of the difference in various foams as applied to bedding. I am waiting until I have had more experience with this new piece of firm natural latex before I post my results on my thread, "Just bought a new FloBeds." This message was modified Dec 14, 2009 by eagle2
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Ok, somehow I was under the impression that you had 7 layers of latex on hand (excluding the topper) so I was confused about what you were going to try next. But I see that you're just bringing yourself back to the six layers . . . Maybe the density difference is why I'm using 36 ILD and you're using something a bit lower. I've been thinking about this density issue and wondering if I should order a natural layer to check it out. But my curiosity hasn't been able to overtake my inertia. |
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KimberlyH wrote: Ok, somehow I was under the impression that you had 7 layers of latex on hand (excluding the topper) so I was confused about what you were going to try next. But I see that you're just bringing yourself back to the six layers . . . Maybe the density difference is why I'm using 36 ILD and you're using something a bit lower. I've been thinking about this density issue and wondering if I should order a natural layer to check it out. But my curiosity hasn't been able to overtake my inertia. I know what you mean about inertia. I have moved so much latex over the last several weeks that I have hurt my back even though I was wearing a back brace. Inertia is about the only thing that will save me from the chiropractor! It's going to be difficult over the next week or so trying to evaluate my bed since I've hurt my back moving my bed. This has got to stop! Or I'll never know, "what is what!" But the opportunity to do this at very minimal cost due to FloBeds excellent business model, is hard to resist. But since I'm almost out of time on my 90 days free exchange I've been pressing it so as not to be sorry later that I didn't try something. But I think you're right Kimberly. By going to a higher ILD, with your blended product, you probably have the best of both worlds. I.E. good support at reasonable cost. I am so glad that I went with a company like FloBeds which allows us to do this at a cost I can afford. Where they pay the shipping to me and I pay a minimal charge back to them has kept me on budget. More than likely this will be my final exchange. I think I'm about to get this thing dialed in. My wife says…. "Thank God!" |
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Well, I really paid attention to the support last night, and I have to say, I don't think it will be worth it for me to try out a layer of 100% botanical. I do have very firm support with three layers of extra firm 36 ILD latex, and when asking myself last night, lying in bed, whether I would want the bed to feel even denser/firmer/whatever, the answer was "no." My 90 days was extended to a 100 day trial after they initially and mistakenly sent me a king sized topper, but I don't think I'm going to need any more exchanges. The three layers of extra firm seems like an unoriginal combination but it seems to be doing the trick. |
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Kimberly: I'm glad to hear you found the proper firmness for you. I can appreciate your position as I am rapidly nearing the end of my 90 day period as well, and still trying to find that ideal comfort level. As far as "Unoriginal" goes, I understand. At first I thought that I would need softer material as well. I am finding out that the exact opposite is true. The thing we need to think about is not the initial feel of laying on the mattress. Most people like the feel of a soft surface. The need for support only becomes apparent after you have lain on the mattress for a period of time( within about one hour for me,depending on several factors) a too soft surface will loses its appeal because the support just is not there. I must confess that I still wonder about Dunlop processed hundred percent natural latex. Due to its greater density I feel that Dunlop could make an excellent foundation core material. Then get your softer feel from Talalay. The big hurdle for most of us is trying to find that combination of firmness and softness that will last through the entire night. I am finding that I need a firmer surface to begin with so that it gives me the support I need for the entire sleeping period. For those people who prefer an innerspring mattress I can understand there preference as well. There is much to be said for a well made innerspring mattress. If you can find a proper coil arrangement that gives you the kind of core support that we all need. Then there is the choice of many kinds of different comfort levels. The tried and true comfort material is a cotton/wool combination. Horsehair has been a staple in the comfort level for many many years. To this day some of the most expensive mattresses made in the world utilize quite a bit of horsehair. Evidently it is springy and allows good ventilation for cooling. So it's no wonder that people have such a hard time finding a mattress that suits them. We're all built different, and we respond differently as individuals to various feelings, be they pressure points, heat, humidity, you name it. Then you have the various big-time manufacturers not being willing to tell you what is actually in their mattresses. A mattresses is not like some article of clothing that you can bring home, try it on, and take it back to the store with ease if you do not like it. That's why all the complaining, frustration, anxiety and other assorted negative feelings that people express about trying to find a good mattress. This is what makes companies like FlowBeds, and their business model, so important. Many many years ago, particularly in smaller towns that had individually owned companies that carry quality lines of mattresses, you could depend on the store owner guiding you in the right direction, and taking care of you if you purchased a mattress that you did not care for. I'm sure that those kinds of business owners still exist. And you're lucky if you can find one. But far too many of them, from the things I read on the Internet, are not like that today. They're much more concerned in just making their "bottom line" look good. This message was modified Dec 15, 2009 by eagle2
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