foambymail latex - who owns it?
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I am hoping to order a latex mattress in the near future and am strongly leaning towards foambymail as their prices fit my budget best. I know about the ongoing debate over where foambymail gets their latex from, but I'm willing to accept that. Any feedback from users who have ordered a latex mattress or topper from foambymail would be much appreciated. This message was modified Sep 30, 2007 by jiffy524
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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Sorry for the delay in my update, I had some problems with my bed from IKEA, and finally got it assembled last night. My impressions of the mattress? Great! Immediate impression: As I said before, it shipped very quickly to me. The package said to weigh 56 lbs, for a 6" firm latex full size mattress, I didn't bother to weigh it. The box came torn, FBM could have picked a better box, but I'm sure UPS did a number on it. It was, however, wrapped very well in plastic shrink wrap inside the box. Out of the packaging: I ordered the terry cloth cover for $20 more, great choice. FBM even put the mattress into the terry cover for me, which I was not expecting although greatly appreciated. The mattress came folded, more than rolled. It was folded in half, top to bottom, and then side to side. It unpackaged pretty easily, but I had a friend to help due to its size and "wet noodle" consistency. The smell is that of latex, rubbery. It isn't that strong, and I know it will dissipate with time, but it is not the vanilla smell people have reported with LI Latex. On the bed: When I first laid down I wasn't that impressed, it was much softer than I was expecting. IMO, firm latex is not nearly the same as firm innerspring. I put the sheets on (Modal Jersey sheets from JcPenney, which are to die for!), and gave it another try. Much better now. Final impression: I love the springy feeling. I hate going to hotels, and having a soft bed that feel stiff because I feel heavy and stuck in place. Latex is bouncier, which is how my old (worn out) bed was. I like the spring a lot. Although the bed is softer than I was expecting, it is not a negative at all. The mattress feels springy, supporting, and slightly soft, in a gentle way. It is hard to describe exactly how it feels, but it feel nicer and more luxurious than anything I've been on before. Also, the terry cover is made for up to 8", but the "looseness" of it being on a 6" mattress is not really noticeable. I have a lighter down blanket that I put on the bed, and then laid on top of. I did not like it, it took away from the latex feel. Lastly, I think that 6" of latex over the slats is OK, but not the best. If I am lying, I can't really feel the slats, although if I sit on the center beam I can feel it. I think that 6" is the bare minimum, and OK if you are not a heavy person. I have no desire at this point to make the bed any softer than it is, so I probably will not get an additional topper. I also don't have the desire to turn a $380 mattress into a $760 mattress, by getting another 6" firm core. If I decide that I need some extra cushioning, I will likely add 1" of 32ILD latex from FBM as a topper, and possibly another 1" if I still feel I need more, but after 1 night, I don't see this happening. About me: 5'7, 140lbs, mostly a side but also a stomach sleeper. The bed: Ikea Malm, with Sultan Lillaker adjustable flexible slat foundation, set to firm. FYI, the fact that the slats have 5 adjustable ones is great. I tried out one side of the bed firm and the other soft, a definite difference. The setup: Flex Slats, 6" of firm latex, Terry Cover, Jersey Modal sheets. I would like to get some sort of mattress protector, hopefully a very thin cotton cover, as I don't want anymore than what is necessary to be between me and the bed. If someone can recommend a thin and cheap pad/protector, I would appreciate it. Preferably something at Target or JCP, so I can return it locally. I will post another review in a couple weeks, after I've had a chance to sleep on it more. This message was modified Nov 19, 2007 by jiffy524
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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jiffy524, I forgot. Are you primarily a back, stomach, or side sleeper? Also, you might want to consider some dense polyurethane under your core if you do want it stiffer, rather than a topper. You can get that from FBM too: |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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Jim, I edited my last post to include sleeping preference. I am mostly a side sleeper, but also stomach. Never back, I just can't do it. I decided I loved the feel of the latex so much, I wanted to try a latex pillow. I bought this one from overstock.com, but it has not shipped yet. I had an overstock gift card, so I ended up paying only $17/ shipped for it. I will review that as well once it arrives. Here are the sheets I bought from JcPenney. Seriously, these feel incredible. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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Modal is very soft. I have a set of "Pure Beach" sheets from Bed, Bath & Beyond. They aren't necessarily that durable though. Every time I wash and dry mine, I have a full lint screen. OTOH, they weren't ridiculously expensive so I don't expect them to last forever. They really do have that soft, well-worn sweatshirt feel to them right out of the package. I have 2" of latex coming from SleepWarehouse. I will now have Talalay from each of the three manufacturers. I didn't plan it that way, that's just how it's working out. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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jiffy524 wrote: Jim, I edited my last post to include sleeping preference. I am mostly a side sleeper, but also stomach. Never back, I just can't do it. I decided I loved the feel of the latex so much, I wanted to try a latex pillow. I bought this one from overstock.com, but it has not shipped yet. I had an overstock gift card, so I ended up paying only $17/ shipped for it. I will review that as well once it arrives. Here are the sheets I bought from JcPenney. Seriously, these feel incredible. How do those sheets compare to the Costco sheets on sale this weekend? Costco has 450 thread count, royal sateen, Egyptian cotton sheets set for $49 (king size) |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I just received my FBM 1" 20ILD topper. I weighed it at about 13 pounds for a king (it's maybe 1-1/2" longer and 1/2 to 1" wider than a regular king) that puts it at about 3.6 lbs/ft^2. To me it feels like 20 ILD or maybe a little softer. When I laid on it for several minutes (on top of my MyComfort gel bed), it felt great. I'll report back after sleeping on it. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| We slept on the 1" 20ILD latex over our gel bed last night, and it felt wonderful! The 1" is thin enough that it conforms to the gel, allowing it to do its job (buckling at the hip and shoulder area) and it was soft enough for great comfort. It was dense enough that I didn't feel the "sharpness" of the gel through it. That was the problem with the 12ILD PU I tried over it -- you could still feel the "edges" through it. And unlike the 2" FBM pink memo foam we tried, we weren't sinking in 5" at the hips. I think this may be it for us. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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That's awesome donw. I can pull out one of my 1" soft latex layers and put it on top. I'm still skeptical that it won't adversely effect the Intelli-Gel, but it's worth a try. I need to wash my bedding anyway, so today a good time. I can feel the Intelli-Gel, but I don't find it bothersome. But even with 2" of soft latex under it, in addition to the 1" of foam that's bonded to it, It feels quite firm. I am going the route of softening things up under the Intelli-Gel, but I will give the 1" overlay a try. I'll have to take the mattress apart again in a few days anyway when my 2" latex topper arrives from SleepWarehouse. Update: OK, one of my 1" latex layers is on top, with a Southern Textiles mattress protector stretched (tightly!) over it and the mattress. I had a paranoid thought as I was reconfiguring my mattress. Again I tried to feel ANY difference between 1" layers that are supposed to be ILD 20 and ILD 32. I expect them to have a "night and day" difference in feel, but they feel IDENTICAL to me. I've been saying since the beginning that I think they sent me two of the same thing, and I did not think they were ILD 20. My new thought was this: what if they just took the 2" ILD 32 topper I returned and sliced it into two 1" layers and sent them back to me? Would they really stoop THAT low? If this is truly what happened, then In theory I should be able to match the two pieces. In practice there are 16 possible combinations, and such a huge piece of 1" latex is quite stretchy, so it might be hard to tell. For the curious and mathematically inclined: How 16 permutations? Each piece has two possible orientations. Each piece has two surfaces. If we call the four surfaces A,B,C,D, subscripted with a 1 or 2 for the two orientations, then we get: A1 C1 A1 D1 B1 C1 B1 D1 This message was modified Dec 1, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I know someone else mentioned it might feel the same because they are so thin (1"). Why don't you fold them both in half, and try to feel a difference? |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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jiffy524 wrote: Sorry for the delay in my update, I had some problems with my bed from IKEA, and finally got it assembled last night. My impressions of the mattress? Great! Immediate impression: As I said before, it shipped very quickly to me. The package said to weigh 56 lbs, for a 6" firm latex full size mattress, I didn't bother to weigh it. The box came torn, FBM could have picked a better box, but I'm sure UPS did a number on it. It was, however, wrapped very well in plastic shrink wrap inside the box. Out of the packaging: I ordered the terry cloth cover for $20 more, great choice. FBM even put the mattress into the terry cover for me, which I was not expecting although greatly appreciated. The mattress came folded, more than rolled. It was folded in half, top to bottom, and then side to side. It unpackaged pretty easily, but I had a friend to help due to its size and "wet noodle" consistency. The smell is that of latex, rubbery. It isn't that strong, and I know it will dissipate with time, but it is not the vanilla smell people have reported with LI Latex. On the bed: When I first laid down I wasn't that impressed, it was much softer than I was expecting. IMO, firm latex is not nearly the same as firm innerspring. I put the sheets on (Modal Jersey sheets from JcPenney, which are to die for!), and gave it another try. Much better now. Final impression: I love the springy feeling. I hate going to hotels, and having a soft bed that feel stiff because I feel heavy and stuck in place. Latex is bouncier, which is how my old (worn out) bed was. I like the spring a lot. Although the bed is softer than I was expecting, it is not a negative at all. The mattress feels springy, supporting, and slightly soft, in a gentle way. It is hard to describe exactly how it feels, but it feel nicer and more luxurious than anything I've been on before. Also, the terry cover is made for up to 8", but the "looseness" of it being on a 6" mattress is not really noticeable. I have a lighter down blanket that I put on the bed, and then laid on top of. I did not like it, it took away from the latex feel. Lastly, I think that 6" of latex over the slats is OK, but not the best. If I am lying, I can't really feel the slats, although if I sit on the center beam I can feel it. I think that 6" is the bare minimum, and OK if you are not a heavy person. I have no desire at this point to make the bed any softer than it is, so I probably will not get an additional topper. I also don't have the desire to turn a $380 mattress into a $760 mattress, by getting another 6" firm core. If I decide that I need some extra cushioning, I will likely add 1" of 32ILD latex from FBM as a topper, and possibly another 1" if I still feel I need more, but after 1 night, I don't see this happening. About me: 5'7, 140lbs, mostly a side but also a stomach sleeper. The bed: Ikea Malm, with Sultan Lillaker adjustable flexible slat foundation, set to firm. FYI, the fact that the slats have 5 adjustable ones is great. I tried out one side of the bed firm and the other soft, a definite difference. The setup: Flex Slats, 6" of firm latex, Terry Cover, Jersey Modal sheets. I would like to get some sort of mattress protector, hopefully a very thin cotton cover, as I don't want anymore than what is necessary to be between me and the bed. If someone can recommend a thin and cheap pad/protector, I would appreciate it. Preferably something at Target or JCP, so I can return it locally. I will post another review in a couple weeks, after I've had a chance to sleep on it more.
Also my medium density latex pillows from Overstock felt great this past year but I wanted a softer latex pillow like my old pillow and Dave sent me that also. I had returned my 2" topper and was waiting to pick out what I wanted in exchange. I love my latex bed so much and wish I found this site way before my Rockaway Bed fiasco in February so I could have had a latex bed sooner than May. I never slept with a topper or any cushion until I was sleeping on the floor and added the Overstock Latex topper per recommendations from my decorating forum I belong to and that is whey I knew my clients were right when they told me about Flobeds.com having Latex kits with a good return policy in case latex was not for me as a bed. I knew I loved Latex as a pillow since I slept on a latex pillow all of my life but I was also looking for a softer latex pillow than the ones Overstock Sold me and Dave found that for me also. Let us know what you decide and happy sleeping. I do now love the legs on my slat box and the pine smell went away. The 10" legs made the bed just the perfect height for me to get easily on and off but still look like an adult bed with my pretty new fancy headboard. I am happy and I hope you get the perfect topper for yourself. |