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We bought a flobeds v-zone recently. Me firm over x-firm, her medium over firm, <snipped due to inaccuracy>. I am 5' 10" 165lbs, in my 40s, and very fit (a P90X'er). I'm a back and sides sleeper. I haven't had a good night's sleep since we got the bed a month ago. When I lay in it, it never quite feels comfortable, but the key thing is that after 5 or 6 hours I wake up and my lower back feels sore (even though it's in very good shape), back end uncomfortable, legs start to ache a little... it almost feels more like a nerve thing that makes me want to squirm and change positions. Our old innerspring was not horribly comfortable either, especially laying on my sides w/pressure points in the hips, but once I got to sleep I slept significantly longer and more soundly than in this flobed. Flobeds (who have been very nice) told me to try sleeping on my wife's side to see if I need something softer. I've tried that for 4 nights now and don't really feel any different when getting up... same sore spots. Anyone (particularly those who are trim & fit) gone through something similar? What did you do? I basically just want a bed where I can sleep 7-8 hours without waking up feeling pain. This message was modified Feb 12, 2011 by johann
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I forgot to answer your last question. First, I am ignorant to the effects of the bottom layer since I have not had the opportunity to change that on my bed. However both you and I have very tall mattresses for our weight, so I believe its effect is at least minimized if not zero. My base is 5.5" and is a Dunlop Medium which some would say is similar to a Talalay Firm. It is the only Dunlop layer I have and it feels different. Basically when you push down on the core, the first 1/2"-1" feels very soft, but then it firms up extremely quick. So, ignoring that core, my top layer is 1.5" of 14ILD (Ultra Plush). For our conversation, I would bet that is somewhat similar to your convoluted topper situation. Next is a 1" 22ILD (Soft) layer. Next is a 3" layer of 28ILD (Medium). This is what I have slept on for a couple of weeks. I just slept over 9 hours last night. I have no issues other than wanting to make the shoulder area softer, which I am working on creating something like your S-S top zones. Remember, I am mostly a side sleeper, although I always start on my back. When I lay on my back, I feel that it is just barely on the soft side for me, meaning my lumbar is being pushed up a little too much because my butt is sinking down a little too much. While playing around one time, I tried the 14ILD directly on the 28ILD, and, on my back, it felt absolutely perfect. So, that is why I think that your zones that are under your lumbar, hips, and thighs, should all be the same (Medium most likely, but possibly firm since you are slightly heavier). Your topper would be like my 1.5" 14ILD and your Medium Zones would be like my 3" 28ILD. Gary |
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In rereading these messages last night, I went back to my side of the bed and switched my lumbar out so that the configuration is now S-S-M-M-F-S. The first M is lumbar, the second M is the large piece extends through the thighs. (Other than switching the F with the S at the foot, I think that's the closest this vzone can get to mimicking a straight setup.) My back hurt worse than ever from that this morning, but I probably need to give it a few nights. I'm not sure how much the F and S are impacting things, but it sounds like most of you are saying that I should try a solid layer, so I'll contact Flobeds about that. II don't want to mess w/my wife's side since it's a comfortable setup for her. Question: Should I try all-medium or all-soft "vzone" layer? The reason I ask is that I would like something softer for when I turn on my side in particular... i want to relieve pressure points mainly it seems in my glutes when on my back and on my hips when I turn to my side... sort of counteracting (or at least not exacerbating) the effects of sitting in a chair so much during the day. Gary, do you have a flobeds? I'm not sure how I'd even suggest your setup to them... I think one thing your posts have made clear that it may be my lack of 'curves' that could be causing some of the problems. This message was modified Feb 12, 2011 by johann
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| I don't have Flobeds. Mine is a DIY mattress. I still don't like that F under the thighs, but I am surprised it would be that big of a deal. Your wife has a S-F for the hip-thigh zones, right? It is not bothering her having such a drastic change there, but I would guess she has more "curves" there than you. I guess one possibility is that the topper stuff is too thick and/or too soft. Can you sleep on it without the top fluff stuff? Other than that, I am at a loss. Hopefully time helps. |
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I think the current setup is worth a try. It is a bit puzzling to figure out if you need to go softer or firmer. It doesnt' seem like either is working for you. As gary suggested, you might also want to try without the convoluted piece. That would make it even firmer, but might bother your wife. In the end, I think that convoluted layer may have not worked for me. For some reason I could not get totally satisfied with the flobed setup. Probably my favorite congiguration was taking off the convouluted piece and using 1" of memory foam on top. I considered sticking with that in the end, but I also had not resolved the heat issues at that point. I was using 2 layers of XF, firm under the hips and soft under the shoulders + 1" of memory foam. 1 more inch of my 19 ILD might have completed it to something satisfactory for me. I am 6"4" 210-215 sidesleeper, so a bit heavier than you. It is possible that you need something that provides a bit more pressure relief. It is hard to say how well the convoluted piece works for that. I believe it is 28ILD, but the convoluted nature makes is much softer. Still, form me, I seem to prefer to have 1" of high density memory foam in the mix + 1" of soft latex in hte mix. I have not been as bothered with pressure on the hip bone with that combination. |
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Gary: Where did you get that setup? I wouldn't even know where to begin ordering something like that. Sandman, what is your setup and do you share anything in common w/my description? Of course, I'm going to give Flobeds every opportunity to help me get a setup that works first. You guys have given me some good ideas that I can discuss with them and figure out where to go next. This message was modified Feb 12, 2011 by johann
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I would say that my situation is a bit different. I am taller and heavier (6'4", 213) and almost exclusively a side sleeper. I tend to like a mattress that a plush but dense feel on top (not fluff like a pillowtop) with a pretty firm (but also springy) support level. I like to sink is a bit to reduce pressure points, but I don't like the feeling of sinking into a crater. I could not get totally comfortable with all latex or a memory foam bed. I wanted to be able to blend memory foam and latex, and I also thought have a spring base might be cooler and more consistent support. What I ended up doing was cutting open a fairly new Sealy (Reserve with 782 14 gauge coils) and replacing the foam. So, over the coils I have 2" of 32 100% natural talalay with a section cut out under the shoulders and replaced with about 21ILD latex in that section. Above that I have 1" of 24 ILD 100% natural latex, 1" of 5.9Lb. memory foam from foamorder, and 1" of 19 ILD blended talaly. Right now I have a 100% cotton fairly thin mattress pad to cover it and a washable wool filled mattress pad by Natura over that. I would say it feels soft, but also has a densness to it that means you don't keep sinking in too far. You would be hard to find an innerspring with the quality foam that I am using, unless you were willing to pay a far more. So, I would not say that I am sleeping on a cloud, but I pretty much enjoy it and the mattress itself does not seem to cause any significant problems for me. I might still occassionaly get hot, but usually i can resolve by using less blankets. You can see some photos here, but they are out of date. Maybe soon I will update them. This message was modified Feb 16, 2011 by sandman
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| I think the V-Zone may be right for some people but it sounds like it is very difficult to get it right and more people seem to be happy without the V-Zone. Is anyone happy with the V-Zone on this list? I can see how it can be helpful for some people but I am very happy with my Flobed with three very firm layers of Latex and a 1" soft latex topper for the cushion. |
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No V-Zone and certainly not that fit but I bought the model just below it. I sleep on my back 40% and on my side 60%. I had your same problems when my mix of layer were way too soft! We had to change layers four (4!) times to get it right for us. Much, much firmer. The price seemed high but the customer service after the sale confirmed my decision. Dewey has been marvelous to work with as I made my numerous decisions. The bottom line is that my wife and I both like a much firmer bed than their "calculator" indicated, as well as the normal firmness sold at Plushbeds and other places. I am 300 lbs. and my bed was perfect at XXXFirm 3" base, XFirm 3" mid and Firm 3" top layer plus their normal very, very soft convoluted 2" topper. My wife is 130 lbs. and she loves her side at XFirm, MedFirm, Firm plus the topper. I believe that FLOBEDS has the right idea with 3 layer plus the super soft Talalay Latex topper. Dewey tells me that this convoluted (egg crate) topper starts out as 24 ILD and the convolution makes it feel like a 12 ILD. Bottom line: I have been sleeping on my new FLOBEDS bed for nearly a year now and can not even imagine sleeping on a typical mattress anymore. 'nuff said! |
| It has been a long time since I spoke to them, but it use to be that the best thing to do for someone who had just purchased a flobeds, was to call flobeds and talk to the owners, Dave or his son Dewey Turner about there problem. They know how to treat there customers right. |
Well it has been another month of experimenting and I still can't find a winning Flobeds solution. Below are the top-to-bottom combinations I have tried, all of them for at least 4 days (for vzone, Flobeds said that the only layers that matter are the 3 ones covering shoulders, lumbar, and rear/thigh, so only those are listed).
If I sleep beyond 7h a night, all of them lead to a sore lower back. It's hard to describe how it feels, but almost tense. Of the various options, I liked the "feel" of option 3 the best, especially on my side, whereas option 4 probably caused the least back pain. Option 5 did not improve anything on option 4 and it's made sleeping on my side a lot more uncomfortable. Any other options to try first? I thought one person mentioned to try it without the convoluted topper, but I'm not sure if it would make much difference (?). I guess right now I'm just wondering if I should send this bed back and maybe just get an innerspring with some type of soft topper, as I can have a sore back with a $1,000 bed instead of a $3,000 bed. |