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I've never had a good mattress, so I'm just going for it and finally ordering one. I found foambymail when researching memory foam- this has obviously lead to questions about latex. Just for backround, I sleep most comfortably on a futon. I slept on a Tatami with a futon pad for a few years, but eventually I began having some pain in my hips and lower back. Switched to my girlfriend's spring mattress for the past year and hated it. Just moved again and ended up with a platform bed and a futon, and I am so much happier than on the spring mattress. The futon, however, is supposed to be temporary until I order my new mattress. Knowing I like a firm mattress, I decided to order the 5" Lux-HQ foam base (2.8lb density, 50 ILD) with 4" of 5lb memory foam. Then, I read that 4" can feel too "soft" and that in my case the extra inch wasn't worh an extra $50. I decided to downgrade to 3" of 5lb memory foam. I almost placed the order this morning before deciding that I needed to do some more research. I'm worried that the memory foam will be too soft, and the lux-hq base too firm, and that i'll just sink through the memory foam into the hard base. Furthermore, I'm concerened that the memory foam isn't really what I want at all, and I would be happier with latex. I've considered putting an intermediate layer between the base and the memory foam, or just ditching the memory foam completely and getting the lux-hq base with 2" of latex. Ultimately, I don't know how any of these materials actually feel, and need some expertise. Please help! FYI, I'm 6' tall and weigh 180lbs, and do not generally have pain caused by my mattress, just poor sleep. Also I sleep on my back, but usually fall asleep/lay on my side- I think this is what was causing hip/lower back pain on my tatami. This message was modified Sep 12, 2011 by ivandrocco
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By the way, though FBM is great about trying to answer my questions, so far, they suck at answering them.
They didn't even understand what I meant when I asked them about temperature sensativity. They also can't give me any substantial information other than that everyone prefers something different. This morning, I called to ask if putting an intermediary layer between the 5lb memory foam and the 50 ILD base was unnecessary. They told me that "their 5.5lb memory foam topper above the LUX-HQ foam base was the closest thing to other name brand mattresses"... this didn't exactly answer my question, i'm assuming this means that a middle layer isn't generally used. However, I noticed that their ebay auctions claim the pink ViscoMax foam is 5.5lb density, though the website and spec sheets say 5lb. I asked why they listed two different densities for foam with the same name, or if they offered two different high density memory foams. The FBM rep said that it was a mistake and the foam was 5lb not 5.5lb. Strange, considering he had said that the viscomax was 5.5lb a breath before. I called him on this, and he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about. Basically, I don't think the people answering phones at FBM know anything about the product. This message was modified Sep 12, 2011 by ivandrocco
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FBM is is the business of selling foam, not mattresses. I'm not surprised at the response. There are two or three recent threads here on DIY mattresses. I recommend you read them and ask questions. Perhaps a private message to the poster? Be patient. There are some knowledgeable people here who can offer advice. The one common theme I read is that if the mattress is too firm, you an easily add a topper. If the mattress is too soft, it is more difficult to make it firmer. This message was modified Sep 14, 2011 by sleepswithcats
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Hi ivandrocco, my 2¢ worth on your situation. You want firm, you got firm. If firm is your preference I think you've got it with that 3 inch layer of 5 lbs memory foam on a [50 ILD] HQ foam base. A middle layer is unnecessary since there's no way you will "sink through" at 180 lbs. It's exactly what you want, with one caveat. I also prefer a "firm" mattress but have discovered how critical the cradle/pressure relief is to comfort. We recently ordered a mattress from Sam's Club with 3 inches of 4 lbs Aerus memory foam over 7 inches of poly foam base and it feels just barely soft enough. The 5 lbs foam is supposed to feel firmer and be more temperature reactive than pressure sensitive. It sounds like your futon may be too firm and not giving you the cradle support you need, almost like you're sleeping on the floor and have to turn on your side to get (temporarily) comfortable enough to fall asleep. It's a fine line and a subjective one at that. If you could try any memory foam mattress it would give you an idea how the different weight foams feel. The Tempurpedic's are fairly ubiquitous, any Slumberland stores nearby? We ordered a 3 inch soft latex layer [20 – 24 ILD] on a 5 inch [36 ILD] HD foam base from FBM and it has proved too firm for both the wife and I. I just added a 2 inch [20 ILD] layer to it and now it's comfortable but with just another 1 inch of [14 ILD] it would be heaven (welcome to the slippery slope.) I believe your 2 inch layer of latex on a firmer foam base would feel too firm. |
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thanks, that was exactly the kind of information i was looking for!
in the past day or two i've really gotten into the idea of latex... for being hypoallergenic, sleeping cooler, etc... unfortunately I dont think I can afford to build a proper latex mattress, I can really only afford 2" of latex. The memory foam sounds like the most solid bet for the money. one last question... Should I spring for the 4" memory foam topper, or save the money and go with 3"?
EDIT... sleeplikeadog... to answer my own question... if your mattress with 3" lb memory foam felt "just soft enough", i'm going to stick with the 3" 5lb memory foam with the option to order an additional layer of softer foam, rather than get 4" of foam that may not be soft enough. This message was modified Sep 14, 2011 by ivandrocco
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Ivandrocco, I think 3 inches of memory foam is enough for most people unless they are considerably overweight. What makes our mattress feel plush is the 4 lbs foam; if you like firm go with the 5 lbs visco, just know you're getting firm (Tempurpedic's classic mattress was 5 lbs foam on top and they seem to have done ok.) At FBM the memory foam mattresses look like the best bang for the buck. You can read a lot of stories on this forum from people who spent a lot of money to find the perfect bed. My sense is many would have a tough time detecting the difference between a $341 FBM memory foam bed and the $3500 Tempurpedic bed in a blind sleep test. I don't think you can go too far wrong on the investment and it should be much more comfortable than the futon. Good luck. |
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SleepLikeADog wrote: I also prefer a "firm" mattress but have discovered how critical the cradle/pressure relief is to comfort. We recently ordered a mattress from Sam's Club with 3 inches of 4 lbs Aerus memory foam over 7 inches of poly foam base and it feels just barely soft enough. The 5 lbs foam is supposed to feel firmer and be more temperature reactive than pressure sensitive. It sounds like your futon may be too firm and not giving you the cradle support you need, almost like you're sleeping on the floor and have to turn on your side to get (temporarily) comfortable enough to fall asleep. We ordered a 3 inch soft latex layer [20 – 24 ILD] on a 5 inch [36 ILD] HD foam base from FBM and it has proved too firm for both the wife and I. I just added a 2 inch [20 ILD] layer to it and now it's comfortable but with just another 1 inch of [14 ILD] it would be heaven (welcome to the slippery slope.) I believe your 2 inch layer of latex on a firmer foam base would feel too firm. |
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sleeplikeadog- decided i shouldn't worry about "too firm" considering the only thing firmer than what I sleep on now is the floor. $290 for 5" 50ILD foam base under 3" of 5lb visco with the terry cloth cover--- pretty cheap! |
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ivandrocco, I think you'll be happy with that mattress, be sure to post you're impressions after you've had a chance to try it. Do you have a base for it? I went with the Charleston bedframe from (you'll love this) World of Futons, same as the Nomad but with a headboard. It's available at Amazon for more money but you can read the reviews. Inexpensive and solid, I stained mine with Watco Danish Oil Finish in natural before assembly and it looks great. Sall, are you saying more than 1 inch of memory foam over a firm 5 inch poly base would be too soft for you, or do you mean as a layer in a latex mattress creation? |
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SleepLikeADog wrote: Sall, are you saying more than 1 inch of memory foam over a firm 5 inch poly base would be too soft for you, or do you mean as a layer in a latex mattress creation? |
| I have a really awesome platform bed, it's two large pieces of particle board with teak trim that screw into two rectangular block bases. A free-rolling drawer on wheels fits between the base blocks, and a big teak headboard mounts to one end. |
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first impressions... very very impressed.
the foam feels very high quality, and i'm very happy with my choices. I swung by a mattress store to feel the tempur pedic stuff, and the 5lb FBM feels every bit as firm. I think it's going to take some getting used to, and it's still gassing off, but it didn't bother me much. Sitting on the edge of it right now... its very very firm. I would not reccommend less than 5lb foam except as a topper. Also, 4" seems way overkill. I don't even feel like i'm bottoming out 3" into the base foam. I was surprised how impressively thick the only 8" mattress was. Would recommend FBM to anyone else. Mattress looks and feels great, it's all there. |
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Ivan,
Thank you for posting this. This is the EXACT setup I am trying to go for. I have an Ikea mattress, that has started to sag in 1 year. I weigh no more than 96lbs and I am a side sleeper. I am going to go ahead and get the LUX-HQ base from FBM. Thanks for helping me decide. This message was modified Aug 25, 2012 by rajju077
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| One thing about FBM, make sure you calculate what the weight of the mattress should be and then weigh it to make sure they sent you the right foam. They have been known to send foam different than what was ordered. I use FBM because they have the best prices, and plan to order more foam from them, but I always weigh it out to make sure they sent what I paid for. |