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I have Fibromyalgia, and I finally got approved for SSI so I have some money with which to purchase a new bed. At the present moment, I'm sleeping on a decent "pillowtop" conventional mattress that my parents bought for my daughter, and my daughter is sleeping on a REALLY worn out mattress with the bottom half of a highriser for the frame. My son is on the top half of the highriser with a less worn-out, but still old, mattress. My other daughter is using the pillowtop mattress that was purchased for her initially (my parents bought the girls matching beds before my son was born.) I was thinking of getting a new bed for myself., giving my daughter back her bed, and getting some kind of topper for my son's bed. I think I want a latex bed. I remember sleeping on a foam mattress years ago when visiting relatives in Israel, and liking it. I'm also partial to foam pillows. However, with the FMS comes extreme chemical sensitivity. I don't know whether or not I'd be able to tolerate a mattress made with any synthetic materials. But then I read that Talalay latex is higher quality and just works better, but isn't 100% natural. I need BOTH "chemical free" and "supportive" in a bed. If I purchase a new latex mattress, would I need a new frame? Or would the "high riser bottom" be good enough? Would a slatted bed fram from Ikea be adequate, even if I purchase a mattress elsewhere? Could I put together a bunch of "mattress toppers" from eBay and create my own mattress? Maybe top that with a wool topper, put a mattress cover over the whole thing and call it a day? Or do I need to purchase an actual 'latex mattress"? |
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OK, now that I have 2 reliable companies to compare and contrast, how do I figure out what firmness I want for each layer, or figure out how many layers I want? I generally sleep on my side. How hard is it to get the core back into the box and ship it back if it's not exactly right? One company may not charge a restocking fee, but what about return shipping costs? I'm just trying to figure out if it's realistic to be able to ship anything back- and if not, why not go with the less expensive company? What's the consensus on Ikea mattresses? Probably not as good as the ones you custom order the cores you want, right? |
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ruthla wrote: OK, now that I have 2 reliable companies to compare and contrast, how do I figure out what firmness I want for each layer, or figure out how many layers I want? I generally sleep on my side. How hard is it to get the core back into the box and ship it back if it's not exactly right? One company may not charge a restocking fee, but what about return shipping costs? I'm just trying to figure out if it's realistic to be able to ship anything back- and if not, why not go with the less expensive company? A good start is the Firmness Advisor at flobeds.com. It asks you a few questions and makes some recommendations. Most people are apparently happy with their configuration on the first try or flobeds would go broke shipping replacement layers. Flobeds has some kind of system for repacking layers. I even remember seeing a PDF document explaining the process. I believe it involves one big bag that you can get the rolled up latex into, which you then shrink with a hose attachment of a vacuum sweeper, then a second bag that prevents it from re-expanding. Shipping costs are reasonable because one flobeds "core" or "layer" weighs only about 20 or 25 lbs and shrinks down into a surprisingly small package. Trying to repack a full 5.6 core (which weighs over 80 lbs) would be a nightmare. It's tempting to believe you can get it right on the first try, and statistically speaking most people probably do. But if you end up buying more foam out of pocket, any savings you hoping to realize can disappear quickly. I know. I bought a latex core for $900. I felt it might not be quite firm enough so I bought a SuperFirm core from FloBeds for $288. I ordered a 2" topper from FoamByMail for $185 which I will be returning. Fortunately they do have a money back return policy. The big thing that caught me though is the mattress cover. I assumed I could pick one up in the depth I needed for $200 or so. In fact a good quality mattress cover starts at $400 and can run up to $600 for one made with all cotton and wool. Yes, you can buy one for $35 from eBay, and I have one of those. It holds the foam together but it's not a cover befitting $1400 of talalay latex. I think the least expensive one I found that I could have maybe lived with cost $350 and it was nothing special. It adds up fast when you use the same quality materials SleepEZ and FloBeds use. By the way, I would name some other companies if I knew any, but in my own research of over 50 companies, it came down to these two being the only complete mattresses I would buy. Call them. Talk to Dewey at FloBeds and Shawn and SleepEZ. These guys own their companies (or their families do). Both companies have been in business a long time as regular Brick and Morter stores and still have storefronts. They answer their own phones. When you call SleepEZ you will sometimes get an answering machine because Shawn is waiting on customers, but he will call you back. They are extremely knowledgeable. They answer straight questions with straight answers. Zero BS. They are very customer service oriented. They offer top quality products - Latex International talalay and cotton covers with wool quilted into the cover. To give a bit of background, Flobeds was one of the first "kit mattresses" on the Internet. SleepEZ came along sometime after. A large number of companies have come and gone since then, IMO because they just don't GET what it takes to do business on the Internet and STAY in business. These companies do. They really GET it. |
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cloud9 wrote: all the great info on the old forum seems to be lost in cyber limbo FAQ Sticky "Old Forum" link |
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I wonder if you might like a: Unilatex core with a softer talalay topper. Let us know what you end up with. |
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MequonJim wrote: I wonder if you might like a: Unilatex core with a softer talalay topper. Latex International Manufacturer FAQs In 1997, Latex International entered into an agreement with Sapsa Bedding to be the exclusive distributor of continuous process (Unilatex™) latex cores in North America. This ensured a comprehensive latex product portfolio. Today, Latex International remains the only Talalay latex foam manufacturer in the Americas. Sapsa’s Unilatex™, made to our specifications and high standards, is the highest quality, most consistent Dunlop process product in the world. The product is a firmer, denser latex and is ideally used as a base core. We recommend 2 to 4” of LI’s Talatech® latex on top of the Sapsa material to optimize comfort, support, and pressure relief. It's interesting that I never really came across this during my own mattress project. Zoned dunlop on the bottom seems like a super idea to me, but who uses it and where can it be purchased? I used Google and AlltheWeb and found...not much. Good luck trying to buy a Unilatex core. This message was modified Oct 17, 2007 by haysdb
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| Maybe you could ask one of the retailers of LI latex if they can order Unilatex. I wish they would go in to more detail about the three choices for Unilatex at Latex International's website. |
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Back to the subject of shipping costs, a Cal King ILD 44 "core" I bought from FloBeds arrived today. This is the biggest and heaviest possible Talatech core. It arrived in a box 26x21x8 and weighing 28 lbs. You can go to UPS.com to estimate how much it would cost to ship a box of this size and weight to 95437. For me to ship this UPS ground from St Louis would cost $29.31 Here are the instructions for shrinking the core to fit into the original bags and box for return to FloBeds. It's a clever and simple solution which requires nothing more high tech than a vacuum cleaner with a hose. If only FoamByMail were as clever, I would have a much easier time of returning a 2" topper. I suspect this is by design - it discourages returns. If I can find a bag big enough to fit the uncompressed topper in, perhaps a 55 gallon trash bag, I can accomplish the same thing, albeit less elegantly. |
| I am one of those people for whom latex does not work. I was willing to pay more ordering from FloBeds in order to get their great return policy and ended up having to return the whole king size kit. Packing it back up is definitely a two person project, frustrating at times but after you get the hang of it, it's doable. My experience is posted on the old forum. Back then, shipping within California was $99. They emailed return shipping labels. You just take it to UPS and FloBeds deducts the return shipping from your refund. |
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haysdb wrote: For me to ship this UPS ground from St Louis would cost $29.31 Frequent shippers get much better rates from UPS & FedEx than infrequent shippers. I don't know what type of deal you have with UPS. |
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MequonJim wrote: Frequent shippers get much better rates from UPS & FedEx than infrequent shippers. I don't know what type of deal you have with UPS. So true. I have no deal with UPS, so this is the "retail" rate. |