Mattress Forum

I don't quite understand.  You are going to buy a new one through the comfort exchange and then sell it right away?  If so, then you might want to get a cheaper one, so your downside is limited, and it might be easier to sell something at a lower price.  Seems easier and less risky to sell the one you have, but obviously that is not new condition.   I guess you would have to figure out what each could be sold for.

Sleepez is good if you think you want to be able to customize fairly specifically to your needs.  Also, if you want one half different than the other.  It might have a better cover as well, with some wool fill.   You can also choose talalay (blended or 100% natural) or dunlop or a combo of the 2.  

Downside of course is that it costs more, and I think you would have to pay the cost of return shipping.  You would have to pack up and ship it back, where Costco would come and pick it up.

I think either is better quality than a foam based Embody, but that does not mean that you would like them more.

Here are the pluses and minuses of 4 mattresses that are in the range of your budget as I see them.

Sleepez: $1295. 8" of good quality 3 zoned natural Dunlop latex. Has a comfort guarantee if you don't like it but you pay shipping. Initial shipping for the mattress is free. Unclear if you would be returning the whole bed or just the top layer for a comfort exchange on their special which would affect shipping charges (I would call and ask or perhaps someone here knows but I would guess it is a layer). Very trustworthy merchant.

Arizona mattress: $1295. 8" (well 7.6 actually) of all Talalay latex blend which many people prefer particularly in the top layer. The cover is nicer (has 1.5" of wool not just cotton). Comfort exchanges can be done with the top layer which means the shipping cost is less than if you had to ship the whole bed. There is an initial shipping charge for the bed but not a lot since it ships UPS so factor that into the cost. You get a bonus (I believe it's currently 2 latex pillows) when you buy. Very trustworthy merchant.

Costco: $1395. 10" of natural Dunlop latex. Somewhat flippable (the inner layers have to be removed and flipped so you are sleeping on the correct side of the cover). This means it has 2 firmness choices built in, one on each side so while the level of "customization" is limited to 2, it does not involve shipping anything. Basic cover. If you don't like either of the 2 comfort choices, it costs nothing to ship back. Very trustworthy merchant.

Latexmattressshop: $1124.10 with their 10% coupon. 8" of natural Dunlop 7 zoned latex. Nicest cover of the lot with bamboo, wool, and quiltable latex. You can select 1 of 3 comfort levels when you order but you cannot do a layer exchange after you have it. Free shipping if you decide to return it. Initial shipping is also free. Seemingly trustworthy merchant but not as well known here as the others. Can upgrade to the next model with 10" of latex and latex/wool/bamboo cover for $1385.10 with their 10% coupon (just to compare with the Costco).

In my view, all of these represent very good choices but have slight differences in the quality of mattress, prices, adjustability, and difficulty and expense of return. You may have to pay tax on the Costco but the others would be tax free unless you lived in their state (strangely enough all 3 of them are in Arizona). All of them would be better than the insightful upgrade in my opinion. All of them (exept the Costco) would also be happy to talk with you to advise you on the comfort level that would be best for you in their experience. What level of risk/value you feel is better for you or even whether to go this route at all is of course part of your own personal decision.

Phoenix

The idea was to exchange the bed he has with a similar quality and price mattress, perhaps a little firmer or softer (I would go firmer because they tend to cost a little less perhaps leaving a little more in your budget and also because I would feel a little better about selling it). He would now have a brand new mattress. Now he could use the money he would have spent on the insightful upgrade to get a superior all latex mattress as in the choices in the last post. He would now have 2 brand new mattresses. He could now sell the one he exchanged for as an unused mattress or keep it if that was his choice.

Phoenix

I assume Mike can use the $585 credit to buy anything?  Or does it have to be equal or greater value?  If he buys a $585 mattress (costing zero out of pocket), then anything it sells for would be pure "profit".   If he puts up $1200 to buy the Embody, then he would have to sell it for $1200 or greater to make a profit.  There would be risk of not getting the $1200 back.

So, the question is what should he buy to get the greatest "profit" (really money back to reduce the loss).  This assumes he is not going to use it at all to maximize the resale value.  I think new and never used would have a significant premium over anything used.  I would keep it is the plastic wrapping and never touch it.

I guess one would have to know the market for such things.  I assume it would probably be at least 30% below what one could buy it in the store for?

Have you tried to have the store just give you some money back and let you sell the one you have?  I did that once.

p.s. I haven't seen those discount Sleepez ones before.  I thought sleepez would be more than Costco, however it is 8" vs. Costco's 10".

The next best option would be to go in the direction we have been going and sell the new but similar mattress with the boxspring and then buy a foundation (a decent slatted one with no springs) for your new latex mattress. I'm not sure what model of posturepedic you have but the lowest priced of the posturepedics in a king here is the Bryant park which is $839 for the set in a King. I'm guessing that you have a better model than this unless you paid a lot more than you needed to ($839 is not the lowest price online) but if it was this one then 60% of that would be around $500. I don't really know if that would sell on Craigslist but it seems to me that for a mattress that had never been used and was still in plastic it wouldn't be a bad deal. If your model is higher, then of course the price would be more.

The worst case is that you would have a better (less polyfoam in the firm) mattress that by itself or with a topper could make a decent guest mattress ... and you would have a really nice mattress to sleep on for yourself.

Phoenix

I've been mattress shopping for about the past month...I have tried several latex mattress including the Natural Choice Hotel Collection by Macy's, & a few other mattress store brands that weren't as familiar to me & I can't remember.

I tried the Embody line, and by far out of all mattresses I've tried, the Embody Shelter was the most comfortable. Of course I would love to save some money over the nearly $2900 for the Cali King Embody Shelter, but again, all the mattresses I've tried did not compare to in terms of comfort, spring, and support. How can I know I will be happy with something I order online, when it seems so many other latex mattresses did not match up to what admittadly seems like a pretty meager setup from a spec standpoint on the Shelter (only 6.5" latex).

Thanks for your input.

The problem is what exactly are you getting for $2900?  What kind of latex?  What ILD rating?  What kind of foam is underneath?  How long will that foam last? Can you return it?  You can get 6" of high quality foam and 6" of latex for about half of that, so what is the extra premium for? 

Without knowing that, I would not buy it.  That does not mean it is not comfortable and that you would not like it.

Exactly.

Laying on beds with the same specs, I would say the Sealy was more comfortable....Why is that? That's the question I have, & is it as simple as the ingredients/components. Does it have something to do with the build?

Otherwise it's a no brainer to order one of these internet only companies..just afraid that I would come to the same conclusions as I did with the beds that looked better from the standpoint of foam specs, but were just not as comfortable.

*shrug*

What did you try in comparison? Were the others too soft, too firm, or what?  Were they 100% latex?

Maybe you like the feel of the non-latex foam base.  It is possible that it feels better now, but will soften up too much (and possibly get body impressions) too quickly?  Hard to say.  Do you know anything about the density or other details of the foam base below the latex? 

It is possible that their "smart" latex has a different feel as well.  I don't enough about to know if there is a significant difference from other latex out there.

It is possible that this will be the one you like the most.   I don't think it will last nearly as long as an all latex (assuming not 100% synthetic) mattress, but it is possible that a well made foam base can last quite a while.   Tempurpedic uses a foam base as well, and some people are happy with those for many years.   Not sure how the quality of their foam base would compare to the Sealy.  

If you lay on 4" of talalay 22 ild over 2.1 density HR foam ... it will feel exactly the same as a second mattress using the same foams, thicknesses, and ild's ... this is assuming that what is covering the mattress is the same and that the "wear" on the mattress is also the same.

Having said that, there are ways you can make it feel different depending on what type of mattress you are talking about.

What the mattress is on is one of them.

Laying on a hard mattress and then laying on a softer one will also change the subjective feel.

The mood you are in is another.

And there are many more.

But the actual feel remains the same.

Mattress outlets are very good at creating an atmosphere and "showing" their mattresses in ways that are designed to create an optimal feel. It is to their advantage (and the advantage of the manufacturers) that consumers believe that inconsequential variations in how a mattress is made or what the material is called (yes even this can make a difference in subjective feel) adds significantly to the feel, comfort, durability, or suitability of a mattress.

They love the confusion that comes from the belief that "they are so much more expensive that there must be SOMETHING that makes them better or they wouldn't be selling them"

They are well aware of how easy it is to mislead the "average consumer" (and change their perception) and their sales and training is designed specifically to take advantage of this through implication, half truths, misleading advertising, and in some cases outright misinformation and lies.

Phoenix

PS: None of this is meant in any way to diminish the research, efforts, education, and practices of the more legitimate and more honest people in the industry. When you find these they are a breath of fresh air.

Anyone want a second helping of "intuisoft smart latex" ?????? How about some "NASA foam" for dessert? I promise you it will change your life.