Mattress Forum

Just wanted to thank you all for your contributions! I have read this forum a lot, but haven't posted. I bought the foambymail 6" medium talalay latex mattress in a queen size with the terry cloth cover. It should be here is a about a week. I decided on foambymail because of the price. I deliberated a lot over my options, but we only had an $800 budget, so I decided to start with this mattress, and then, if I want, I can dress it up a bit.

DH is 5'8" 190lbs., and I am 5'4" 120lbs (both usually side sleepers, occasionally back sleepers). I hurt my back a few years ago and needed a firm surface then. It's better now and only hurts if I sleep on my stomach in an odd position or on one of those 2' thick air mattresses that slowly leaks until it sags by morning.  I was concerned about the firmness for DH, but he said that he doesn't care as long as I am comfortable. We did at least decide on latex over memory foam because he is always hot at night, and we didn't want anything that would cause him to feel hotter because he wakes up if he gets too warm. We are currently sleeping on an old futon, which was quite comfortable for 2 years (so much more comfortable than our ancient hand-me-down spring mattress bed that we used it instead). However, we moved last summer, and the batting got all bunched, so we are sleeping on all sorts of ridges and valleys. DH wakes up about every half hour and has started to get back pain, which has never been a problem before, so I decided it was time to spring the money for a real bed. He figures that as long as he's sleeping on an even surface devoid of knots of batting, he'll be fine.

I was planning on using 1/2" plywood to create a solid surface under the mattress. We are getting a new bed frame as well, so I am not completely sure what it will have for support. I believe it is 2 side wood rails and a few slats. I have read that some people use masonite board, but I didn't know if that would be sturdy enough for a queen. I don't want a slat base or flexible slat base because we will be just sleeping on 6" of latex, and I don't think it would be comfortable.