Just bought a new Flobeds
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I just purchased a new FloBeds. It is the 100% natural Talalay 4 layer mattresses. The top most layer being a soft egg crate 2" piece of Talalay. I purchased the following configuration. On the left side of the bed I have a median top layer, firm middle layer, and extra firm bottom layer. On the right side the top layer is firm, the second layer is extra firm, and the bottom layer is extra firm. I felt that this should give me an opportunity to switch the layers around and come up with the configuration that will work the best for my 6' 2" 210 pound frame. It has been quite a wrestling match, reading all the different descriptions that various people like, when it comes to firmness layers. You also run into this with some of the websites. No two people seem to consider this the same way. So I'm just going to have to experiment. This is one of the main reasons that I went with FloBeds. They have the most liberal exchange policy coupled with a generous return policy. They definitely get more money than some of the other sites. But when you're purchasing something this expensive from the Internet, and cannot lay on it, feel it, look at it, and even smell it, it's good to have a situation where you can make corrections at a nominal expense. Given the fact that FloBeds has an excellent reputation with the BBB, and Dave and Dewey Turner are excellent people to do business with, it just seemed to make good sense to me to consider the extra cost as an insurance policy. One last point I would like to make. I just realize that I have been misspelling FloBeds name. I had been misspelling it "FlowBeds." Wrong! It is spelled FloBeds.com. I hope I have not misdirected anyone. It will probably take about a week to get this bed in my home, set up, and slept on. When I have had an opportunity to do this I will be sure to post back and let you know what my experiences are, as I know how confusing this kind of a purchase can be. This message was modified Sep 22, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
| Congratulations eagle2 on your new FloBeds Mattress Latex Kit. I love my Latex FloBed also. I used to have to use decongestants before bed and many times they kept me up before I bought my Talalay Latex Bed. So far me, I looked into Latex for my allergies and also got a good night's sleep and support with very firm layers with a little cushion on top. |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
Thank you Lynn for your response. In fact "Thank You Everyone" for your responses. I had another good nights sleep last night. However I suffered some discomfort but it was not from the bed. I took my flu shot Monday and consequently I have what really consists of a very mild case of flu. This manifests itself primarily as very mild hot flashes that come and go. This does cause some sleep discomfort. So I guess it's quite a tribute to the bed that I had as good a nights sleep as I did. I am going to stop recording on a daily basis for a while as it becomes rather redundant to keep saying the same thing over and over. I have ordered two more cores of latex from FloBeds. A soft layer and another medium layer. This will give me an opportunity to test a theory that I have. Namely, I want the softest surface that will give me really good support. What I prefer right now is the softer side of my California King bed. It is arranged, as you may recall, from top to bottom, medium, over firm, over extra firm. The other side is to firm for me. It is arranged top to bottom, firm, over extra firm, over extra firm. So, I will do some rearranging once I get the new cores next week, and see if I cannot come up with the ideal configuration. Once I have something substantive to report I will do so. |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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eagle2 wrote: Thank you Lynn for your response. In fact "Thank You Everyone" for your responses. I had another good nights sleep last night. However I suffered some discomfort but it was not from the bed. I took my flu shot Monday and consequently I have what really consists of a very mild case of flu. This manifests itself primarily as very mild hot flashes that come and go. This does cause some sleep discomfort. So I guess it's quite a tribute to the bed that I had as good a nights sleep as I did. I am going to stop recording on a daily basis for a while as it becomes rather redundant to keep saying the same thing over and over. I have ordered two more cores of latex from FloBeds. A soft layer and another medium layer. This will give me an opportunity to test a theory that I have. Namely, I want the softest surface that will give me really good support. What I prefer right now is the softer side of my California King bed. It is arranged, as you may recall, from top to bottom, medium, over firm, over extra firm. The other side is to firm for me. It is arranged top to bottom, firm, over extra firm, over extra firm. So, I will do some rearranging once I get the new cores next week, and see if I cannot come up with the ideal configuration. Once I have something substantive to report I will do so. Sorry to hear of your mild flu from your shot... My son ends up in bed for a week when he gets it, so he stopped taking it altogether. Doctors insist that it's not possible to get the flu from a dead vaccine, but too many people DO get sick.Glad your case is mild. How nice that FloBeds is working with you - I'll be following as anxious to know how your back feels after a week or even 2 wks out....just in case. Is your Talalay natural or blended synthetic? I am under the impression that in order to get the higher ILD in Talalay, it has to be blended with synthetics. Don't know where I got that from however. So much conflicting into makes this $3K decision almost impossible. Might just come down to best return policy as this is a crap shoot for those of us who could potentially suffer with incorrect support. The good news is that I found a Savvy store 53 miles away so doing that on Sat. (they have the Dunlop set-up, and only one layer of Talalay but our purpose is Dunlop. Will report back. Also found place in CT (where we live) with Latex Int'l Talalay set up (same as all the comfort beds we seek...) The owner couldn't be nicer, but he has some opinions that bother me, like Talalay blended synthetic, is superior to Dunlop. (he doesn't offer Dunlop & bashed it) He told me the Dunlop process doesn't use molds (it does) so I'm a bit suspect at this point, but we need to go up there to try Talalay too. Most interesting is that he's a former marketing employee with Latex Intl'. That said, he's more than willing to work with us to get bed perfect & no shipping with exchanges as he's just an hour from us. He is very puzzled as to where I got my info that suggests we need Dunlop for firm support (but seems you are finding the Talalay very firm so he may have a point) I need to ask about money back if we end up needing Dunlop, which he can't provide... Well, continued sweet dreams on that new bed. Your post is helping me more than you can imagine. Thank you so much! |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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Catlover: You might want to go to the "Dunlop versus Talalay" thread and read my last post. The bed that I purchased from FloBeds is an all natural 100% botanically grown Talalay processed mattress. I know what you mean about people trying to sell Dunlop over Talalay or Talalay over Dunlop depending on what it is that they are promoting. One thing I found out for sure, and I find quite interesting since I was of the opinion that Dunlop was more supportive than Talalay, is that that is not the case, as far as Talalay being supportive. I still cannot compare the two because I do not have a Dunlop bed. Everybody is just so different. Even we ourselves will change, to some extent or another, from one night to another, depending upon what the day has been like. For instance. If you had a particularly rough day and tweak your back, you very well may need a more supportive surface than your bed currently allows. But after you get your back healed up, you want your softer mattress surface back. It's just the way of being a human. I slept on a waterbed for over 20 years. So I tend to like a softer sleeping surface. But I certainly want good support so that I do not have back problems from my bed. I know that as my waterbed got older, and the flotation material deteriorated, that I had more difficulty with my back, some of the time. Particularly as some of the water would evaporate over a period of a year. This combined with the deteriorating flotation material, and getting my back hurt, led me to all this business about researching mattresses. So this is a rather complicated thing, buying the right mattrese, made a whole lot more complicated by the big S. brands and all the subterfuge that they indulge in, coupled with those folks who just want to sell something, and either convince themselves that one type of latex is better than another, or, are liars. In any event go to your Savvy Rest store and and try out there beds. Savvy Rest seems to be a good company and they do handle both Dunlop and Talalay, and they also have a 90 day exchange policy on layers, but no return policy. You have my best wishes, and good luck. This message was modified Oct 1, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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electracat wrote: The steroid nasal sprays are safe, and meant to be used daily. Unfortunately they don't provide the same nasal congestion relief as Afrin and the other sprays, but, as Catlover said, these sprays are highly addictive. I can't even use them now for more than a day without getting rebound congestion. I think my new mattress setup made my congestion better, though--latex/pu foam has to be better than dustmite-infested spring mattresses! Electracat, I'm not so sure about that. That is, it depends on the person. I do agree though that if you have a spring mattress you should use those anti-dust mite covers. The only reason I don't is because as long as I"m regularly tweaking my mattress it would make it too hard to do that, having to take it in and out of one of those zippered anti-dust mite covers. But the thing about pu foam is that many people are also allergic to that, and also memory foam. I have been having a lot of allergy problems this past year and I think it might be because of the memory foam I'm using now. OR it could be that there's just too much dust in the bedroom. But I wonder because I gave the room a really thorough cleaning and it made NO difference in my level of allergies and I AM allergic to dust so theoretically the cleaning should have helped. And then there are of course those people who are allergic to latex. I am allergic to latex IF it is against my skin for hours. I bought a latex wrist guard for carpal tunnel once, and that thing gave me a case of eczema that had me itching for a week! But if I wear latex gloves for an hour or two or sleep with a latex topper it doesn't SEEM to bother me. |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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eagle2 wrote: Catlover: Savvy Rest looks like a good company, and I would not be afraid to purchase from them. But just keep in mind that FloBeds has the best exchange and return policy on the Internet, that I am aware. Good luck with your choice. Nothing against Flobeds, anyone here knows I'm a fan of theirs. But to be accurate, <a href="http://www.overnightmattress.com/mattress_guarantees.html">overnightmattress.com</a> has a better return policy: 120 night sleep trial, free shipping and no cost for shipping at all if you return it. However, also to be accurate, flobeds offers a number of exchanges of foam sections during your trial period (though you have to pay for shipping), whereas overnight mattress only allows one exchange OR refund. This message was modified Oct 2, 2009 by jimsocal
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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I've been lucky enough to be able to try both a Dunlop and a Talalay bed. The Dunlop is firmer. But that doesn't mean that the Talalay lacks proper support if you get the right ILD. Talalay definitely has a bouncier, springier feel, and the latex is "airier," but I found it was quite supportive, too. I too thought at first I was going to go Dunlop, but once I tried Talalay there's no going back. So you may find yourself surprised :) or you may just confirm your opinion that you want a Dunlop latex. LI does say on their website that Dunlop is firmer than Talalay. They recommend using it as a mattress core. Latex International asserts that a blended Talalay product is more durable than 100% natural. From their website: "By definition, latex is a rubber particle suspended in water. There are 2 types of latex; natural rubber latex and styrene butadiene rubber or man made latex. All latex is either a blend of the two or 100% natural latex. All mattress components and pillows from Latex International are 100% latex. Latex International uses a proprietary blend of natural and man made latex to provide the optimal balance of comfort and durability. Natural rubber latex is for durability. Natural inhibits tearing as it can be stretched like a rubber band. Man made latex helps in creating a product that is resistant to sagging or taking body impressions as it can be compressed over and over and will continue to provide the same feel experienced on the retail floor for years to come. Blended latex is more durable than 100% natural latex sleep products and are less likely to take a body impression over time. Wear and tear simulation testing shows blend superiority. 100% natural latex cores experience 5 to10% more mattress core height loss (i.e. body impressions) due to wear and tear than our Talalay and 2 to 3 times more loss (softening) due to repeated sitting and sleeping." Obviously Flobeds feels differently since they have decided to carry 100% natural Talalay latex. And they are a reputable company, so I think this is just a matter of personal preference. Two things sold me on the Talalay process: 1) trying out both the Dunlop and Talalay mattresses and feeling the difference between them - although I could tell the Dunlop was firmer, I did not feel it offered more or better support; and 2) watching the Flobeds video comparison of two pieces of wrapped latex they had on a shelf for five years. When they unwrap the five year old compressed Dunlop piece, it did not regain it's shape. When they unwrap the five year old Talalay piece, it immediately unfolded in perfect condition. http://www.flobeds.com/TalalayVsDunlop.htm Interestingly, while browsing on the LI site just now, I see that they also sell a Dunlop latex: "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." This message was modified Oct 2, 2009 by KimberlyH
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
| By the way, grats on your new Flobed! I've been checking every day to see what your experience has been and am looking forward to your future reports about your comfort and adjusting the layers to suit you. How is your wife liking the new bed? |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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KimberlyH wrote: I've been lucky enough to be able to try both a Dunlop and a Talalay bed. The Dunlop is firmer. But that doesn't mean that the Talalay lacks proper support if you get the right ILD. Talalay definitely has a bouncier, springier feel, and the latex is "airier," but I found it was quite supportive, too. I too thought at first I was going to go Dunlop, but once I tried Talalay there's no going back. So you may find yourself surprised :) or you may just confirm your opinion that you want a Dunlop latex. LI does say on their website that Dunlop is firmer than Talalay. They recommend using it as a mattress core. Latex International asserts that a blended Talalay product is more durable than 100% natural. From their website: "By definition, latex is a rubber particle suspended in water. There are 2 types of latex; natural rubber latex and styrene butadiene rubber or man made latex. All latex is either a blend of the two or 100% natural latex. All mattress components and pillows from Latex International are 100% latex. Latex International uses a proprietary blend of natural and man made latex to provide the optimal balance of comfort and durability. Natural rubber latex is for durability. Natural inhibits tearing as it can be stretched like a rubber band. Man made latex helps in creating a product that is resistant to sagging or taking body impressions as it can be compressed over and over and will continue to provide the same feel experienced on the retail floor for years to come. Blended latex is more durable than 100% natural latex sleep products and are less likely to take a body impression over time. Wear and tear simulation testing shows blend superiority. 100% natural latex cores experience 5 to10% more mattress core height loss (i.e. body impressions) due to wear and tear than our Talalay and 2 to 3 times more loss (softening) due to repeated sitting and sleeping." Obviously Flobeds feels differently since they have decided to carry 100% natural Talalay latex. And they are a reputable company, so I think this is just a matter of personal preference. Two things sold me on the Talalay process: 1) trying out both the Dunlop and Talalay mattresses and feeling the difference between them - although I could tell the Dunlop was firmer, I did not feel it offered more or better support; and 2) watching the Flobeds video comparison of two pieces of wrapped latex they had on a shelf for five years. When they unwrap the five year old compressed Dunlop piece, it did not regain it's shape. When they unwrap the five year old Talalay piece, it immediately unfolded in perfect condition. http://www.flobeds.com/TalalayVsDunlop.htm Interestingly, while browsing on the LI site just now, I see that they also sell a Dunlop latex: "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." Kimberly, I think you're right about "Dunlop being firmer" does not equate with "Dunlop providing more support". I have never slept on Dunlop - and would love to try it some day - but the one time I laid on a Dunlop core the best way I can describe it is that it felt like laying on a rubber mat. Firm yes, but "supportive"?, I'm not so sure. That is, Does the Floor give "support"? To me, support means it allows your body to sink in where it needs to sink in. I'm not sure if Dunlop really does that, or if it's just plain FIRM (or hard)... But again I'm not that familar with Dunlop. Maybe in the more medium ILD's it does allow you to sink in enough and give the right support. My feeling was that it would be better for a core, but not a middle or top layer. I think what they are saying about 100% natural latex not lasting as long as a synthetic blend, may be somewhat true, based on the man who recently posted here who said he bought a natural latex mattress 12 years ago and now it's dipping. I also looked at a used natural latex mattress once and saw that it was dipping in the middle, and the person said it was only 5 years old, though certainly I cannot corroborate that. From most everything I've heard, even 100% natural latex should last 10 years, and really, in my opinion, if you can get 10 years out of a mattress, that's good enough. So to me Which lasts longer shouldn't be the criteria. It should be "Which FEELS best?" |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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I know I said I wasn't going to post for several days until I have something new to report. But I had a couple thoughts that I thought I would pass along. I will just mention that I had another good nights sleep last night. Two things I’ve noticed after having slept on this bed for a full week. Number one, and possibly of interest to some, is the fact that I cannot feel any crack between the two split layer side’s of the bed. This was something that was discussed at length on this forum recently. This business of having a split mattress in a king-size bed. I just cannot feel any division. What I can feel is the transition from the softer side of my bed to the firmer side of my bed. It should be noted here that the FloBeds provides a convoluted two inch piece of Talalay that does not have a split in it and fits over the top of the other cores. This very well could contribute towards this "no split feeling." Another thing that I noticed, I enjoy the softer side of the bed when I first go to bed and try to get to sleep. But towards the final amount of time I spend in bed, let’s say the last hour or two, if I happen to wake up and I’m not ready to get up yet, transitioning to the firmer side feels good. My guess is that when we first go to bed, due to the rigors of the day, we are more tense and a softer surface feels better. But once we have been asleep for five or six hours, and are fully relaxed, then our body appreciates a firmer surface. Just a thought, don’t know if it has any validity or not. To address this business of who on the Internet has the best return policy and exchange policy, as far as I know FloBeds has the best of both in the sense that you have unlimited exchanges for 90 days, and a full refund of your money if you decide you do not like the bed within the 90 day time frame. The only cost to the purchaser is the cost of return shipping. And the prices that I am hearing from FloBeds vis-à-vis Savvy Rest is that FloBeds shipping costs or considerably less.For instance FloBeds is charging me $35 to return two cores from the middle part of the country to the West Coast. I know that Savvy Rest wanted $170, if my memory serves, for approximately the same scenario. I need to check with UPS and see what they would charge me as an individual for the same shipping. But I have been under the impression that FloBeds is passing along to their customers the same kind of rates that they as a company acquire from UPS. These natural latex cores are not small or light. My guesstimate is that you can figure that each 3 inch core weighs about 25 pounds. And this is for one half of a Cal King dimension piece of foam, since I get split layers. I believe that what is going on is that Savvy Rest charges shipping both ways, both from their factory to you, for the requested new cores, and from you back to the factory. FloBeds is not doing this. They pay for shipping to you and charge you the rate (that they can acquire from UPS) from you back to them. At least this is how I interpret it. So... of all the various companies that I investigated the simplest most straightforward and least expensive scenario is "habitat". Their prices are less expensive, there is no cost for shipping unless of course you don't like the bed within the six-month trial, and if you want your money back you pay them $75 for shipping it back to them. They make it simple because they severely limit your choices. They have three different beds, there is no exchanges, there are no other choices. You try it out for six months, if you like it, you keep it. If you don't like it you return the bed and pay the $75 return shipping cost. That's it. They claim that 80% of the people will like their bed as they configure it. I imagine it's a pretty big and heavy package. I can just imagine what a California King bed must look like. It's all of one piece, shrunk wrapped in a container. You take it out of the container,cut it free from its plastic wrappings, let it expand for about an hour, and you have your bed. Simple, straightforward,... and very limiting. If it had not been for the fact that I wanted more choices I believe I would have given them a try. In fact part of the reason that I am getting two more cores from FloBeds is to try out a theory. Habitat sells 3 mattresses as I just indicated. A 6 inch Dunlop core in a cover, that they sell as a mattress. This same six-inch Dunlop core with a 2 inch soft Talalay top all glued together in one piece, in a cover. They do the same thing for their third offering only it has a 3 inch soft Talalay topper all glued together in a cover. That's it, that's all they offer. My thought is that I will acquire a soft 3" Talalay core and place it on top of two extra firm Talalay cores. This should give me an approximation of what habitat offers in their best mattress. I am quite eager to give this configuration a trial run. I will be sure to let everyone know how it turns out. This message was modified Oct 2, 2009 by eagle2
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