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I am looking to purchase a latex mattress and am debating between Flobeds and Plush Beds. I have read so much information that my eyes have begun to cross. I did not want to buy on-line but after looking at my local stores, I do not feel comfortable with what they have to offer. Can anyone tell me what they think or know about either of these companies...or if there is some other latex bed you would recommend. I am so overwhelmed by it all. Any help at all will be greatly apprciated. Thank you! |
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I agree, I would go with either Flobeds or Sleepez, they are both generally acknowledged to be among the most reputable of the online latex mattress companies. Sleepez will be a little less expensive than Flobeds, but you get a little extra with the Flobeds mattress that you don't get with Sleepez. Both are comfortable. Be sure you PHONE each company and discuss with them your height, weight, preferred firmness level and sleeping position, any chronic issues such as back or hip pain when sleeping, etc. Then let them advise you how firm to start out with your mattress. I should say that Flobeds has an online firmness advisor you can play with, but it's no substitute for talking with them on the phone. They convinced me to go firmer than I thought I wanted, and they were right. Sleepez just seems to suggest soft/medium/firm layers for almost everyone, IMO they don't put as much effort into tailoring the mattress to your needs as Flobeds does. However, both source their high quality latex from the same place, and aside from different mattress covers (Flobeds is better) and the fact that Flobeds includes an extra layer, they are very similar. We have a Flobeds mattress AND a Sleepez mattress in our home, both are great. |
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I would also agree with the previous posts except to say that there are probably (at least) a dozen different outlets which are highly rated, reliable, can provide you with good advice, different levels of customization, and great value besides the few that were mentioned here. You won't go wrong with the two in particular that were mentioned and choosing between only two of course would simplify things but there are other options that may represent better value for your particular needs or preferences. Most of them have been "linked" in recent threads and I believe it would be well worth looking at and/or talking to a few more before you make a decision about what may be best for you. Make a list of what is important to you (things such as talalay or dunlop, the ability to customize a mattress before you buy it based on advice you receive and your own experience, the ability to customize a mattress through some kind of layer exchange after you buy to make up for any "mistakes" you may make, how thick you want the layers or how thick you want the mattress to be, how much you are willing to spend (including shipping), the materials and/or quilting above the latex, natural vs synthetic, and any other aspects that are important to you). Reading some of the recent threads will give you an idea of how other people have dealt with the same questions you are facing. Treat it systematically so you can better understand your own preferences and in turn ask better and more specific questions. This will take you a little longer of course but it will help dispel the confusion and "overload" and lead you to better choices in the end. Phoenix This message was modified Nov 5, 2010 by Phoenix
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| Thank you both for your great input. I like the idea of making a list of what I want but I know that the major one is to get a bed that gives a good nights sleep and does not involve a lot of hassle. I want a natural product with no petroleum or synthetics in it. I like the idea of the Flobed but wonder how much hassle there is in finding the right mix of latex layers. Also, is there enough time to try out different levels to find the ones that work for you. I have looked at other threads and read so much but will go back and revisit what I have seen. Where else would you recommend I look at beds? i am up for any options. Thanks again for the great info! |
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Well, if you want to keep it simple, then choose: 1. A company that offers a 100% natural latex mattress. Both Flobeds and Sleepez do. 2. Here is the difference in the mattress covers: Sleepez is a woven cover (you can specify organic cotton if you want) and the top is quilted with wool. It seems sturdy. Flobeds is an organic knit cotton cover quilted with wool at least on the top and sides - I'd have to check the bottom of mine to see if it has quilted wool on the bottom too. The wool is an excellent feature - it will help keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. There are no synthetic fire retardents in these covers. 3. Another difference between Flobeds and Sleepez is that the Flobeds mattress comes with a 2" convoluted latex topper in addition to the main 3 layers of latex. For some people this might be a plus, for others it might not matter. 4. The Sleepez mattress components come all wrapped together in one giant, extremely heavy box. A little inconvenient to unwrap and set up, IMO, expecially if the bedroom is upstairs, but this is a minor quibble. The Flobeds mattress components come in several boxes, with each component individually wrapped. This makes it easier to carry the individual components to the bedroom and set them up. Also, if you find you need to return a layer, you will find that you have heavy plastic bags for each mattress component. For ease of unpacking and setup, Flobeds wins. However, in the interest of fairness, I should mention that Sleepez has free shipping, and Flobeds does not. This makes Flobeds a little more expensive. Return shipping of a layer, should you need to do this, is not very expensive - around $20-$25. 3. Both Flobeds and Sleepez can help you with the choice of latex firmness for each layer. That's why it's so important to phone them. They both have years of experience counseling buyers of every body type and size. They'll know the questions to ask you and will recommend something that is likely to be very close to what you need. Like I said, when I phoned Flobeds, I thought I wanted a soft cushy mattress. They were adamant about selling me a mattress that I thought sounded unbelieveably firm. They were right, and I was wrong. They saved me from making a decision that would have been wrong for me. 4. And if it isn't right - say you feel your mattress is too firm or too soft, the great thing is that you can package up a layer (this sounds complicated and a hassle, but the way they handle it, it is not) and get a different layer, softer or firmer, or whatever you need. Trust me, the ability to exchange one or more layers, and a 90 day full refund guarantee is ultimately going to give you the peace of mind you need when making an investment in a mattress you want to last for 15 years or more. It may sound like more of a hassle than just buying a premade mattress, but I've been on this forum long enough and read enough stories from people who just bought a mattress they thought was comfortable in a showroom, got it home, were miserable, and found out they had limited exchange/return options. If your objective is a durable, comfortable, high quality mattress without artificial components, go with a company that offers you: 100% natural latex mattress, 100% natural mattress cover, the ability to unzip your mattress cover and exchange layers of latex, unlimited layer exchanges during a 90 day trial period, and a 100% return guarantee for the first 90 days. Most important in my mind is the ability to unzip the mattress and remove/exchange latex layers - that is the only way you'll be able to get a mattress that is exactly what you want. Phoenix said there are other companies out there who offer great products, and this is pretty much true, though I'm doubtful there are many that offer the same customer service, ability to customize, and have the same generous exchange and return policies as Flobeds and Sleepez. Just pick 2 or 3, phone them all and discuss your needs with them, and go with your gut. It's actually pretty nerve-wracking to order a $2k mattress you've never seen or laid on over the internet, but for many of us it was the best decision we've ever made. My husband, who was furious with me over the shenanegans I went through buying a new mattress, just loves our Flobed and gushes about it all the time. |
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Just to keep your choices to companies which offer similar services ... a layered make your own natural latex mattress that can be customized (to slightly diferent degrees) both before and after purchase ... have a good reputation, give good advice (again to differing degrees), and provide good value. Here are a few options (not in any order of preference). http://www.mygreenmattress.com/ http://www.customsleepdesign.com/ There are many more outlets which all offer these same basic services of pre purchase customization, post buy layer exchange, advice and help, a good reputation/rating, good quality natural latex, and great value but this dozen are among the better ones. I would personally buy product from any one of these. Every one of these offers something the other's don't in terms of options, service, material, construction, or price (none of these are clones of another). Even here you will see quite a wide range of prices for very similar materials and construction. There is an even bigger list of more "traditional" custom manufacturers who will make and ship you a whole mattress to your exact specifications but of course without the more simple layer exchanges that are offered by all of these they involve more risk regardless of their value so I haven't listed any of these. Phoenix PS: I removed one link to an outlet that I hadn't talked to. They claimed to be a factory direct for Jamestown mattress however when I phoned Jamestown mattress itself, they said that they were no longer in business. I asked Jamestown (whose website was also down ... seems to be my day for that) if they would supply a "make your own" product with 3 x3" layers of latex and a zippered wool/cotton cover and a layer exchange if needed, and what would it cost, the girl I talked to said she thought so but that I would be better to talk to the owner who would be back on monday to get the pricing and any other details I needed. If the pricing, options, service, and any other research seems reasonable, I will include them back in this list except the link will be directly to them instead of a factory direct outlet. Jamestown mattress itself seems to have been in business for a long time and has several outlets http://www.manta.com/c/mm2ckc3/jamestown-mattress-co-inc This message was modified Nov 5, 2010 by Phoenix
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| OK. after looking at all my options, I am going to call Flobeds and SleepEz tomorrow. I like that SleepEz does not charge any shipping but I will see how my phone conversation goes and then make my final decision. Thank you all for your assistance with this difficult process! |
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Kimberly- If you had to choose between the Flobed and the SleepEz, which would you choose and why? Thanks- Banaltra |
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Hello, Everyone - Please be alerted to the single biggest scam regarding latex matts: false claims of "100% Talalay" or "All Natural" or "Solid Latex" and so on. One of the ways you can research a company that claims to use 100% Talalay Latex is to go to the only source for natural latex foam in the United States: Latex International. As of 2010, LI is the only manufacturer in the US that processes true natural latex rubber foam, period. Here's their main page: http://www.latexfoam.com/ Here's a page from their site which offers some of the name brands, including a few online retailers: http://www.latexfoam.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=74 Please note that this is not a comprehensive listing of makers/vendors, so if you find a vendor that you're interested in, you may wish to contact LI and verify that the product/s you're researching do, in fact, incorporate Talalay latex. Beware of latex products manufactured anywhere other than in the U.S. or Ireland (KayMed). Sorry to sound snobby about it, but if it's not made in the US or the UK, the quality control is pathetic, coarse fillers are often used, density and compression values vary throughout a given section of foam, etc. It's a case of you-get-what-you-pay-for when it comes to real latex foams. Wish 10 inches of Talalay were cheaper... (Sigh) Thanks for letting me participate here - good forum! - Denise in Alachua, FL |
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I think that most people are probably pretty aware of this from reading the forum threads but it is always timely to repeat it :) There is much more to the story than your "warning" would imply however. Talalay is not the only high quality natural latex being used in mattresses. Some very high quality mattresses are also made using Dunlop and there are several manufacturers of Dunlop besides LI which produce excellent 100% natural latex. There is also some question over the superiority of natural latex from LI over either their own blended Talalay or Radium's Talalay latex in terms of it's qualities. Dunlopillo also supplies the natural Talalay latex used in some mattresses sold in North America although this is much rarer. Using LI's website to determine the quality of a mattress or the accuracy of a "natural latex" claim is only a small part of research that would be required and by itself would mean little since so many very good 100% natural latex mattresses don't use them. Your generalization about quality control outside of US/UK manufacturing is also not accurate. While it is certainly valid to question some of the sources of latex, there are manufacturers outside of these 2 countries that have quality control as least as good as anything manufactured there. Phoenix This message was modified Nov 12, 2010 by Phoenix
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Phoenix wrote: I think that most people are probably pretty aware of this from reading the forum threads but it is always timely to repeat it :) There is much more to the story than your "warning" would imply however. Talalay is not the only high quality natural latex being used in mattresses. Some very high quality mattresses are also made using Dunlop and there are several manufacturers of Dunlop besides LI which produce excellent 100% natural latex. There is also some question over the superiority of natural latex from LI over either their own blended Talalay or Radium's Talalay latex in terms of it's qualities. Dunlopillo also supplies the natural Talalay latex used in some mattresses sold in North America although this is much rarer. Using LI's website to determine the quality of a mattress or the accuracy of a "natural latex" claim is only a small part of research that would be required and by itself would mean little since so many very good 100% natural latex mattresses don't use them. Your generalization about quality control outside of US/UK manufacturing is also not accurate. While it is certainly valid to question some of the sources of latex, there are manufacturers outside of these 2 countries that have quality control as least as good as anything manufactured there. Phoenix I understood Dunlopillo closed their doors about a year ago. Unless someone else bought them out. Latex Green is one Dunlop manufacturer that is good, made in Sri Lanka if I am not mistaken. I have some latex from them seems good to me. I think the poster meant made in China perhaps. But I agree about the Talalay from LI being excellent quality, I have those toppers too. I am not aware of another Talalay manufacturer other than them. Sleepeze website listes the manufacturers they use. I think it may be outdated last time I looked at it. |