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The mattress and topper finally arrived here from Michigan on Wed, Nov 26th. We could not set it up until Fri as that is when the old bed was going to be picked up by JCPenneys. So it took 9 days from order to delivery; Michigan to Oregon. FBM did send out a UPS tracking number as soon as it was sent. As you can see by the pictures, it was packed up very well and although the boxes look a little ragged, it was well packed inside with several layers of plastic. On Friday morning, I went and picked up the two king foundation pieces from the local furniture store and then waited for the shippers to come and pick the old bed up. They arrived just after noon, and took the so-called "green" Simmons mattress and foundation set away, so we were able to then go ahead and set up the new king size latex mattress set. To call that mattress "green" is really stretching the core of the English language, but I guess they have a right to do it.
This message was modified Dec 27, 2008 by BillB
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Update after a few nights: I felt the bed less the 2nd night, and last night I did not wake up once and probably got the best sleep I've had for 3 months. I am very impressed so far and my back is feeling better already. My wife still feels the shoulder pressure points some, but less than the first night. I went ahead and ordered the Costco Cuddle Bed mattress pad, it will more than likely help her with this, I just hope it doesn't make things too soft; I doubt it will. Ilene - we are using the terry cloth cover that came with the bed. I bought the cotton cover from shopsatin as a spare. I just thought for $23 it was worth having it around if needed. It will be interesting changing it but I don't think it will be that hard to manage. Cloud - I read your post on the featherbeds and I think it would depend on the feather content as to how much it would compress. Down compresses very easily so the more percentage of down versus feathers, the more it will compress. I have an old down sleeping bag that is warm, but its very important to have a good pad underneath or it will sleep very cold as the down compresses so easily underneath you. Lynn - thank you for all of your posts in this forum. I have read many of them and have learned alot from you. I do remember you remarking how even an extra 1" piece of foam underneath can affect the firmness. I'd like to hear more on this. Yes, I wanted to get the split cores as I agree this would have given us more potential flexibility, but could not do it easily from FBM. Their XL kings are 39" wide instead of 38" which would have put the mattress 2" too wide for my bed. I probably could have stuffed it into the cover but didn't want to take a chance with this. |
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BillB wrote: Cloud - I read your post on the featherbeds and I think it would depend on the feather content as to how much it would compress. Down compresses very easily so the more percentage of down versus feathers, the more it will compress. I have an old down sleeping bag that is warm, but its very important to have a good pad underneath or it will sleep very cold as the down compresses so easily underneath you. Lynn - thank you for all of your posts in this forum. I have read many of them and have learned alot from you. I do remember you remarking how even an extra 1" piece of foam underneath can affect the firmness. I'd like to hear more on this. Yes, I wanted to get the split cores as I agree this would have given us more potential flexibility, but could not do it easily from FBM. Their XL kings are 39" wide instead of 38" which would have put the mattress 2" too wide for my bed. I probably could have stuffed it into the cover but didn't want to take a chance with this.
Yes, as little as 1"-- or even 1/2" of foam can make a big difference. If the Cuddlebed isn't enough to solve your wife's shoulder pain go over to Joann (the fabric store) and pick up some 1/2" HR foam. I love this stuff for extra padding or bolstering. The 1/2" size makes it easy to fine tune the exact amount needed to achieve the desired effect. Cut a piece and insert it between the mattress and the topper. It should help. P.S. How did you insert your pictures into your post? |
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Bill, this is an excellent post! Thanks for all of the hard work and details that you put into it. Seeing what you got, and hearing about your post makes me quite comfortable in making a similar purchase. Sleep well, you have earned it. |
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Bill, Thanks so much for all of the details. I'm in the mkt for a latex mattress and after trying out a Sealy at a local mattress store, I went online looking for ways to save money. I was amazed that you guys are making your own mattresses. Then, after following all of the links and looking at specs of mattresses, it seems to make sense to just buy the components and DIY. Your last post indicated you are happy with it. It's a few weeks later, is that still the case? or the case for anyone else who went this route? I looked at foam by mail, and following the posts of others, I thought I'd start with a 6in mattress and add a 2 in topper. You said "Both of these did not take any time after that to come to full volume. Minutes. The topper was then laid out on the core and zipped up" I had an email in to foam by mail about this-both the mattress and the topper (8 in total) fit inside the terry cover? I was concerned about that. I'm just leery b/c hubby wants to spend as little $ as possible, but I want to make sure my aching back and hips are taken care of. Anyone try to DIY and had bad results? If so, what is the best online comany to purchase from? It looks like you can't spend less than $1K for a queen at any of the mjr online stores. Thanks in advance for any advice. |
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Thanks for this excellent roundup of the FBM bed configuration. I have had experience with the 2" latex topper from FBM before, having ordered it to get several additional months out of a 10 year old sagging mattress that is giving up the support it once offered. It made a significant and comforting difference. There has been a lot of complaining about FBM on some of the deal sites because it "routinely short-weights orders" and "doesn't tell you the source of the latex, which is probably China," and "may not have the quality of the higher priced competition." In my online journeys, I can say FBM does definitely have an issue with delivering true to weight products, which will drive some shoppers crazy. I can also say it could easily be true the latex originates in China and may not have the same qualities as more expensive competitors, but ultimately I have been extremely happy with my latex topper, don't care where it was made, and has held up under my weight since the spring with zero wear and tear, and I don't even have the protective cover. I am particularly interested in Bill's configuration because I can take my existing 2" topper to the new design, reducing costs. But I have some questions I hope others with more experience might be able to answer: 1) I am a big and heavy guy. My weight has shown no consequence on the latex topper at all - no valleys or compression visible whatsoever. Will the same be likely with a 6" core? 2) As I am a larger person, should I be considering additional layers and/or a firmness adjustment to prevent any bottoming out issues? 3) I actually prefer a higher sleeping position - I do not like lower beds. Our existing box spring seems to be in reasonable condition (no detectable valleys or dips, nothing poking through, etc.). Could I adopt this design to my existing metal frame bed by either placing thin plywood between the foundation and the mattress to guarantee even support, or is it preferable to switch to something akin to a slotted drop-in wooden foundation (like the one BedInABox sells) and use that instead? 4) The total weight of the latex is going to add to the weight on the existing bed frame. Anyone have any experience with a heavier latex/foam mattress on an existing bed frame's durability? 5) While I don't mind the latex topper's feel just beneath the fitted sheet, I can definitely say the type of sheet used does make a difference in what you feel. I have a Martha Stewart sateen sheet set which I like for its crispness and cool feeling (it's especially nice in the warmer months), but it really transmits the springiness of the topper and it's very noticeable. Additionally, the snugger the fit, the more you will feel (and this one's fitted sheet is very snug). The Costco mattress topper idea is probably a great suggestion, although I've heard some others remark it tends to be a bit warm for some people. Experiences welcomed. I appreciate the input and experiences from those who know far more about these things than I.  If it keeps me from playing the obnoxious "let's rip you off at the bed store" game for traditional mattresses, I'm all for it! |
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Hi Cloud9 and Bill, Those pictures are great, and the info also. I hope Bill is still happy with the setup, if not what did you change? Cloud9, what have you changed to your setup now? What brand and where did you buy the featherbed? Remember I have the Overstock memory foam 1" over the cheap foam topper, over the 1" Brylane Home latex topper, over the Spring Air bed. Which has the Costco mattress cover. I have been okay with the hip area. But the shoulder and leg area has not been happy. Show us pictures Cloud9 when you change out your mattress. Good luck. |
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Hi Leo, good to see you're still with us. I haven't seen any posts from you in awhile so I thought you'd solved your problem. Sorry to hear you're still having problems getting comfortable. I took my mattress apart in stages and I'm still tweaking the rebuild. I'll have more to say about it in awhile. Basically I removed 2 1/2 inches of extremely soft, squishy convoluted toam from the quilting. This made the bed feel quite firm. Hard in fact, but still not really supportive. This is my big issue with this mattress and I'm not sure whether my back just doesn't like sleeping on foam--even firm foam, or whether the spring unit in these no-flip--no box spring mattresses are just not as rigid as the spring units in the old flippable mattresses. OR it could be that replacing 2 1/2" of soft foam with a featherbed topped by 1" of MF is still undermining support. It's actually quite frustrating because tearing the bed apart and remaking it all the time is-- well you know--a pain in the patooty. Anyway, I got the featherbed at Kohl's. They had it for an unbeatable price on Black Friday and I thought if I was going to try it now would be a very good time. As featherbeds go it's pretty firm--which is what I wanted, but after a few nights I had to put the carpeting back on because apparently it isn't firm enough, or as compressed enough as the old feather pillow I'd been sleeping on. Overall I like the feel of the featherbed better than the soft foam that was sewn into the quilting , but I'm not sure that I've really improved anything as far as my back is concerned. It still hurts! The full report--with pictures will follow. |
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Hi Cloud9,<BR><BR>What brand of featherbed is it? Pacific Coast? Is it sewn in single rows without stitching between? That is what I have. I loved it EXCEPT the feathers wouldn't stay in place. I had to fluff it every day! It was exhausting to do that every day.<BR><BR>Yes, I know what a pain in the XXX it is to change out the layers in the bed all the time. That is why I have left it alone for 4 months or so.<BR><BR>I think you need more padding! But you always said you like firm. But what you have right now isn't enough (in my opinion). Thank God my back is good. So I just have issues with the legs having pressure and shoulders. I end up sleeping on my back, which I don't like. I may have too much padding. EXCEPT my shoulders needs lots of padding.<BR><BR>As for the springs you have I have no clue. The non-flippable mattresses are not the same. Take pics of the old padding, I want to see what was in there before.<BR><BR>I wonder if there is a 100% solution to a comfortable bed...... Good luck Cloud9, look forward to pics...<BR><BR> This message was modified Dec 14, 2008 by Leo3
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I have been away at a training and also have been very busy at work lately.... Just wanted to give a brief update, more to come in the next week or so when I get a chance to catch my breath. We put the Costco Cuddle bed mattress pad on just after Thanksgiving and it has helped my wife's pressue points in her shoulder area, without making it too soft for me. So we have the 6" med core, 2" soft topper, with FBM's terry cover, then the 2" Fiber-filled Costco Cuddle bed pad. For me, sleeping on my stomach it is just a touch soft but I haven't had any back pain and don't think I will. It is perfect for both of us sleeping on our side. For anyone that weighed substantially more than me (155lbs), I would recomend the firm 6" core piece. I really like how many new posters there are on this thread. I would say to them that, yes you can! Be sure to read many posts on here before you buy and try your darndest to go out and find some actual latex to lay on and not the S brand's latex with their 8" of fluff on top of the latex but the actual real stuff. It is out there. Try to get the feel of what you need for your particular situation. Do you like a firm or medium bed? How much do you weigh? Do you sleep on your side, stomach or back? Look for posts that address these issues and try to find someone who has a similar situation to yours and see what they did. Cloud9 - About the posting of pictures.... First, if you use Windows XP, go and get the Microsoft picture resizer (google this). It will take the pictures that our current digitals are taking and turn them from 2 mb into 50 kb size without a big loss in clarity. This is a must if you are posting a bunch of pictures. You don't want to put 2 or 3 mb pictures up on webpages. So take all your pictures and then resize them down to under 100kb. Then find one of the numerous websites that freely host pictures and figure out how to upload your pictures to the site. I used imageshack.us to host mine, it is free and works well. There are many others. When you upload the pictures, you will get a web address for the picture, and then you will insert this into your post using the "insert/edit image" button on the editor toolbar. I had a little trouble getting the address right as there are a few possibilites depending on where you are going to post your pictures. Sager noticed my frustration and gave me a hand. Try it and see what happens. You'll figure it out. More pictures to come as I noticed I don't have the final shots of the mattress or the Cuddle bed pad. Bill |
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Thanks for the update Bill! I went ahead and ordered the 2" medium latex topper from foam by mail to start with and if all goes well, I hope to order the 6" firm latex core from there. Hubby and I are heavier, so it seems like that's the general firmness advice for that issue. The thing I'm still overthinking is the configuration. Looking at Flobeds and Sleep EZ, they tend to have more layers. Is that primarily for flexibility in firmness b/c you can switch them out? I'm having a difficult time finding smaller 2-3" layers in the firmer range:most are medium-soft, so a firm configuration seems best accomplished by the 6" core from FBM (and cheaper) Do most of you feel the quality of FBM is comparable to online merchants like Flobeds? Do they just order from a general source as well, or make their own? I look at the online companies and it looks like they basically DIY, so I think I can do it, but it sounds weird to say "I'm making my own mattress" out loud. I had no idea that a google search for latex mattresses would lead to this...... Thanks for the encouragement and feedback. |