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Back in July I ordered a SleepEz 10,000 natural Talalay Twin XL. I had an extensive email conversation with Jeremy over the course of a week or so and he'd recommended I get XF/F/M or F/F/M layers. When I placed my order by phone, I spoke with Shaun, who recommended F/M/S and so that's what I got. I also bought their matching foundation (more on this later). The latex mattress (layers & cover) itself is very nice. The layers were in good condition and helpfully labeled. The firm layer was cut a bit longer than the others, but once inside the cover it doesn't seem to matter. I did have trouble finding a configuration that worked for me, but I tossed and turned every night, waking up several times, and I woke up with a sore back every morning. Now, some of my waking up was probably caused by the noise my bad-choice-of-a-metal-frame was causing. A few times I'd sleep well, and think "Great! This is it!" only to go back to the back pain again. I did kind of like the bouncy feel with the soft layer but I don't think that was helping me any. A few weeks after I got the bed I noticed some issues with the cover, emailed Jeremy about it and after their reviewing photos of the problem, they sent me a replacement cover. A week or so after that I decided the soft layer was just too soft for me. Again, Jeremy sent out another firm layer and a return shipping label. It cost me $30 to ship the soft layer back. Awesome customer service both times. For the last month or so I've had the bed configured with the new F layer (which feels slightly firmer than the original one) on bottom, the original F in the middle and the M on top. It was good. I slept well enough and woke pain-free. A couple weeks ago I scored a soft 1" FBM topper from someone on this very forum and that has made a big difference. It adds just enough cushion. I do have heat issue occasionally, but that's normal for me. I should be receiving my Dormier wool mattress protector any day and hope that will make it better. One thing I have noticed, and maybe this trying this could have made the original configuration work for me… it seems I need to have my upper back inclined just a little. Years of sleeping on a sofa may have done something to my back. Right now I am using latex pillows for this but will probably make a wedge thing to put under the head of the mattress. Things I would reconsider: I think I might pass on the foundation. It comes in 3 pieces, head, foot and middle. You bolt them together. That it matches is not really all that important, probably. I was thinking that I should have whatever is recommended by the seller of the mattress. I would have liked a Euroslat type system, but they are expensive. I probably could have bought the one that FloBeds sells, but I would have had to wait to save the extra $$. Beyond that, I don't know what else I might have done, because I also didn't find any platform beds I loved that were within my budget. I would not have bought the frame I got at a local furniture store. I was sold a Queen size metal frame because no one had a Twin XL and I was told a regular twin would be too short and if anyone sat on the foot of the bed it would act like a cantilever. The frame is held together with some knobs (or whatever), and it rattles. At this point I have it also bolted and clamped and it still makes noise! Next up is duct tape. Or the bay. All in all, I am happy with my bed. It took me a long time to research and to make the decision. I paid much more than I wanted to or expected to when I first began looking, but I feel I can expect this bed to last a good long time, based on what I've learned about beds (thanks to this forum). |
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It seems that all Sean ever does is recommend S/M/F. I've lain on the Sleepez S/M/F and it is really squishy, and provides absolutely no support. I can't think of anyone I would recommend it to. And yet, light people, heavy people, people with back problems, everyone says "Sean recommended S/M/F." I haven't spoken to Jeremy, but it sounds like he knows a bit more about how to recommend a mattress firmness based on people's individual needs. All in all I think Flobeds does a *much* better job in counseling people about how to order a latex mattress. Well S/M/F is what my daughter has (duh, Sean recommendation) but since she is very young and pliable, not old and creaky like me, she's perfectly happy with it. After she moves out, it will probably suffice as a guest bed. Well CJ, you invested in a great bed, so save your money and invest in a good platform bed frame to put the mattress on, and get a better foundation! I'd keep my eyes peeled on Craigslist. I bought my Ethan Allen British Classics bedframe from Craigslist, and yeah, it still cost quite bit, but 1/2 what a brand new one would cost (also got the matching chest/nightstand for 1/2 off). I got my daughter's bedframe from Craigslist too, and although it squeaks (metal), it's a very pretty canopy bed. After I got my bedframe, I found two others I loved even more at VERY reasonable prices. One was a Charles P. Rodgers bed for only $800 (a steal, click the link and look at these amazing bed frames) and the other was a gorgeous japanese platform bed I'd looked at retail and passed because it was too expensive. Anyway, the point being, if you're willing to wait and keep looking, you can get an amazing bed frame for much less! On the foundation, I went into my local mattress store, and was told by the salesman there that all the foundations were "the same" so I just picked one that had fabric sort of matching my Flobed mattress cover. When I went in the next time for a foundation for my daughter's Sleepez mattress, another salesman said they are *not* the same - some are designed to be soft, and he sold me a rigid foundation for her. I feel sure the foundation I bought for my Flobed mattress is of the "soft" variety, so when I get off my lazy butt I'm going to get some plywood to put between the foundation and the mattress to stiffen it up. |
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Thanks for the review. My 10,000 is hopefully going to be un-cocooned today... either set-up onto a new bed or onto the floor until my wife finds a bed she likes (sigh). All I know is I am tired of the air mattress. We got the Shawn S/M/F recommendation as well and Kimberly has me convinced it will be too soft for me, so we will soon see. |