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I have been lurking on this forum for about six months, since my wife has agreed to a new mattress set. We bought a Stearns & Foster pillowtop eight years ago. Needless to say, the pillowtop has cratered on my side of the kingsize bed and my wife's side is only marginally better. We are heavier than any of the people that have posted their weight on this forum; I weigh about 360 lbs and my wife is about 280 lbs. I am strictly a back sleeper while my wife sleeps primarily on her side, although she occasionally sleeps on her back or belly. After reading the forum's posts, I intend to try a natural latex mattress from either Flobeds or Sleepez. The question is whether my wife or I will bottom out either the Sleepez 1300 or the 12" Flobeds. Although I have read plenty regarding the superiority of the Flobeds cover, the savings from sales tax and shipping, make Flobeds far more expensive (use tax aside). While I have made the case to try latex, especially mentioning the return policies, my wife is skeptical because the S&F mattress was also very well researched (recommended by Consumer Reports). Naturally, my mattress credibility is on the line. Anyone have any thoughts on the latex alternative considering our weight? |
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You're right to raise the cost difference between Flobeds and Sleepez as a consideration. Sleepez is just plain less expensive. I would phone both companies and discuss your height and weight with them, as well as your sleeping positions and any medical issues you may have, such as back or hip or shoulder pain. See what each company recommends in terms of latex firmness. But I do think you will need some very firm latex to support your weight. Don't be lured into ordering something you think will be cushy and soft. Heavy people need firm latex. At your weight they may even recommend that you go with Dunlop, which is more dense, and I think, firmer than Talalay, or with a combination of Dunlop core and Talalay on top. I do not believe you'll bottom out on your latex mattress, provided that you get the right firmness, and at your weight, you'll need the support of very firm latex. If you have been lurking for six months, you'll know that I am six feet tall and weigh >250 lbs. I have a Flobed with three layers of 36 ILD (this is pretty firm stuff) blended Talalay latex, and these three core layers are covered by a 2" soft convoluted latex layer. I do not bottom out on my mattress. I find it fully supportive, yet it yeilds enough to provide pressure relief for my hips. My daughter has the Sleepez 10000 mattress, and her configuration is soft/medium/firm blended Talalay latex. I don't remember what ILDs are associated with those designations, but I think it's something like 28/32/38? That configuration would be much too soft and unsupportive for *me* to sleep on, but I have lain on her bed and I don't bottom out on that either. So if you went the Sleepez route and if you're worried about bottoming out, you might just go the 13000 route for peace of mind - though I personally think you would find the 10000 sufficient. The bottom line is, I think you would best be served by phoning the experts and thoroughly discussing your situation with them. Even if you end up having to exchange a layer or two to get it just right, I firmly believe that each company has the expertise to recommend a good starting point. I've had my Flobed for around 8 months, and it still looks brand new, no cratering or softening or breakdown of the latex. I can assure you that I have read many accounts, both on this forum and elsewhere, of latex beds lasting 20 years and more, with no appreciable change in the latex. I'm expecting mine to go at least 20 years! Oh, and DianeK below has a good point about each of you being able to individually configure your sides. This message was modified Jun 16, 2010 by KimberlyH
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| I would recommend you have this discussion directly with Flobeds or Sleepez as they will have the most experience in this regard. Both outfits are very helpful over the telephone. You should definitely consider a bed where you can configure each sleeper's side differently. Side sleepers generally need a softer setup than a back sleeper regardless of weight. |