OK I'm in trouble now
Oct 10, 2009 3:09 PM
Joined: Aug 21, 2009
Points: 486
OK.  So I called Custom Comfort and told them I wasn't happy with their customer service.  They told me the core was going to be 32, what they delivered was 28, and since I am heavy, I was sinking right into it.  They told me they would come out next Thursday to pick it up and adjust it.

So after a conversation with the manager, I ended up asking them to come pick it up and refund my money.  They agreed to do this after some arguing.  Then I told my husband that they are coming out to pick up the mattress today and he's got steam coming out of his ears!  He says it's something we should have discussed (true) and now he's going to have to sleep on the couch until something new arrives (also true) . . .

Sooooo, I talked to Flobeds and they are recommending xfirm over xfirm over firm for me, and my husband just wants me to order the same firmness for him (he really can sleep on any old thing).  I haven't placed the order yet, but I guess I'll be doing it this afternoon.

They are recommending the V-Posture one with the zones . . .  . I'm inclined to just order the Deluxe and try to keep it as simple as I can.  Eagle, is yours a deluxe or the posture model?

One thing I did find out, the "sale" is for ordering a blended Talalay latex instead of all natural.  If you want the sale price on the website, you're ordering blended.  However, he also said that a sale on the natural is coming up.

Another thing the guy (Dave?) told me is that the statement on the LI website that blended is more durable than 100% natural was put there before they started selling all natural.  He seemed to think there is no difference feel-wise between the two, and didn't have much to say about one kind being more durable than the other.
Re: OK I'm in trouble now
Reply #1 Oct 10, 2009 3:32 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
KimberlyH wrote:
OK.  So I called Custom Comfort and told them I wasn't happy with their customer service.  They told me the core was going to be 32, what they delivered was 28, and since I am heavy, I was sinking right into it.  They told me they would come out next Thursday to pick it up and adjust it.

So after a conversation with the manager, I ended up asking them to come pick it up and refund my money.  They agreed to do this after some arguing.  Then I told my husband that they are coming out to pick up the mattress today and he's got steam coming out of his ears!  He says it's something we should have discussed (true) and now he's going to have to sleep on the couch until something new arrives (also true) . . .

Sooooo, I talked to Flobeds and they are recommending xfirm over xfirm over firm for me, and my husband just wants me to order the same firmness for him (he really can sleep on any old thing).  I haven't placed the order yet, but I guess I'll be doing it this afternoon.

They are recommending the V-Posture one with the zones . . .  . I'm inclined to just order the Deluxe and try to keep it as simple as I can.  Eagle, is yours a deluxe or the posture model?

One thing I did find out, the "sale" is for ordering a blended Talalay latex instead of all natural.  If you want the sale price on the website, you're ordering blended.  However, he also said that a sale on the natural is coming up.

Another thing the guy (Dave?) told me is that the statement on the LI website that blended is more durable than 100% natural was put there before they started selling all natural.  He seemed to think there is no difference feel-wise between the two, and didn't have much to say about one kind being more durable than the other.

"The other guy", Dave, is Dave Turner. He owns the company, and has for 30 years. Dewey is his son.

My bed is the 100% natural botanically grown Talalay processed latex deluxe mattress.

I was not interested in the the V-Poature model either, as I knew the complexity of adjusting six layers ( California King, split three layers per side) was going to be involved enough without adding the complexity of the V-Posture.
Re: OK I'm in trouble now
Reply #2 Oct 10, 2009 6:21 PM
Location: Mequon, WI
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 363
KimberlyH wrote:
 and didn't have much to say about one kind being more durable than the other.

In the past Latex International used to have their warranty information on their website.  From my recollection, the blended was warranted a greater number of years (20?) then the 100% natural.  Perhaps somebody else can verify this.  If Batman is around, he will know the answer.
Re: OK I'm in trouble now
Reply #3 Oct 10, 2009 6:49 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
MequonJim wrote:
In the past Latex International used to have their warranty information on their website.  From my recollection, the blended was warranted a greater number of years (20?) then the 100% natural.  Perhaps somebody else can verify this.  If Batman is around, he will know the answer.

Jim: This issue of which is superior, botanically grown hundred percent natural latex or blended latex has been debated ad infinitum.

I would genuinely like to know what the truth is, if it could be something other than just another opinion. It seems to be, that what ever product is the most desirable to the person selling it, is the product that is superior.

Habitat claims that only the 100% botanically grown latex is the superior product, and they will not sell a blended product because it is so inferior. They have very little good to say about blended latex. SleepEZ, on the other hand, seems to think that the blended product is better. Savvy Rest believes that only the 100% botanically grown latex is the proper latex for anyone to buy, and they stringently express the fact, that that is all they sell, and do their best to certify that. FloBeds seems to be rather neutral about the whole thing.

As I have stated, at other places on this form, that it would not surprise me to learn that the right kind of blended product was actually a superior product. I base this opinion on the fact that we have been living with synthetic foams for many, many decades. And the vast majority of the people have suffered no ill effects from it. Some of it wears like iron. Others, certainly the more cheaper brands of synthetic foams, can crap out in a few months to a few years. I may be using some blended latex in some of my furniture right now, and don't know it.

I did have a couch one time(about 1960 or so) that had all natural rubber in the seat cushions (all natural rubber as far as I know). They just would not wear out. I was raising small children at that time and they thought the seat cushions were their own personal trampling.I can't remember how long we had it but at least 15 years, then I gave it to my son when he moved into his own apartment and I'm not sure how long he used it. I think he finally gave it to some friends when he moved, but I just don't remember. For all I know it is still going strong 45 years after I initially purchased it.The nylon covering that the natural rubber was wrapped in wore like iron as well. And we all know that nylon is a petrochemical product.

The one thing that I detest about the niche market mattress manufactures is that just like the big S. brands, they like to take liberties with terminology. Anything to sell their product. It would be so refreshing to run into someone who did not do this. From all my reading (and I'm not claiming that it has been all that extensive, nor that I am all that informed) FloBeds seems to do this the least of all. David Turner, who owns FloBeds, has been in this business for 30 years. I would tend to trust his judgment on this subject. He seems to be fairly neutral about the subject of natural vs. blended latex. I respect that.
This message was modified Oct 10, 2009 by eagle2
Re: OK I'm in trouble now
Reply #4 Oct 12, 2009 10:59 AM
Joined: Aug 31, 2009
Points: 69
One of the biggest disadvantages to non-blended latex used to be that you couldn't get it from LI which generally meant having it shipped from overseas.

Of course now that LI offers a non-blend, who knows. My experience has taught me that the blended latex (depending on the blend, of course) is mostly superior...but that experience may have been affected by the latex sitting on a ship for several months in a tightly wound ball.

Re: OK I'm in trouble now
Reply #5 Nov 2, 2009 5:47 PM
If you are looking for a good night's sleep, proper sleep posture is everything. Your mattress should help you obtain the proper posture for your position.
Location: Orlando, FL
Joined: Sep 3, 2007
Points: 335
This question is not as easy as it seems because you cannot generalize about latex that is mixed with synthetics unless you know about the synthetics. There are too many variables in products that can be used that are called synthetics. For example, if a manufacturer was adding sand to a latex blend to increase density they would also call sand a synthetic. That is why most people prefer to stick with 100% natural latex. At least then you will know what you are getting.
This message was modified Nov 2, 2009 by Batman
Re: OK I'm in trouble now
Reply #6 Nov 2, 2009 6:35 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
Batman wrote:
This question is not as easy as it seems because you cannot generalize about latex that is mixed with synthetics unless you know about the synthetics. There are too many variables in products that can be used that are called synthetics. For example, if a manufacturer was adding sand to a latex blend to increase density they would also call sand a synthetic. That is why most people prefer to stick with 100% natural latex. At least then you will know what you are getting.

Batman: I tend to agree with you. Even though the company is someone like Latex International, and they tell you that the blend is 60% synthetic 40% natural, you just can't help but wonder what is in that synthetic.

Unfortunately the bedding industry, for a long time now, has been playing games with the buying public as regards what is actually in their mattresses. The whole business about "naming conventions," not being forthcoming with the actual material in their mattresses, has driven people to the niche manufacturers, such as FlowBeds, Savvy Rest, SleepEz, and many others. If for no other reason than you can actually stipulate what you want the contents of your mattress to be.

I bought an 100% all botanically grown latex mattress from FlowBeds. The latex seems to have a very soft buttery feel, and a very pleasant odor which dissipates over several weeks time. I kind of miss it as it smelled like a bakery shop, some folks have commented that it smelled like cookie dough, I rather liked it.

But it just seems to be impossible to really find out the quality of a product once they begin mixing in other content.
This message was modified Nov 2, 2009 by eagle2