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We are currently sleeping on a king size, 4 inch, B F Goodrich, TexFoam, 100% Rubber Latex Foam, Extra Firm mattress, which is 47 years old. The label states that is is 31 - 37 lbs. Certified Compression. We bought that mattress because I was having back problems. My husband made the platform for the mattress from plywood. There has been no distortion in the mattress we currently own, though it is starting to dry out and get hard on the edges. Also we are in our 70's now and have a bit of pressure discomfort. My husband raised the head of the bed about 3 1/2 inches with plywood to help my acid reflux. The ticking on the cover slides down, which is not only annoying, we are concerned that it will wear out.
We both have back, shoulder and other sleep problems now, so are looking for something a bit softer, but with the firmness we need for our backs. We are also considering adjustable beds but wonder if the pieces would slide apart or the cover would slide like the one we have now.
I am interested in the Tranquility with two 3" layers of foam from Savvy Rest, because we don't want a mattress that makes the bed too difficult to make or high to get in and out of easily, but when I spoke to Savvy Rest, they said the Tranquility is not recommended for adults, only children. We both weigh under 150 lbs, (husband is about 5'10" and I am 5'5"), since we've been sleeping on the 4 inch mattress, we think that would suit us. However I am concerned about slippage between the two mattresses, especially since we have the head of the bed raised and have slippage problems now. I am also wondering if the foam will wear out more quickly with that crease where the bed is raised.
We are traveling to Ashville, North Carolina to test Savvy Rest mattresses in a few weeks. I am concerned about the warranty on the mattress which Savvy Rest stated would be 20 years. I asked if they would abide by the warranty and she stated that they would if there were more than an inch of a depression. This scares the dickens out of me since there is no returning the mattress and even if you could, the expense of shipping is astronomical! I am extremely concerned about the possibility that we will not like the new mattress or it will be uncomfortable, then we will be stuck with an expensive albatross around our necks.
I have researched mattresses locally, even going back to the store where we purchased our original mattress, to no avail. There is no "natural" latex available here in the Louisville, Ky area. There are other types of foams to be had, but they are not natural.
I guess what I'm asking is for help deciding what latex mattress to buy. I can't say that what we have is not working for us, which I believe is Dunlop, it is just that our hips and shoulders are a bit sore. I think I'd like to buy a new mattress close to what we have, if it is available anywhere, because this mattress is so old, and then add a little something to make it a bit softer in those areas. I don't know what ILD the mattress we have is either, I only know what it says on the label.
What we DO know is that we don't want to be fooling with sending layers back and forth at our age, or getting stuck with something that doesn't work for us if at all possible.
Thanks for any advice! This message was modified May 15, 2011 by Phoebe2011
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From your description, I would order either a FloBeds or sleepez mattress kit with the free trial period and buy only two laters split (so 4 layers that will make each side a twin latex core which is easy to move around being that you want a King bed). It seems like all XFirm ILD averaging 35 ILD would be good for you with a soft latex topper and you can put the firmer ILD average latex cores on the bottom. The latex cores inside the mattress cover cling together and there is no slippage. I really like the idea of a soft topper that is no more than 2" for both of you over two Xfirm latex cores. I have a FloBed latex kit and I should have started out this firm and then I would have not had so many exchanges instead of listening to others that felt due to my petite size I needed softer latex cores. If you decided to buy the Savvy Rest mattress make sure there is a return policy in case it ends up being too firm or too soft. At least with a latex mattress kit, you can adjust the bed on each side to suit your individual needs. Also the right pillow will help and it may be time for new pillows to give your neck support. I have standard natural latex pillows on both sides of my bed from Overstock. FloBeds sells nice king and queen size latex pillows that I am using the Queen size as a sham since it was too high for me due to my not quite 5 feet size. My pillows are from Overstock and are 100% natural Talalay latex in a standard size but they may not have these in stock anymore since I bought them in 2007. Whatever you both decide to buy, were are all here for you. |
My advise is worth about half the cost so take it for what its worth.  We about your age and understand some of the issues you are facing. First, who ever you buy from make sure you understand what the warranty covers and what the gotchas are. One is depression, another fairly common one is ANY stains on the mattress cover (if purchased as a complete mattress and not some kind of "kit" will void the warranty. Should be able to cover the stain issue with a mattress protective cover. Just be sure so there are not regrets IF there comes a time when some issue needs addressing. While some mattress mfgrs don't offer a comfort quaranty, a dealer might. Again make sure you know what that guaranty is. You mentioned "natural" a couple times, what are your concerns here? Would you consider latex derived from some other plant than a rubber tree "unnatural"? I'm thinking total mattress thickness on the order of 4" is too thin. Hard to keep from bottoming out unless the foam density is quite high and that could mean overall firmness of bed is too hard for you. You might need a foundation not as high as currernt one is if you have an overall hight requirement. Also thcker mattress alows for layers of varing density to be used. Softer on top for comfort and denser down lower in the mattress for overall support. I'm also of the school that thinks you can over think the requirements. One can loose sleep from worrying as well as discomfort. I believe that people, there needs, and differenced in mattress construction that there is no one mattress that is the one that suites everyone. Gotta do a test drive so to speak. A short one in a store can rule in/out gross mismatches. A comfort guaranty provides for the long term trial. BUt if that doesn't work the return process can be more than one wants to deal with. Don't know if we were lucky or just choose well but we are happy with our purchase about 10 months ago and no regrets. Store purchase and the series of mattress came in 3 different densities. The short test drive in the store ruled out 2 of the 3. Had no need to take advantage of the stores comfort guaranty. Good luck with your search and decision. |
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Lynn:
First of all, let me thank you for your response, and the statement that you were here for me! :)
I have been checking out the "What's the Best Mattress" site for months and must say I am very confused. I can't keep all I've read in my old head, even what I've read these past few days, partially because most nights I don't get enough sleep.
I have samples of the Dunlop and Talalay latex from Savvy Rest, but don't know whether they are soft or medium soft. We think that the the softest one is way too soft for us, but it's hard to tell how soft a large mattress would be in comparison to these small samples. Savvy Rest does allow changes of firmness layers for a short period, but no returns.
I have checked Flobeds out in the past and think they are made of Talalay, if I am not mistaken. I wish I knew if the mattress we now use is Dunlop, or a blend of latex. All I know is that this mattress we have been using has kept it's shape, with no indentations of any kind and has lasted all these years, which is what I hope to duplicate, with maybe a little softness in a top layer, or with a wool topper. We can turn our mattress and sleep on the other side, without any noticeable difference in firmness. I am concerned that the Talalay might be too soft for us, plus may not be as durable. This is just so confusing and wish there were someplace locally to test all these beds.
I have also been thinking that we need XFirm mattress with a softer topper, so what you say fits. When you speak of a 2" topper, are you referring to the topper in the Flobed cover?
Also, we do have a plywood platform bed which my husband built that has never given any problems. I have used a water repellent pad under us all these years. Is there a problem with all plywood? All I see are slat platforms with these latex beds and wondered if they were a requirement for any type of latex these days.
Thanks again. This message was modified May 14, 2011 by Phoebe2011
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Webfoot,
Thanks for so much for your reply. I appreciate any comments and each one has something to aid this process. I do have a concern with spending this much money, but since we have not had a new bed in all these years, think it's okay if it all works out for us, and we are comfortable.
What I meant by natural, is not synthetic, such as polyurethane. I am guessing we have foam made by the Dunlop process from the Rubber tree since the label says "Rubber Latex", and I don't think Talalay was being manufactured then.
My husband says he's not having problems sleeping on our mattress, but I think his shoulder pain could be helped with something softer than the 31-37 compression which is in our current mattress. However, I do know that my back problems cleared up right away on this mattress.
From what I have read, if I remember correctly, there isn't such a thing as returning a mattress, at least it can't be done at Savvy Rest. They do allow exchanges for a short time. The only reason I am considering them, is that I know they sell both Dunlop and Talalay and I like the website. They seem reputable, but I must say that I have found a website which shows a depression in their mattress, which the people say they can't return. Of course, that is only one side of the story, but I find it strange that from the photo, it looks as if a person would be rolling toward the middle of that bed all night long. We had that experience in our son's bed when we stayed with our grandchildren last year. I don't know what brand of mattress it was, but I'm sure it was an innerspring with a plush topper. It was miserable!
You are absolutely right about loosing sleep from worrying! :) What type of mattress did you buy?
Thanks again! |
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Phoebe2011, I have all XFirm layers with SuperFirm latex cores on the bottom which average to 44 ILD but one of my latex cores is firmer than this. If you go with a very firm Talalay Latex core, it is firm like Dunlap. I only have a 1" soft Talalay Latex topper since I returned the 2" convoluted topper (loved how silky and cushiony the latex felt but it was too soft for me but may be good for adults taller than me) from FloBeds due to the fact that I am not quite 5 feet tall and only about 100 lbs so I needed to feel the firmness underneath and I did not sink in enough to get the support under me with too soft of a topper. Dave at FloBeds even sent me a Dunlap topper but it was not comfortable. Dave then tried sending me a 1.5" soft Talalay topper and it was too thick also for me. One this site, someone mentioned that Brylane Homes was having a terrific sale on the Queen Talalay Latex topper. I bought it and it has been perfect for my needs. Also I loved that the topper was little bit bigger than the bed with no seam so I cut it to fit the bed perfectly. The overstock 1" topper I had was too small and started to fall apart from sleeping on the floor with it before buying my bed and not keeping it in a zippered cover. Latex lasts a long time if protected. I now protect my pillows with zipped up 300 count soft cotton pillow cases before putting on the matching pillow cases to my sheet set. I wash them when needed but I always wash the pillow cases on top frequently and the 2007 latex pillows still look and feel like new which is now almost 4 years later. The blended Latex had not bothered my allergies and comes in Super Firm which is good for the bottom layers. This message was modified May 15, 2011 by Lynn2006
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Phoebe2011. I just tried a Savvy Rest today and I like it. It was the 10" model. Perhaps some of your sleep problems are because you are sleeping on a mere 4" of mattress. The store I went to had 2 each of Firm, Medium and Soft layers in both Dunlop and Talalay. I tried several different combinations. I could not tell the different between the Dunlop and Talalay in the firm configurations. But the Talalay soft was definitely softer than the Dunlop soft. I sleep on my side, stomach and somewhere between those two. I spent time just laying there for a while in different positions as well as trying out tossing and turning to see how that was. To my surprise, it was not difficult for me to figure out what worked for me. I thought the quality of the product reasonable. I recommend you go try the Savvy Rest mattresses and see if you can find a combination that works for both of you. |
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Lynn2006
Thanks so much for all your advice. I plan to do a lot more research for the next month or two and will be digesting all this great information from you and all others! :) It always takes awhile for information to "sink in" for me, but I feel I have more confidence now with everyone's input. This message was modified May 16, 2011 by Phoebe2011
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| Since you asked Phoebe, we purchased a ReNu series of a Sweda brand made by Lady Americana. Don't know how widely they are distributed. Seem to recall they license companies to build their mattresses in various locations around the country. Our mattress was made about 60 mi from here. We bought the softest of the 3 firmness levels and is also the thickest of the 3. Matress is 12-13 inches thick. Has several different densities of latex from LI. The matching foundation comes in 2 different heigths so you have some control over how tall the complete set is. I'd recommend the thiner of the 2 offerings. |
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Phoebe2011, I too am concerned about purchasing a bed with no return policy. But unlike many of the people on this forum, I don't have any health related sleep issues. I just want a new mattress. Personally, I think I would be happy with any mattress, even an S one, that felt comfortable with 10 minutes of test time on it. But given your issues, I would not purchase a mattress without a money back guarantee *if not satisfied*. I consider a 300 mile ride to test drive a latex mattress a good investment in helping you decide what you want. It's probably a two day trip, but may prove cheaper than the cost of shipping if you have to return a mattress. I hear repackaging these can be a big problem since they vacuum seal them.
This message was modified May 16, 2011 by a moderator
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Once, I got the hang of it, repackaging the latex cores was so easy with a vacuum cleaner's hose and someone to hold the plastic bag for me. I live near a UPS store so I had my friend put the boxes in the car and then the UPS store scanned them and they were returned. The first time, I mailed back a few latex cores, the UPS truck picked them up but then I found it was easier for me to bring them to the store so I would not have to wait around because I did not like to leave the boxes outside. This message was modified May 17, 2011 by Lynn2006
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Lynn2006 wrote: Once, I got the hang of it, repackaging the latex cores was so easy with a blow dryer and someone to hold the plastic bag for me. I live near a UPS store so I had my friend put the boxes in the car and then the UPS store scanned them and they were returned. The first time, I mailed back a few latex cores, the UPS truck picked them up but then I found it was easier for me to bring them to the store so I would not have to wait around because I did not like to leave the boxes outside. |
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RichardP, each latex core comes in two bags. You put the split latex core in the bigger bag which fits right in and then someone holds the bag while the other person stick the vacuum cleaner's hose in the bag and it shrinks the latex core. Then one person using packing tape to close the bag. Now the big bag will fit inside the little bag not taking up room to keep the shipping cost down. This is how the latex cores arrive also and when the bag is opened, they expand. This message was modified May 17, 2011 by Lynn2006
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| Phoebe2011, Please read my reply post under the question about the frame for the Latex mattress. If you have any questions, I will be sure to check in. Remember no company is best but make sure what you buy can be adjusted for comfort to suit your needs and had a good exchange and return policy. I am still amazed at how long your bed lasted. |
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Lynn, I am confused about using a blow dryer to shrink the latex core, if I understood you. Do you mean the heat itself shrinks it, or how does that work? Please explain further if you can. I thought heat usually makes materials expand and that is why I am confused.Or do you use it to such out the air somehow? Thank you! It will helpful if there is a way to make it easier to shrink latex for reshipment if necessary, like you suggested. |
| CORRECTION: I have not shrunk layers of latex and exchanged them since 2007 year. I have a small vacuum cleaner hose that my friend and I used to shrink the latex. Sorry... not a blow dryer. I do not know why I remembered it incorrectly but now I remember it was the suction from the vacuum cleaner's hose that shrunk the latex cores. IT was difficult the first time since I had no idea what to do but once I figured it out, it became easy to pack of the latex cores. |
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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." ..... Albert Einstein
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"You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead - your next stop: the Twilight Zone!" doo doo do do..... doo doo do do.................... |
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jd2000 wrote:
"You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead - your next stop: the Twilight Zone!"
doo doo do do..... doo doo do do.................... This message was modified May 17, 2011 by richardp
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Oh, wow, Lynn - that makes so much more sense to have used a vacuum cleaner hose instead of a blow drier to suck out the air in the latex cores. And that is a useful tip for us folks on the forum who might buy and have to return latex products. I admit, that is one big drawback to buying mattresses or mattress components in general - they're big and bulky to try to return, unless a merchant will arrange to pick them up and remove them for the disgruntled or disillusioned purchaser. It's given me pause in trying something out or experimenting like some of the forum users have - that plus the costs and hassle or returns in general. Willy
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