Mattress Forum

I like a firmer bed and the sales guy said that he has seen people buy the softer Nature and then switch to the firmer Pamper model, but never the other way around.  So I think I might go with the (less expensive) Pamper, and if it is too firm I will either take advantage of the exchange or just add a topper to it.

I found the topper on amazon for 550.00 so I went ahead and ordered it.

If you are looking for a good quality Latex mattress, you should look at the 2 offered by Original Mattress Factory.  They have a medium firmness one called "Latex Foam" for $1,749 for a King set.  Their "Latex Supreme" is soft & a King set sells for $2,299.  Like all Original Mattress Factory mattresses their Latex ones are also flippable, 2-sided, so they will last twice as long.

I was thinking of maybe getting their "Latex Foam" model because they say that the Talalay Latex is all natural from rubber trees & does not sleep hot like a Tempurpedic or other Memory Foam may.

I called three different Original Mattress Factories in the Atlanta area and they all told me that the latex mattresses they carry have a layer of polyurethane foam as the very top and bottom layer (because they are flippable).  According to one of the sales guys, this was something the owner of the company wanted to do so the mattresses had a "certain feel".  This is unfortunate in my opionion, because that foam ruins the entire mattress for me.  While the OMF latex mattresses are about 95% latex, if you are looking for longevity, that polyurethane foam will degrade at a faster rate than the latex, basiclly shortening the life of the entire mattress (you'll notice OMF only offers a 12 year non-prorated warranty, while PLB offers 20 year non-prorated). 

I didn't know that the OMF Latex mattresses were only 95% Talalay organic latex & were 5% Polyurethene chemical foam & that that foam will degrade much faster.  I was told they were 100% organic Talalay latex.  I agree that is a disappointment.  I also agree that a 20 yr warranty is a lot longer than a 12 yr.  I doubt that ANY mattress would actually last 20 yrs without dipping in the middle, but that a 20 yr warranteed one would still last longer than a 12 yr.

I don't know.   I guess I'm off the idea of latex.  Some people say latex also sleeps hot, like Tempurpedic foam does.  So, I don't know what to do.  I'm thinking I may just get an OMF Orthopedic Ultra Plush (not a pillowtop, but still soft feeling top).  It's only $779 for a Queen set.

I think this whole mattress thing really sucks.  It should not be this difficult, nor should it be this expenisive.  $3,000 for a freaking Queen mattress seems like an awful lot to me.  I'm a skinny 125 lb-5 ft 7, healthy person, too, so I don't know why I should be in so  much pain in my hip & lower back, & getting a HORRIBLE quality of "sleep" just because of a stupid mattress!!

Good luck with your mattress decision.  Let us know how your saga turns out.

My mother's latex mattress is over 20 years old and is still in excellent condition.  No sagging that I can tell, definitely no dips anywhere.  My family is not what you would call skinny, so there has been consistent pressure on it.  And, my brother and I loved to use the bed as a trampoline growing up (when parents weren't looking,of course), so that mattress has taken a beating.  The cover on it is becoming threadbare and we don't even know who made it because the tag wore off a long time ago, but the latex part is still going strong.  I love that mattress so much, when I am at my mom's house I sometimes sneak a nap on it and it is the best rest I'll have had in months.  These are the things that have sold me on buying a latex mattress, now just to decide where to get it from and what kind.  :-)  $3,000 for a mattress that is going to poop out in a few years seems ludicrous to me.  Even paying a quarter as much for a non-latex mattress that will only last 5 years seems silly.

To Oringal Mattress Factory's credit, they were very upfront about what their latex mattress contained when asked and I was impressed by that at least.  I actually went to another store and purchased a mattress after being told at the time of purchase that it was an all latex mattress. It was delievered last weekend and as I was making the bed I read the legal tag on it and found out it only contained 20% latex!  I was furious and that company has since picked up the mattress and issued me a full refund.  It turns out that company doesn't even carry all latex mattress, though the sales lady showed my seveal models that where "all latex". Ooo, I could go on about them, but won't,  My point is that it just goes to show that you have to be careful because sales people will tell you anything just to make a sale.  That sales lady knew I would have walked out of the store if she told me they didn't care all latex mattress.  I know the questions to ask now, and I will be checking that legal tag before I purchase my next mattress.

I looked at the PLB at Becker Furniture and their prices started at $2800 and went up from there. That was their 50% off (List) pricing over the Labor Day weekend. I think it was really only a couple hundred off their everyday pricing.

If you find anything else in the local area, I'd like to know. I'm doing my research now and will probably buy something in the next couple of months.

Another question?  Are PLB price set like the tempurpedic, or are the prices negotiatable?  I have never had the impression at mattress stores the price is negotialble, but have heard that I should never pay what they are asking.

Sleepys in my area were negotiable. I was quoted $1700 for a Nutrition that was marked $2200, with covers and pillows thrown in, after the salesman made a phone call to his regional manager. (Still wouldnt pay that much, and wouldnt ever do business with that chain, personally.)