Closing in on a Purchase - Thoughts and advice needed.
Sep 12, 2010 7:45 PM
Joined: Aug 11, 2010
Points: 33
So I finally got to try out some mattresses out for the first time ever.  It was a pretty interesting experience.   Most of the places I went were pretty car salesmen oriented, but that is neither here nor there.

 

I went to three stores; my goal was not to try to buy anything, but rather to get a feel for what is firm, medium, soft, and what is in the mattress to make them such.  I plan to make a modular bed and really wanted to get a feel for what all the numbers felt like so when I order I will be getting the correct firmness and materials etc… I am not going the route of a spring bed, obviously.  My objective at this point is to make a bed that I can change in case I don’t like it, but with minimal money to make the correction.

I slept on a latex medium/firm bed at my Mother’s for 3 nights.  My first night I slept really well and my back felt good the other nights I slept poor, but not because of the mattress…too much to drink.  My lower back pain was less.  My mind was already made up for a full latex bed, but when trying out mattresses…

I did find I like the feel of foam beds, at least the top part of them and the bed that felt the most comfortable was one that was made from 5”acella-flex base with a 3 inch 4lb memory foam topper. It was comfy and soft, but felt firm below the top layer.  I also like the feel of some of the tempur-pedic beds….never thought I would like them, but they felt good to me.  Although one almost gave me motion sickness, as I felt I kept sinking –their top of the line one.  I think I liked the classic and advantage….can’t remember.

So putting my experience together, I think I am going to take this approach.  Buy a latex base in 2” or 3” increments and then put a 2-3” of memory foam on top.  If I don’t like the memory foam I will just add latex in its place.  It seems medium and firm mattresses in the stores consisted of a 5-6” base at 35-36 ILD to start then deviate to different top layers, makes sense to do this, but I am going to go a little firmer on the first layer to about a 40ILD…would that be too firm?

Side and Stomach sleeper.  5’ 9”, weigh about 170lbs, big shoulders and chest, tiny waist(I think this causes issues)

I think my first stab at layers will be something like this…

 

2” of 40ild

3” 0f 35ild

2-3” memory foam(Sensus and mem-cool/Aerus)

Then I will go from there.

Questions:

-Do they make a 100% Natural Talalay in anything firmer than 35ild, or do I have to go to Talatech?

-What is Acella-flex foam?  Any info and thoughts on it?

-What is the best place to order from online for LI latex?  SLB, foamsource? I can’t return anything, due to my locations, so looking for the best price..  I am also slightly considering FBM, but figure you get what you pay for.

 

Any thoughts to my insanity?

This message was modified Sep 12, 2010 by Ser_renely
Re: Closing in on a Purchase - Thoughts and advice needed.
Reply #9 Sep 14, 2010 10:44 PM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
Search my ID  shovel99 for recent comments on stacks, surgery, various ILD's of latex and Poly foam from foamdistributing.com

Buy a couple of 1" pieces of each of HD 36 (medium firm) and "supersoft" which you can fold and get a general feel for inches of soft and firm before springing for really expensive memory and latex foams.

As stated eslewhere, they are close to 20 ILD latex and 35 ILD latex you will need in some layers, and less than 30% of the price, or less.

This will let you know you are in the ballpark before spending big bucks.

I had several 2 inch pieces of medim firm dunlop latex which I thought was going to be my "base" and it was hard as a rock.

I ended up with 4 inches of latex and supersoft, none firmer than 20 ILD.  And still very supportive. So beware a really firm base until

you try it.  And 4 inches of latx is going to be $400 or more.

 

Good luck