Hello all, still on my hunt for a good bed. My wife and I were originally looking at a Kingsdown Sleep to Live 800 Series (red/blue), but after reading some reviews we were a little skid dish and decided to look at a latex bed. Now I know there are a lot of on-line companies like Sleepez and FloBeds, but buying a bed untested from an online retailer just is a little too inconvenient as we have to deal with shipping cost if we get the firmness wrong. So we went back to my local Sleepy’s to look at what they have to offer for latex beds. Turns our they just received the new line of Dr. Breus latex beds that same day which are made by IBC. We tried all five models and narrowed it down to two. As this is a brand new line of beds it is hard for me to find on-line detailed specs. I know the salesperson tells me the bed is entirely Talalay latex, but I would like to confirm that from another source. Does anyone have anything they can share on me these beds? Or if there are any other recommendations of other beds we should look at? Thanks all. Dan |
In the case of latex ... similar construction and materials will feel very similar between different mattresses. This is why if you for example know what a latex bliss model feels like, it would be fairly easy to duplicate that feel with a similar layering and ILD combination. Personal experience is absolutely necessary IMO (as you mentioned) but the differences between different mattresses with the same specs is not so much in the case of latex so personal experience with the specific mattress you end up buying is not as necessary. A "good feeling" mattress in a store may lead to real surprises as well when you have slept on it for a little while (even a few days). Feeling good says little about whether you are getting the support you need (correct spinal alignment) as issues connected to poor alignment may not show up for a few days. Even pressure issues may not show up in the short time people usually spend in the stores. Knowing the why behind feeling good and knowing what to look for and why besides just "feeling good" is important in long term satisfaction in a mattress. If you go in the direction of materials other than latex or natural stuffings, you may also be in for some surprises as other materials are not as consistent in their qualities. Poly will not feel the same as it did in the store for all that long (depending to some degree on the specific kind of poly used) and will break down much more quickly than other materials. Memory foam as well (a different form of poly) will change over time (sometimes very quickly) and in use with different temperatures and conditions much more than other materials. Again, I absolutely agree that personal experience is essential ... but so is knowing the differences between mattress constructions and materials. The people who rely exclusively on how a mattress "feels" in the store are the ones most likely to be taken advantage of in a store environment ... and who often have the most difficulty after their purchase. They can also end up paying a lot of money for lower quality materials and construction that have a "name" attached. The "phase change" temperature regulation that Dr Breus brags about is inherent in the materials themselves. Both Celsion latex and some of the materials in ticking that are very common these days (such as outlast) are widely available outside of Dr Breus mattresses and this type of material is what gives the mattress it's qualities. This would be more important in the case of memory foam than latex although there are some who sleep hot on any foam in which case this could be important even without memory foam. The implication that these qualities are unique to a certain mattress is marketing hype (and as with all marketing hype, an uninformed customer will pay for the hype from their wallet). All in all, I believe that a combination of knowing the qualities of certain materials and constructions as they apply to you and the the practical knowledge that comes from personal experience in a store (assuming you are looking specifically for the abilities of a mattress to provide comfort, pressure relief, and support for your body makeup and sleeping style) are equally necessary for long term success and satisfaction in buying a mattress. Without both ... you would be relying on a lot of luck ... and probably pay way more than you need to. Phoenix. This message was modified Nov 14, 2010 by Phoenix
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Would you mind writing how much you paid for the mattress in total? When you were looking at the LatexBliss, how were you going to fit the 2 inch top? Would it be under the cover of the mattress, or on the outside? |
This message was modified Nov 14, 2010 by cazual
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Cazual,
Phoenix advised me you just purchased a latex mattress from Custom Sleep Design. I have spoke with Bob over the phone and he has put some specs together for my wife and me. Can you provide me with any information and feedback that would be helpful in dealing with this company. We live in the midwest and have been searching for a latex mattress and his split design sounds like a good option. Just wondering about your impressions. Any room for negotiating price? Thanks for your input.
sy |
Thanks for sharing cazual. Would you say your chosen configuration feels just as soft as lying on the loose topper on top of the LatexBliss? For me, that was the ideal firmness, aside from the topper being loose and not in the same mattress cover. How do you and your wife feel about the mattress now that you've slept on it for a few days? |
I felt very comfortable working with them. Bob was able to answer most of my questions and explained to me all the options available for no extra cost. I especially liked his answer when I asked him about the warranty as it pertains to body impressions. They will swap out the top layer if there is any signs of a body impression no measurement limit. As far as price, there may be some room for negotiation; we didn't as he threw in two king latex pillows and free delivery. Also keep in mind his prices also includes the foundation which is not the case for other vendors. |
Rocco50 we have not received the bed yet, we just ordered it this past Saturday and will take about three weeks before we get it. The only draw back ordering a custom bed is it takes time and they have been very busy the last few weeks, no doubt this forum had something to do about that. My wife and I have been shopping for months so extra time is not a big deal. As far as the feel, when I was in their showroom they had four standard bed setups. Firm, medium, soft and a 100% organic medium. The also had a two inch topper which was like the Latex Bliss version, however it had custom firmness. The top area around your shoulders was softer and the area around your hip was firmer. We concentrated on the firm and medium beds. The allowed us to remove the top layers and swap them to really dial in what we were looking for we even tried out the topper as well. We probably were there for close to two hours. In the end what we chose was similar to what we were going to pick with the Latex Bliss. I will be sure to post in a new thread, my first impressions and then follow that up with ongoing updates as soon as we get it.
This message was modified Nov 16, 2010 by cazual
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Ok, so regarding the Dr. Breus, I looked at the "do not remove or go to jail" label, and it is confirmed - mostly poly:
This message was modified Nov 17, 2010 by rocco50
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Is there a fine for looking at the label? :) Nice catch. I'll mark it in my notes. Thank you Phoenix |