The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Oct 25, 2010 11:51 PM
Joined: Oct 24, 2010
Points: 18
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

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #73 Jul 4, 2011 10:27 PM
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: May 13, 2011
Points: 170
What do (did) you try next, flasteelers fan.  It's sad that companies are devious about their products.  Mix in a bit of latex, call it a latex bed.  Let the buyer beware.  I'm glad you decided to do research and found this forum.  Hopefully it will help you find the right bed for you!  Oh, and read the return policies carefully.  You are correct about sag; it's now how much sag you feel, it's how much you can measuer.  And PU foam is inexpensive and does not keep it's shape.
Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #74 Jul 6, 2011 6:55 AM
Joined: Jul 4, 2011
Points: 3
I returned my Dr Breus bed within the first 60 days, and got a Tempur-Pedic.  It was more money than the Dr Breus, but I feel like I got my money's worth.  It felt good (like the store floor model) as soon as it was delivered.  I'm was a little concerned because I got the Cloud Supreme, and the Cloud series doesn't have the track record of their older line yet.  I hope it will though.

But, it's also a polyurethane foam bed.  The tag on my Tempur-Pedic says 56% Visco Elastic Polyurethane Foam and 43% Polyurethane Foam.

I haven't had it as long as the Dr Breus bed yet, no complaints yet, and I don't think I'm going to feel an impression in less than a month like I did with the Breus.

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #75 Jul 6, 2011 3:03 PM
Joined: Jul 5, 2011
Points: 20
Folks

While I'm a newby to this forum and as well as the DIY mattress symposium, I would like to offer my comments on the matter. If the customer is sold any product by misleading means then the seller has a responsibility to make said product right by the customer. That means a refund of the full price or some recompense depending on the customer's wishes. I would like to state, that I recently purchased one of these beds. I've been sleeping on a wave less-water bed for nearly 30 years. While they provide good support the minuses became too much. So I went looking for a new mattress that would offer the same support as a water bed mattress as well as allow me to keep the expensive frame and headboard from the waterbed. For those not in the know concerning water beads and their foundation systems, I would like to provide some insight. I have two sets of draws under a very substantial frame. The frame consists of 3 sections of 1/2" ply with 4 2"x8" wood sides attached to the plywood.

So I had to have a replacement solution that not only provided a similar experience to a waterbed (comfort and support) but allow me to insert the mattress into the existing waterbed frame. Once I determined the frame size was a Cal King, I then tried to find the appropriate mattress.

Mattress shopping is akin to root canals and media blitzing. Every mattress store had the best solution. Even though the customer can see a varied selection, it's extremely hard, if not impossible to compare apples to apples. Finally after 4 days of hard shopping I found a place that was willing to try and provide me with the needed information to allow me to make a somewhat educated decision.

I bought, for better or worse, a Dr Breus bed. The sales person didn't try to sell me the bed as a total latex bed solution. I was told what comprised mattress content and allowed to make the decision based on those facts. I understood the purchase and was afforded a price similar to a higher end coiled system bed. So I don't feel I was sold a pig-in-a-poke.

Should I find this system doesn't meet my needs. I'll return it for a refund and look into designing a latex style mattress. I'm not sure that I have a problem with utilizing other foams in conjunction with latex to keep the costs down while providing the best comfort for the least amount of time and resources spent (best bang for my buck).

So I would like some constructive feedback from the varied cornucopia of knowledge contained by the folks on this forum.

The wife and I are back and side sleepers. Were both passed middle age and I'm over 6” tall. She is only 5” 6”. We've grown into what most folks call the late middle aged form. I've always been a large guy (played the line in football).

Thanks and sorry for possible being to verbose.....smiley

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #76 Jul 7, 2011 7:43 AM
Joined: Jul 4, 2011
Points: 3
Timby, I hope you'll keep us posted on how things go with your Dr Breuss bed.  Even though I didn't keep mine, I'm still curious as to whether or not others will have issues (impression in less than a month) or not.  I'm not as big as you, so you should know quickly. 

Your bed must be really tall sitting on that water bed platform with drawers underneath?  I picture your wife needing a ladder to get on the bed.  All the Dr Breus beds I saw were very thick.  I got the low profile foundation when I got mine, and it was still pretty tall on my standard bed frame. 

And you mentioned not being sure about utilizing other foams in conjunction with latex to keep costs down.....  I think you've already made that plunge when you bought the Dr Breus bed.  That's what they do in the construction of their bed, only they don't keep the cost down for the customer.  So, you'll know first hand if you decide to build your own later.

Good luck with your new bed.

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #77 Jul 13, 2011 2:12 PM
Joined: Jul 5, 2011
Points: 20
flsteelersfan wrote:

Timby, I hope you'll keep us posted on how things go with your Dr Breuss bed.  Even though I didn't keep mine, I'm still curious as to whether or not others will have issues (impression in less than a month) or not.  I'm not as big as you, so you should know quickly. 

 

Your bed must be really tall sitting on that water bed platform with drawers underneath?  I picture your wife needing a ladder to get on the bed.  All the Dr Breus beds I saw were very thick.  I got the low profile foundation when I got mine, and it was still pretty tall on my standard bed frame. 

And you mentioned not being sure about utilizing other foams in conjunction with latex to keep costs down.....  I think you've already made that plunge when you bought the Dr Breus bed.  That's what they do in the construction of their bed, only they don't keep the cost down for the customer.  So, you'll know first hand if you decide to build your own later.

Good luck with your new bed.

Well here is my report after nearly a week in my new Dr. Brues bed. As I previously stated my water bed went south for the final time (began leaking like a sieve). After paying nearly $200 to have the WB mattress pumped down and the old hard side frame connected to the drawers, we were nearly ready for the new mattress. I went in and stapled some inserts to protect the new bed from the existing brackets (used to secure the 8" side boards together as well as connect the frame to the platform).

We took delivery last Saturday. The bed fit like a glove in the existing WB hard side frame. The top of the mattress is about 2 to 3 inches above the existing frame. We put on the mattress cover and laid on the bed for a while to see how it felt. The mattress is firmer than the one in the store. I have to wonder if that is partially because of the frame as it extends most of the way up the sides of the mattress. This doesn't allow the bed to extend horizontally as with typical beds when you lay down.

My grown up son ran in and jumped onto the new mattress expecting the same amount of give as the WB. Was he surprised. It did cushion the attach but didn't give nearly as much as the WB. So we heard a muffled groan from him. He did say that he liked the mattress selection. My grown daughter has tried the new mattress as well. We nearly had to drag her off the bed. She wants one also.

We've sleep well in the bed and my wife, while a little over 5' 6” is able to get into the bed. I don't have nearly as much trouble as I'm nearly 6' 2”. Although, we've a lot of practice since we've had the Water Bed nearly 30 years. The new mattress is breaking in and is conforming more to our distinct body types. I do have a 3” high density memory foam topper we purchased years ago to go on top of the water bed. The topper allowed us to get rid of that nasty electric heater that is mostly required to keep the water bed to a decent temp. Should the mattress not be as comfortable as we like, we'll utilize the memory foam topper.

The wife seems to be sleeping well as she hasn't been getting up in the middle of the night and seems to be sleeping until the alarm goes off. I'm still evaluating the comfort. I have problems sleeping due to a couple of herniated disk in my lower back. I do notice that I'm not as sore in the mornings.

I'm still experimenting with pillow selection. I'm having some neck discomfort and am contemplating some other options. I would appreciate any feed back concerning pillows for a mainly back sleeper. We've tried memory memory foam and don't like them. I'm currently using a memory foam pillow to pad my desk chair. It seem to work well for my butt but not for my head....LOL

I will keep all apprised on how things work out with the bed as time goes along. I will consider a purely latex mattress should this one fail to meet our standards.

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #78 Jul 18, 2011 9:07 PM
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Points: 1
Hi, I started with a TempruPedic and now I a waiting for TempruPedic to come take it away and I will be replacing it with a Dr. Breus Bed.  Sleeping on the TempurPedic (cloud supreme) was like sleeping on a landfill.  The smell was unbearable and scary.  Then I find out the polymers are not exactly healthy to sleep on whether or not you can smell them they are still there.  My husband's back was still stiff after the first couple of nights.  So Timby I am very curious to find out how you are making out with the Dr. B mattress, I'd rather end up with a latex allergy then cancer (check out the blogs on polyurathene memory foam). My delivery of the Dr. B mattress comes in six days while my husband and I sleep on the pull out in the living room   I never thought getting a new mattress was such a difficult task. 
Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #79 Jul 18, 2011 10:11 PM
"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
Joined: Mar 18, 2011
Points: 29
Regina......from what I understand, Dr Breus beds contain very little latex foam. They are made from polyfoam (soy based polyurethane). I forget the actual percentages but they contain less than 50% latex and possibly as low as only 15%. Also, soy based polyfoam contains very little soy and is mostly polyurethane if my memory serves me correctly (which can be a crapshoot in it's own).
Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #80 Jul 19, 2011 1:02 PM
Joined: Jul 5, 2011
Points: 20
Regina wrote:

Hi, I started with a TempruPedic and now I a waiting for TempruPedic to come take it away and I will be replacing it with a Dr. Breus Bed.  Sleeping on the TempurPedic (cloud supreme) was like sleeping on a landfill.  The smell was unbearable and scary.  Then I find out the polymers are not exactly healthy to sleep on whether or not you can smell them they are still there.  My husband's back was still stiff after the first couple of nights.  So Timby I am very curious to find out how you are making out with the Dr. B mattress, I'd rather end up with a latex allergy then cancer (check out the blogs on polyurathene memory foam). My delivery of the Dr. B mattress comes in six days while my husband and I sleep on the pull out in the living room   I never thought getting a new mattress was such a difficult task. 

 

Regina,

Well, the mattress is doing well. This past weekend we put a 3” memory foam topper on the bed. It was a left over from the water bed. It has made the bed a little softer without making it to soft. The wife and I are have less back problems and as I stated the wife is sleeping through the night until the alarm goes off.

My situation may be a little different than most. Since I had a plywood platform and 8” two bys for sides, this keeps the mattress from squishing out the side as it would on the showroom. I believe this tends to make the mattress a little firmer than when we tested it. The topper doesn't seem to make the bed sleep hotter than just the mattress. We are in Texas with record heat.

So far I would recommend this bed to others. My grown kids keep hinting about wanting one as well.

It's only been a week and a few days but there doesn’t seem to be any deforming of the mattress. The wife and I aren't light weights and with me being over 6 feet, the bed gets a workout. I'm a displaced IT person and have been out of work for a good while. Also, with my lower back problems (2 herniated disks) I found that I have to lay down during the day to unload my back. The mattress is great to lay down and relax even on my stomach.

The problems I see is that mattress selection seems to be such a personal thing. Everyone seems to want their selection to be the panacea to rid them of their maladies. I believe, for folks that need different recipes for comfort, are better off with the latex mattress companies. They seem to offer a way to dial in your comfort needs. The major bedding manufacturers tend to try and apply a few formulas to reach the general public. While I seem to be able to get a mattress manufactured to my specs from the small guy, at a reasonable price, it's hard for the average consumer to visualize as well as experience the Best Night's Sleep”. It seems it takes some trial and effort. So if you have the time, resources, and aren't easily dissuaded by the attempts go for the varied mattress companies referred to by this forum.

As for now, I'm sticking with the Dr. Breus. I'l try and keep folks apprised as time goes on.

 

Sorry for the soap box......smiley

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #81 Jul 20, 2011 2:05 AM
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: May 13, 2011
Points: 170
timby, you hit the nail on the head.  Most people walk into their neighborhood department/mattress store, try out a few beds in their price range and 45 minutes later are plunking down their credit card and arranging for delivery.  I spent a lot of time reading about mattresses on the net and on this forum and ended up with a $2k Savvy Rest.  My office mate thought I was crazy.  He and his gf went to Macy's, looked at some, went to a mattress store and bought a $1400 S mattress on sale for $1000.  He thought I was crazy.  I don't have any physical issues but I don't sleep well any longer and I wanted a bed that was not going to contribute to poor sleep in six months.  We are both happy with our purchases :-)

Many of the people on this forum are like you have have physical issues and are looking for help finding a bed that will fit their special needs.

Mattress shopping is extremely subjective.

I hope the Dr. B works out for you in the long run.

Re: The Dr. Breus Bed (Talalay Latex)
Reply #82 Aug 14, 2011 3:32 PM
Joined: Jul 5, 2011
Points: 20
Folks

It's been a little over a month on the new Dr Breus mattress. I feel we've gotten the bed broken in and are not having any problems. We've tried the 3" memory foam topper for a while. It was OK but because we are hot sleepers it's not working well at least for the summer time. Texas has been extremely hot and summer seems like it will never end. So we went back to the mattress only sans memory topper. No problems to report. The mattress is a little less firm is all that I've noticed. I spend a lot of time on the mattress because of my back condition and find it comfortable to lie down and unload my back.

So that's all for now. Hope this helps someone with their buying decision.smiley