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I have been web researching for weeks and I am trying to make the final decision on a latex mattress. This is a cold purchase for me and my husband, as we have been unsuccessful in finding a single latex mattress to try out in our town, even for a few minutes. I have spent countless hours researching online, reading reviews, scanning buyers guides, comparison shopping, nit-picking, etc. I even ordered a latex and wool sample from one of the websites that offers them for free. Yet every morning I wake up groaning in my awful, 17-year-old sagging bed and swear that today I am going to bite the bullet and choose a mattress. And then I end up here at 11 pm, not wanting to crawl into bed, but fearful of hitting the "confirm order" button on the checkout page. My husband and I have decided to buy a latex mattress for support, durability, and allergies. It is our goal to buy as "natural" as possible, without sacrificing the best night's sleep we can get. We are not rich (we're middle school teachers), but we do believe in investing in a good night's sleep (or at least I do, anyways). My husband is 5'9" and weighs about 140 lbs (or less), and currently has no body ailments. It takes him about 20 minutes off rolling and thrashing to get comfortable at night, and then he sleeps like a log, usually on his side. He loves very soft, cushy, snuggly mattresses. He says our current mattress (Sealy Posturepedic Emerald Ultraplush Foam bought 17 years ago for a hill of beans at Sears) is fine!?!?!?! He couldn't care less about mattress shopping, but he humors me every now and then. When he enters a bed store, he is drawn straight to all of the pillowtop and plush models (yuk). I am 5'6" and currently weigh 180 lbs. While I try to sleep on my back, most often I end up sleeping on my side. I have mild scoliosis due to one leg being slightly longer than the other. I LOVE sleeping on my stomach, but several years ago, I trained myself not to sleep this way based on the advice of my chiropractor. The only time I sleep on my stomach now is when I'm very stressed out or have trouble sleeping. About once every year or so, I have to go see a chiropractor and get "adjusted" when I get out of allignment (usually after a particularly stressful week spent sleeping on my stomach or in some other really awkward position). I currenty wake up extremely sore and have trouble crawling out of the bed every morning. I feel like I am sleeping in a hammock. I despise all of the plush pillowtop models at the local stores, and instead prefer the firm ones. I also think I have a very unrational aversion to the idea of springs in a mattress. We currently share a double bed in an antique Mahogany frame with 5 cross slats that has been in my family for 4 generations. I love the frame. I hate the mattress, although I loved it when I first got it back in high school (it was new, and I was a teenager). While our intent is to upgrade to a king-size mattress in a few years, a full or queen bed is all we have space for right now. Plus, we just got married a year ago and would like to continue using all of the great bedding that was given to us by our friends and family. So, looks like were looking for a full/double mattress. I have been looking at the Flobeds Posture Zone Organic Cotton-Natural Talalay Latex Green Mattress with split cores. We were thinking of choosing Soft over Medium for DH's side and Medium over Firm for my side. Dewey at Flobeds reccommended Medium over firm for both of us. I have also considered Firm over Extra-Firm. I just don't know what to choose and would like to aviod the mail-it-back option, even though its nice to have it. Does anybody have some thoughts or concerns about vast differences in firmness in a split mattress? I doubt that anything will be too soft for my dear husband, but I also don't want to roll into a pit if I wander towards his side of the bed at night. Also, as I continue to ponder the prices of the items in my "checkout" basket at Flobeds (paying $2400 for mattress and foundation is mind-numbing), I am wondering in my mind if all of this "extra" stuff is really necessary. Is there really such a difference between the Posture Zone and the more basic Posture Select mattresses? Does the floating zone layer really add all that much extra comfort and support to the bed? Do three different 3-inch layers topped with a 2" convoluted layer really feel all that much more incredible than only two 3" layers with a 2" convoluted layer? Also, has anyone experienced the "green" talalay latex layers from Flobeds versus the regular blended layers? From my reading, I gether the natural stuff is a little softer than the blended talalay. Is this what othes have noticed? Lastly, are there any suggestions for a less expensive foundation? $579 for a slotted wood box seems excessive. But I also want ot make sure I am supporting the mattress properly. Thank you for reading my excesively long-winded post. I welcome and appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you may have, either expert of novice! |
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I can't even sleep in a Queen with my husband anymore. I need room for my pillows that surround me! :) kimmcgov wrote: I can't give you an an opinion about the latex bed you are looking at, but there are people here who can. I would advise you though to go with a queen size mattress. Your individual tossing and turning will not impact each other nearly as much with that much more room, and you will get a much better night's sleep. We are fairly small people (me: 125 lbs, him: 150 lbs) and I can't image sleeping in a full size bed especially in the summer when it is hot. If you are spending that much money, it's worth getting the extra comfort a larger sleeping area will give you. And if in the future you end up with a king size and this becomes your guest bed, your guests (especially if they are larger) will really appreciate not having to squeeze into a full size bed.<BR><BR>Here's what BetterSleep.org has to say:<BR><BR>"Buying a too-small mattress is one of the biggest mistakes new bed-buyers make. Couples who've been sleeping on a "double" since they got married may think they have enough room, until they learn that each person has only as much sleeping space as a baby's crib! Sometimes still called "double," full beds are 53 inches wide, which is just 15 inches wider than a twin size (single). That leaves each partner only 27 inches of personal space, or about the width of a crib. Both twin and full sizes are approximately 75 inches long, which may be too short for some adults, especially men. A Full size bed is only enough space for a single sleeper and only if the person is under 5 feet 5 inches tall. <BR>A queen bed is 60 inches wide by approximately 80 inches long – 6 inches wider and 5 inches longer than a full size mattress. These added inches can make all the difference in comfort."<BR><BR>As Cloud9 says, a basic slat bed doesn't have to cost that much. You can also check and see if you have a local futon store and they will have several options, too.<BR><BR>I don't know if you checked out Mattressmom's posts about her dunlop latex mattress that she bought from Savvy Rest, but there are some very detailed and informative posts from her. Also, I don't know if you have an Ikea within driving distance, but they also sell latex mattresses for a very good price. |
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I do not feel well but it looks like I will not get much work done anyway so I will try to respond to this question and then make sure I am in bed early tonight. I would not go with the adjustable foundation. I went with the split pine slat foundation with 10" legs and this is just fine. But at first the pine smell bothered me (did not bother my allergies but I just do not like any smell when I am sleeping but most new stuff has a smell at first ... even the natural latex cores I had to air out for a few days but then they never bothered me and never bothered my allergies) but after several days it went away and now I no longer smelled the pine smell. The less latex core layers the firmer your surface will be since you will be closer to the slat foundation. Hence, you may not need a 44 ILD latex core at all if you have two latex layers. But the more layers you have the more adjustability you have to getting each side of the bed to feel good and for making the mattress thicker but if you plan to use the fitted sheets you now have, then you need to see what thickness you current mattress is now and compare it. The couple that referred me at first to FloBeds were new clients last year and I had cancelled their tax appointment when I had a long bad night of being allergic to the Rockaway Bed (Simmons Luxury Roosevelt .... was taken away after complaining for a week and having to sleep on the floor in a different room to get away from the outgassing of it... it also was too soft for my back and too hot with the suede top and the polyurethane that I was allergic to in the bed and not natural latex like I was told it was). I am not giving names to keep their privacy but they did tell me their set up to give me an idea what would work for me. They happen to have had a full size platform bed so they bought the full size blended latex cores with two layers and the topper. One of them has Firm over Extra Firm and the other has soft over medium with both sharing the same 2" soft topper. I know when I tried only two of my latex cores closer to the slat box, it was very firm since the slat box or platform bottom is even firmer than an 44 ILD latex core. I wanted 3 latex split cores in all natural but ended up having to get two blended 44 ILD latex cores to firm up the base for me since I did not want a lower bed being that I bought a 6 foot Wesley Allen headboard. I was amazed at not being bothered at all to the blended latex since I feel Talalay processing does really clean the latex ingredients and this amazed me since I could not handle a manmade latex pillow (not Talalay Latex processing) I bought over 1 year ago while I had no problems with my allergies to the natural latex pillows I bought from Overstock. To me it is worth the investment of having more layers to give me more future adjustability if I meet someone and they wanted one side of the bed softer or firmer or a car accident or some event in your life makes wanting a bed firmer. But my clients are happy with their set up they have so maybe two layers is enough and not everyone wants a thick mattress. I got the Queen Size since if I meet someone I prefer having more space for myself despite being petite and small. But you both are together so this is not a problem. I think it is more comfortable having a queen size bed for two people but then again full size beds are sold so maybe some couples just like to cuddle together all night and do not ever need some space to themselves. Everyone is different. I like to cuddle at first but then like to sleep with space around me since I am a light sleeper and wake up easily when someone moves. Split latex cores is wonderful for light sleepers. Also split latex cores are easier to move around. My clients are happy with their full size bed with only two layers of latex cores so maybe some couples just like full-size beds better or have already a bed frame so try to make the best of it. I feel you should get what would be best for the long-term for you both since latex lasts a long time if enclosed in a mattress cover. Flobeds has a wonderful zipped up confirming mattress cover that looks like a real mattress, does not bother my allergies and to me is comfortable. I sleep directly on this over a fitted sheet. I used to sleep with a mattress pad over this but I like the feel better without the mattress pad. I did not get the posture zone split cores so I hope others that bought the zoned latex cores can comment. I know it would be wonderful if my topper was softer on top and firmer on the bottom so zoning sounds nice in theory. Just remember that the set up for three latex cores will differ for the set up of two latex cores by reason that the bed is firmer the closer it is to the slats so you may not need a 44 ILD in the equation if you want only two layers before the topper. If you like very firm beds, I think Firm over Extra-Firm with the soft topper over the slat foundation or platform bed would be great. Make sure their is support in the middle of the bed and enough slats for the bottom of the bed's foundation. What I love about my slat foundations is that they are split with legs in the middle as well as the sides for wonderful support and easy to move the pieces around and if I move, it will be easy to separate the split foundation to be able to get it out of doors and to a new home. I paid for the slat wood box but then it went on sale during my ownership of the bed within the 90 days and I got the discounted price twice. All mark-downs you notice from when you buy the bed (including specials on the frame) are immediately credited to your credit card if you inform FloBeds about the price reduction when you see it. |
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I did not realize FloBeds was having a sale on Go Green and their adjustable foundation was the same price as their fir foundation. I always prefer as much natural materials as I can in my sleeping environment so that is why I went green and then I had to make a decision to take two of my latex cores away (the 4 layer version I have since the 4th layer is a topper: one natural latex core on each side of my bed was exchanged ) and to add the 44 ILD blended latex core on each side to give me the firmness that my back requires. I have a slight scoliosis that I had all of my life and now with the car accident in August, I have 5 herniated disks and I think I finally readjusted my bed to work with my new back problems. I was so glad I could just unzip the mattress cover and rearrange my latex pieces and work on my new comfort level. Amazingly the blended latex did not bother my allergies at all so Talalay latex processing must really clean the latex. I wonder if anyone here has an adjustable foundation frame that can give feedback on it? I also wonder if anyone bought the stronger fir foundation and paid the $100 more above the pine foundation and if it was worth it? The antibiotics are starting to give me stomach upset. I better just try to get to sleep. I hate medicine so much but I also hate being sick so I chose the medicine ... This message was modified Mar 16, 2008 by Lynn2006
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Wow! Thanks to everyone who responded. We appreciate your advice! I know that we are toally strange, but *MOST* of the time we enjoy snuggling in our full sized bed. There are nights, of course, where one of us is sick or restless, and then it can be exasperating, but that's what the guest bedroom is for. Usually once he gets settled, we're fine. It's the cats that really wish the bed were bigger. If you can imagine the two of us and three huge Maine Coon cats sharing a standard full... My husband and I finally found some latex beds to "lay/lie" on today. We went to every single mattress place near our town. The sales people pulled out all the stops trying to convince us what we should look for in a mattress ("You'll want the latest innovation: a no flip mattress!"). We let them show us everything, and were quite entertained with copius misinformation that spewed forth. I almost went out to the car at one point to get my laptop so that I could show them a post I read in another thread on this forum about reinforced edges. My husband now LOVES latex as much as I do, and even agrees now that pillowtops are silly (at least for us). Like I said, we let the sales people show us everything, and then they were more inclined to leave us alone for a while so we could lay/lie on the latex for a while in peace. None of the latex mattresses we tried are truely what we are looking for, but now we know what people meant by latex being "bouncy" -- and we love it! The mattresses we got to "test" today included: Nature's Rest "Cirrus" model (which is affiliated with Spring Air), Sealy Spring Free Garden Vine Plush, and a Sealy Reflection Bellson Ultra Plush. They were all too soft for me, which doesn't really matter, since we knew going in that we were not interested in buying these brands. Still, the logic is somewhat lacking in the choices these box stores make when ordering floor models -- Mattress Market had a spring free Sealy in plush, an ultra plush, and an ultra plush pillow top, but no firm mattresses in the entire store with the exception of one temperedic and one off label spring mattress for less than $600. Since there was only one latex model in each of the other stores, we just had to deal with what was there. At any rate, I am more comfortable buying my future Flobed now that I have fallen in love with the feel of latex and had the chance to "sniff" it out compared to ther top-of-the line beds. However, we did hit a new snag today. One of the salesmen "accidentally" turned on th massage feature in the adjustable base of the Sealy Reflection mattress we were testing. As my students would say, "OMG!" It was incredible! We are now considering buying a powered adjustable base for our flobed. The ability to adjust and sit up when I'm sick or lift my feet when they swell... and the massage features....oooooh. I feel like such a sucker, but that salesman did his job today. Too bad I don't want a Sealy! After much conversation with my now much more intertested husband, we have changed out plans somewhat. To save some dough, we plan to get the blended talatay zone-on-point mattress rather than the green mattress. From what I have read somewhere, the blended talalay runs a little more firm than the natural (if you have read or felt otherwise, please let us know). Still, after our mattress "tests" today, I think we are going to go with medium over firm for DH and firm over firm for me.... Maybe.... I still don't know quite what to do there. I keep wanting to err of the side of firmness. DH wants to err on the side of softness. Thank goodness we can get the split mattress and swap out cores with Flobeds. Guess we'll wait until we call in our order so we can talk at length with someone who works at Flobeds (like Dewey). Of course, now we have to start researching powered/electric adjustable foundations. I have no idea how these things "drop-in" to your existing bed frame. And of course, we have to make sure what we buy will support the weight of a latex mattress and fit in our tiny double frame. If anyone has experience with adjustables, we could use pointers there as well. By the way... I know that I can swap out cores with Flobeds... Do I have to pay the return shipping costs or are they covered by the company? If it's coming out of my pocket, what are the prices that others have paid to return cores? Thanks a million for all of your posts! This message was modified Mar 16, 2008 by cjzydeco
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If you can find the new Serta Pure Response line of 100% latex, I think you'll really like the way they feel. I just discovered them yesterday and if I wasn't already happy with my zippered mattress, I might give this serious consideration. I loved the way they felt! Especially the plush model. Comes with a 30 year warranty. Pro-rated, of course. But, since latex doesn't show body impressions, I imagine this mattress will last a long time. I liked it better than the Sealy Spring Free line. cjzydeco wrote: Wow! Thanks to everyone who responded. We appreciate your advice! I know that we are toally strange, but *MOST* of the time we enjoy snuggling in our full sized bed. There are nights, of course, where one of us is sick or restless, and then it can be exasperating, but that's what the guest bedroom is for. Usually once he gets settled, we're fine. It's the cats that really wish the bed were bigger. If you can imagine the two of us and three huge Maine Coon cats sharing a standard full...<p>My husband and I finally found some latex beds to "lay/lie" on today. We went to every single mattress place near our town. The sales people pulled out all the stops trying to convince us what we should look for in a mattress ("You'll want the latest innovation: a no flip mattress!"). We let them show us everything, and were quite entertained with copius misinformation that spewed forth. I almost went out to the car at one point to get my laptop so that I could show them a post I read in another thread on this forum about reinforced edges.</p><p>My husband now LOVES latex as much as I do, and even agrees now that pillowtops are silly (at least for us). Like I said, we let the sales people show us everything, and then they were more inclined to leave us alone for a while so we could lay/lie on the latex for a while in peace. None of the latex mattresses we tried are truely what we are looking for, but now we know what people meant by latex being "bouncy" -- and we love it! The mattresses we got to "test" today included: Nature's Rest "Cirrus" model (which is affiliated with Spring Air), Sealy Spring Free Garden Vine Plush, and a Sealy Reflection Bellson Ultra Plush. They were all too soft for me, which doesn't really matter, since we knew going in that we were not interested in buying these brands. Still, the logic is somewhat lacking in the choices these box stores make when ordering floor models -- Mattress Market had a spring free Sealy in plush, an ultra plush, and an ultra plush pillow top, but no firm mattresses in the entire store with the exception of one temperedic and one off label spring mattress for less than $600. Since there was only one latex model in each of the other stores, we just had to deal with what was there. </p><p>At any rate, I am more comfortable buying my future Flobed now that I have fallen in love with the feel of latex and had the chance to "sniff" it out compared to ther top-of-the line beds. However, we did hit a new snag today. One of the salesmen "accidentally" turned on th massage feature in the adjustable base of the Sealy Reflection mattress we were testing. As my students would say, "OMG!" It was incredible! We are now considering buying a powered adjustable base for our flobed. The ability to adjust and sit up when I'm sick or lift my feet when they swell... and the massage features....oooooh. I feel like such a sucker, but that salesman did his job today. Too bad I don't want a Sealy! </p><p>After much conversation with my now much more intertested husband, we have changed out plans somewhat. To save some dough, we plan to get the blended talatay zone-on-point mattress rather than the green mattress. From what I have read somewhere, the blended talalay runs a little more firm than the natural (if you have read or felt otherwise, please let us know). Still, after our mattress "tests" today, I think we are going to go with medium over firm for DH and firm over firm for me.... Maybe.... I still don't know quite what to do there. I keep wanting to err of the side of firmness. DH wants to err on the side of softness. Thank goodness we can get the split mattress and swap out cores with Flobeds. Guess we'll wait until we call in our order so we can talk at length with someone who works at Flobeds (like Dewey).</p><p>Of course, now we have to start researching powered/electric adjustable foundations. I have no idea how these things "drop-in" to your existing bed frame. And of course, we have to make sure what we buy will support the weight of a latex mattress and fit in our tiny double frame. If anyone has experience with adjustables, we could use pointers there as well.</p><p>By the way... I know that I can swap out cores with Flobeds... Do I have to pay the return shipping costs or are they covered by the company? If it's coming out of my pocket, what are the prices that others have paid to return cores?</p><p>Thanks a million for all of your posts! |
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I think you will be happy with the Talalay blended latex cores since I find I am not allergic to them and I am allergic to a lot of things in life. I would ask Dewey if he can get you a powered bed since he and Dave may know places that have them or may be able to get you a good deal. I was able to make the latex pieces as small as they came to me so the shipping was not a lot and at first I got return labels since Dave felt I should go softer than I had wanted to go and then he paid the postage to have me have the firmer latex layers that I was going to order initially before my phone call to him. Most people not quite 5 feet and very petite like me like much softer beds that I do so I guess it was a surprise to Dave but I did tell him I was happy sleeping on a 1" topper on the padded carpetted floor until I had time to order the FloBed. I feel going with an adjustable bed is the only way latex worked for me since I like being able to unzip my zipper and move the pieces around until I have the right comfort level and then do it again if my back changes like it did with the car accident. I do not know what I would do right now if I was stuck with a bed I could not unzipper an make firmer since I needed even firmer since the car accident. P.S. I just found out from looking at the FloBeds site to see what type of foundations that had that they do have an adjustable foundation with a massager built in but it is pricey. Maybe you can call Dewey and ask for a St. Patrick's Day deal. Three Position Memory - Memorize your 3 favorite settings for ease in positioning. One Touch Flatten - Ready to sleep... touch the "Flat" button and close your eyes. Steel Frame - Unitized steel frame featuring Armor Shield Plating,a process that delivers exceptional toughness, impact resistance and extensive corrosion protection for increased durability. The welded construction can support hundreds of pounds and adapts to fit your headboard. Comfort Massage - Floating Neurosage Head-to-Foot Wave Massage provides soothing muscle relaxation. Dual massage motors are recessed into the foundation and sandwiched to reduce noise. Plug-in Electrical Components - All electrical components plug into a central junction box for easy replacement in the rare event of a component failure. Motors, massage units and hand control are factory tested prior to shipping. Plywood Base Platform - Only the finest plywoods are used for platforms, providing a strong unbreakable surface for your FloBeds Mattress. Quiet Operation - Two powerful, yet extremely quiet, AC electric lift motors repsond instantly and smoothly. Maintenance and service free. Swing-A-Way Headboard Brackets - Exclusive Patented Swing-A-Way Headboard Brackets For Easy Set-up & Easy Access. Full Height Bed - Base Stands A Full 15” From The Floor Which Is Compatible With conventional Bedding and 2” Higher Than Other Adjustable Beds. Optional height extenders available. We are so confident in our bed's performance and durability that we offer an unprecedented 20-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY with nationwide In-Home warranty service. You can rely on over 400 factory trained technicians coast-to-coast if you ever need assistance. Available in: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Full XL, Queen, Dual Queen, Dual King, Dual Cal-King This message was modified Mar 16, 2008 by Lynn2006
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