I took the plunge and ordered a Flobed - any advice?
|
2 years ago I got a Dormia memory foam bed. It started out good but it didn't take long and it felt like someone else in the forum has stated about memory foam - it feels like laying on wet sand. And it has gotten so it is basically permanently sunken in - not sunken a great amount but enough so that it really doesnt' support the body properly. I had been reading this forum for a while and basically got sold on the latex idea - I will never do memory foam again. I'm a little worried that I couldn't try it out first since that is what I also did with the Dormia but with all the positive reviews, the options of adjusting firmness and the guarantee from Flobed, it seems relatively safe. I am a single male, 5" 11", 170 lbs. I prefer a firm bed. I am getting a queen that is adjustable on either side. For side 1, I ordered firm, firm, extra firm. For side 2, I ordered medium, firm, extra firm. I feel this should give me lots of options to adjust the bed if necessary and, of course, I can always work with Flobed to change out pads if necessary. Their $500 off New Year pricing ended on Friday but I was lucky because they offered it to me this morning - and I now see the offer is no longer available. It sounds like they must have been selling lots of beds since mine is not scheduled to ship until January 27 - if you count business days only, this meets their 10 day shipping guarantee. Since my old bed is memory foam, the base is slatted with a sheet of something hard over the slats - I think I'm pretty safe with that. So, any advice for a newbie in terms of set up, etc? I'm looking forward to it's arrival. |
Re: I took the plunge and ordered a Flobed - any advice?
|
Mine will be delivered Wednesday, so I'll let you know. BTW-the reason you are backordered until the 27th is they are out of x-firm cores. My original order included one x-firm core (on my side) and they changed it to s-m-f on both sides so it would ship next day. Dewey said I could test it out with the various layers, and when we figured out what we needed they would swap them out. |
Re: I took the plunge and ordered a FloBed - any advice?
|
BobJ, Congratulations on your new FloBed order. Your set up sounds good since if you end up liking a side firmer, You can move the pieces around and even take latex cores from the other side to get one side at a time the way you like it. I think the medium will be too soft since you like a firm bed but it is good to have ordered one medium in case you like the feel of it under a firm latex core or if you like it on top. I have a feeling you will love your FloBed Latex bed like I love mine. I also could not sleep on memory foam for the sunken in feeling and the out-gassing. Please keep us updated. How far apart are the slats you have now? What kind of pillow do you sleep on? I would open up the latex cores in your bedroom since they expand quickly when opened. I love having split cores and I have a Queen bed also and I am single which gave me two sides to move the latex cores around to get the right firmness for me and it was so worth it for a good night's sleep. I like a very firm bed so I ended up exchanging most of my 6 cores for XFirm with one Super Firm at the bottom. My topper gives me the cushion since I am a side sleeper. But I know my set-up may be too firm for a lot of people. |
Re: I took the plunge and ordered a Flobed - any advice?
|
Thanks for the feedback billyjoebob. It's nice to know what the deal is on the delayed shipment. I guess I'm just stuck waiting since I think I really do need the extra firm cores. Please do post when you get yours. I'll be curious to hear how it goes and will look for any additional advice you might have to offer. Lynn2006 - thank you also. It sounds like you had a similar experience with the memory foam which actually makes me feel better that I am hopefully doing the right thing. Once the bed arrives and I get the configuration sorted out, if the medium core doesn't work out at all, I'll consider doing a swap within the 90 days to make sure I have all the right cores for the long term. You are making me think that maybe I will need more Xtra firm cores - I didn't realize they also have one called super firm. Regarding the slats I have now... the base came from Dormia to go with the memory foam mattress and I was thinking that if it could support that super heavy mattress, it should also be able to support the latex. I have not torn apart the base but, looking through the bottom fabric, it appears the slats are about 12" apart. On top of the slats is a sheet of what I believe is press board. So the surface that the mattress actually goes on is flat and hard. There are no sags in it from the extremely heavy memory foam. Do you think I might have a problem? I know the slats are farther apart than people seem to recommend on the forum but I was thinking the layer of press board on top would take care of it. If not, maybe I'll need to find something local. If I need to purchase something different, any recommendations on where to buy will be appreciated. I currently have a polyester fiber pillow. It is relatively thick & you can move the fibers around inside sort of like a feather pillow. It was great until the last couple of months - I often wake up with a sore neck. I've been wondering if it is more related to the memory foam mattress. The mattress is losing its cushion effect and I think the pillow is now higher up than it used to be which causes my neck to be at more of an angle. I did ask about the Flobed latex pillow but the guy didn't seem too interested in selling me one so I told him to drop it. Do you have any advice? Again, thanks for the advice. I'll keep watching for other tips and I'll be sure to post after the "big day" to let you know how it went. This message was modified Jan 13, 2009 by BobJ
|
Re: I took the plunge and ordered a FloBed - any advice?
|
BobJ, I love my standard latex pillow from Overstock that was reasonably priced and is all natural latex. I always loved the feeling of a latex pillow. But I am small and maybe the pillow is just right for me. I did order latex pillows from FloBeds also but they sent me Queen sizes which were to thick for me so I am using them as pillow shams. Maybe you can call back and discuss your patience in the delay in the shipment and see if they can give you a special on a latex Queen Pillow (comes soft, medium or firm). The slats should be closer together but with the board on top, you may be OK. I will see what others have to say. All my latex cores are 100% natural latex except for the two super firm latex cores in a 44 ILD and a 46 ILD that are blended that amazingly did not bother my allergies. |
Re: I took the plunge and ordered a Flobed - any advice?
|
I'm a relatively new flobed owner - here's my advice: Buy a good topper/pad. Latex isn't supposed to "sleep warm" (and not NEARLY as warm as memory foam), but it did sleep a lot warmer than my previous spring mattress. The sheets (and protector) I have might affect this as well... they are tight knit and don't breathe the greatest... but I think it was mostly due to the latex. There are holes in the foam, and it does breathe, but if anyone tells you they breathe the same as a spring mattress they are lying. To counter this, you should buy a good cotton or wool topper. I bought a SnugFleece Original topper for my bed, and it is truly unbelievable. Words can't even describe how much I enjoy sleeping on it (and the bed in general). Also, since latex is fragile and prone to deteriorate when not properly protected, I bought a mattress case (national allergy) that protects against mites, and although not "waterproof", it does resist fluid penetration very well. Otherwise, take your time setting it up, line the foam up as best you can, and try not to leave even the slightest gap in the middle. It's fairly simple and straightforward. I did mine at night, both in anticipation of finally sleeping on it, and with the added benefit of reducing sunlight exposure (which also breaks latex down). I also recommend washing your hands before you set it up, and setting up a large, clean area to work in. Having an extra set of hands is very helpful, but not necessary. Follow directions. I leave the firmness sticker at the foot of my bed, so I can easily make adjustments. Once the mattress is in place, you won't want to move it. You can slide the foundation around a bit, but actually moving the mattress itself would be... unpleasant... without taking it back apart. I've been meaning to put a detailed review up, with pictures, of my new flobed. I will be doing this very soon. Suffice it to say, it has far exceeded my expectations.... in fact, it is the best sleeping surface I can remember sleeping on, and every time I jump into bed I get tingles of pure joy (not kidding)! I fall asleep faster, move less, and sleep better. It is truly amazing. I can only assume from my experience that you will be extremely happy with your purchase. |
Re: I took the plunge and ordered a Flobed - any advice?
| Thanks for posting aron1231. I'm anxious to get my bed and the shipping date of January 27 seems like a LONG time off right now. I have a water proof cover from the old bed but I will look into the SnugFleece topper - thanks for the recommendation. I don't have a temperature problem with my current memory foam bed so maybe the latex won't be an issue. How did you determine what cores to get - did you use the recommendations from the Flobed website? And how did the order of placement work out the first time? Did you have to move them around afterwards to find a better comfort level? What kind of box spring or base did you go with? |