Mattress Forum

These mattresses you asked about all have one thing in common. We call these S Brand mattresses even though the name starts with A and E. These so-called latex mattresses almost all have a little bit of  latex in them covered by a lot of PU foam and then they play up the word "latex" in the marketing as the public is somewhat aware that latex can be expensive, long lasting and comfortable.  They will have a nice luxurious looking pillowtop that feels wonderful while laying on it in the store. Beware. What will happen to these pillowtops, is that they will form a rut in time. Somtimes just a few months, sometimes a few years, but they will form this rut because the pillowtops are made of cheap polyurethane (PU) foam that breaks down from the compression of your body over time. The cheaper the foam used, the faster it will break down. Don't buy these. They will be expensive, but not long lasting or comfortable in the long run. I am not kidding.  Find the real thing. It is out there. Test it out and see what you think and how you feel laying on it. You want to be as close to the latex as possible, ideally with just a thin mattress pad between you and it. From your post, you will need a firmer mattress on the whole than a smaller person, but a lot of this depends on how you sleep (side, stomach, back)

About ordering online - Do your homework.... Read more posts.  Search the forum. It's a lot to digest and does take some time.  You cannot get it all in a day or two. Be patient and wait until you feel comfortable about making a good decision. When you are confident about the product, you'll feel OK to order online.

Poster Jim is right about one thing. Some people do not like latex. It doesn't provide enough support for them in the lumbar region. They are usually better served with a good inner-spring mattress if they can find one. Some people just don't like how it feels. It has a springiness to it that really has to be felt to be sure it will work for you.  So it is not the end all in mattresses. But please do not base your opinion of it from a typical S brand latex mattress.  These feel nothing at all like the real product. You will have to search this out in your area, but it is there to be found if you look. Try it out first.

Off soapbox now....

My post was entirely reasonable, and there's nothing wrong with telling someone to try a bed before they buy it.

Just to correct your misinformation, Sealy's SpringFree mattress has a latex foam core, not polyurethane.  Also, companies like Aireloom are not and should not be lumped together with the "S" companies.  E.g. Aireloom does not use the same cheap Leggett & Platt coil springs used by all of the "S" companies, they use much better (time-tested and truly natural) comfort layer materials (cotton, wool etc), and in their midrange and high-end lines, latex is properly put *under* these other materials.  In some models it serves just as a support layer, not a comfort layer.  So a categorical claim that "you want to be as close to the latex as possible" is also incorrect.

Hey Cameron, have any of your customers who bought Talalay latex mattresses told you that they woke up with the absolute worst backache of their lives and can't sleep on the thing no matter what they do, 'cause quite a few posters on this Forum have had that reaction. Talalay latex is not the be-all end-all of bedding materials. In fact there is no one sleep surface that suits everyone's preference or orthopedic requirements.  Some people will do better on Dunlop latex because it is denser and more supportive at softer ILDs than Talalay.

I can only really tell my own experience of things, which is what I attempt to do most of the time.  And that's what I will do in the future - and it will be limited to mattress talk.

Bill