Mattress Forum

I think I need to stop posting here...because I am having a hard time absorbing these ridiculous blanket statements...you offer no real advice, you offer no solutions...you simply point the finger at one product which has worked for many people and say 'it's no good'.  

Uh, I just made direct quotes from original post - and one of my own ("this does not work for me").   I guess it's pretty irritating to have spent the money on a all-latex mattress and then find it so uncomfortable.    I'm not happy about the fact that I did so about 13 years ago and am now convinced it's been contribtuing to my lower back pain.

You seem easily provoked, sorry for feding into that.   But I mainly want to learn.  So I'm actually glad to hear that I'm not nuts for not liking the latex core (that I pulled from a mattress of latex+eggcrate).    I just hope the p/u I replaced it with lasts awhile; but it's cheap enough to replace fiarly often I guess.   I still think I like the latex topper.

Of course, the layered latex mattresses have their advantages of split sides and being able to restack and change firmnesses.

I was pretty surprised with what happened when I put the 3 layer talalay onto its matching pine slat foundation.  There was nothing else I was doing that would have caused my right shoulder to hurt so much, but after 1 night on the config, I ran out to buy 'a mattress pad'....  which was really an attempt to make the bed softer and more pressure relieving.

I knew I was at a point where experimenting with layer exchanges to try 'n make it work on that pine slat foundation would be almost intolerable.  I was on my 4th mattress at that point already.

So, I put the all latex back on 'box spring in one room and the TP Cloud in the other.  Slept a couple nights on each for a week or so.  Took a while but was crystal clear - I much preferred the TP Cloud and believe me, no lie, nothing to gain financially, I still do.  Worth every penny of the $1600 for my right shoulder.

One last thougt - I was VERY skeptical of Tempurpedic for 5 months and trying 4 other mattresses before getting it.  I only wish I could take back the time and have bought it initially, but how would I have known?  Guess I had to go through that process.

The truth is, when you are trying to find a sleep system that will allow you to sink where you need to (hips and shoulders) but be supported up where you need it (waist, lower back). Latex, when trying to find the right one for you, needs to allow your hips and shoulders to sink while still holding the small ofyour back up to keep your alignment correct. Too many times we "buy" the speech of the salesman (of which I am one) and do not pay attention to the way our back feels... or we don't spend enough time testing the beds that feel good at first. To top it off, we find all of the posts and reviews that are negative and completely write off a possible solution.

I suggest that the method of support (coils, pocketed coils, latex, visco, etc.) while having their respective positive and negative attributes can be truly tested for you ONLY BY YOU. I use this method in my solutions presentation: "We want to find the most comfortable option in the following four areas..."

1. Immediate Comfort - What feels good when you initially lay down. something firmer? softer? pillow top? You should not feel like your shoulder is digging into your chin or that your hips are sinking too far or not enough for true comfort. (Having the right thickness of pillow here will be vital to that 20% of your spine which probably never touches the mattress but rests on a pillow)
2. Long Term Comfort - Find your favorite feel (no more than 2 options if at all possible) and then spend at least 12-15 minutes on it in your sleeping position... if your muscles begin to relax... or "melt", you are experiencing the release of your back muscles from your spine proving enough support to allow you to sleep all night (or at least longer than right now!)
3. Psychological Comfort - If you have a fear of any particular element found in beds (latex allergies, memory foam is hot, springs push back too much) I would suggest that you "prove" the fear first yourself, but if you can't, let's avoid that particular thing. For example, even though a true latex allery is found in less than 1% of the population, I see about 15% of my customers who claim one... I can explain that normally latex is a contact allergy... I can inform them of the water-washing method of cleaning the impurities instead of detergents or petroleum (which is what most reactions to latex are caused by) etc. but ultimately, if they are afraid of latex... we will avoid it!
4. Financial Comfort - Once I find the right Comfort (immediate), Support (long-term) and avoid any psychologial concerns, I want to find the right price range for my purchase. sometimes we can give up certain elements in the bed to obtain a better price and as long as I feel the comfort (of the first three) is not truly compromised, I can work the price to my benefit!

Ultimately, once you have done some research on what to expect to spend and then testing to prove your levels of comfort, you will find that more expensive does not necessarily mean more comfortable or even better. According to Englander's website (which I do not carry) you should expect to find a GOOD queen set (not specialty) coiled mattress for between $1000 and $1500 dollars (which should include the customer service elements of warranty, delivery, comfort exchange, durability and comfort). Specialty will probably be more, but there are options that can easily put you into that range without having to break the bank.

Easy test: Go find 5 pillow top mattresses in your local store (tell the sales agent to leave you alone... seriously) at 5 different price points. You will probably find that the top 2 or 3 can feel really good without having to like the most expensive one... hope this helps!

Sleep Well 'joed"!

As Pure bliss latex mattress(nutrition, 11" of latex) owners of 2 months, my husband and I are very happy with our latex mattress,  it's very comfortable to us.  I think whether latex/memory form mattress works or not is a very individual thing.

I have tried tempurpedic beds. I found that basic cloud is too firm for me. The other cloud series - I sink in too much and am touching the base foam. I have tried the contour series. I find them too firm for me. I have tried Rhapsody at a friends house. It strated fine and it fizzled. It softened up where I weighed the heaviest - hips/buttocks. I have tried sleeping on allura. And it is only "seems" good when I sleep on my back. and finally I can't afford a 7000 dollar Grand bed.

So if there is any "soft latex bed " in "real life" kindly tell me. Because I have not found it. I don't know why budgy is telling "99%" of the people like latex.To me right now is just uncomfortable piece of rubber which they fancifully call "latex".

Beware of the salemen. I might just go back to springs.

Well, even though I accused you of saying what was true for you is true for everybody, what you're saying sounds kind of familiar.

My old latex bed felt too hard and too soft at the same time.   Pressure points on hips, but made my back hurt.   And it didn't make my back hurt because it was too firm - sleeping on an old non-foamcore futon in spare bedroom, VERY firm, always makes my back feel way better overnight.

The comfort level is personal preferance. Just like all other foams Latex comes in extra firm, med, plush to very soft. That is personal preferance. I have had my latex bed for 11yrs now and I wouldnt change it out for anything. I personally found memory foam mattress to be uncomfortable and made my shoulders hurt, but that was a firmer one. Some of the softer ones like the Tempurpedic Cloud I could live with, but none are a comfortable as my latex bed. With that said another friend of mine swears by his Tempurpedic and wouldnt trade it for the world as it is very comfortable to him (Way to hard for me) Talking with others I find many that love both products and I find some that cant sleep on either.

To say latex has more push back is completely false. At least until they come out with some new product that defiy's the laws of physics and gravity.

Not sure why you are saying Mattress Firm doesnt carry latex mattress. They have latex on their website and in the local stores around here. They also talk about the reason some of the Simmons or Sealy mattress's sets are so expensive is because they use latex and latex is one of the highest quality materials you can get in the bedding industry. This is what their sales reps will tell you. Mattress Giant also sells Latex beds, so does sleepy's as will most of your largest mattress compainies. None of those compaines has stopped carrying latex beds so you might want to check your data again. Many funiture stores do not carry latex, but even most of the larger funiture stores and/or high end funitures will carry latex beds.

it is naive to beieve all mattress retailers would carry them if it was a great product. Tempurpedic is a great product, but not all retailers carry them. Sealy Makes great mattress sets, but not all retailers carry them. So stating "If a product is so good all retailers would carry them" is flawed.

Very well said. I agree with this 100%.