OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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OKOK.. So I just posted about wanting to walk into a store and buy a ready-made latex mattress.. But, let's say I went the FloBed route. Can soemone help me configure? Me: Stomach/5'7"/165lbs - Prefer med/firm bed, but nothing too firm.. I like some cushion on top. SO: Side&Back/5'5"/110lbs - Prefers a pillow top feeling.. generally prefers things on the softer side, but still wants some support. Flobeds online rec: Me: Medium/Firm/X-Firm SO: Soft/Soft/Med (if i use Side setting) or Soft/Med/Med (if I use Back setting) The Soft/Soft/Med really sacres me, based on reading this forum.. Should I firm her side up and get a soft topper? How important is the topper cover or mattress pad to overall comfort? Thanks again for the help. I feel like I'm getting more confused rather than finding some clarity! |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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Configuring a latex mattress really can be confusing. Especially since you can only imagine what it's actually going to feel like. Fortunately with Flobeds you have the option of exchanging layers if you don't get it right the first time. Soft/soft/medium scares me too. Unless you SO likes sleeping on a marshmellow, I really think this is too soft for just about anyone. At her weight she's going to be supported entirely by what is essentially a "comfort" layer. It may feel nice at first but after a few hours it will probably become uncomfortable. I'd start with the soft/medium/medium. This is still pretty soft, but at least she'll be getting some support from the underlying medium layer, Remember, you can always exchange it if she wants to go softer. Soft toppers are usually used over firm mattress configurations to add a little more cushioning. I don't really think it's necessary for your SO's side. It's already pretty soft. Even at the soft/medium/medium setting. Again, you can always tweak it later if necessary. |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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FloBeds includes a 2" convulated latex topper for all of their mattresses. From what I have heard, that topper is soft. So you will have that soft feel on top, no matter what layers you choose for support. For stomach sleeping you might like your support to be in the upper 30s and lower 40s for ILDs. That plus the 2" convulated topper would probably be nice. For side and back sleeping, your SO will have to choose which one she wants to focus on. Side sleeping wants more cush in general and back sleeping wants more firmness. Good luck to you. |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
| It all comes down to personal preference of course but both my wife and I find natural latex to be lacking in support no matter how firm we went. We went all the way to 3 XF layers (and left the topper off completely) and its sitll too soft even for side sleeping. I still sink and get the undesirable bend in my spine which gives me the back pains in the morning and I am 6'1" and 170 lbs - far from heavy. My 2 cents is to start out with XF at least and go softer if you need to but the trend (and our personal experience) seems to lean towards the higher ILDs. After we get our blended sample we're likely going to go all blended and then maybe get a 3/4"-1" XF natural topper (depending on if we even need any cush). |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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You might get the combo right the first time. If not, I can imagine how easy it is to package the samples up, ship them back, wait for the other pieces to arrive, and do it all over again and again until it's perfect. I don't have a lot of free time on my hands, but you might. I might have to look into this option if I ever become unhappy (which I'm not) with my store bought mattress. If possible try using the search feature and look up returning a mattress kit 101. |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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Good_Sleep wrote: You might get the combo right the first time. If not, I can imagine how easy it is to package the samples up, ship them back, wait for the other pieces to arrive, and do it all over again and again until it's perfect. I don't have a lot of free time on my hands, but you might. I might have to look into this option if I ever become unhappy (which I'm not) with my store bought mattress. If possible try using the search feature and look up returning a mattress kit 101. Core exchanges at Flobeds are done on their website. They take a $100 deposit per core and you have the option of receiving a prepaid shipping sticker at $35 per core. Then they ship you the new cores and you get your deposit back when they get the old cores back. The cores are fairly easy to get back in the bags if you follow the instructions that come with the mattress. You stick the core in the larger bag, insert your vacuum attachment hose, turn it on, twist it, pull the hose out and slip the smaller bag on. It took us about 20 minutes to package 4 cores. On a side note, make sure you have a UPS or UPS-authorized center nearby as I don't believe they do pickups on ground shipping and you're not going to be able to stuff the cores in a drop box. ;) |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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blaupunk, I just wanted to add that we received our blended Talalay sample from Flobeds today. I couldn't quite recognize the smell but my wife helped me out. It smells exactly like an Old Fashioned donut! (that's what Dunkin Donuts calls them anyway). We're going to have to come up with some very non-scientific tests to compare the support between the sample and our natural Talalay cores. |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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D3FI, I was surprised I did not have any allergies to the blended latex when I finally caved in and ordered a 44 ILD on each side of my bed that gave me the support that I needed. I had allergy problems to a synthetic latex pillow that was not the Talalay process that I bought last year that I gave to a friend. I never had any problems so far with natural or blended Talalay Latex. The blended actually has less of an odor but a slightly different odor that I needed to air out for a few days over my banister in my upstairs hallway before putting the new latex cores in my zippered up cover. I have a feeling, you and your wife would like three 44 ILD's with a 36 ILD 1" topper if you like it that soft. I could not sleep with the 2" convoluted topper either. So far I have a 1" latex topper over a 36 ILD over a 36 ILD over a 44 ILD. I am going to switch the 44 ILD to the middle tomorrow night to make my bed even firmer. My friends love it just the way it is right now. I am comfortable on the left side that is firmer than my right side the way it is now. Each 36 ILD has a different firmness since they have ranges and I think the 44 is almost a 46 on my left side and one of the 36's is close to a 38 and that side feels perfect for me. I am still glad I went the FloBeds latex kit way since I hated my bed of 15 years that was always too hard and the recent beds in the stores caused me so many allergies from the chemicals they used. It least I am able to move the latex cores around and exchange them to get the perfect comfort level rather than deal with the big stores with comfort exchanges that cost $299 plus not getting a good deal the second or third time around if they give you another chance to pay the money to do the exchange. I called UPS and they came and picked up all my mattress cores in boxes since I sent 7 back initially since I went way too soft and found out that anything less than a 36 ILD was too soft for me despite my less than 5 feet height and about 100 lbs weight. I also have a little bit of scoliosis in my back so I like a firm bed but I need a little cushion since I sleep on my side and do not have a lot of padding on me. |
Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
| Lynn, you "scare me." If a person less than half my weight needs the firmest available latex, what chance do I have, a 240 lb guy, to ever be happy on latex? My ILD 40 core will be here on Monday, so I will soon know. |
hatsdb- so maybe I will get a FloBed
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haysdb, I used to sleep on a board on the floor with my mother when I was little and we were at our rental home and the mattress was too soft. I have not yet met anybody who likes the bed as firm as I used to sleep on. My friends love my bed just the way it is except one friend who tried it out feels it is too firm for him. My friends are much taller and weigh a lot more than me and some are female and some are male. So I am just unique in that I like a very firm bed. All of the Kingsdown beds in the stores including their firmest one, was too soft for me when I was initially looking for a conventional mattress. But after sleeping directly on the floor and finding that I wish I had a little cushion, I ordered the 1" latex topper from Overstock. That is when I learned that some cushion and some confirming was better for my back than rock hard and then I started to see I needed a little give in my new bed despite wanting firmness. I have two clients that told me about FloBeds and the lighter partner sleeps on the 2" convoluted topper over medium over medium (28 ILD density) over a platform bed while the taller bigger partner sleeps on the same soft topper with firm (32 ILD) over extra firm (36 ILD) over the platform bed. Since they only have two layers, it is much firmer their way than if they had three layers of latex. They had one latex exchange for the Firm 32 ILD (exhanged a 36 ILD for a 32 ILD) since it was too firm over the platform bed for them. When I had two 36 ILD's over the slat box, that felt perfect for me but I wanted a fatter mattress so I added a third 36 ILD and that made me realized I needed to go with a 44 ILD blended latex to get the support my particular body likes since not many people like beds as firm as me with my small height and weight. It is my scoliosis. I do not like the small amount of my s-curve to curve anymore since it puts pain in my back and that is why I like it firm. But a carpeted floor actually was too hard for me without the soft topper. This message was modified Sep 16, 2007 by Lynn2006
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Re: OK, so maybe I will get a FloBed
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Thanks Lynn. That puts it in context for me. When my son was in his early teens I built a home theater in my basement. I used the densest foam rubber pad I could find under the carpet. My son was a skater and would have a bunch of his friends over to watch skate movies on the big screen. I'd go downstairs and there would be half a dozen boys crashed out on the floor. I'd go around and throw blankets on them and they we there till morning. Amazing how a thin layer of padding can make even a concrete floor comfortable for some people. |