|
Hello,
I'v been researching latex mattresses wanting to get away for regular coil one. A bit of history, we currently have Queen Simmons Burdock plush mattress, which is a bit on a firm side. There is nothing wrong with it and we've been getting a good sleep on it for years, but latex mattresses advantages have attracted me almost instantly. I've searched many sites for best deals and stumbled upon Sleep EZ where I ordered initially natural Dunlop 6" special, but quickly changed it Talalay blend Sleep EZ 8500 model. When the sales guy called I asked him what's recommended firmness and he gave me the same suggestion as to everyone else XF, F, S, but I decided to go with Medium for top layer). I am 175 pounds 5'9" and my wife is 125 pound 5'5" (she is also 20 weeks pregnant). We are both side sleepers. Last night was our first experience with latex. When I initially laid on it, it felt the same firmness as our regular coil mattress, although my wife said it felt a bit softer. I fall asleep fairly quickly, although I woke up middle of the night feeling hot and my arm getting a bit numb. We have micathermic heater about 3 feet from the mattress that's set to keep 69 degree temperature at night and apparently it warmed the mattress. I turned the heater off, opened window and went online to search about temperature dissipation of the latex and only found positive results. About 30 minutes of letting mattress to cool down down a bit and I was able to fall asleep just fine. The rest of the night I slept fine and woke up only at the sound of the alarm, but the problem was I felt sore in my neck and back and my wife also experienced sore back. That rarely happens even sleeping in cheap coil mattresses in hotels. I am a bit disappointed, but hoping that there is a solution to this. So, my question here Is there a "getting used" period with latex? I am also considering removing medium layer and getting 2" Wool topper, in order to get a bit more firmness, but slight plush at the top. This message was modified Jan 31, 2011 by klas
|
| Yeah... just found discussion on it. It's a no go. I am just looking for alternatives to get topper locally first. |
| Ok, so would guys suggest to try out 1.5 soft + 1.5 medium or just get 3 soft? Is there a big difference between soft and medium? |
|
Soft and medium certainly have a different feel (depending on what different people call "soft" and "medium") but how different depends on perception as well. Different people with different weights, weight distribution, and sensitivities/perceptions actually will feel the same thing differently. If you go the topper route, I would probably be looking in the range of 1-2" of "soft" (say 18-24ILD) given your experience and weights. More specific than this or even if you fall outside this "range" with "other than normal" preferences is very difficult to predict without some field testing. Typically a 3" layer is a "rough guideline" for a comfort layer but what is under and over it, using a "progressive" or "differential" approach, differences in weight and weight distribution, and other circumstances and preferences, all play a role that can only really be tested in experience. In your case, using a soft topper would be a "progressive" approach in the comfort layers (soft over medium comfort layers) which would tend to allow for a slightly thicker topper than a "differential" approach (the bottom part of your comfort layer would be firmer and play a sort of "dual role"). This is why a 2" soft topper may work well. Your "overall" mattress construction (softer over firmer and more of a differential between comfort and support layers) would be a more "differential" approach. In other words you would be using parts of both. Putting 3" of soft over firm and extra firm or even over xfirm and xfirm would be a more "pure" differential approach. 3" soft over firm would be more like the mattress you have but would probably be an improvement since you would be less likely to "go through" the comfort layers and feel the firm layers underneath. It could feel both softer and more supportive. The only issue here is what different places call soft. At sleepez, soft is 22-24 which is certainly not the softest talalay latex available and to some people would be bordering on medium in feel. There is such a wide range of ILD available in latex that different places sometimes label the same ILD's in different ways depending on what they have available. In other words their labels are relative to what else they have. This is compounded by the fact that a layer of latex is not exactly the same ILD in every place in the layer and is made "to a range" rather than "exact". Talalay is usually more specific than Dunlop. Since SLAB sells all the different firmnesses of Talalay made by Latex International, I believe their "labeling" is among the most accurate. If you go here and click on the ILD scale image under the pictures, you will see that they only have "labels" for the very bottom (14-19 ILD which they call super soft) and the very top (40-44 ILD) which they call extra firm. They let everyone else figure out what they would call the ILD's in between (and even have a range at each end) which I think is wise. While 44 is the firmest LI makes in Talalay, there are firmer latexes than this available in Dunlop. If I was forced to "label" talalay, I would call 14-18 super soft, 19-23 soft, 24-28 medium, 29-33 medium/firm, 34-38 firm, and 39-44 extra firm ... and I would probably get lots of "argument" (laughing). Phoenix This message was modified Dec 24, 2010 by Phoenix
|
|
Thanks Phoenix! Giving me a lot to consider here and unfortunately the price is quite high to pay for shipping things back to SleepEZ. I just dropped 1.5 Medium at UPS. $122! While it's being shipped back I still have time to decide on replacement for either 3" soft or medium. I am going to check out local stores to find something to compare between soft and medium, although I am leaning towards 3" medium because I can always add 2" soft topper if I want to. |
|
If I was in your shoes, I would say the odds are strongly in your favour that the sleepez soft (22-24) would work better than the sleepez medium (30-32). This medium would be more like medium/firm to me and I (and my other half) would find it to firm. I am 6.5 195 with some "bony parts" and she is 5'7 with (IMO) nice curves/bony parts and around 130. She is more sensitive than I am. We chose comfort layers of 22 which is soft but certainly not super soft in our experience (although there is layering above this which would make it "act" a little differently than just sleeping on 22 ILD latex). When we were field testing (and we did a lot) there is no doubt that 30-32 would have been much too firm for us as a comfort layer. I would also think that this would help your wife as she progressed as she will likely become more sensitive as the pregnancy progresses and at the same time will need the underlying support to keep her "middle" from sinking in too far. Even in normal circumstances, with side sleeping and with the nature of latex, 30-32 would be "on the firm side" although as I've mentioned field testing will be a more accurate indicator and YMMV. I do have a fairly large list of latex mattress manufacturers and some retail outlets so if you let me know what city you are in I may have some suggestions that may help in field testing. Phoenix |
| Oh, I would really appreciate if you let me know best places to go in Bellevue/Seattle area. I already checked out soaringheart.com and planning to go to SleepStation in Bellevue. |
| One more minor suggestion that you probably already thought about....wait until you get the bed thing figured out before you go out and buy a bunch of new pillows....well, maybe just keep it all in mind that the final bed may affect your pillow loft. Good luck and let us know how your search comes out. |
|
I am actually reusing existing pillows which are low profile and been working great for years.
On our 2nd night we slept without 1.5 M layer and surprisingly we felt better in the morning, I still woke up a few times during a night, but at least I did not feel sore in the morning. This was just a test and we are not going to keep it at the same firmness permanently. So, I am going back and forth on my configuration by reading on some user feedback on these forum and now leaning towards replacing XF for M and 1.5M with 1.5S. I read one review that mentions that 3"S from SleepEZ provides no support and feels sqeeshy.. Our next configuration test would be F - M - 1.5 S. This message was modified Dec 25, 2010 by klas
|
|
It just so happens that I did most of my field testing in Seattle so I do know of a few places :) These should be helpful ... http://mattressdepotusa.com/mattresses.htm Retailer. Be careful if you go here as most of their Englander latex has a poly core (not so bad) and 2" poly over the latex (much worse). You would be testing poly thinking it was latex (which they are "trained" to say it is). http://thesleepstoreusa.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=3 Carries a wide variety of latex including Essentia, Land and sky, Dormia, and Natura. Good testing ground but I wouldn't buy anything there due to pricing. http://www.bedroomsandmore.com/images/products/mattress/mattress-seattle.htm Carry a wide variety of latex mattresses and brands. Great testing ground and I found them very helpful but prices too high. http://www.coco14.com/info.html Carries a fairly wide variety of Natura which would make a good testing ground. Don't know much about them http://www.everrestmattress.com/ourlocation.html Manufacturer. Doesn't carry any all latex but would be a good place to go for someone looking for a mattress under $1000. Good people and make double sided. Included for others who may look at this list. http://www.soaringheart.com/ourStore.cfm#SubTopic2 Retailer. Has very limited all latex options and what they do have is expensive and tends towards very firm mattresses but you already know that. Manufactured by sleepmaster. http://www.seattlemattress.net/ Manufacturer and Retailer. Has a wide variety of latex mattresses including their own with topper options. Very helpful and great testing ground but more expensive than most manufacturers. http://www.bedroomsetuniverse.com/showrooms/ Carries the White Knight all Talalay latex also sold at Sams Club. Not enough variety to use for testing but included in case someone else nearby reads this and wants to test this specific mattress. http://www.sleepcountry.com/location-results.aspx?city=Bellevue%2c+WA&type=all Retailer. Included just to save you a trip and say there's nothing of interest in latex here (a few natural care "sort of latex" by simmons) There are more north, east, and south of you but they are further away and these should give you everything you need for field testing. Most of my testing from these was at bedroomsandmore and seattlemattress. Phoenix This message was modified Dec 26, 2010 by Phoenix
|
|
I did a quick search of the forum on "squishy" and I believe found the review you were looking at (talking about lack of support and squishy with a sleepez 10000). I would be very careful as I believe that what they were describing was almost certainly not coming from the soft upper layer but from the medium and firm middle and lower layers. This is primarily where support comes from ... not the upper layers. There are many instances of people making a switch based on incorrect assumptions or interpretations which can lead to a long period of frustrating multiple switches which never seem to "get it right". I would hate to see you go down this road and switching out an Xfirm in the belief it will make a mattress feel softer is an assumption that may well start you down this path. Can I ask you what you are hoping to get to in wanting to switch the Xfirm for the medium? I would also be aware that having a very loose wool quilting (with 1.5" removed) can make a big difference in how a mattress feels. A tight wool layer may feel firmer even over softer latex than a looser wool layer over firmer latex. If this is what is happening it could also lead to incorrect assumptions and contribute to "incorrect" switches. A low profile pillow is generally not the best for side sleeping. It may have been OK on the other mattress because you were sinking into soft foam more than you are sinking into the latex so your head and neck were "lower" however that may no longer be the case with the sleepez and it is possible that a more plush pillow may work better. In any case ... given all the uncertainty ... I would go VERY slowly and not change 2 layers at a time. I would work on the comfort layers first and then see if you need to change the support layers. Most important of all I would do some field testing first as all the reading in the world will not give you the context you need to "translate" what others (including me) experience or advise. Phoenix This message was modified Dec 26, 2010 by Phoenix
|