Mattress Forum

The hybrid one I tried was the 14" Celeste.  I found some reviews for the queen and king.    Note that a couple also say it was pretty firm.  The Celeste had a 10" base, 2" of medium latex and 2" of 5lb. memory foam.  So, pretty similiar to the hybrid one they have now, but not sure if they have changed the firmness of any of the foams.  I think they latex layer was dunlop, and probably too firm for my taste.  If they would have had 3" of a bit softer talalay latex, it might of worked for me.   I also didn't like the fact that it was 14".   Having the 10" base seemed unecessary to me, and would have made it too tall if toppers were added.   Still, I did like the plush feel of the memory foam from what little I used it, but the layers below did not seem to give enough.  It probably would have softened over time, but maybe not enough.  It felt supportive, because once you sunk in a bit, you definitely had some pushback from the latex layer.  The one nice thing about having some latex is that it gives it a little more springiness, as opposed to a dead feel of pure PU foam.

I checked the cover again of the old memory foam topper I have, and it says Sleep Innovations, not Sleep Science.  So, probably not the same.  That seemed to hold up well for many years.   Note that you don't really get a lot of support from memory foam.  You sink in most of the way, and it molds to the body.   So, that is what makes it feel nice, but too much can cause back issues.   You don't sink in quite as much in the more dense ones, so that is why they provide a bit more support.   Over time the cells do break down, and you get less support.   So, I tend to stick with 1-2" of memory foam and latex or springs for the rest.

If you want a fairly firm mattress with some plushness on top, the hybrid might be a good solution.  You can't beat the Costco return policy.  They delivered and picked up on schedule, and it did not cost me a cent.

May I ask what your mattress of choice is now days? That'll help me judge the level of softness you prefer in comparison to the 'too hard for you' hybrid if that makes sense :)

I've become pretty familiar with latex, memory foam, etc... in the past few months, so I should be able to understand your soft/firm preference based on what you're sleeping on now- assuming you love what you have now! ;)

I have pretty firm Sealy springs + 2" 32 talalay + 1" 24 talalay + 1" 5.9lb memory foam + 1" 19 ILD talalay.   In winter, I add 1" of 4lb mem-cool memory foam on top (I am using that right now).   In summer, I tend to like it firmer and cooler, so I often take off the 1 extra inch of memory foam.   I also have 1" of 5lb Sensus memory foam.  I would probably prefer the 2" of 5+ lb memory foam on top, but that often gets too hot for me.
 

Do you know much about Berkeley Ergonomics mattresses? They have a model called the Willow or Alpine. It's honeycombed pocket coils- like 1,200+ and 2" of ~25ILD talalay latex on top of that. Seems to be very good quality and like it would last 10 years or so. 10 year full warranty.

Keeping in mind that need a relatively firm mattress with good support b/c I am a stomach sleeper, and that I do like a bit of cush at the top, any thoughts on this combination? Or the reputation / quality / durability of Berkeley Ergonomics?

Many thanks!

No, I don't know anything about them, but their product seems pretty good on the website.  Generally, coils laced together (Sealy for example) will be firmer than pocketed coils.  Of course, it will depend on number coils,  coil thickness, how the pockets are made, etc.   The pocketed coils might wear out a bit faster, because there can be more work done by the ones you lay on top of the most (interlacing spreads the load out a bit), but I am not certain of that.    For a side sleeper, I like the combination.  In fact, if I was starting over today I would want to explore pocketed coils.  For a stomach sleeper, it is less clear.   You will have to make sure it is firm enough for your needs.

p.s.  I found that adding my 1" of 4lb memory foam on top of my stack made it too soft (a bit of back and kneck soreness), so I am back to using 4" of latex and 1" of memory foam.  I may try putting 1" of my 5lb memory foam under some latex to make it slightly softer for winter.

I do not personally own a Sleep Science, but a good friend owns the SS Ara from Costco. He's had it a year or so and loves it. But- it's all memory foam (no latex) and a lot of it (5-6" on top I think). My husband just doesnt love the feel of most memory foam, so we opted not to try the Ara.

I do love the Tempurpedic Bellafina-- it's a very similar layering as the SS Hybrid-- memory foam over latex. It's a bit bouncier than most other Tempur models and it's fairly firm. I believe you'll read that about the SS Hybrid as well. The nice thing about the hybrid (not having actually tried it) is that it's quite a bit less expensive than the Bellafina and it's returnable nearly forever with Costco! Sort of a win win. Of course, maybe not the caliber of Tempurpedic, but also not the price! Perhaps you could find a mattress locally that's memory foam over latex just to generally get the idea of what that feels like. I will warn you though, they are hard to find!

After a year long mattress saga and much research, we have finally decided to go with the Berkeley Ergonomics bed from Sovn here in Dallas. It's firm pocket coils (high count) + 2" of talalay latex. Mostly b/c I think I need more support than most memory foam can offer even as a comfort layer. But- if this new bed does not work out for any reason, I am throwing in the towel and buying the hybrid from Costco for the money and the return policy. But, I have high hopes for this Berkeley Ergonomics mattress, so we'll see!

If either of you decide to get the Sleep Science hybrid, please report back. I'd love to hear all about it! For the price and the return policy, it seems like a very interesting option!