Savvy Rest report
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After lurking here and other places and doing lots of research - I finally recieved my latex mattress today. I'd like to add to the discussion by sharing my experiences with a company I haven't read about on this forum and about Dunlop latex. We went with a three layer 100% DUNLOP (yes, Dunlop, not Talalay) mattress from Savvy Rest via The Natural Sleep Store. We got a queen size with split firm (ILD 40), medium (ILD 35) and soft (ILD 30) layers. The cover is made of organic cotton quilted to organic wool. The total was $1849 including shipping - more than SleepEZ or some of the other online retailers but less than other organic latex mattresses.We got free UPS shipping through The Natural Sleep Store (which would have been $219 from Savvy Rest directly) plus a gift certificate for $160.00 that could be used toward bedding at their store. So far, I really like the mattress. It is just the right firmness. I don't think we would want anything softer than this configuration. We went with Dunlop even though there is so much more information about Talalay because we were more concerned about getting something too soft rather than too firm. I'll report on how we like the mattress in a few weeks. We went from years of futons that needed to be replaced every few years so this seems extremely comfy. Our latest futon had gotten really hard so we started researching other options and finally settled on the Savvy Rest. I can't really write a full review until sleeping on the mattress for a while - but I can review the customer service. There is a huge amount of information on the Savvy Rest web site and on the Natural Sleep Store web site as well as organicmattressreviews.com. I considered SleepEZ, FloBeds, Foam Sweet Foam, Foam Source and a couple of other places and finally settled on Savvy Rest. I would have considered FloBeds if they carried Dunlop latex. My concern with SleepEZ and some of the other places was that while they described their latex in great detail, they were a little sketchy about the covers and what they used for flame retardants. I decided to narrow my search to stores that described their covers and/or had options for different covers. FloBeds had several cover choices and reasonable prices, but I really wanted natural Dunlop rather than Talalay. Both FloBeds and Savvy Rest made it clear that they didn't use chemicals in addition to the wool for fire retardant material. First, I looked at the web sites, read reviews and got samples from Savvy Rest. They seemed professional and informative. I spoke directly to a woman at Savvy Rest (can't remember her name right now) and she was very knowledgeable and told me some things that made me buy a softer mattress than I had intended to. I'm glad I took her advice. She said most of their exchanges were for softer layers and that she couldn't recommend anything firmer than medium, medium, firm - and that would be quite firm in Dunlop. She also said that the Dunlop is a bit firmer on one side than the other so you could further customize by turning one or more layer over. The side with the larger holes is firmer than the side with the smaller holes. I haven't experimented with it yet so I can't confirm if the difference is noticeable but I thought it was interesting. The mattress came in three 2x2x3 boxes which the UPS guy hauled into the house for me. They were immaculate and clearly labled on the outside with computer printed stickers and magic marker. The first box as the heaviest at 60 pounds and contained the cotton and wool cover along with the soft layer and the assembly instructions which were in a zip lock bag taped to the top of the box. The other two layers were around 53 pounds each and clearly labled in the other two boxes. Each of the half layers were in separate plastic bags and were NOT vacuum packed. They were just kind of loosely rolled and very easy to remove from the boxes. Every half layer was labled with an F, M or S.I was really impressed with the attention to detail. I called my husband to come home early to hoist the boxes up into the bedroom and help me put the bed together. It probably took us less than half an hour to put it together. I really think the split layers were easier to handle than the full layers would have been. The top of the case is thick enough that we don't feel the split - even without a mattress pad. That's enough to bore you for now. I am really happy with this purchase. It is one of the best experiences I've had buying something online. We just didn't find anything comparable locally. Cheers, Marie |
Re: Savvy Rest report
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Jimsocial and Linda: I have no idea which of the FlowBeds you both have purchased. The one I have looked at with FlowBeds was the all natural 4 layer mattress. This mattress has a top layer that is a two inch soft convoluted Talalay. The three layers beneath the top layer can be any degree of firmness you wish to have. They even have an extra firm layer that is a blend of Talalay and synthetic Talalay to get a more firm consistency. So I do not know why you cannot have a soft top layer and anything from soft to extra firm beneath this top layer. So I would think that if you have this mattress you can have a soft top layer and any degree of firmness under it that will work for you. As you have both mentioned the customer service at Flowbeds is excellent and they will do everything they can to keep you happy. I would recommend that you call and talk to either Dave Turner the owner or his son Dewey. I have talked to both of them and they were very helpful. But you're both right, if you do not like Talalay you're out of luck with FlowBeds as they only handle Talalay. Savvy Rest handles both Talalay and Dunlop. The Talalay is more expensive and they do not have a return policy for the whole bed although they do have an exchange policy for 90 days on the different firmness layers. It seems the laws in Virginia, where Savvy Rest is located, do not allow a re-issuance of mattresses. They have to be ground up into pillows or used as samples. Given the cost of natural latex rubber one can see why they do not have a return policy. I wish you both the best of luck getting a mattress that works for you. Don This message was modified Aug 28, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: Savvy Rest report
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Thanks Jimsocal and Don for your comments. I have the all natural talalay with 3 3" layers and the thin convulted ("eggcrate") talaly on top. I have a chronic illness and pain and need quite a soft top layer but with very good support overall. I sleep primarily on my side (and some on my back) and am 5'51/2", about 130 lbs. I have the 2 sides of a queen set up differently so have tried every possible combination I think! Nothing works unless I have soft on top ; have tried medium on top and it's just not soft enough for me (in terms of relieving pressure points). Currently, on the side I sleep on, I have it set up with soft on top, then 2 firms, which is the combination I've slept the most on. This combo is not ideal, as it's still a little too firm for some nerve pain & pressure point problems. But the best I can do it seems. I've tried soft on top followed by medium, then firm on the bottom (also tried X-firm on bottom). But those combos are too squishy and lacking in support. I agree that both Dave and Dewey are very helpful, though I'm not sure what else I can try with them. Jimsocal, why didn't Flobeds talalay work for you? I do agree that they are a great company and would recommend them to anyone wanting all-talalay. Well, I have about 2 weeks to decide if I think it's going to work long-term... I truly thought all talalay was going to be great, but perhaps I need Dunlap, but without having a bed to try, I don't know... I wish there were more threads comparing dunlap with talalay, and in particular a dunlap/tallay combo.... Linda |
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Jim, did you try dunlap foam as well as the talalay you tried from flobds? And were either/both of them the all-natural or mixed? Thaks, Linda |
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linda wrote: Thanks Jimsocal and Don for your comments. I have the all natural talalay with 3 3" layers and the thin convulted ("eggcrate") talaly on top. I have a chronic illness and pain and need quite a soft top layer but with very good support overall. I sleep primarily on my side (and some on my back) and am 5'51/2", about 130 lbs. I have the 2 sides of a queen set up differently so have tried every possible combination I think! Nothing works unless I have soft on top ; have tried medium on top and it's just not soft enough for me (in terms of relieving pressure points). Currently, on the side I sleep on, I have it set up with soft on top, then 2 firms, which is the combination I've slept the most on. This combo is not ideal, as it's still a little too firm for some nerve pain & pressure point problems. But the best I can do it seems. I've tried soft on top followed by medium, then firm on the bottom (also tried X-firm on bottom). But those combos are too squishy and lacking in support. I agree that both Dave and Dewey are very helpful, though I'm not sure what else I can try with them. Jimsocal, why didn't Flobeds talalay work for you? I do agree that they are a great company and would recommend them to anyone wanting all-talalay. Well, I have about 2 weeks to decide if I think it's going to work long-term... I truly thought all talalay was going to be great, but perhaps I need Dunlap, but without having a bed to try, I don't know... I wish there were more threads comparing dunlap with talalay, and in particular a dunlap/tallay combo.... Linda Linda: It sounds as if you have tried a lot to find your comfort zone. However FlowBeds has more combinations than almost any other company, except for no Dunlop. They have the Zone latex pieces and even the blended synthetic Talalay foam pieces that give a variety of firmness levels. They even have the Euro-Slat foundation that has an adjustable flexibility built into it. This of course would be an upcharge item I am sure, but as you have already found out, David Turner is a very good businessman and will do most everything he can to have a satisfied customer. And no, I do not work for them, and have not purchased from them. But I did spend some time talking to both Dave and Dewey about my concerns. I found him to be very professional, knowledgeable, and willing to help. So I would go back to them and discuss these issues with them. I understand your concerns about the difference between Talalay and Dunlop. They are mine as well. I do not have a dealer locally so that I can try the mattresses in a showroom. I did drive out of state to a company that handles Savvy Rest. They were the closest company to where I live and it was over two hours to their location. Unfortunately they did not have an all Talalay bed that I could try out. They believe in Dunlop and only had a topper that was pure Talalay. I did find this topper quite comfortable, but it was on top of Dunlop and very expensive as it has its own cover. I am going to try out an all Dunlop bed. Hopefully by having one side that is all soft Dunlop, in a California King size mattress, and the other side soft with two medium layers, I will find a combination that works for me. I am going to be very difficult to please as I have spent over 20 years on a water bed. I sometimes wonder why I have allowed myself to get into this convoluted experience. So..... I Hear You and your frustration. This message was modified Aug 29, 2009 by eagle2
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Someone posted incorrect info about Savvy Rest - I am about to order from Savvy Rest and You can do as many exchanges as you want for 90 days! (you do have to pay for shipping but that's only fair IMHO They do suggest you give yourself a few days to adjust before exchanging) It is correct that Savvy allows no returns. One needs to spend some time on the configuration to try to avoid exchanging. Split layers for each side seems the logical way to go because you then have so many possible combos to try out if you order a few different firmnesses. Savvy has a "choose the right firmness" page for guidance on what might be best for your particular needs. One does have to pay for shipping on exchanges (twin is $90 via UPS - they send new layer apparently & a label, so you use that box to send back via UPS (so if you have a split king - you only pay for a twin layer shipping which really saves money on that exchange) I'm hoping to get it right the first time...we'll see! What I like about Savvy Rest: We need the firmess/support that Dunlap offers over Talalay BUT if we find that the soft top layer is still too firm, we can swap for Talalay so that's an added bonus! They sell 100% natural unblended Dunlap & Talalay - no synthetic blending. Their site has a couple good videos of a bed being set up and the plant in India where the latex is grown/processed. We need firm for hubby's bad back, and my minor sore back, so our split king will be for hubby: F/M/M and me: F/M/S Tons of possibilities withing those combos. My guess is that we may have to get hubby soft exchange but he wants to start out firmer. I was going to get him F/F/M but that is not recommended & I'm trying to take the advice! LOL This message was modified Oct 17, 2009 by catlover
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Sleep EZ has a pretty good rep on this board, but you are right they do seem to prefer blended latex. It would be great if we could get truthful, in depth information from someone who really new what they were talking about (scientific perspective) regarding this subject of blended vs.100% natural latex. Catlover: When you get your Savvy Rest mattress, report back and tell us what the cores look like, as well as your sensation regarding Dunlop as a sleeping surface. This message was modified Sep 29, 2009 by eagle2
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richiro wrote: MattressMom, So I was just curious if you were still around and how your Savvy Rest is working out a few months later? Would enjoy hearing more stories/reviews about mattresses after people have had them a while. FYI. I've decided to go with Savvy Rest and it should be here in a couple weeks. Richey Richey - We ordered from Savvy Rest today! And what a journey it was to make this decision as had also considered SleepEZ. So how is the dunlop working for you and pls remind us of your configuration & whether you've done any exchanges. We too ordered dunlop, king split. His side: F/F/M My side: F/M/S asked them to try to hand select firms with closest to ILD of 40 as possible, as feel 36 would not be enough for hubby's bad back. I also asked for my soft layer to be in the higher range of soft ILD so it's not too soft. (the soft in the store seemed too soft to me) PLEASE post your thoughts now that you've been sleeping on it for a bit... Tks This message was modified Oct 10, 2009 by catlover
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Re: Savvy Rest report
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Got our Savvy mattress/foundation today & about to go to bed to try it out! First impressions: SAVVY REST is a FIRST CLASS operation. And they obviously know how to choose trucking companies! Competent and courteous. Professional.(there were 2 shippers involved & both super) Order placed with Michael Penny last Sat. I got email w/tracking # on Wed with tracking number. Bed arrived today (Friday) That's 6 days & included a Sunday and a holiday! Wow! The final trucker gave us a 4 hour window for delivery time - great in that my hubby could go to work at least part of the day... (I actually called shipper on Thursday because they have to give 24 hr advance notice for home delivery (as opposed to businesses) before they delivery. In my case, by the time they got it from 1st shipper, the 24 hrs would mean after the weekend for our delivery, but they said "how's tomorrow (Friday) , between 10 and 3 pm?" I never expected a trucking company to make an exception like this - or even care for that matter. And not only a 4 hr window, but the driver would call 30 mins ahead. At 11:00 am. friendly Sean called to say he's 30 mins away. And he didn't drop ship at our curb, he assessed the huge pine tree boughs and chanced driving into our driveway so he could place the boxes at our front entry instead of the curb. His only concern was the low phone wire crossing the driveway and embedded in some of the pine tree branches. I think he got out of his box truck about 5 times to ensure no damage would be done. What a nice guy! Now the bed: The 5 boxes consisted of three boxes of latex and cover, & 2 boxed held foundations. All boxes were sturdy, securely taped, strapped & marked. They were very heavy, so my hubby used his hand-truck to get them up to our 2nd floor. I suppose 2 men could have done this without the hand-truck. We removed the foundations from their boxes in the foyer, keeping the plastic cover on, and I was able to help carry them up the stairs. Savvy plastered each box with colorful stickers, in different colors, that said "DO NOT FORKLIFT", "DO NOT STACK" and something else I can't recall. Impressive. Each latex layer was loose (not vacuum compressed) but each was in a clear plastic bag. Each layer had a Firm, Med or Soft sticker on it's end. The cover was also in clear plastic, as were the foundations (which are nicely covered/padded to match cover) The Dunlop latex looks good and I like the slight aroma. Fresh-clean scent IMO. Not overpowering rubber smell at all.. Bed was a snap to put together by the 2 of us. Split layers probably help that process a bit. The zipper went around as easily as shown in the video! The only minor problem was that we received one wrong layer (a medium instead of a firm), but we think bed is firm enough as it is, so we cancelled our initial call to Savvy to correct this. Our latex is DUNLOP-processed & was to be a king split F/F/M and F/M/S, but we ended up with F/M/M and F/M/S, & it will stay this way unless it gets softer in the next couple of days...it's very firm/supportive! If you have a bad back & feel you need F/F/M, trust me - you DO NOT! Get the Dunlop but go softer - just like their site suggests (I didn't listen because I thought my DH was the one exception who really, truly needed the F/F/M! His initial impression is that it's firm enough & he wants to sleep on it just as it is now at F/M/M. (I can't tell the difference from my side to his, but he can - and we weigh about the same.) To finalize - at this point, I have to say that my impression of Savvy Rest, thus far, is that we made the right decision! Savvy gets all A's for effort & caring about details... Now for the test of sleep! Part Two tomorrow.... This message was modified Oct 17, 2009 by catlover
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catlover said "The Dunlop latex looks good and I like the slight aroma. Fresh-clean scent IMO. Not overpowering rubber smell at all." catlover: I am curious how the Dunlop layers looked in a little more detail if you would. Were there any imperfections? Any cracks, cuts,or tears? Any discoloration of any kind? It is my understanding that 100% natural botanically grown latex, whether it's Talalay process, or Dunlop process, will have some minor imperfections. Not pristine looking. It is my understanding that the only way you can get pristine looking latex is with a blended product. But then you have a product that has a distinct rubber chemical odor, due to the fact that it is at least 60% petrochemical-based latex. I know that the Talalay I receive from FloBeds had a few of these imperfections. And the smell you mentioned is exactly the way I would describe it. A very slight sweet smell, something like cookie dough. I rather liked it. This message was modified Oct 17, 2009 by eagle2
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hi Eagle! I should have taken photos but we just wanted to get the bed together. I can't compare to Talalay, but I'm very fussy and I, having read all the info about imperfections, was super impressed that the dunlop looked so good! I was expecting numerous burn marks from the pins, but unless I missed something, there were hardly any to be seen. And there were no tears/rips. I did cause a slight tear by my own carelessness, but it's tiny. The one unexpected thing was that the dunlop is zoned. It seems to be just 3 zones, and I do recall Michael Penny telling me (I asked believe it or not!) and he said because no one can tell the difference, he doesn't advertise it as zoned. Truthfully, I didn't pay much attention to the holes as we were assembling, so I now wonder if all the layers had zoning! We will be turning around a couple of layers when I wash the sheets again, so I'll take note and photos at that time. I don't believe this will be an issue at all at this point. The neat thing is that we also have the option of turning over each layer because dunlop tends to have an even firmer side to each layer, as the holes are larger on one side, which is said to a bit firmer. We did put the soft and one medium with large holes up, so I'm betting we'll be flipping them to smaller holes up as bed is firm and we probably didn't need to do that. How are you sleeping? It's 2:35 am & I'm finally heading up to some latex sleep! Lynn |