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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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 |
Re: Savvy Rest report
| Grats on the new bed! Please be sure to report back again after sleeping on it a few days. |
Re: Savvy Rest report
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KimberlyH wrote: Grats on the new bed! Please be sure to report back again after sleeping on it a few days. Last night was 2nd nite on our Savvy Rest Serenity & both slept well each night... Both of us are usually stiff upon standing first thing, but agree that after 2 nites, we both feel a bit less stiff. (I had none, but he is the one we got bed for due to degenerative disc problems & new symptom from body immpressions in our 6 yr old "high quality" innerspring that caused shooting nerve pain down his left side. He ended up sleeping on the floor on a firm chaise pad & that pain went away.) It's still too early to make a final determination, but after 2 nights, all is good & we have our fingers crossed. I think our main concerns are: Will the latex soften up will body impressions develop? My research points to neither likely to occur for tens of years & the fact that we both weight under 180 lbs, make this even less likely. Because I want to know if we could ever sleep on a cushier top without developing back issues, we will try a 2" 32 ILD Talalay layer when sheets are changed. (Got a layer from Foambymail last month when we thought we were buying a Beckley all cotton innerspring that would have been rock firm & needing a topper) I also plan on turning my top soft layer so that the smaller pinholes are on top.I put large ones on top which makes it a bit firmer with Dunlop (& giving even more combos). DH also put both of his medium layerswith large holes up to try to make up for Savvy sending a medium instead of a firm layer for his middle layer. He might also flip his to see if his back can handle a bit softer. I think it's probably negligible, but we'll give it a try. |
Re: Savvy Rest report
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Lynn said: "How are you sleeping?" Quite well Lynn, thank you. My current configuration is, on the right side of the bed, m/ef/ef, and on the left side of the bed, f/f/ef. I am still enjoying having two different firmness levels to experiment with. I very well may leave it just this way, as things are going along so well at this point in time. The experience that you have illustrated regarding getting up in the morning and feeling "less stiff" is the same thing I'm experiencing. As I stated in another thread, I think the greatest accolade for any bed is this. "I look forward to going to bed, and come time to get up in the morning, I want to stay in bed!" For me that says more than all the technical data in the world. The old saying always applies, "What works for you?" It's interesting that you say you're Dunlop layers were pristine looking, no imperfections whatsoever. I could not say that about the Talalay layers that I received from FloBeds, there were a few minor imperfections. I was told that this is common for all 100% botanically grown latex. My guess is, it all depends on how much culling out is done at the manufacturing level,and then again by the company that puts the pieces together as sold to the consumer. It's good to hear that your bed is sleeping comfortably for both you and your husband. I have a bad back and have had sciatic nerve problems in the past. This can be quite painful and if not taken care of can turn you into a semi-invalid. So it's incredibly important to make sure that whatever is wrong does not progress. A great mattress is the first step in that corrective process. This message was modified Oct 18, 2009 by eagle2
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eagle2 wrote: Lynn said: "How are you sleeping?" Quite well Lynn, thank you. My current configuration is, on the right side of the bed, m/ef/ef, and on the left side of the bed, f/f/ef. I am still enjoying having two different firmness levels to experiment with. I very well may leave it just this way, as things are going along so well at this point in time. The experience that you have illustrated regarding getting up in the morning and feeling "less stiff" is the same thing I'm experiencing. As I stated in another thread, I think the greatest accolade for any bed is this. "I look forward to going to bed, and come time to get up in the morning, I want to stay in bed!" For me that says more than all the technical data in the world. The old saying always applies, "What works for you?" It's interesting that you say you're Dunlop layers were pristine looking, no imperfections whatsoever. I could not say that about the Talalay layers that I received from FloBeds, there were a few minor imperfections. I was told that this is common for all 100% botanically grown latex. My guess is, it all depends on how much culling out is done at the manufacturing level,and then again by the company that puts the pieces together as sold to the consumer. It's good to hear that your bed is sleeping comfortably for both you and your husband. I have a bad back and have had sciatic nerve problems in the past. This can be quite painful and if not taken care of can turn you into a semi-invalid. So it's incredibly important to make sure that whatever is wrong does not progress. A great mattress is the first step in that corrective process. Glad to hear that you are quite satisfied! I shouldn't have used the term "pristine" when describing our dunlop layers because we truly didn't peruse them all that much - we were so focused on the assembly we ignored that aspect. However, I think we would have noticed anything glaring - especially burn marks or discoloration. I will certainly take a closer look with the morning sun when I change the sheets & turn a few layers over... I do recall that Michael Penny (Savvy's owner) or his son, Gopal, told me that they have someone (and gave me his name which I didn't jot down) at the Coco Latex plant who does the "culling" for Savvy & they have established a very good rapport with him. Seems so as far as I can tell without my magnifying glass! lol Sleep well & enjoy those configurations! |
Savvy update
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It's been 9 days since our Savvy Rest dunlop split king arrived, and we are sleeping comfortably! A few things I can add to my previous posts: We originally configured our top layers (soft my side; medium his side) with larger holes facing up because we were told this is slightly firmer. I was afraid my soft top layer might be too soft, so I put larger holes up. Just for fun, when I changed the sheets I reconfigured, so now it's: Me: Firm (small holes up) over Medium (small holes up) over Soft (large holes up). Him: Firm (small holes up) over Medium (large holes up) over Medium (small holes up) My hubby's side was supposed to be F/F/M but Savvy sent a medium middle layer in error. We are testing it out before asking for the firm piece & all is good so far. We did place his middle medium layer with the large holes up to make up for having F/M/M instead of F/F/M. Each layer has a side with large holes (skin side) and a side with smaller holes. The smaller holed-sides are zoned. I can feel a slightly softer difference with smaller holes up, but my hubby says he can hardly tell. But he CAN tell the difference between his side and mine (medium versus soft tops). His side does feel firmer to me. I'm clueless about the zoning, but Savvy Rest told me no one can tell the difference, which is why the zoning isn't mentioned on his site. At this point, I have to agree with him, but I wonder what it's all about just the same. The dunlop is very comfortable. Not rock hard as someone said somewhere & almost scared me off! The dunlop is firm & supportive, yet gently yielding. It feels just about perfect Most important: there was no adjustment period for either of us. None of the usual problems with feeling bruised when a new bed is too hard. Big relief there. On caveat - when I tuck the sheets each day, my fingers butt up against the wood on the foundation so I have to slightly lift the mattress to keep my fingers from jamming into wood of the foundation. I hate this & will probably end up putting a mattress pad on the foundation. (Are all foundations like this? We have only had box springs in the past.) The foundation sides are nicely covered/padded with same as cover, but I'm not sure it goes up and over the top of the foundation. If it does, then it needs more cushioning. I'm too lazy to go double check but I do know that whatever is there, is not enough to avoid finger-jamming when tucking. I will alert Savvy Rest to this as they do really care about their product. This isn't anything that can't be corrected. Hopefully, you will be able to see the zoning in 4th photo. Note the nice quality of the dunlop, and the larger holes of the "bottom" side of each piece. We now have smaller, zoned side facing up on all but one layer. Sorry but my clear, wonderful photos have denegrated with photobucket for reasons beyond my abilities. The original photos are clear, crisp and perfect. http://flickr.com/gp/44106409@N08/28P8qv   This message was modified Oct 27, 2009 by catlover
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catlover: Thank you for the pictures. It would have been nice however had you made them of a slightly higher resolution, as it is difficult to really ascertain any details with pictures that have been so greatly downsized. I am glad that you are happy with your mattress. I believe Savvy Rest is a quality company selling a quality product. This is my first experience with a latex mattress. I have one problem however. Every configuration that I try I tend to like. This is making it most difficult to decide what is the ultimate firmness for my various layers. Problems, problems. Oh well, I'll just have to soldier on!  |
Re: Savvy Rest report
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eagle2 wrote: It would have been nice however had you made them of a slightly higher resolution, as it is difficult to really ascertain any details with pictures that have been so greatly downsi This message was modified Oct 27, 2009 by catlover
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Re: Savvy Rest report
 This message was modified Oct 27, 2009 by catlover
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Re: Savvy Rest report
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Catlover: I only checked the picture of the whole bed, but this is what your EXIF data told me. You shot the picture with a Nikon D80( excellent camera by the way) your shutter speed was 1/60 sec, your f-stop was 3.5 your ISO was 200. You shot at 27 mm focal length (35mm equivalent) you used flash, and you process the picture in "Picture Project". But the principle item of importance for this discussion is the fact that you reduce it in size to 320 x 214 pixels resolution. This gave you a very small file size of 22.2KB. I would think a picture reduced to 640x480 no more is much better, or for a really good web picture try 800x600. The other references you make are JPEG quality. Excellent would be the least compression of the file, and the other references would be more compression of the file and thus less quality. But the principal thing you are interested in is the resolution, as I just indicated. Almost any picture editing software will allow you to reduce the original resolution of the picture file to something smaller. 800X600 is pretty much the standard resolution for good quality web pictures. This size gives good detail and a smaller size. JPEG compression will reduce the quality and size of the file but not the size of the picture. Only the resolution will do this. Do not use Tiff, use only JPEG or JPG for short, this is the best for the web, and most other applications... IMHO! Catlover we were cross posting. My guess is there is something about the way you install the picture at photo bucket that is causing the problem. I use Flickr, it has a very simple method for posting pictures. If I had to guess, and of course that's what I'm doing, it has something to do with your posting the picture at photo bucket, or the way you have copied their link here in this form. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble, I know how frustrating it can be. Everything to do with computers can be very frustrating. The older I get the more technology( which has always fascinated me) frustrates me. I have just gone through a very lengthy crash experience with my computer and try and get everything back in place even though I thought I had adequate backups. It's getting to the point that just using all of my five different remote controls for my television and sound system is becoming more than I want to bear. Oh well, onward and upward!  This message was modified Oct 27, 2009 by eagle2
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