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Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and have been digging into the archives on my research for my next mattress. Both my fiance and I prefer the feel of spring mattress over latex and that's what we are considering at the moment. So far, I have learned from here is to avoid the plush/pillow tops as they tend to break down over a relatively short time. Also, the 3 "S" brands were not what they used to be. I have also get to learned about lesser known brands like Vi-Spring and Hypnos. These brands seem to be mythical and have no review at all anywhere. Are there any owners here who would like to share their thoughts? |
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olenska wrote: also check out the shifman handmade van gogh mattress. absolutely perfect. to me, the best bed I have ever slept on. not available at bloomingdales, stickley furniture in nyc sells them, as do many top end furniture stores on the east coast. Unless you are going to build your own, of course |
| Besides their all latex models, Green Sleep also makes a mattress with hand-tied pocket coils which is topped with latex. Their foundations are either slat-based, or dowel based, both of which have quite a bit of give. I'm giving these serious consideration. I have to say that the one night I slept on a Hypnos at a B&B was even more uncomfortable as the 3 nights I once slept on a tempurpedic! Even my husband, at almost double my weight, found the Hypnos way too firm. I don't doubt that they are excellently made beds but you really have to want a firm bed to get on of these. |
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I went to a store yesterday that had both Hypnos and Vi-Spring. I agree Hypnos was WAY too firm...solid like a rock. Sleeping on the floor would be less expensive option with the same feel. The Vi-Spring beds were much more comfortable, I like their philosophy...price points are nice and all natural materials are amazing. I love the guarentee and the promise they offer too. Have you heard of Hastens? You might consider that as an option as well if you are looking to invest and staying away from Latex. People have a funny way of thinking latex is natural, but unless it comes out of the tree (it is in it's original form a sap) in the shape of a mattress... it is not natural. They add fun things like amonia to it to make it soft and supple. Sticking with a company that uses zero synthetics is going to be better for you in the long run. There are TONS of companies out there that claim to have natural materials, however most of these have a certain percentage of poly content...thats the only way they can keep their "natural materials" together... just really investigate every company you are looking into. Best of luck! Sincerely, Bed Snob |
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Dear Bedsnob, Ammonia is added to most latex that is shipped long distances to prevent vulcanization. It is not added to make the product softer. GreenSleep processes their latex without the use of ammonia as whatever they harvest in the morning is turned into rubber cores later the same day the need for ammonia as a stabilizing agent is simply not required...its not like when rubber is processed in the US or in Europe there is a large amount of aqueous ammonia added into the rubber during shipping. Only a small amount of ash is added to turn the product into a foam. The end result for them is about 97% natural rubber content and some sulfur ash residual (also natural). If you literally mean it isn't natural if it doesn't occur in nature in the shape of a mattress then nothing is truly natural. On the poly content....yes most "latex" beds use polyurethane in the construction...not all...but it is never actually part of the latex foam itself...these are two completely different materials, typically this is S brand practice to still use large amounts of polyfoam in the construction. All that being said, Hastens and Vi-Spring make a great truly natural product if you do like a softer feel. I would agree that Hypnos mattresses are all typically very firm. GreenSleep does not make their beds the same way as Vi-Spring or Hastens, however they do produce some of the purest mattresses in the world and have the certifications to back it up. Pro's and con's to both types of beds in reality. |
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bedsnob wrote: I went to a store yesterday that had both Hypnos and Vi-Spring. I agree Hypnos was WAY too firm...solid like a rock. Sleeping on the floor would be less expensive option with the same feel. The Vi-Spring beds were much more comfortable, I like their philosophy...price points are nice and all natural materials are amazing. I love the guarentee and the promise they offer too. Have you heard of Hastens? You might consider that as an option as well if you are looking to invest and staying away from Latex. People have a funny way of thinking latex is natural, but unless it comes out of the tree (it is in it's original form a sap) in the shape of a mattress... it is not natural. They add fun things like amonia to it to make it soft and supple. Sticking with a company that uses zero synthetics is going to be better for you in the long run. There are TONS of companies out there that claim to have natural materials, however most of these have a certain percentage of poly content...thats the only way they can keep their "natural materials" together... just really investigate every company you are looking into. Best of luck! Sincerely, Bed Snob |
| budgy, what do you think about the new lien of Greensleep coil mattress? |
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Yeah there are millions of ways to process latex. http://www.sleepezbeds.com/latex-buyers-guide.html The point is, if it is in sap form is is natural latex, once you CHANGE it, it's not natural. Adding sulfur, ammonia, ash doesn't in any way convince me that latex is the way to go. Side note: I did sleep on a nice latex/spring bed for many years that was a hand me down. It was from a small company in Idaho that makes all their mattresses. That is neither here nor there...the person I was addressing who is looking for a bed specifically said they were looking for brands that had springs vs. latex. I own a Hastens. I am for sure a living testament to how amazing it has been and life transforming. I have had my bed for 3 years now, and it is better now than it was originally. My boyfriend loves it too...pretty sure he might be dating me for my bed. ;-) It's like a dowry...I found this video online of a Hastens vs a non Hastens bed burning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G6Bwa9nFEQ . If you are really interested in investing in your next bed, you should get to know the brands, the reviews, the companies and what they stand for as well as how long they have been around. To me, it says something when a company has a 100+ year history making beds. I wish you luck in your bed search! Depending on how much you want to be in your bed or on top of your bed, I would really compare Hastens,Vi-Spring and Savoir (another UK brand)...let us know what you think.
Take care! Bed Snob This message was modified Sep 14, 2010 by bedsnob
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| I came very close to buying a Hastens after trying them in a showroom for the better part of the day and loving them there. But given I was looking at over $10,000 I decided to spend the money and fly to a city with a hotel that had one in one of their rooms. Glad I did. I did not sleep well. I had to take the topper off part way through the night, my back was stiff in the morning, and I woke up congested. The room didn't appear dusty (it was the Chicago Peninsula, no less, so doesn't get much more chic-chic than that!) so I had to assume that I was maybe sensitive to the horsehair - who knows. All I can say is that I am glad I spent the $1000 that trip cost me to keep me from making a $10,000 mistake. And just goes to show you that feeling comfortable in the showroom carries no guarantee on how it is going to feel for a full night. I've also ruled out Tempurpedics and McRoskeys this way too. Obviously, this is not a cost-effective way to check out cheaper mattresses, but when you start looking at over $5000, finding a hotel or B&B with a mattress you are interested in is worth it. |
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mkyy wrote: budgy, what do you think about the new lien of Greensleep coil mattress? Personally I think Vi-Sping makes the best coil systems around, even better than a Hastens, I am speaking just interms of how well the coils themselves would contour to shape, not from a durability standpoint. All 3 of these brands have remarkably durable spring systems...its the upholstery and the removable pillowtop that I believe would make a Green Sleep ultimately more durable. Also if someone doesn't want an incredibly soft mattress a lot of people will find the Green Sleep to be just as comfortable. The pro's to a Vi-Spring or Hastens is that they will be a notch better on the breathability side of things...hard to say how much...I would assume with no foam whatsoever they will ultimately be a slight improvement in this category however I caution that regardless of whether you buy a $5000 Green Sleep, a $7000 Vi-Spring, a $10,000 Hastens or a $30K-$50K Vispring or Hastens, every single one of these beds uses sheeps wool in the uppermost layering which is where 95% of your bodies humidity is going to be dealt with. Getting back to the whole rubber being natural thing....it is technically natural if the vulcanizing agents that are used are natural...I wouldn't call it organic, but the term natural is entirely accurate in some cases. The organic components of a Green Sleep mattress are the wool and the cotton (just like every other certified organic mattress). For someone who is really concerned about inert sulfur ash being way down in the mattress core they should also be very concerned about whether there are heavy metals used in dyeing the cotton covering's or if the cotton was grown non-organically seeing as how basically every single pesticide in the world is a known carcinogenic material and non-organic cotton growth directly kills thousands of people every year. I don't know what kind of certifications Hastens has for these materials...I know that Vi-Spring uses wood pulp fibre for the top of some mattresses which though incredibly luxurious is technically a form of rayon and has been broken down chemically in order to be spun into fabric. If someone really knows everything...I am always open to conversation about what truly constitutes "natural"...perhaps there isn't a bed out there that even is. Sullfur ash is also present in steel before refining much in the same way that it is used in vulcanizing rubber (as well as zinc oxide), both materials after being processed have most of this removed...but they can never remove ALL of it. All that being said...gotta go with what you find to be most comfortable and if it is justifiable to you for the cost. I personally like the value that Green Sleep offers, I truly believe in the high end of things they have the best value. And like other truly high end brands they use functional boxsprings to help with comfort and support, all of these beds are more than mattresses, they are functional sleep systems and to a degree works of art. |
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"Realistically the only part of the Green Sleep pocket coil beds that really takes any kind of initial body indentation is the top most sheeps wool layer" Budgy, I am not totally sure what you mean by this. Are you talking about permanent body indentations? I think the idea of the replacable top level is an interesting one for the Green Sleep pocketed coil mattress. Can you get the top level in different levels of firmness? Royal-Pedic also has a top comfort level that can be added/replaced on their mattresses. Of course, one could always make one as well by putting latex / wool into something like the St. Geneve wool featherbed protector. Speaking of the heavy metals / pesticides in the cotton. Does that come out when washed? Otherwise, you have to worry about clothes, sheets, blankets, pillows, etc. and all of furniture you come into contact with. Not too mention what you absorb through food, drink, the air. The question is how much of a risk does all of this pose? I tend to not take it too seriously, because I figure I am probably being bombarded with all kinds of things if I live in the world today. I guess every bit can help a little though. This message was modified Sep 15, 2010 by sandman
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