What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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I would like to know what some of the pros & cons are of sleeping on a latex mattress, especially in the kit form from a company like Flobeds (I have samples of the different latex cores from Flobeds). I understand that issues with comfort of latex depend on ILDs, a person's body type & weight, personal preferences, etc. The only type of mattress I've slept has been an innerspring (with no latex). It's hard to tell by laying on a latex mattress in a store what the mattress will feel like to actually sleep on. What is the difference in feel between sleeping on an all latex mattress and on an innerspring mattress? Does a latex mattress provide enough support for the lower back and hips, or is a latex mattress not a good choice for providing good back support? Does a latex mattress provide a good seating surface if you want to sit up in bed to read, or does your butt sink down too much for it to be comfortable enough to sit up in bed? With kits such as Flobeds that don't have a firmer edge support around the mattress to support sitting on, do you just sink in when you sit on the side of the bed? Can a latex mattress feel like you are sleeping on a piece of "dead" foam, "dead" meaning no cushiness, no springiness to the foam? Thank you very much for help and opinions. I've been reading this site (and old one) for over a year now, and I'm still learning. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
| Again, Novahelp, I really think your problem is that you need a soft topper since you like softness but you need firm support underneath. I would find a soft less thick topper (to me 3" of softness of a latex core is too soft to sleep on) over firmer support. Imagine sleeping on a rock hard mattress with no cushion or sleeping on a matrress that is way too soft without firm support underneath. Both these combinations that are uncomfortable can happen with a regular mattress also. I actually love the zipped up cover from FloBeds and feel it has a little give and is comfortable for me. But I could not sleep with no topper at all or I will be moving my side to side like I used to do on my Extra Firm Posteurpedic Bed that has no cushion on it.. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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Lynn2006 wrote: Again, Novahelp, I really think your problem is that you need a soft topper since you like softness but you need firm support underneath. I would find a soft less thick topper (to me 3" of softness of a latex core is too soft to sleep on) over firmer support. Imagine sleeping on a rock hard mattress with no cushion or sleeping on a matrress that is way too soft without firm support underneath. Both these combinations that are uncomfortable can happen with a regular mattress also. I actually love the zipped up cover from FloBeds and feel it has a little give and is comfortable for me. But I could not sleep with no topper at all or I will be moving my side to side like I used to do on my Extra Firm Posteurpedic Bed that has no cushion on it.. I think you are right. I will try again the Medium Firm X-firm and take an old memory foam topper and place it on that.. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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I think you're right about that. The conforming combination of the latex AND the pocketed coils were just a bit too much. cloud9 wrote: Actually pocketed coils provide a conforming support similar to latex. If you have certain kinds of lumbar conditions or if Talalay gives you a backache, you probably need a more rigid support like the luraflex or the standard bonnel coils. So it's not just you. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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novahelp wrote: Fascinating discussion. I wish I had read more of the negative posts about latex here before getting my latex mattress. I am about at my wits end trying to get this thing to work for me. Its either too soft so I bottom out in the thing, or its too firm where I feel beat up in the morning or it feels like I am sleeping on a rubber ball. I think I would have been better to get a decent spring mattress (indiv coils etc) and just plopped a memory foam topper on it... I could have written this myself--oh wait... I did. Many times! I had EXACTLY the same experience with Talalay latex and I never did manage to get it right. I don't know how long ago you got your mattress, but if you wander through the forum I wrote many negative posts about Talalay latex. Wish you'd seen them. In the end I returned the latex mattress, got an innerspring mattress and just plopped a memory foam topper on it. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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novahelp wrote: I think you are right. I will try again the Medium Firm X-firm and take an old memory foam topper and place it on that..
The best combination I found was medium over soft with the x-firm on the bottom. (no firm) But even this wasn't comfortable enough to allow me to sleep for more than 2 hours before I woke up with my back feeling strained across the shoulders from lack of support. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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cloud9 wrote: ..... before I woke up with my back feeling strained across the shoulders from lack of support. ?????? Back sleeper, w/ heavier central axis sinking in, and arms/shoulders floating? |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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This is what happened to me. Only I had put the doorskin plywood over my coils and made it VERY firm. Added the latex toppers and 2" 4 lbs. memory foam topper. My lower back got increasingly more sore each night until one morning I woke in excruciating pain that lasted for two full days. I mean I could barely move without experiencing a sharp pain. So that's when I decided to take off the doorskin and all the foam toppers. Tweaked the innards a little and now it feels better. Not perfect, but at least I'm not having that same lower back pain. My sacroiliac joint problem isn't related, although it definitely hurts every night. I can't blame the mattress for that, though. I decided to order the Brylane topper to see if it might be just enough cushion to add to my mattress to make it a wee bit softer on my hips and shoulders. If I start to experience any lower back discomfort, though, off it goes. I'm curious about that Geo-Matt HR foam topper used in hospitals. It might be more supportive than talalay, but providing just enough softness to take off the pressure. cloud9 wrote: Did you get your mattress from SleepEZ? I ordered this same combination because I like a firm bed. I thought I would add my 4lb 2" memory foam topper for a little cushiness on top. It was almost like the memory foam stopped working. The mattress still felt like concrete. But squishy concrete. All the memory foam seemed to do was hammock into the latex, so I woke up feeling sore all over and had a horrible backache besides. </p><p>The best combination I found was medium over soft with the x-firm on the bottom. (no firm) But even this wasn't comfortable enough to allow me to sleep for more than 2 hours before I woke up with my back feeling strained across the shoulders from lack of support. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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Do you recommend putting the bed on the slatted base or should I get a flat piece of plywood? Wouldn't the base distribute the weight unevenly and deteriorate the foam? What do you use, and how often do you "clean" this type of bed? |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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emale wrote: Do you recommend putting the bed on the slatted base or should I get a flat piece of plywood? Wouldn't the base distribute the weight unevenly and deteriorate the foam?<BR><BR>What do you use, and how often do you "clean" this type of bed? There is a lot of information about this on the forum and on sites that sell latex mattresses. Most places recommend slats no more than 2 inches or so apart - so the latex can breathe. The type of slats used for a lot of futon couches would be too far apart for latex. You can buy solid foundations (like a box springs without the springs) or slatted platforms designed for latex or memory foam mattresses. We use a platform bed with 1x4's that are about an inch apart. If you use plywood, you would probably want to drill holes in it unless you live in a very dry environment. |
Re: What are the pros & cons of sleeping on a latex mattress? What does a latex mattress feel like?
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novahelp wrote: Fascinating discussion. I wish I had read more of the negative posts about latex here before getting my latex mattress. I am about at my wits end trying to get this thing to work for me. Its either too soft so I bottom out in the thing, or its too firm where I feel beat up in the morning or it feels like I am sleeping on a rubber ball. I think I would have been better to get a decent spring mattress (indiv coils etc) and just plopped a memory foam topper on it... We, too, could not stand the feel of an all-latex mattress nor a latex with memory foam topper mattress. The Talalay always felt like it was pushing up against me, instead of providing soft support - yes even with the low ILD's on top.Some people obviously just do not like the feel of Talalay for support. From what I have heard - and what very little I have tried - Dunlop latex and the jungle natural latex does not have this push-back feel so much, and I am looking forward to trying it for my own self-built mattress, soon. Meanwhile, if I were you I would try Firm over Medium over Xtra firm - since you have it there you may as well try it. It may seem counter-intuitive but I think it can work for some people. Even flobeds recommended this to us when we were trying their latex mattress. You may need to go to a zoned system as I am doing, with a firmer section in the middle for your hips and a softer ILD up at the shoulders. Also, make sure you don't put more than 2" of memory foam on or your back will dip too much. I think 1 to 1-and-1/2" is enough memory foam for a topper. You may also want to try a super low ILD Dunlop topper or even Talalay - even I find the the low ILD Talalay doesn't push back like the medium Talalay does. |