Decent Innerspring Mattress + Talalay Latex Topper - Where to find topper??

[KennyH]

Hi,
I currently have a flotation mattress (soft-sided waterbed) and have pretty major back pain. So I think it's time to replace. I need the support of a good firm mattress, but cannot sleep at all on anything hard (hence my flotation bed).
Since I really don't know what's going to work yet, I want as much flexibility as possible. And unfortunately I can't afford a really top-of-the-line mattress right now, so I have to get 'creative' with about $1000-$1300 or so if possible.
It seems like getting a decent innerspring mattress with good firm support, maybe a mid-level pocketed-coil like Simmons or Stress-O-Pedic (local brand) would be the most recommended for support. Anyone concur here or have recommendations?
Then I could top it off with a decently thick 100% natural Talalay latex topper to give the comfort and pressure point relief I need. At least then if something doesn't work out I don't have to throw out the whole mattress like I do now.

• So does anyone know where I can find the latex topper in Southern California, specifically Los Angeles area?? I'm not having much luck finding anything.
• If I need to order online, what's the most recommended dealers? Do any offer any kind of return poilicy or 'sleep guarantee' on the toppers? Doesn't seem like they do.

Since this is a big gamble, and I won't be able to tell much from the mattress alone (it will probably feel hard-as-a-rock), just trying to see the best route to go so I don't get stuck.
THANKS!

 

[slpngoc]

What size bed?
Why not just a Sleep EZ 8500 all latex? (Queen is $1395)
You need to have enough for a good foundation and frame too. Those are just as important as the mattress.
The place I know of for mail order is Sleeplikeabear.com for toppers. Just make sure they send you a fresh one. I wondered how much latex might shift around on a mattress unless you get a good cover that has fitted sides to grab mattress. I know some Sleep Innovations memory foam topper covers have that feature - the one from Costco.
You may be able to fit a SleepEZ all latex into your budget.

 

[KennyH]

Thanks for the tip! I've been looking over the optoins at Sleep EZ. I like the factory direct concept, and they 'appear' to have a pretty good return policy, which is key for something I can't even try before I buy. I also like the modular approach.
So my bed is a queen size, and I found a bed that 'looks' like a better deal than the 8500 you mention. It 'says' that it has (2) 3" natural dunlap cores with a single 2" natural talalay topper (http://www.sleepez.com/latex-mattress-sale.htm#). I was kind of hoping to get the topper as 100% natural talalay, as I've heard this is softest and springiest. So this mattress sounds ideal, and the price is a bit better, especially with the natural talalay topper (which adds over $400 to the 8500 price).
So if I go the all latext bed route, what are the advantages of the dunlop latex core over a decent pocketed-coil innerspring mattress core? Would it give as much support, as much 'springiness'?? Any cons?
And I currently have a platform that I built for my bed. It's just solid thick plywood mounted on many 3" square legs, about 12-14" off the ground. So an additional boxspring would be too high. Am I losing any 'flex' by doing this??
- Any other ideas if I go just topper with innerspring? The natural talalay toppers at Sleep EZ look good but are a bit on the high-end of price ($500).
- Anyone else have a good (or bad) experience with Sleep EZ??
THANKS!

 

[DeeAgeaux]

I would go to Custom Comfort mattress in West Hollywood.
That is the place to go for a good reasonably priced spring mattress in the LA area.
They also have latex and memory foam mattresses you can try out.

If you end up liking a spring mattress and memory foam topper combo I would look at sleepwarehouse.com
One of the last few places I see that still has Foamex toppers. Fortune 500 company that used to make great alternatives to tempurpedic but quit the mattress/toppers foam business to concentrate on core business of furniture/automotive foam.
Sleepwarehouse still has energia toppers which have elements of both memory foam and latex.
Also have latex toppers but I don't they have anything special.

 

[Sall]

Here is a good thread with some very useful info: http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/latex-toppers/16314-0-1.html

 

[slpngoc]

KennyH wrote:
Thanks for the tip! I've been looking over the optoins at Sleep EZ. I like the factory direct concept, and they 'appear' to have a pretty good return policy, which is key for something I can't even try before I buy. I also like the modular approach.

So my bed is a queen size, and I found a bed that 'looks' like a better deal than the 8500 you mention. It 'says' that it has (2) 3" natural dunlap cores with a single 2" natural talalay topper (http://www.sleepez.com/latex-mattress-sale.htm#). I was kind of hoping to get the topper as 100% natural talalay, as I've heard this is softest and springiest. So this mattress sounds ideal, and the price is a bit better, especially with the natural talalay topper (which adds over $400 to the 8500 price).
So if I go the all latext bed route, what are the advantages of the dunlop latex core over a decent pocketed-coil innerspring mattress core? Would it give as much support, as much 'springiness'?? Any cons?
And I currently have a platform that I built for my bed. It's just solid thick plywood mounted on many 3" square legs, about 12-14" off the ground. So an additional boxspring would be too high. Am I losing any 'flex' by doing this??
- Any other ideas if I go just topper with innerspring? The natural talalay toppers at Sleep EZ look good but are a bit on the high-end of price ($500).
- Anyone else have a good (or bad) experience with Sleep EZ??
THANKS!

I've talked to Shawn, the owner at SleepEZ several times - extrememly nice person, all of them actually. I'm sure they honor all their policies.
For example, I didn't like the $190 wood foundation, just a personal feel thing for me. I asked for a refund and was ready to ship it back. They said, don't worry about sending it back, we'll credit you which they did promptly with an email and credit to my account. Like said, no worries about their customer service.
I would not recommend a solid top foundation for an all latex mattress. I put my SleepEZ on an adjustable base which has a solid top. It really changes the feel in a not so good way. Latex has a bouncy feel, especially on a box spring or slatted base. Put it on a solid base and the bouncy, resilient feeling goes away. None of the all latex vendors I know of put an all latex mattress on a solid top foundation. I think it just chokes the mattress so it can't pass air (the pincore holes are vertical).

 

[KennyH]

I ended up calling SleepEZ and was recommended a Soft/Medium/Firm latex combo in the 8" special. This is apparently a natural Talalay topper with Dunlop mid & bottom.
I do have a solid foundation, but I was thinking I could just throw a couple blocks of wood down the sides and lay some slats across to make my own 'foundation' on top of the solid plywood base. Would this be enough to keep the good feel of the latex? The guy at SleepEZ seemed to think it didn't matter - that latext breathes on all sides.
- What was the makeup of the latex bed layers that you found to not be very good when on a solid foundation? Should I get something even softer than the Soft/Medium/Firm?
I guess the good part is I have 90-days to swap out layers to find the right combo. I might even try a 4lb memory foam topper if the latex doesn't feel good enough. Could this feel 'almost' like a combo between latex & heavier memory foam? I just don't like the slooow recovery of traditional memory foam. Makes rolling over way too much effort!
And the guy at SleepEZ couldn't really give me any pros of a solid latex support core vs. a decent pocketed coil innerspring base. He said they should both work OK. Anyone know what he difference in FEEL would be???
Thanks again!

 

[slpngoc]

KennyH wrote:


I ended up calling SleepEZ and was recommended a Soft/Medium/Firm latex combo in the 8" special. This is apparently a natural Talalay topper with Dunlop mid & bottom.
I do have a solid foundation, but I was thinking I could just throw a couple blocks of wood down the sides and lay some slats across to make my own 'foundation' on top of the solid plywood base. Would this be enough to keep the good feel of the latex? The guy at SleepEZ seemed to think it didn't matter - that latext breathes on all sides.
- What was the makeup of the latex bed layers that you found to not be very good when on a solid foundation? Should I get something even softer than the Soft/Medium/Firm?
I guess the good part is I have 90-days to swap out layers to find the right combo. I might even try a 4lb memory foam topper if the latex doesn't feel good enough. Could this feel 'almost' like a combo between latex & heavier memory foam? I just don't like the slooow recovery of traditional memory foam. Makes rolling over way too much effort!
And the guy at SleepEZ couldn't really give me any pros of a solid latex support core vs. a decent pocketed coil innerspring base. He said they should both work OK. Anyone know what he difference in FEEL would be???
Thanks again!
I was on the SleepEZ 10000 with firm/med/soft and a typical quilted mattress protector. I found the support of the all latex to be just as good as the new Stearns and Foster with individual coils I had for 4 weeks.
As I recall having the latex on a slatted base retained the feel of the mattress. But the slatted base created too much pushback and pressure points for me. Mine felt best on a good box spring and Stearns and Foster makes good ones. Can get good used ones at Sears outlet stores for over 1/2 off.
Latex has what I call a 'bouncy' feel. It is foam rubber (I think that's the correct term), so it makes sense to have a springy, bouncy feel. In other words, it is quickly repsonsive - you push on it and it bounces back immediately. When laying on it and you move a little bit, you can feel the springiness of it. If I didn't have the bad right shoulder, the all latex would have been an excellent mattress - it sleeps quite cool and the support is really good.
When I put the all latex on the TP adj. base which has a solid top, it felt sort of like the latex couldn't breathe as well. It had about the same cushiness, but the feel changed a lot. It didn't have that springy, lively feeling. I would say it felt much more 'dead' on the solid top foundation. I guess that's why latex vendors usually put them on slatted bases.
As for my TP, turning over is a breeze on it.