Latex Mattress Help

[pmacgmorris]

Hello, my husband and I are in desperate need of a new mattress. I have been doing lots of research and have decided on latex. (which I had never heard of prior to reading this site!). I have seen the reviews by people for SleepEz and FloBeds. I have also visited local stores and found that Aireloom and Sealy have latex mattresses (luxury latex and SpringFree). They have a latex core and mixed latex and foam. It is nice to be able to see the mattress and experience it as opposed to ordering it online. I am wondering if anyone has experience with Aireloom, Sealy or Englander latex mattresses. There does not seem to be a huge amount of review info on them. I just want to make the best decision possible and hopefully get something that will last for a while. It is a little difficult for me to order a mattress online without having seen or felt it first. (I am 5'8" and 190 lbs. and my husband is 5'9" and 220lbs. - in case that matters ) Thanks!

 

[Cameron]

Hi. My name is Cameron Jordan, and my family has been in the mattress manufacturing business ever since my grandfather opened a smal factory in Little Rock, AR in the late fifties and began selling directly to the public. I must admit I don't have much firsthand experience with Aireloom, Sealy or Englander latex mattresses. However, Jordan Bedding has been selling latex products ever since its inception, so I know what you should look for in a quality latex mattress. First of all, be wary of manufacturers who build their latex mattresses with 'racetracks'. A latex mattress with a 'racetrack' is a latex mattress that has built with a cheaper foam around the edge to cut down on production costs. Secondly, look for a latex mattress that has been manufactured with Talalay latex. Latex can be manufactured using two different processes. While the Dunlop process is the most common production method, the more sophisticated Talalay process produces a higher quality product. Talalay latex is a premium product produced through a highly specialized process in which each step plays an essential role in providing the unique properties which make it an ideal bedding material. According to Latex International, one of the leading manufacturers of Talalay latex, Talalay latex is three times more durable than Dunlop latex and four times as breathable. Customers who have bought a mattress built using Talalay latex tell us that they enjoy a restful night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Since Talalay latex is a premium product, it can be pricey. A king size mattress built from a 6" Talalay core costs $2499 on savvyrest.com. However, money can be saved by buying from your local factory-direct retailer. Our king size Talalay latex mattress sets start at $1199.95. If there is any other way I can help you in your quest for the perfect mattress you can call me at our store number, which is 5012621581, or on my cell at 5017010007.

 

[JimBC]

Hi Penny, be sure to try a latex mattress before you buy one. Latex is simply another type of foam, and foam core mattresses provide a different kind of support compared to traditional coil spring mattresses. Some people like this difference, while others don't.
If you cannot try a bed before buying it, at least make sure your retailer has a no-hassle comfort guarantee or exchange policy. This is especially important for latex core mattresses, for the reason previously explained.
Jim

 

[imjay]

We looked at every kind of foam mattress we could find from the whacky expensive of Tempur-pedic to Serta Vera Wang to Wal-mart. We suggest you give the CostCo Ara King a good look. Our experience is you are doing yourself a favor by not considering an innerspring of any make or model. We looked at inflatable types but have an overpriced one in our motor home and while it is okay we believe inflatables from any maker are not what they are cracked up to be and VERY expensive for a vinly blatter that will hold air.
At least the inflatables can be adjusted for firmness. That was the biggest concern my bride and I had in our quest for the perfect (for us) mattress - ability to adjust firmness. What feels good initially or at a particular time in your life might not feel quite as good over a bit of time plus whether innerspring or foam there is always a degradation over time - no surprise as nothing lasts forever but it is a valid concern that as mattress materials wear the characteristics change - softness or firmness - depressions can develop and etc. Since all manufacturered products wearout or fail or change over time we decided that an important component of a buying decision should be initial cost compared to the realistic time that a mattress could be expected to keep its' original comfort characteristics before wear affects quality of sleep/rest/comfort.
In the end we chose to have a guarantee of no possibility of depressions or spring failure plus the guaranteed easy ability to adjust firmness plus the amazingly low cost with a 20 year warranty and so we bought another waterbed mattress and the latest one we purchased a few weeks ago continues the trend of waterbed better engineering better firmness and better wavelessness which when combined with a three inch form topper has created - to us at our age - and we are older folk - a soft comfort level feel yet perfectly supportive and perfectly firm for my bride's back conditions that we simply could not find with either springs or foam with the added comfort of gentle heat if we want it at whatever temp we prefer. You might be surprised to learn that waterbed mattresses are now available in a dual sided configuration so that each side can be separately adjusted for firmness which could be important with the different size and weight of you and your spouse.
Not trying to hijack your Latex thread but if you haven't included hardside waterbed in your research you might want to take a peek.
Final thought - if you expand your online research to a Google for "mattresses for obese" you will find there is a lot of information and options for those fok that are a bit taller/larger/heaver.
One example of a informative website is www.absolutecomfortonsale.com which has different makes and models of spring and foam mattresses for people in the weight range of you and your spouse which can be an important consideration re how long a mattress will last as weight and gravity are the biggest contributors to wear and failure of innerspring and foam type mattresses.
Best of Luck on your quest - hope you find your dream sleep platform as we have found ours!!

 

[BillB]

pmacgmorris wrote:
Hello, my husband and I are in desperate need of a new mattress. I have been doing lots of research and have decided on latex. (which I had never heard of prior to reading this site!). I have seen the reviews by people for SleepEz and FloBeds. I have also visited local stores and found that Aireloom and Sealy have latex mattresses (luxury latex and SpringFree). They have a latex core and mixed latex and foam. It is nice to be able to see the mattress and experience it as opposed to ordering it online. I am wondering if anyone has experience with Aireloom, Sealy or Englander latex mattresses. There does not seem to be a huge amount of review info on them. I just want to make the best decision possible and hopefully get something that will last for a while. It is a little difficult for me to order a mattress online without having seen or felt it first. (I am 5'8" and 190 lbs. and my husband is 5'9" and 220lbs. - in case that matters ) Thanks!
These mattresses you asked about all have one thing in common. We call these S Brand mattresses even though the name starts with A and E. These so-called latex mattresses almost all have a little bit of latex in them covered by a lot of PU foam and then they play up the word "latex" in the marketing as the public is somewhat aware that latex can be expensive, long lasting and comfortable. They will have a nice luxurious looking pillowtop that feels wonderful while laying on it in the store. Beware. What will happen to these pillowtops, is that they will form a rut in time. Somtimes just a few months, sometimes a few years, but they will form this rut because the pillowtops are made of cheap polyurethane (PU) foam that breaks down from the compression of your body over time. The cheaper the foam used, the faster it will break down. Don't buy these. They will be expensive, but not long lasting or comfortable in the long run. I am not kidding. Find the real thing. It is out there. Test it out and see what you think and how you feel laying on it. You want to be as close to the latex as possible, ideally with just a thin mattress pad between you and it. From your post, you will need a firmer mattress on the whole than a smaller person, but a lot of this depends on how you sleep (side, stomach, back)
About ordering online - Do your homework.... Read more posts. Search the forum. It's a lot to digest and does take some time. You cannot get it all in a day or two. Be patient and wait until you feel comfortable about making a good decision. When you are confident about the product, you'll feel OK to order online.
Poster Jim is right about one thing. Some people do not like latex. It doesn't provide enough support for them in the lumbar region. They are usually better served with a good inner-spring mattress if they can find one. Some people just don't like how it feels. It has a springiness to it that really has to be felt to be sure it will work for you. So it is not the end all in mattresses. But please do not base your opinion of it from a typical S brand latex mattress. These feel nothing at all like the real product. You will have to search this out in your area, but it is there to be found if you look. Try it out first.
Off soapbox now....

 

[JimBC]

Hey Bill, wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?
My post was entirely reasonable, and there's nothing wrong with telling someone to try a bed before they buy it.
Just to correct your misinformation, Sealy's SpringFree mattress has a latex foam core, not polyurethane. Also, companies like Aireloom are not and should not be lumped together with the "S" companies. E.g. Aireloom does not use the same cheap Leggett & Platt coil springs used by all of the "S" companies, they use much better (time-tested and truly natural) comfort layer materials (cotton, wool etc), and in their midrange and high-end lines, latex is properly put *under* these other materials. In some models it serves just as a support layer, not a comfort layer. So a categorical claim that "you want to be as close to the latex as possible" is also incorrect.

 

[Beanie]

Bill -- I'm really tired of reading about waterbeds too, but I have no problem with Cameron's post because I'm interested in learning about local mattress companies and I didn't find his marketing message to be pushy at all, though I agree that he didn't answer the question that pmacgmorris posted. I honestly wish there was a local company making quality mattresses in my area. In fact, I can't even find anyplace to try out a real latex mattress. I'm in the Albany, NY area and the only mattresses available around here are the usual S companies, etc. I even visited a local upholstery supply company that sells different types of foam, but when I asked about a latex mattress (which was listed in their catalog as a special order item), they looked at me cross-eyed and basically brushed me off. It's so frustrating. Recognizing the durability problems of mattresses that have cheap PU foam, pillowtops, etc., it would be nice to know if any of the name brand mattresses have the same initial feel as the DIY mattress that you built or the Flobeds/Sleepez mattresses that others have purchased. Thanks.

 

[cloud9]

imjay wrote:
Not trying to hijack your Latex thread ...

But you always do! Give it a rest already and stop using every opportunity to sell waterbeds... whether anyone asked about them or not....

 

[cloud9]

Cameron wrote:
Customers who have bought a mattress built using Talalay latex tell us that they enjoy a restful night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Hey Cameron, have any of your customers who bought Talalay latex mattresses told you that they woke up with the absolute worst backache of their lives and can't sleep on the thing no matter what they do, 'cause quite a few posters on this Forum have had that reaction. Talalay latex is not the be-all end-all of bedding materials. In fact there is no one sleep surface that suits everyone's preference or orthopedic requirements. Some people will do better on Dunlop latex because it is denser and more supportive at softer ILDs than Talalay.

 

[BillB]

I want to apologize for my post here yesterday. It was inappropriate and didn't belong. I have edited the original post. Its certainly not up to me to determine what should or shouldn't be on here. Certainly, sometimes others posts bring up a reaction, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt like this. But I think we have to let this just be OK.
I can only really tell my own experience of things, which is what I attempt to do most of the time. And that's what I will do in the future - and it will be limited to mattress talk.
Bill

 

[pmacgmorris]

Thanks everyone for your advice / help. We have been trying some latex mattresses out in specialty stores to see how they feel. It is a lot to digest and I just don't want to buy something that I regret in a year! I appreciate everyone's post on the topic and research will continue.

 

[Leo3]

Bill, No apology is necessary in my opinion. You said what I wanted to. Jim was probably okay in his opinion, we all have opinions on what we have experienced. But I disagree about it is okay to accept salesmen here, we shouldn't accept that. I don't want to hear salesmen here

I am not sure I agree with Jim about not being close to Latex. I think we all have opinions on what is comfortable, it is not right or wrong. I am still not sure if I want a layer to cover the latex, but then again I don't want holes from the latex imprinted on my skin.

My opinion on ready made mattresses from the "S' companies is I would NEVER buy from them again. I will make my own, thank you very much. I have wasted enough money on that garbage.

That is what this forum is for, opinions from people who are buy and sleeping on mattresses, not from sales people. My opinion..........

 

[Leo3]

pmacgmorris wrote:
Thanks everyone for your advice / help. We have been trying some latex mattresses out in specialty stores to see how they feel. It is a lot to digest and I just don't want to buy something that I regret in a year! I appreciate everyone's post on the topic and research will continue.

Keep reading, researching, and keep us posted.