Thanks for clarifying the PLB pricing. I thought that's what had happened but I was hoping you had made a great discovery I didn't know about. The custom sleep design pricing you quoted is a little higher than I thought for a queen but when I first talked to him I was talking in "approximates" as I hadn't yet decided where to buy from. His prices may have gone up a little or my "approximates" may be a little out but in eiher case I believe he offers great value as the "standard" mattress is 11" as opposed to the 10" of PLB and his method of customization and his exchange policies add greatly to the value of what he offers in terms of "getting it right". PLB is great when there are few other options and when someone doesn't have the confidence to order online. Even here though if someone was going to order PLB it would pay to do some online research as there are places which sell it for different prices.
Most of the time when I post a list it is so people can have places to test different latex combinations to determine the layering that works best for them so they can have confidence in ordering online which in many cases provides the best value. Sometimes there is also a local manufacturer on these lists which provides equal or better value to an online purchase in which case you have the best of both worlds (you get to try it and buy it at the same place
). In many cases, the individual outlets change what they carry or their website information is incomplete or wrong which is why it's so important to call them first as you have done. This can help to narrow down where to go to get a better range of "testing grounds". In many cases I also include some local manufacturers who don't carry latex at all but make mattresses that some may be interested in looking at. My notes are usually to give a very rough indication of what someone may find there.
I usually ask a list of "standard" questions when I call them. If I am looking for testing grounds I just ask what they have available in latex that doesn't have more than 1" of poly in the comfort layers (for testing comfort layers ... poly or an innerspring core is less important). If I am looking for "value" to purchase I usually start with a quote for 9" of latex with a "simple" cover so I am comparing apples to apples. If they are in the ballpark, then I start asking more detailed questions more specific to what I want. If a store only had 1 mattress but was say 2 blocks away I would probably go there, oherwise the best testing grounds are stores that offer a range ... even if none of them can be customized.
In the case of the NJ and NY lists, as you can see, most of the outlets would be better for testing purposes but not so good to buy from. For example an OMI mattress ... while it is very expensive .. can provide valuable information as to the type of layering that can feel comfortable even though I believe they are too expensive (but for me they were a "reference point" as I really liked how they felt). Outlets that carry Natura would also make good testing grounds because they make a wide range of latex mattresses even though they are not customizable on an individual basis (I learned a lot about my own preferences and needs by using Natura mattresses as a testing ground among many others). Even a latex mattress that has a few inches of latex over a polyfoam core can provide valuable information as to what type of comfort layers works for someone even though they too may not have the value that makes them worth buying.
Some of the information you have "added" to the list is not quite accurate in terms of their usefulness for testing but since you already have good "testing grounds" it's probably not worth going into detail in each case. But just to give a couple of examples of what I mean ...
http://theorganicnest.com/storeinfo.php Retailer. Carry what look like
land and sky mattresses which are Dunlop latex.
They have their “Eco Clean 10” Latex Pillowtop Mattress” This mattress has 6” Dunlop core with softer 3”inside pillowtop for $2495.95. Again no customization.
Their 10" mattress comes in 3 different firmnesses so while each one can't be customized it can give you an idea of what different layering feels like. Land and Sky also makes a version which has a zip cover and can be customized. All of these are Dunlop so they can provide a "Dunlop" reference point in testing to help you determine how they feel in comparison to say the PLB Talalay.
http://www.thebedroomgalleries.com/contactus.html Retailer. Carry Englander, WJ Southard, And Sensa, all of whom make latex mattresses.
Has no info on Enlander. WJ Southard does not offer a lot of choices. WJ Southard’s all Talalay Latex mattress is $3299! Sensa has medium density foam as their base layers in all of their mattresses.
While the bottom layer of the Sensa does have poly, it is not a critical layer in terms of testing as the upper part (from a few inches to 9") is latex so what you would be feeling is latex. Again they would be a good testing ground. Pure latex bliss also has 1" of poly under it which in no way detracts from the value or feel of the mattress although theirs is thinner and doesn't perform quite the same function as in the Sensa. WJ Southard also makes several latex mattresses some in combination with springs and can be a good testing ground. Englander is one to be a little careful with as they make mattresses both with poly above the latex and without.
A couple of the manufacturers I listed make wonderful hand built mattresses that are insanely expensive ... some with latex and some without ... but they are absolutely loved by some people who can afford them. I personally question their "value" although I certainly don't question their quality. Some of these can be over $50,000.
There are a few local manufacturers on the list for NJ and NY that may provide a high value mattress that would be worth considering for purchase. Lemoyne for example makes several all latex mattresses (with 3/4" of poly on top) but there may be more profit for a retailer to sell cheaper materials at greater profit and lower cost than Lemoyne in which case they would tell you "people don't seem to like them". The mattress industry as a whole IMO is a crooked place with lots of "misinformation". The smaller manufacturers ... especially if you are dealing directly with them ... will often give you much better and more truthful information. I talked with dozens of them for many hours and learned a great deal about their mattresses, mattress construction, and the industry in general ... although some would say I was a little "obsessive" in how far I took my research (laughing). There are probably more "value" manufacturers on the NY list than the NJ one.
In terms of the Pure latex bliss ... I would phone them (the manufacturer or a good retail outlet) and find out exactly what the layering is. Most of the websites that list them just call the upper layers on top of the core soft or super soft which is not accurate. A couple that are more specific are here
http://www.mattresssave.com/index.php?mattress/shop/brand/6 and here
http://www.stlbeds.com/nutrition-latex-mattress.html (I don't believe though that the nutrition comfort layers are firm and luxury firm or at least these "terms" are not accurate). Based on watching the
PLB utube videos about their construction philosophy and in reading as much about them as I have been able to including their
http://blissipedia.com/ site, I believe that the Nutrition would be a firm 6" core with 2" of medium and 2" of soft latex (similar to the Beautiful with 1" less of plush). I believe their "Plush" is about 19 ILD (possibly a little higher) and their toppers are 14 ILD. Their core would probably be around 36+ ILD and their "other layers" would vary depending on what they were trying to achieve in the feel of their mattress. Some may be a little less than the core (the 2" layers) and some may be firmer than the core (the 1" layer in the Nature). Interesting too that they use Celsion latex in their comfort layers (a "temperature regulating latex). I have been hoping that someone would take the time to contact PLB directly and resolve the "misinformation" about their specific construction but I may end up doing it myself as it would certainly make offering "suggestions" based on using them as a testing ground a little easier. I believe though that the mattresssave site is the most accurate of those I know.
In general terms as well ... most people would be happy with 8-10" of latex in a "correct" layering for them (a PLB Pamper with a 2" or 3" topper would be an example) but thicker constructions can sometimes provide more flexibility or a greater "range" of comfort/support for different sleeping positions and needs. Thicker is not necessarily better although it is usually more expensive.
Some of the online outlets in the list I posted will give you very good reference points in terms of value and different constructions that you can compare to local outlets. You will see all latex mattresses there that start at about $1000 in an 8" queen size and go up from there. The overall construction ... one sided/wo sided, type of latex, thickness of different layers, and the cover etc ... and the ability to exchange layers or do any further customization after a purchase ... and shipping costs ... are also an important part of a mattress purchase so it is sometimes a little misleading to compare them in terms of price per inch of latex alone.
Phoenix
PS: If you like the Nutrition I would also compare it to the Pamper with a 3" topper which would be similar (slightly more pressure relieving and slightly less supportive) with the same amount of latex in your mattress. If you purchased the topper elsewhere ... it would also be less expensive even though it would be the same quality and thickness of mattress. A Pamper with a 2" topper may also work better for some people than a 3" topper depending on weight and overall body shape (it could be slightly less pressure relieving and slightly more supportive than the Nutrition).
