Hi ameliasm,
We're considering Astrabeds and Plushbeds, but are open to other manufacturers that meet our specification. Any advice or input? So far, the best price we've found is about $3,000. We'd like to spend less than that.
Both Astrabeds and Plushbeds are heavily advertised online so there are many people that ask about them on the forum.
There are some comments about Astrabeds and some of their sister companies in
post #2 here
and in
post #3 here
and a forum search on
Astrabeds
(you can just click this) will bring up more information about them as well. They have recently introduced a new latex lineup that uses organic Dunlop latex and you can see some comments about them in
posts #6 and #7 here
).
You can see some comments about Plushbeds in
post #2 here
and a forum search on
Plushbeds
(you can just click the link) will bring up much more information and comments/feedback about them as well. I would keep in mind that their "sale" prices are always in effect so they would be their "regular" price not a "sale" price (see
post #9 here
) and I would make some careful "value comparisons" with some of the other options that are available to you.
The first place I would start your research is the
mattress shopping tutorial here
which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ... and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the more important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you've read are
post #2 here
which has more about the different ways to buy a suitable mattress that is the best "match" for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them and
post #13 here
which has more about the most important parts of the "value" of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value.
I would also be aware that mattresses don't have ILD's ... only individual layers in a mattress ... and ILD is also only one of several "specs" that can affect the softness/firmness of an individual layer or the mattress as a whole (see
post #4 here
). ILD ratings also aren't easily comparable between different types and blends of latex (see
post #6 here
) so unless someone has a great deal of personal experience in testing a wide range of latex mattresses with different designs and layering combinations, using ILD information by itself to choose a mattress can often be more misleading than helpful.
There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in
post #6 here
that may be helpful as well.
The tutorial includes
this link
to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) that compete well with the
best in the industry
in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency and many of them also make latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that that would be well worth considering.
There may also be some good options available to you locally that you can test in person and if you let me know your city or zip code I'd be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I'm aware of that are close to you as well.
Phoenix
