TOPIC:

Dear Phoenix,
My wife and I are in need of replacing our (embarrassingly) old mattress. I have read through some of the info here, and do greatly appreciate both what you have provided, and what you are doing with this site ! That said, I hope you will be able to provide some more info relevant to our situation. To begin with we are looking for a chemical free (green) mattress and would probably lean toward a conventional, as opposed to a latex mattress. Although Im willing to try some you may end up recommending. I am 6'-5", 205lbs, my wife is 5'5", 130lbs. I am a side sleeper, she is also mostly side, occasional back. Can you recommend any locations/brands that are reasonably close by where we could go and try them out for comfort and feel ? We are in the Redondo Beach area, just south of LAX airport. I did try out a Berkley Ergonomics mattress, and also did like it, but the cost is pretty high. Can i spend less and still get chemical free, quality, and comfort ? Thanks in advance for your time and help, anything is appreciated.
Peace,
F

Hi fenix.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! Thank you for your kind words.

To begin with we are looking for a chemical free (green) mattress and would probably lean toward a conventional, as opposed to a latex mattress.

When looking for a chemical free mattress I would keep in mind that every mattress in the industry contains some type of "chemicals" and that even pure water is a chemical. The real issue that I would focus on instead is safety which depends on the specific chemicals and the amount of each chemical (toxicity is dosage related) and the only way to identify any safety issues would be based on the lab testing and certifications for the materials and components in the mattress or the mattress as whole. Different materials can be more or less "safe" than others in terms of what is in them or any potential harmful offgassing or harmful chemicals that may leach or become part of household dust. The issue then becomes how safe is “safe enough for you” depending on your personal sensitiveness and needs. Furthermore any organic certifications usually have little to nothing to do with the quality or performance of a product (it can be virtually identical to the same material that doesn't have an organic certification) even though it adds to the cost of a product. It also doesn't test the final mattress for harmful substances or VOC's (although of course an organic mattress would generally be considered as safe) so it would require a second certification (such as Eco-Institut) to confirm that there are no harmful substances or VOC's in the final product.
There are some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a "safety" certification is enough.

Can you recommend any locations/brands that are reasonably close by where we could go and try them out for comfort and feel? We are in the Redondo Beach area, just south of LAX airport

Some of the best local options I know of in the LA/Redondo Beach area who are also members of this site, which means that I think highly of because of their knowledge, quality/value, experience and transparency are:
I have decided to discontinue the provision of listings of potential retailers in various geographic regions (unless they are already vetted member here of the site), because of the difficulty in maintaining such lists in a retail landscape that is constantly changing, and most importantly the confusion it was creating with the consumer members who incorrectly assumed that these businesses had indeed gone through the strict qualification process and were approved as members of The Mattress Underground. Such an assumption is unfair to both the consumers seeking assistance, as well as the very businesses and manufacturers who have indeed qualified the be members here of The Mattress Underground.

This being said a quick search for the Redondo Beach key term or Los Angeles on our Search Forum will bring up many postings with listings of retailers in or around Redondo Beach, many of which offer mattresses with a more “natural” focus.www.naturalmattressmatters.com/

I did try out a Berkley Ergonomics mattress, and also did like it, but the cost is pretty high. Can i spend less and still get chemical free, quality, and comfort ?

The Berkeley Ergonomics has excellent lines using good quality and durable materials but as you mentioned can be a little higher in price than other manufacturers that may have similar mattresses. BE mattresses all use natural latex foam but as you are “leaning towards conventional, as opposed to a latex mattress” I am not very sure if you are looking for a latex free mattress in which case your local testing with BE would not help approximate the feel of a mattress using different materials or if you actually meant innerspring/latex hybrid rather than all latex.

If you are indeed looking for an innerspring/latex hybrid there are many local and online options (some of which are members of this site) that have natural componentry and customization and would come close to the feel, you are looking for. A good place to start your search would be to use the experience and expertise of the members listed in post #21 here who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance (either in person or on the phone) that can help you make good choices. There are a wide range of latex options included in the choices they offer and I believe that all of them compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.

Aside from that, I would always confirm that any retailer or manufacturer that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article ) and also make sure that any mattress that you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here .

I am 6'-5", 205lbs, my wife is 5'5", 130lbs. I am a side sleeper, she is also mostly side, occasional back.

With both partners being side sleepers usually ... the biggest "issue" would be to make sure that there is enough softer foam in the comfort layer so that your shoulders and hips can sink in far enough when you are on your side. This would normally be in the 3" range depending on the layers under it. The thinnest comfort layer that provides good pressure relief is usually best for alignment. You can find much of the relevant information you would need in the sections about sleeping style, preferences, and statistics along with putting the layers together and the page on tips and tricks here ) that can give you some general concepts, guidelines, and insights about the effects of different body types, sleeping styles, and mattress designs for different people but this is only generic and not specific to any particular person so you would need to adapt them to your particular body type, sleeping positions, and circumstances. (May be more complex than you really need to know.)

I'm not sure what you've read since you found the site but just in case you haven't read it yet ... but I would make sure that you visit the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ... and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones. Two of the most 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 choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best "match" for you in terms of "comfort", firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own 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 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 (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for).

If you have any questions about specifications or certain products, feel free to post back on the forum and I’ll do my best to provide answers.

Phoenix

Wow ! I am truly grateful for such an in-depth answer, and all the time you put into giving it ! Thank you. I will now take some time review all of the info you provided me, as well as, try mattresses at the locations you provided. i'll probably be back with more questions, or hopefully to report a mattress purchase !! Thanks again for all of your time and effort and the support, to both me, and it appears, many others as well ! Really kind of you.
Peace

Hi fenix.
You are most welcome and once more thank you for your appreciation!
I look forward to learning about what you decide to do and to assist you with any questions you may have.

Phoenix