TOPIC:

I have been browsing these forums for a few days and have certainly learned a lot. Now I need some advise on selecting a mattress.

For background, we are 60 years old, and I am 165 lbs/5'6" and my wife is 140 lbs/5'4". I am a side sleeper and she sleeps on her back and side. She has chronic pain in her left shoulder, and I have the occasional lower back pain. I have a bulging disk that causes me to wake up in the morning on a regular basis with the spine tilting to one side (right hip higher than left); luckily most of the time this causes only minor discomfort and is easily fixed through my morning stretching routines.

Until recently we slept on a king size Kingsdown Body system mattress and box springs, that we purchased 6 years ago for a lot of money. We were completely clueless and fell for the name brand spiel. The mattress was comfortable for the first 3 years and got progressively worse as the pillow top began to deteriorate. We are in the process of relocating to Charlotte from the Horsham, PA area at the end of May. Rather than move this uncomfortable bed, we got rid of the mattress and box spring and plan to buy new ones to replace them once we are in Charlotte.

We know we do not want memory foam - tried it out and did not like it. So, after reading these forums, it will most likely be a latex mattress. If we buy an innerspring mattress, we will buy something that does not cost a lot so that we can replace it in a couple of years and not feel like we wasted a lot of money. Buying something that we could flip would also be a plus. We both prefer a "firmer" feel.

Any advise on what we should consider and where we should buy it? I know that we have to go try out any mattress before we buy it, but it would good to get your thoughts on what you think will work for us. As far as stores are concerned, ideally we would like to buy the mattress in Charlotte, but don't mind buying it here in the Philadelphia area if we have a better choice. We are willing to spend around $2000 for a good king size set.

Thanks for any advice.

MM

Hi Mehta,

With your wife's shoulder issues and your lower back issues and bulging disc, the best combination of comfort layer thickness and softness and the firmness of the support layers would be very important. While I don't know the exact construction that would end up working best for you (only your own testing on specific mattresses can know exactly) ... a good starting point would probably be in the range of 3" of softer latex over firmer support layers. The latex comfort layers would probably be in the range of 19 - 24 ILD depending on what you perceive as "firmer" and the support layers could be either latex, an innerspring, or polyfoam (depending on whether you wanted to reduce your budget and still have latex in the upper layers). The support layers need to be firm enough to keep your heavier parts from sinking in too far and putting your spine out of it's natural alignment in any of your sleeping positions while the comfort layers need to be soft and thick enough to allow shoulders to sink in enough to relieve pressure on the joints and pressure points of the body and also to fill in the gaps in your sleeping profiles.

While some people can "sleep on anything" without stress and pain and their testing only needs to be very approximate, when there are more sleeping issues to be dealt with, the ability to make custom adjustments to either layer thickness or layer firmness levels can be important if the models that are on the floor don't have a wide enough range of constructions and layering to find one that "fits" or are not perfectly suitable for your needs and preferences.

As you probably know ... the choice of outlet can be the most important first step in choosing a mattress and you are fortunate that there are several very good options near Charlotte, NC (3 right there and one within an hour) so it would probably be simpler and a good idea to wait till you were there. They are ...

www.lakemattress.biz/ Factory direct manufacturer in Conover. I have talked with Todd (one of the owners) on several occasions and they are transparent, knowledgeable and helpful. They make a range of memory foam, latex, and innersprings and have some very good quality and value options. They can also layer the materials they use in any of their mattresses at their factory so you can get a good sense of how they feel as well.

dilworthmattressfactory.com/Our_Location.html Charlotte. Local factory direct manufacturer. I have talked with Alan the owner and he makes a range of mattresses of all types (except memory foam) and is both knowledgeable and helpful. Can make custom adjustments to any of his mattresses to fit them to any individual. Good quality and value.

www.originalmattress.com/locations Charlotte area. Regional factory direct manufacturer that makes a full range of mattresses including traditional innerspring/polyfoam (including 2 sided), latex, and two memory foam mattresses with good quality and value. They tend to put all their mattresses on an "active" flex boxspring so if you are testing their memory foam or latex models, l would make sure you also test them on a firm foundation (such as an adjustable bed) because this can make a significant difference in how a foam mattress feels.

denvermattress.furniturerow.com/dmc/ Charlotte, NC. Regional factory direct manufacturer that makes a range of mattresses including innersprings and their iChoice which is a "mostly latex" mattress with either a memory foam or latex topper and several all latex mattresses as well. They are transparent and disclose all the information about the materials they use in their mattresses and are generally good quality/value choices compared to most mainstream brands. I would avoid the major brands they also carry.

www.sleepeasymattressgaffneysc.com/ Local factory direct manufacturer in Gaffney, SC. They make all types of mattresses including innerspring, memory foam, and latex.

www.theorganicsleepshop.com/ Retailer in Pineville that carries Savvy Rest component latex mattresses along with Organicpedic (OMI), NJaturepedic, Hypnos, and Gold Bond mattresses. They are all high quality mattresses but some of them may also be in more premium price ranges so I would make some careful "value" comparisons here.

At Original mattress I would suggest you include the Latex Supreme on a firm foundation (not just on their flexing boxspring) in your testing. At Dilworth they can make custom adjustments to their standard models so you are not limited to the exact layering of the mattresses that they have on display as they can be customized to your needs and preferences. At Myluxurymattress / Lake Mattress they have a fairly wide range of good choices to choose between.

Hopefully this will help and feel free to post with any questions if you need to.

Phoenix

Phoenix, thanks much for the quick and detailed reply!

It looks like the Original Mattress Factory is quite close to our new home. I took a look at the Latex Supreme, as you suggested, and it says that the core is 40% natural latex and 60% synthetic. It also said this is a "two sided design".

First, do you think it is OK that the latex is a blend of natural and synthetic? I am also a little confused about the design - it says it has a 6" core (30-34ILD) and a foam topper (17-21 ILD). It also says it is equally padded on both sides - do I take this to mean that the foam topper is on both the top and bottom with the core in the middle? Not sure how else we could flip it - unless I am misunderstanding the term "two sided" and it cannot be flipped.

Of the places you suggested, is there one you like more than the others?

Thanks again.

Hi Mehta,

First, do you think it is OK that the latex is a blend of natural and synthetic?

Yes. With Talalay latex both materials are Oeko-Tex 100 class 1 certified as being safe for babies in terms of chemicals and offgassing. the blended Talalay is a little more durable in the softer ILD's than the 100% natural Talalay and also less expensive. For those who are willing to pay more for a denser and more "natural" choice ... then the all natural is also a great choice but it comes with a lower warranty (10 years vs 20) and a higher price tag.

With Dunlop latex it's the other way around and my preference would be 100% natural over blended which I believe is a better material in the different and more dense Dunlop manufacturing process. There's more about the different types of latex here. different types of latex here and in post #2 here .

The Original mattress design is two sided which means they both have a support core and identical comfort layers and quilting/ticking are on both sides of the mattress so it can be flipped. In addition to the materials listed, both of their models have an inch of soft polyfoam in the quilting materials to create a softer surface.

My personal preference among the four outlets I listed would be the first two (Dilworth and My Luxury Mattress) because the selection and/or ability to customize your choices would be greater. While I don't know their prices on all their models so I can't speak to exactly how they would compare to the other two in terms of value ... I would definitely include them in your options. While My Luxury Mattress is a little further away, they would be well worth a phone call and a conversation to see if you think they would be worth the drive once you've done some initial research and have a sense of how different layering feels for you.

The regional outlets (Original mattress and Denver) have a more limited latex selection (2 latex or "mostly" latex models each) and don't have the ability to customize their options to your preferences so you would need to "fit" one their models ... although they do have good value.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I know this is an older thread but I'm sure you'll find it...I happen to be visiting family in Charlotte, NC for a few days and can't resist visiting mattress places while there. My question is about the Denver Mattress Co. specs. I previously posted about being 300+ lbs. and how I was looking for a King latex mattress. You suggested looking at something substantially thicker than 9" given my size.

I expect my mattress to last about 10 years. Given that, would you be concerned about the memory foam that is intermingled into both the comfort and the support layer of both the Aspen and the Snowmass? Obviously I would LOVE to spend less money, so a mix of latex and memory foam may be the way to go, but I am prepared to spend anywhere between $1500 to $3000 for a great mattress so I am not asking strictly because I CANNOT spend more.

I realize you cannot attest to the 3 P's in my case...I plan on going to try them out. But as far as quality and value (in this case, value with regard to things YOU can account for and not my personal value equation), do you at least think the price is justified based on materials used? I am willing to here pros and cons either way, and am not expecting you to talk me in to or out of anything. Mostly, I am curious if you think it would be a bad plan to go down the route of mixed latex and memory foam in order to achieve a thicker mattress without substantially increasing cost.

I imagine you'll be taking some time away from the computer...feel free to share thoughts when you return. Thanks so much for all your help and information.

Hi sleepyvet,

I know this is an older thread but I'm sure you'll find it...I happen to be visiting family in Charlotte, NC for a few days and can't resist visiting mattress places while there. My question is about the Denver Mattress Co. specs. I previously posted about being 300+ lbs. and how I was looking for a King latex mattress. You suggested looking at something substantially thicker than 9" given my size.

New posts go right to the top of the forum list so I have no problem finding them

A thicker mattress may or may not be necessary depending on how well a particular style, combination of materials, and layering works for you but in general you would be in the weight range where a greater thickness (up to 12") could certainly be a benefit. I would include this in your conversations with various manufacturers and retailers and there is more information about the thickness of a mattress in post #14 here . Your own personal testing will also be just as important as any "theory at a distance" though.

You've probably seen this but the better options I'm aware of in the Charlotte, NC area are in post #2 here .

I expect my mattress to last about 10 years. Given that, would you be concerned about the memory foam that is intermingled into both the comfort and the support layer of both the Aspen and the Snowmass? Obviously I would LOVE to spend less money, so a mix of latex and memory foam may be the way to go, but I am prepared to spend anywhere between $1500 to $3000 for a great mattress so I am not asking strictly because I CANNOT spend more.

The two "mostly latex" mattresses sold at Denver Mattress don't contain any memory foam. They each have an inch of polyfoam in the upper layers (which is within the guidelines I normally suggest as being reasonable because the more rapid softening of a layer this thin compared to latex won't have a significant effect on the mattress) and besides this thinner layer any additional polyfoam is in the bottom layers which are less subject to wear and softening and are usually not the weak link of a mattress.

There are many factors involved with the durability of a mattress that are unique to each individual (see post #2 here ) and a mattress that would last for 10 or even 15 years for one person may only last 5 for another. Part of this is because all materials will soften to some degree and the loss of comfort and support is the biggest reason that a mattress usually needs to be replaced. If you choose a mattress that "just barely" provides the support and alignment you need then even a little bit of softening may take you over the line where for you the mattress is no longer providing what you need while for someone else it may require much more softening to take them over the line where the mattress no longer "works" for them.

The materials themselves will certainly last that long and won't be "broken down" after 10 years but whether they will still be providing you with the support you need at that time will depend on how suitable the mattress was for you in the first place. While they use good quality materials and are good value IMO ... this has nothing to do with how suitable they may be for your heavier weight and they may not provide the support you need even when they are new much less years down the road. The latex support layers are 32 ILD in both models which would be on the soft side for someone of your weight IMO but I would also keep in mind that personal testing always trumps "theory at a distance".

I realize you cannot attest to the 3 P's in my case...I plan on going to try them out. But as far as quality and value (in this case, value with regard to things YOU can account for and not my personal value equation), do you at least think the price is justified based on materials used? I am willing to here pros and cons either way, and am not expecting you to talk me in to or out of anything. Mostly, I am curious if you think it would be a bad plan to go down the route of mixed latex and memory foam in order to achieve a thicker mattress without substantially increasing cost.

From a "raw commodity" perspective I would consider both mattresses to be very good value yes (compared to other mattresses that use similar components and materials). The blended Talalay latex they use is good quality material and the polyfoam they use (not memory foam) is 1.8 lb density which is also "better than average") although not in the "best" range for polyfoam and the ticking/quilting also doesn't use higher cost materials such as wool. My biggest concern with both of these would be their suitability not their quality and value. I would test both of these very carefully for support/alignment in particular (this article and post #11 here may help you test for alignment). Thickness is only one of many factors I would consider and a thicker mattress that is too soft or not supportive (especially in the deeper support layers) would be just as "bad" as a thinner mattress that was too firm for you (or became firm with compression too quickly so you felt like you were "bottoming out") or didn't have the range of adaptability to accommodate all your sleeping positions. With a thinner mattress that has a firmer support layer but where the comfort layers are not quite soft or thick enough you can always add a topper but a mattress where the support layers are too soft or the comfort layers are too thick and soft is very difficult if not impossible to "fix" except perhaps on a partial or temporary basis.

I imagine you'll be taking some time away from the computer...feel free to share thoughts when you return. Thanks so much for all your help and information.

I have certainly spend less time on the forum over the holidays than "usual" but I usually try to keep fairly up to date even on holidays so I don't get too far behind (and there are often fewer posts than normal over holidays so this helps as well)

Hopefully this has helped but if you have more questions or I haven't answered any particular concerns completely feel free to post any more questions you may have.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix ,

I should have posted an update in 2012, but better late than never!

We ended up buying a mattress from Dilworth Mattress and enjoyed it until recently. I think we may have bought something on the edge of our preference (we prefer a firmer feel), as we are no longer enjoying the mattress, and the aches and pains are back for both my wife and me. It feels like the support has broken down, and feels like we have "low areas".

I ended up chatting with Shawn, and a couple other folks at SleepEZ yesterday, and ordered their 13" latex mattress (not organic) in the medium Talalay/medium Dunlop/firm Dunlop/x-firm Dunlop. Should ship Tuesday and get to me the following Monday. Can't wait! I did get the extra 5% off.

This time we might have gone a little too firm, but with the layers, it should be easy to fix if necessary.

This website is a great help. Thanks!

Hi Mehta,

Welcome back!

We ended up buying a mattress from Dilworth Mattress and enjoyed it until recently. I think we may have bought something on the edge of our preference (we prefer a firmer feel), as we are no longer enjoying the mattress, and the aches and pains are back for both my wife and me. It feels like the support has broken down, and feels like we have "low areas".

It's possible that "being on the edge" of your comfort preference that as the foams softened over time they eventually became outside of your comfort preference. Thanks for the update - late is better than never.

I ended up chatting with Shawn, and a couple other folks at SleepEZ yesterday, and ordered their 13" latex mattress (not organic) in the medium Talalay/medium Dunlop/firm Dunlop/x-firm Dunlop. Should ship Tuesday and get to me the following Monday. Can't wait! I did get the extra 5% off. This time we might have gone a little too firm, but with the layers, it should be easy to fix if necessary.

Congratulations on your new mattress! You certainly did make a good quality/value choice, and you are correct that this mattress does allow for customization, which is a nice option not only initially, but as time goes on. I do think highly of the advice offered by SleepEZ, and I'm glad you were able to get your 5% TMU discount!

I'll look forward to your future updates!

Phoenix

Hi, I'm in a search for new mattress. I regret my mattress purchase from Mattress Firm, which is only 2 years old and was quite expensive.
I visited Dilworth Mattress recently and spoke with Alan.
My question to you, do you know the Firm Count on the mattress you purchased from them? I was shown a #38 and told ... it is their Most Preferred Mattress. However, it felt very soft for my liking.
I feel, I wasn't provided enough info as to Why their Mattress' were such a better quality than the typical Mattress store on every corner of Charlotte.
I would truly appreciate your thoughts on your mattress search. I'm retired and too old to make another bad purchase.

Sorry, don’t know the Firmness. I am very happy with my purchase from SleepEz, so you might want to call them. They have a generous trial period, and you can customize the feel for each side of the bed. Also, you can alter the feel by changing the order of the layers.

Good luck with your search!