Looking at buying a new mattress (probably latex)

So, thanks to picking up a new king size bed frame, we now need a king size mattress. My wife and I went shopping at a few local mattress shops this past weekend, trying everything from tempurpedic to coils to gel to latex and so one. Neither of us liked the tempurpedic (so no need to try to talk me into that one). There were some nice pillowtops that we liked but the clear winner was a latex mattress from these folks (http://www.latexbliss.com/shop/mattresses/natural).

As you can see, should you chose to visit their site, the prices are jaw dropping. Other than the tempurpedic options, these are some of the most expensive in the shop. On the bright side, they have a killer 20 year warranty, including no proration.

True to my GRM nature, I'm trying to find alternatives. I'm not opposed to spending a chunk of change on something I will spend a great deal of the next 15 years on but would like to see if there are some less expensive options out there.

What says the GRM collective? Advice? Suggestions?

I hate to admit it, but the best option on the market for me, is DEFINITELY not GRM. it wouldn't even clear the budget till the year 24xx..... but the new iComfort from Serta- the one with the cooling gel all in it... holy crap is that thing awesome. I will warn you. IT IS of the "tempurpedic" style. HOWEVER- I hate tempurpedic mattresses with the fury of 1000 suns. I made the wife throw hers away when we moved in together. I will own an iComfort. Once I can justify paying more for a bed than I have for my last 3 cars....combined.

Might want to consider one of the airbags? Sleep # etc.

We have a bottom of the line Sleep # (3000 series I think) and a similarly priced knock off which has more features for the same price. I think we paid about $600 for a queen size mattress. Didn't purchase the "foundation". We have a bed/frame that I made under the knock off (now our DD) and an Ikea bed/frame under the Sleep #. We bought the Sleep # first and used it for 3-4 years. Then we needed a second bed and bought the knock off for a remote location. Tried it at home for a couple of months and decided to take the Sleep # to the remote location and keep the knock off at home. Bought the Ikea frame to pair with the Sleep # at the remote location.

One nice thing about them is that each side can set the firmness for user comfort. The downside of the Sleep # we have is that it has a 4" rigid foam barrier between the two sides. The knock off doesn't have this "feature." The automatic, superquiet pumps with wireless remote are a bunch of BS to get you to spend $$$. We check our mattress firmness using the remote every few weeks. The pump runs for 30 seconds. Not worth a few hundred $ for 10 minutes/year of convenience to me.

BTDT

I bought the whole iComfort shebang and promptly returned it. The gel topper is a gimmick! It isn't gel and it doesn't dissipate heat. On top of that to get a comfortable mattress, read that as it's rock hard unless you get the models with multiple layers on top of the gel foam, you lose the supposed effectiveness of the foam plus it drives the price even higher, and it's not cheap to begin with.

We kept the adjustable bases and have been researching latex mattresses every since.

Now the really cool thing about Latex is that there is a standardized density rating system that allows you to shop mattresses between competitors once you determine the rating you like.

I like an ILD rating of 2" of 19 for the topper with a firmer 25-28 ILD underneath. That's soft enough to conform to your body to let you sleep on your side and yet gives you the firmness to allow you to sleep on your back.

The big problem with latex is mostly due to the places that sell it. Instead of explaining the rating system most just give it to you as soft medium & hard. In other words it's the new gimmick in mattress selling. If they can't blind you with brilliance, the try to baffle you with . . .

I could give a rats a$$ about it being a "green" material and got the man made material because insiders tell me that even when you order the "natural" material mostly man made is delivered because the profit margins are greater and the consumer can't tell the difference.

I've had both types in my hand at the same time and I couldn't tell the difference.

All the experts tell you that to get the full benefits of foam you shouldn't get a pillow top. I sorta agree with them because to decide for sure what I wanted I bought a 2" thick piece of 19 ILD and I tried it out over a variety of mattress base types. I thought I might just be able to buy the topper and put it over an existing mattress or a cheaper mattress. Wrong, it feels so much better over a latex core. It was raw & uncovered and we just put a sheet over it and it really needed more. The other latex mattress (it's a single layer 32 ILD) gave us the best feel (and we have memory foam & innerspring mattresses to try it on). 32 was simply too hard for either us or any guests who slept on it. The 19 made it so much better, but I still got a little back ache when I slept on my side on it.

In all of this we found that a thin topper material helped make the bed more comfortable and probably will make it more durable.

Everyone's gone to bed now so I can't get the info, but in the morning I'll post 2 links that appear to be the best 2 sources I've found. Read that as I haven't caught them in a lie. I've bought from both.

The iComfort system cost me $1,400 X 2 Twin XLs = King ($2,800)

The king sized 19 ILD topper cost me about $200.

The Twin XL 19/25 two layer zipper top mattress so I can adjust or change out the contents cost me...............drum roll please..............$485 each. That's a price I can live with.

It does pay to shop around and to educate yourself.

One thing you'll learn is that there is a huge difference in foams and Latex is far superior to any other mattress type out there.

I'm pretty comfortable on an old army cot with a self-inflating bed roll on it in my race trailer. Total cost.... $101

I am not so comfortable on a $1200 Stearns & Foster pillowtop that sits in my bedroom ruining my sleep most nights. My wife liked it for some reason other than it being comfortable I guess.

Moral of the story - mattress salesmen are the new tin men. The floor is a better mattress than 80% of what you can buy for too much money.

carguy123 wrote: BTDT I bought the whole iComfort shebang and promptly returned it. The gel topper is a gimmick! It isn't gel and it doesn't dissipate heat. On top of that to get a comfortable mattress, read that as it's rock hard unless you get the models with multiple layers on top of the gel foam, you lose the supposed effectiveness of the foam plus it drives the price even higher, and it's not cheap to begin with. We kept the adjustable bases and have been researching latex mattresses every since. Now the really cool thing about Latex is that there is a standardized density rating system that allows you to shop mattresses between competitors once you determine the rating you like. I like an ILD rating of 2" of 19 for the topper with a firmer 25-28 ILD underneath. That's soft enough to conform to your body to let you sleep on your side and yet gives you the firmness to allow you to sleep on your back. The big problem with latex is mostly due to the places that sell it. Instead of explaining the rating system most just give it to you as soft medium & hard. In other words it's the new gimmick in mattress selling. If they can't blind you with brilliance, the try to baffle you with . . . I could give a rats a$$ about it being a "green" material and got the man made material because insiders tell me that even when you order the "natural" material mostly man made is delivered because the profit margins are greater and the consumer can't tell the difference. I've had both types in my hand at the same time and I couldn't tell the difference. All the experts tell you that to get the full benefits of foam you shouldn't get a pillow top. I sorta agree with them because to decide for sure what I wanted I bought a 2" thick piece of 19 ILD and I tried it out over a variety of mattress base types. I thought I might just be able to buy the topper and put it over an existing mattress or a cheaper mattress. Wrong, it feels so much better over a latex core. It was raw & uncovered and we just put a sheet over it and it really needed more. The other latex mattress (it's a single layer 32 ILD) gave us the best feel (and we have memory foam & innerspring mattresses to try it on). 32 was simply too hard for either us or any guests who slept on it. The 19 made it so much better, but I still got a little back ache when I slept on my side on it. In all of this we found that a thin topper material helped make the bed more comfortable and probably will make it more durable. Everyone's gone to bed now so I can't get the info, but in the morning I'll post 2 links that appear to be the best 2 sources I've found. Read that as I haven't caught them in a lie. I've bought from both. The iComfort system cost me $1,400 X 2 Twin XLs = King ($2,800) The king sized 19 ILD topper cost me about $200. The Twin XL 19/25 two layer zipper top mattress so I can adjust or change out the contents cost me...............drum roll please..............$485 each. That's a price I can live with. It does pay to shop around and to educate yourself. One thing you'll learn is that there is a huge difference in foams and Latex is far superior to any other mattress type out there.

Thanks for the information Carguy! I'd love to have those links when time permits.

Here's the latex mattress information.

The place I got my topper was http://www.mattresses.net/
https://www.facebook.com/LatexMattress

His email is - matman @ mindspring .com

The place I bought the mattresses (cause they were so much cheaper than everyone else) was http://www.buildabedstore.com/index.html

gary b @ buildabedstore .com

His phone number is (817)768-8901

The first company does almost everything through the internet and the 2nd does it mostly by phone. His webpage doesn't have nearly the information on it that it should. Tell them David Bennett sent you.

Another thumbs-down on the iComfort. I bought one about 6 months ago, and although I loved it at first, it's now becoming a lumpfest. Tim, who is a big boy, quickly wore a furrow in his side, and rotating the mattress just means we now have his-and-hers furrows with a RIDGE in the center. Apparently the foam breaks down under heavier occupants, and it's a known issue.

I'm just waiting for Tim's ditch to reach the warranty-mandated 3/4-inch deep so I can get my effing money back. We're about halfway there already.

Margie

We had good luck at Sears, they seem to always be having a 50% off mattress sale. We tried a couple local furniture stores, but they were around $200-300 higher than Sears for a comparable model. Mattresses are a nightmare to cross-shop, as different stores carry different (but similar) models.

I forget what brand we got (it's one of the "S" brands), but it's been very comfortable. We got one that was much firmer than I would have picked on my own (it's not a pillowtop), but it's been very comfortable and I've slept great on it. I think we spent around $900 or so for the mattress and boxsprings. I'm sure we could have spent less, and definitely could have spent more, but it seems like we got a lot of value at that price point. I think the individual price point will vary for each person, as if you have back problems, having a great mattress is probably more important than if you don't.

Overstock.com has some good prices on bed frames, bed sheets, and memory foam toppers. Our strategy was to get the incidentals (frame and sheets in our case) at a good price so we could spend our money on getting a solid mattress...

God I'm glad to know that the iComfort sucks in the long run. I was just getting ready to drop a HUGE chunk of change on one. Better off buying a regular mattress and a pinball machine, it seems.

They are out of fashion, but I still haven't found anything that beats a waterbed for comfort. After working out way through a sleep # and a high end pillow top I finally convinces SWMBO to try one of the new soft sided water beds. I got a full flow insert for my side and a 70% waveless for her side, and it's been great.

She still thinks I'm trying to turn her into a hippy chick, but she hasn't complained about any back ache for a couple of months now. I'm looking forward to the colder months when the benefits of a nice warm waterbed come into play.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Moral of the story - mattress salesmen are the new tin men. The floor is a better mattress than 80% of what you can buy for too much money.

trOOf. There's a company around here that advertises on the radio that your mattress will soak up OMFG 25 GALLONS of sweat after eight years meaning INSTANT replacement is needed RIGHT THIS SECOND or your grandkids will be born nekkid.

All I could think of when I first heard that was if you sweat that much in the bed you are 1) bad out of shape 2) you need to sleep in the bathtub.

I got a new king mattress about 4 months ago from Costco and it was the best decision I made. Their return policy is crazy, if you don't like the mattress after a year you can call up they will come pickup the mattress on their dime. They say they will do that for as long as you own it but you have to come up with a good reason after an extended period of time. I called up to verify this multiple times and all the people I spoke with said the same thing.

We started looking at mattresses at Macy's and found a Sterns and Foster we really liked which was almost $2500. So then we looked at Costco and they had a Kirkland brand mattress made my Sterns and Foster for a grand less so we ordered that knowing we could return it if we didn't like it. Turns out it is a great mattress love the extra space vs a queen. The link is below.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11669853&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|93|1924|67410&N=4018918&Mo=36&pos=2&No=9&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=67410&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC11879-Cat1924&topnav=

Yeah, I have to admit that after a king you really won't want to sleep on anything smaller. I likes to sprawl sometimes. It also allows a lot of room for hijinks.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Another thumbs-down on the iComfort. I bought one about 6 months ago, and although I loved it at first, it's now becoming a lumpfest. Tim, who is a big boy, quickly wore a furrow in his side, and rotating the mattress just means we now have his-and-hers furrows with a RIDGE in the center. Apparently the foam breaks down under heavier occupants, and it's a known issue. I'm just waiting for Tim's ditch to reach the warranty-mandated 3/4-inch deep so I can get my effing money back. We're about halfway there already. Margie

You should start storing weights or engine blocks or something there during the day. It would cut the time in half!

The Original Mattress Factory.

http://originalmattress.com/

carguy123 wrote: Here's the latex mattress information. The place I got my topper was http://www.mattresses.net/ https://www.facebook.com/LatexMattress His email is - matman @ mindspring .com The place I bought the mattresses (cause they were so much cheaper than everyone else) was http://www.buildabedstore.com/index.html gary b @ buildabedstore .com His phone number is (817)768-8901 The first company does almost everything through the internet and the 2nd does it mostly by phone. His webpage doesn't have nearly the information on it that it should. Tell them David Bennett sent you.

Thanks David. I'll check out those sites (and most likely PM you).

mtn wrote: You should start storing weights or engine blocks or something there during the day. It would cut the time in half!

That is hilarious!

I have been frantically trying to keep SWMBO from trashing my mattress for several years it was No kidding custom made by Blind people at factory our local Lion's club used to operate as a work place for the Blind and it is I believe Latex foam and I love it. I admit we could use a new foundation for it and she recently added a memory foam topper, but so far she is held at bay. I dread the day she can afford a Tempurpedic because one will magically appear in our room. I think I will like it but not the bill to buy it.

My Fiancee has a latex mattress. We love it. I think she got a Sears brand one.

I had a girlfriend in college who got a sleep number bed. We hated it with a fiery passion. It is only comfortable if you each sleep directly in the middle of your own air bladder. Otherwise, there's a foam wall in the center that you will sink into if you lay on. So if you try to cuddle or roll too much in your sleep, you end up in the foam-wall-trench. It was also the worst surface for having sex on that I have ever personally experienced.

Best two mattresses I've slept on have been latex foam or a futon mattress directly on the floor.

Beer Baron wrote: Best two mattresses I've slept on have been latex foam or a futon mattress directly on the floor.

You need to add the hood of a car at a drive in movie to that list.

We have a Sleep # bed (not my idea, SWMBO insisted) and I find it OK. I had a custom futon in the UK that was more to my liking, but once you figure out the adjustment it's pretty good.

Best bed we had was a simple aerobed air mattress, but air mattresses and felines in the same household don't work too well together.

What? Sorry I saw "latex" and got excited but now realise I'm in the wrong thread.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/beds-mattresses-more-specifically/50427/page1/

Worth a read.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm pretty comfortable on an old army cot with a self-inflating bed roll on it in my race trailer. Total cost.... $101 I am not so comfortable on a $1200 Stearns & Foster pillowtop that sits in my bedroom ruining my sleep most nights. My wife liked it for some reason other than it being comfortable I guess. Moral of the story - mattress salesmen are the new tin men. The floor is a better mattress than 80% of what you can buy for too much money.

This man speaks the sad truth.

I will never, ever buy another conventional mattress. I've shopped. I've researched. I've purchased. They are all junk. Our Stearns & Foster was the most overpriced pile of springs and failing foam on the planet.

My next mattress will be memory foam, probably from Costco. I hope to never set foot in another mattress store again. Sort of the same way I feel about new car dealerships.