Hello, thank you for making this a reliable space for non biased info and vetted expert opinions on a complicated topic! As my husband and I contemplate going from a 10 yo S&F Queen to a King size bed, all the options are on the table. After months of reading and watching videos, I think I’m closer to a direction but would appreciate some feedback, confirmation or anything I’ve missed?
We are: A 52 yo 5’1" <110 lb inverted triangle with flare ups due to hypermobility, low back pain, sciatic nerve pain, mild sleep apnea, occasional but severe GERD and a less finicky 54 yo 5’7" 185 lb triangle with occasional shoulder pain and low back pain. Both back/side combo sleepers. Add one little dog sleeping on the outside of one human, another little in the middle, a cat on and off the bed on the outside of the other human, and a much more respectful 55 lb dog who luckily prefers his own bed until morning when the whole crew piles on for coffee time.
Our priorities:
- More space!
- Supporting a company dedicated to responsible, sustainable and ethical/humane sourcing and production processes that are respectful of both animals and humans.
- Non toxic materials. Organic nice to have, not necessary to have. The feel and look of high quality, natural materials preferred.
- Edge support–we are accustomed to decent edge support but most importantly, we desire maximum usage of the entire bed space.
- Minimal motion transfer.
- Temperature regulating. It’s that time of life.
- Firmness–I’m looking for the same feeling in a mattress I like in my footwear (anyone ever use this analogy before?
) For me, that is a shoe with strong arch and ankle support which provides the reassuring feeling of stability and structure for my hypermobile joints. That’s a Birk in the summer and Doc Marten’s with a cushy all wool sock in the winter that fills in all the gaps and provides the tactile sensation of tight swaddling and cradling.
) For me, that is a shoe with strong arch and ankle support which provides the reassuring feeling of stability and structure for my hypermobile joints. That’s a Birk in the summer and Doc Marten’s with a cushy all wool sock in the winter that fills in all the gaps and provides the tactile sensation of tight swaddling and cradling.Our limitations:
- Budget is flexible but I was hoping, and after reading many of the experts here it seems perfectly possible, to find a high quality mattress in what I would call the mid range, or max $4k, especially considering we will need to shell out for a base, likely a topper, and new bedding, pillows, etc. since we are changing sizes. We like sleeping in linen sheets with a wool comforter (currently Cultiver and Holy Lamb), so those purchases won’t be inexpensive. That said, it’s worth it to us to invest in something we can get a good 10 years out of, at least.
- Online shopping–this may very well be a sight unseen purchase as we are in a midwest city with few opportunities for trying latex or latex hybrid beds. This makes us nervous about a final sale purchase with no option for refund/exchange if we take a gamble on something.
Current direction:
As of today, I’m thinking coil + latex hybrid rather than full latex, due to the desire for a strong support core and the additional airflow aspect of pocketed coils. Today I’ve been researching the Birch Luxe and the Plank Firm Natural (based on recommendations I’ve seen by the experts here). I would likely do an additional topper on either one but would want to consider whether that was all wool, wool + latex, how thick, etc. I’m in part looking at these options because despite my light weight and both of us being combo back/side sleepers, I think a firm bed with a pressure relieving surface layer may be the best thing for my body. My partner thinks he prefers a “firm” mattress, as well.
But in past days, I have also considered and made inquiries into CozyPure, FloBeds, Naturepedic, Obasan, Omi, Magniflex, and Winston’s. In store, we have only had the opportunity to experience Avocado and Aireloom. All Avocado models (they did not have their full latex mattress for us to try) felt a bit soft to me. Aireloom felt nice, very supportive and like high quality but I don’t know if their deal is a bit of greenwashing, and the prices are fairly high.
Next question is the base. Do we make all the changes at once? Go all in on an adjustable base now (we’re not even sure if this is something we would love given we’ve never had one but it seems like it’s almost a given choice these days) or start with a mattress and a simple base or foundation for now and add an adjustable base down the road. I have been in touch with a local retailer who has offered a good price on a Malouf 755 split king, and he would deliver and setup. Purchasing from someone local would be a reassurance for us.
Meanwhile, I’m tired of deliberating and ready to make a decision pronto. I’m waking up in pain everyday as our current mattress is sagging rather significantly now. Seems I’m sleeping better on the near hard as a rock mattress in our guest bedroom (Google translate from the tag tells us it’s just a Serta) with a pretty old, low profile wool mattress pad, both hand me downs but with less wear than ours that were shipped to us from Tokyo by my husband’s brother.
Any thoughts or recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you for all of your generous knowledge sharing. I’ve already learned so much from many of you.
The quality of the bed isn’t going to be different than the similar competitors at lower price ranges, but that said, if you love it, you love it. And, my dad always says don’t buy anything unless you love it.