foambymail latex - who owns it?
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I am hoping to order a latex mattress in the near future and am strongly leaning towards foambymail as their prices fit my budget best. I know about the ongoing debate over where foambymail gets their latex from, but I'm willing to accept that. Any feedback from users who have ordered a latex mattress or topper from foambymail would be much appreciated. This message was modified Sep 30, 2007 by jiffy524
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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I know haysdb just ordered a topper and I am waiting to hear his review once it arrives. Jeff |
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I own latex from Foambymail. I received my mattress last week, it consists of a 6" firm (33-38ILD) and a 3" medium topper (26-32ILD) . Like most here have mentioned, I have no idea where the foam originated from (I asked and was told "international", so I asked if they meant Latex International and she said "yes"). I know that the foam is not from Latex Internatinal (no serial or form number, no ILD rating) but that was not terribly important to me, they have a 30 day guarantee and the price was right. I would definately recommend the terry cloth cover, very soft and you can get up to 9" in it (not a pleasant experience, but it can be done.) Supporting myself on one hand, I can feel the floor (I have it laying on the floor at this time, until I am sure that I am going to keep it, I am not going to buy a platform bed.) I am experiencing the same issues that haysdb is experiencing, it seems that my butt is settling lower than it ought to and it is starting to cause some back pain after a week of sleeping on it. I am not sure what is going to prevent that, sending it back would be extremely cumbersome, I am only a couple of hours away from the store, so I may drive out there and see what I can do. I am a big guy, so maybe I will order another 2 inches of firm and lay it on top of the medium. Unfortunately the firm is the highest density that they have.
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You aren't going to want to hear this schippec, but a flexible slat foundation will address both the sinking hips and bottoming out issues, or rather let me say it did for me. Unfortunately, they cost an arm and a leg. Foam By Mail. Evade, inveigle, and obfuscate. What does "Made in USA" mean? What does "international" mean? I think they know darn well that these terms are misleading, but there is just enough gray that they can't be accused of outright lying. In the lexicon of Foam By Mail, if the latex is shipped here from another country but sliced into layers and cut to size here, they feel entitled to claim that the topper is "made" in the USA. International could mean Latex International, but it could also mean "another country." What a great example of how some words and phrases can mean nothing. What I am curious to see is what possible alternate meaning the word talalay could have. Their toppers are specifically said to be "High Quality Talalay Latex Foam". There are only three companies in the world who manufacture foam with the talalay process. They also claim 5.6 lb density. Latex International Talatech tops out at about 4.8 lb density according to materials from Latex International. I believe a 5.6 lb density is not unusual for a dunlop process latex. I think I will be able to tell whether the latex they send me is a talalay latex, because I have samples of both and there are some distinguishing characteristics. |
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haysdb wrote: You aren't going to want to hear this schippec, but a flexible slat foundation will address both the sinking hips and bottoming out issues, or rather let me say it did for me. Unfortunately, they cost an arm and a leg. I was planing on getting a bed and bed base from Ikea, but am not sure which base to get. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/rooms/bedroom/10635/ I was thinking I should get the Sultan Lade, as it says to offer "firm posture support" whereas the Sultan Lien and Liared say they offer "17 slats of layer-glued birch adjust to your body weight and increase the suppleness of the mattress". Do you agree the Lade would be an good match? schippec - when you say "big guy" can you give us a range? I'm average, 145lbs, but am concerned about sinking with just a 6" 36 ILD. |
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How about the SULTAN LILLÅKER ? This offers the adjustable support that I think is the secret to the flexible slat foundation. These prices are amazing. Literally a FRACTION of anything else I have seen.  |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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haysdb - This looks like a great find. Too bad more or all of the slats aren't adjustable. Note that we are getting off topic here. This message was modified Oct 2, 2007 by kbell
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kbell wrote: haysdb - This looks like a great find. Too bad more or all of the slats aren't adjustable. Note that we are getting off topic here. Agreed. There is a thread on adjustable slat foundations. This topic would fit in perfectly there. Since this foundation is user-assembled, I wonder if the positions of the adjustable slats are fixed? On mine I firmed up the three pairs of slats in my hips area and that's all. |
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haysbd, I agree with you on Foambymail's ability to be very hazy in their answers as to the manufacturer of their foam. It really seems to serve no purpose, if you are looking to buy LI latex, then you probably have done your research and are going know that you are not getting LI latex. Let me know what you determine when you receive your topper. Thanks for the information about slat foundations, I will have to look into it. I am thinking that I might have to add a couple more inches of latex just that there is no way possible that I am getting through all of the layers. Jiffy524, I am 250lbs, so at 100lbs lighter, I think that you should be ok with 6", if you start with the 6" and are happy then you saved money, if not, you can easily add layers to it. WOW, look at those slatted bed prices, does this thing just lay on the floor or do you need a foundation for it? This message was modified Oct 2, 2007 by schippec
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schippec wrote: WOW, look at those slatted bed prices, does this thing just lay on the floor or do you need a foundation for it? They wouldn't work properly without some space below the slats because under load the slats can flex downward by a couple of inches. But I honestly don't know what the frame requirements are. Anything suitable for conventional slats I suppose. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| That is what I was thinking, but thought that it was odd that they would sell the wood slats but not the frame that it would go into. I wonder if it is meant to fit into a metal mattress frame. I would rather have a in a platform type bed frame, but I have never seen those being sold with the ability to mount a wood slat insert in it. If anyone has any ides, let me know. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Ikea sells bed frames, that are meant for their slatted bases. I'm not sure who else makes a bed that requires a separate slatted base, so you could purchase their frame and Ikea's base. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Wouldn't most frames accommodate slats? As long as it has rails along the side? |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| In theory, yes, the only issue I am aware of is that with most IKEA frame comes a HAMAR (their name) midbeam, which runs from the headboard to the footboard to provide center support. I am only familiar with them in name, as I haven't bought my bed yet. Metal frames, I do know, offer their support width wise, from left to right, not headboard to footboard. I think that could interfere with the flexible slat foundation. I believe I have also seen metal full bed frames which do not have any width-wise supports, but I don't know if that HAMAR midbeam would work with that. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| You would actually need midbeam support for a king, since those foundations are split, but I don't think the Queen slat foundations are split (?), so it would cause a problem there. |
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| The only problem that I see with ordering the frame from Ikea is that they don't sell a king or even queen frame. I wonder how well the slatted base would work with a regular metal mattress frame. I don't know if it would be able to flex properly. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Why would it not be able to flex properly? What about a metal frame would interfere with the operation of the slats? |
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| Not having seen a platform bed frame without the mattress, I assumed that they do not have any center supports. If I went with a metal frame such a this frame. It has a center support that runs the length of the mattress down the center, would this interfere with the slats? I guess it does seem that a king bed's width would necessitate some sort of support as it would be a wide span for it to cover. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Any slatted foundation for a king would be constructed as two foundations and would need either a center support or enough cross beams to adequately support the two foundations. I don't know how queen size slatted foundations are constructed, but if they are a single full-width foundation, then you would NOT want a frame with a center support. This applies only to these zero-height slatted foundations, not to the more common "box" foundation. |
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kbell wrote: Note that we are getting off topic here. Did we ever. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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Back on topic. I received my 2" latex topper from FoamByMail today. It arrived as an amazingly small bundle, just 2' long by 16" in diameter, weighing 40.6 lbs according to my bathroom scale. The density calculates to 5.8 lb (per cubic foot). As expected, this is not Latex International Talatech. I don't know who the manufacturer is, but there is the bottom of a "B" molded into one end. I called Shawn at SleepEZ because I know he carries talalay latex from all three manufacturers. He doesn't ever remember seeing a B molded into the end of a core, so I'm not sure where that leaves me in terms of figuring out who makes it. The cell structure is very consistant, but is rather coarse in comparison to LI Talatech. The color is close to the same as my Talatech, perhaps just a bit more yellow. My 2" slice (a full 2") came out of the middle of a core so both sides are cut, so I can't compare the surface textures. There is one "factory edge" with a "skin" that's more similar to a sample of dunlop latex I have than what I see on the surface of my Talatech. None of the sides of my Talatech are skinned over. The holes are the same size as the Talatech, but with a bit wider spacing - 3/4" on center for the mystery latex vs. 2/3" for the Talatech. 1 sq foot of Talatech has 18x18 holes vs. 16x16 for the FoamByMail latex. Smell? I don't smell anything from either the Talatech or the FoamByMail latex, but my sense of smell is not acute. I'd call the quality a small step down from LI Talatech, but very good for the price - I paid just more than half what FoamSource wants for Talatech. This message was modified Oct 10, 2007 by haysdb
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When I received my mattress (6" of firm latex) from foambymail, it came in a fairly small box itself, I could not believe how big it blew up to be when I opened it up (can't imagine trying to ship the thing back if I wanted to). The box weighed about 120 lbs or so, had to roll it into the house. Much cheaper than anywhere else. They only have a10yr warranty though. This message was modified Oct 11, 2007 by schippec
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I have researched 8 other companies (listed in an earlier post) that sell latex, and FoamByMail has the best price along with good selection (1",2",3" in ILD 20 or 32, all standard sizes available). It still bugs me that I don't know who manufactures the latex, but it's of perfectly reasonable quality so I'm trying not to get hung up on it. In fact, of these 8 companies, only 2 sell Latex International Talatech. One of these has it only in 3" thicknesses and does not have it in king sizes, the other has it in just 2" and 3", and both companies are ridiculously expensive. This message was modified Oct 15, 2007 by haysdb
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For the price, I do not think that you can beat foambymail. Granted, I have not dealt with any other brand of latex , so someone else could do a comparison of firmness etc but it seems ok to me. This message was modified Oct 16, 2007 by schippec
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I'm very glad to hear some positive feedback about the foambymail latex, despite the ambiguity over where it originates from. I received a sample of the medium latex, although I had nothing to compare it to nor anything to base my opinion on, I thought it felt nice. |
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| I have two more layers coming, so will be able to speak a bit more confidently about the quality of their latex. |
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| hayes ~ Thank you so much for finally getting to the bottom of the foambymail latex - I mean that it's not Talatech. Very useful info you've provided. |
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I know what it ISN'T, but I don't know what it IS. I've stopped obsessing over it though because the quality is acceptable and the price is right. I need to call them and get a tracking number for my most recent order. They don't send out any notifications and there is no way to check status online. For an Internet company they aren't very sophisticated. Update: My order has not been shipped yet. The order was placed on Monday. I was given no indication that what I had ordered was not available in stock. In fairness, such a small order (two 1" toppers) isn't going to be a very high priority - this company sells a lot more than latex toppers. The CSR said an email would be sent with tracking information once my order has shipped. I really haven't been sleeping very well. I hope it's just because my mattress is too firm and I'm changing positions a lot. So I was hoping they would get my order out within a couple of days. This message was modified Oct 19, 2007 by haysdb
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Looks like I might be ordering everything sooner than expected, getting the furniture as early as tomorrow. Foundation question: Ikea appears to be out of stock, at all stores near me, of the adjustable flexible slat foundation. That leaves me with the options of 1. waiting to see if it comes in stock in the next couple weeks, or 2 getting a flexible slat foundation which is NOT adjustable. I'm looking for opinions on what you would do. Also, any other reviews of foambymail latex would be appreciated. |
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I have now received three toppers from them. The most recent were received yesterday, supposedly 1" of 20 and 1" of 32. They feel exactly the same to me. I have no issue with the quality. A step below LI, but nowhere near the difference in price, which is huge. Inside a cover you will never ever know. The question about the foundation is harder to answer. Adjustability was the main reason I bought mine, but I do not believe I have even tried sleeping without the plastic doo-hickeys to see if I even feel any difference. In fact, I question that I would since I feel the "strongback" down the middle only remotely. I suspect if your mattress is more than a single core in thickness (5.6"), you may not even notice. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I ordered 1" of ILD 20 today, and I can give my review after it arrives. It is hard to argue with their pricing. I hope they ship me 20 ILD like I ordered. |
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Update: I went to Ikea last night, and turns out they DID have the adjustable flex slat foundation I wanted. I snagged that along with a full bed frame and some other stuff. FYI: Ikea does sell queen and king frames, though perhaps not in every model. My next step is to sell my current bedroom furniture so that I can make room for the new stuff. I will be ordering a 6" base of 36ILD foambymail latex mid next week and hope to get it sometime the week of Nov 12th. I too will post a review of it once it is received. |
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| I am curious to hear if your 6" of 36 ILD is supportive enough. Are you primarily a back, side, or stomach sleeper? |
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jiffy524 wrote: I will be ordering a 6" base of 36ILD foambymail latex mid next week and hope to get it sometime the week of Nov 12th. Can you post a link to this product? What I see is a 6" mattress with an ILD between 32 and 38. Based on my limited experience, this could very easily mean a 32, as two of two samples I have are both at the very bottom of their ILD ranges. Perhaps this isn't typical, I can't say.
I will also add this, just to further muddy the waters...
For now I have no answers, only questions. This message was modified Oct 27, 2007 by haysdb
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Jim - I am primarily a side sleeper, but also sleep on my stomach on occasion. I plan on trying out the 6" first, with the adjustable slat foundation. If I feel like it isn't substantial enough, I will get a 1" 32ILD topper, and if that isn't good enough still, another 1" 32 ILD topper. haysdb - you are correct, it is actually a 32-38ILD mattress. Keeping in mind target ILD is different than actual ILD, I think this is a representation of the range. LI says a 40 will be a 38-42 and while FBM gives only the range of 32-38, backwards engineering says the "target ILD" will be 36 ILD (since there is no 35 ILD). While both your FBM samples are at the bottom of the ILD range, so is you LI... I'm not worried about it at this point. Anything will be better than what I currently have, and while FBM is not LI, FBM has been reported to be good quality. The adjustable slat foundation will offer me some extra customization, to make up for small shortcomings of the mattress itself...should there be any. |
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Other other questions I wanted to throw out there: Should I get the terry zip cover ($20) offered by foambymail with my mattress, or go for the one kapowlicious recommended on ebay for $32? http://cgi.ebay.com/ZIPPERED-VELOUR-COVER-for-8-FULL-MEMORY-FOAM-MATTRESS_W0QQitemZ120175101876QQihZ002QQcategoryZ20479QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem |
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jiffy524 wrote: Should I get the terry zip cover ($20) offered by foambymail with my mattress, or go for the one kapowlicious recommended on ebay for $32? For what it's worth . . Memory Foam Products covers have a 360 degree zipper. Foam By Mail covers are only zippered at one end. Installation is more difficult . . the cover needs to be turned inside out and pulled back over from one end of the mattress. Since you may supplement your configuration with additional layers, also consider a wool fleece pad with stretch sides.
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jiffy524 wrote: haysdb - you are correct, it is actually a 32-38ILD mattress. Keeping in mind target ILD is different than actual ILD, I think this is a representation of the range. LI says a 40 will be a 38-42 and while FBM gives only the range of 32-38, backwards engineering says the "target ILD" will be 36 ILD (since there is no 35 ILD). While both your FBM samples are at the bottom of the ILD range, so is you LI... Actually I have no idea what the actual ILD's of the FBM latex are. |
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sager66 wrote: For what it's worth . . Memory Foam Products covers have a 360 degree zipper. Foam By Mail covers are only zippered at one end. Installation is more difficult . . the cover needs to be turned inside out and pulled back over from one end of the mattress. Actually I have Foambymail's terry cloth cover and the top completely unzips from the bottom. My advice is to unzip the top from the bottom, open your new latex mattress on top of the cover's bottom and try and align it as you go. It is easier than trying to drag/lift your mattress on top of the cover's bottom. The terry cloth cover is extremely comfortable and easy to use, I highly recommend it. I squeezed nine inches of latex into it without much of a struggle, I probably would not attempt to do any more than that.
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schippec wrote: Actually I have Foambymail's terry cloth cover and the top completely unzips from the bottom. I stand corrected. The grey & white striped cover I received a few years ago is only zippered at one end. |
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MequonJim wrote: I ordered 1" of ILD 20 today, and I can give my review after it arrives. It is hard to argue with their pricing. I hope they ship me 20 ILD like I ordered.
Overall, at this price I think it is worth buying for someone on a budget. My transaction with foambymail.com was smooth. They must not be very automated, as it took a few days for them to ship this out. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I've (finally) placed my order today, 6" of Firm Talalay latex, with the terry zip cover. I will add my review of the mattress once I receive it. |
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| Let me just say great CS from foambymail so far. I told them I would appreciate anything they could do to speed up the processing (as opposed to the usual 3 days) as I don't have a mattress right now (I sold my bedroom set to make room for the new stuff). I ordered the mattress Monday afternoon and emailed them, they shipped the mattress Tuesday, and it will arrive Thursday. |
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I returned a layer of latex I bought from Foam By Mail. They don't mention this on their website, that I have ever seen, but they charge a 25% restocking fee. This isn't as bad as it sounds as they didn't deduct any additional for the "free shipping." I paid $185 and am getting credited back about $140. It cost about $30 to ship it back to them, so I'll net about $110 back from my $185 investment. The return instructions say to include the original invoice. I didn't get an invoice. They said "it was in the box." I said "the latex didn't come in a box, but just wrapped in plastic." They said "then UPS must have damaged the box." I said "maybe, but both orders I have received have arrived packed the same way." They also tried to tell me my 30 days had expired. I said "well yeah, it wasn't even shipped to me for almost two weeks after I placed the order." I have no doubt they would have refused to refund my money if it had arrived in their office even one day past 30 days - counted from the day they shipped it to the day it arrives back in their office. I say this because they called me this morning and they made a special point to note that it had arrived just 2 days before the 30 days. They weren't nasty about it at all, I'm just saying don't expect a lot of flexibility from them on this. |
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| Haysdb, that is interesting. More squirly-ness from FBM -- if you buy from ebay , they give you 60 days, but do not refund the $35 flat shipping fee. |
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FYI: If you purchase (most things) with your AMEX, they offer return protection. Basically, if the merchant won't take the item back, up to 90 days after purchase, AMEX will take care of it for you. There is a $300 max per item, and you probably need to ship it back to the merchant w/ tracking/delivery confirmation. I purchased my mattress with my AMEX, in case the 30 days isn't enough for me to decide, or FBM tries any funny stuff. https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/benefits/returnprotection.jsp |
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Finally received my FBM mattress, picked it up from UPS. Mine came in a box, which was barely in tact when I received it, but there was a box, with a packing slip attached to the outside. Inside, packaged all smushed up, my mattress wrapped in shrink wrap. I am going to put my new bed together tonight or tomorrow, and then open the mattress. I will report back once it is all set up and I have spent a few nights on it. |
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jiffy524 wrote: Finally received my FBM mattress, picked it up from UPS. Mine came in a box, which was barely in tact when I received it, but there was a box, with a packing slip attached to the outside. Inside, packaged all smushed up, my mattress wrapped in shrink wrap. I am going to put my new bed together tonight or tomorrow, and then open the mattress. I will report back once it is all set up and I have spent a few nights on it. how is it? Could you repeat which exact mattress you purchased AND your weight height? thanks! This message was modified Nov 17, 2007 by novahelp
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Yah size and weight would be great, I just received a 36lbs 3" 5.5lbs/ft^3 queen memory foam topper which should have been about 46lbs. And did you order through ebay or their website? Thanks |
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| FYI, The color of FBM's 5 lb memory foam is pink. They only have one pink foam as far as I am aware. |
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Just an FYI, my 3" FBM which was not the top density model (I guess the 4.5 is the lower model) is PINK. However, as it ages it slowly has turned orange on the more exposed side. Strange eh? haysdb wrote: FYI, The color of FBM's 5 lb memory foam is pink. They only have one pink foam as far as I am aware This message was modified Nov 17, 2007 by novahelp
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
I stand corrected. This page calls their 4.5 lb foam "white memory foam" and the 5.5 lb foam "pink memory foam" and here are their pictures:  |
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haysdb wrote: I stand corrected. This page calls their 4.5 lb foam "white memory foam" and the 5.5 lb foam "pink memory foam" and here are their pictures: It looks like they sent me by mistake the more dense foam! Not that it made a difference on my cheaperpedic. I did order the 4.5, and they sent me the pink one. As I said the pink has turned to a yellow/orange. Not sure this is normal? |
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novahelp wrote: As I said the pink has turned to a yellow/orange. Not sure this is normal? That is what happened to my Sensus also. The pink stuff does not like daylight. |
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Sorry for the delay in my update, I had some problems with my bed from IKEA, and finally got it assembled last night. My impressions of the mattress? Great! Immediate impression: As I said before, it shipped very quickly to me. The package said to weigh 56 lbs, for a 6" firm latex full size mattress, I didn't bother to weigh it. The box came torn, FBM could have picked a better box, but I'm sure UPS did a number on it. It was, however, wrapped very well in plastic shrink wrap inside the box. Out of the packaging: I ordered the terry cloth cover for $20 more, great choice. FBM even put the mattress into the terry cover for me, which I was not expecting although greatly appreciated. The mattress came folded, more than rolled. It was folded in half, top to bottom, and then side to side. It unpackaged pretty easily, but I had a friend to help due to its size and "wet noodle" consistency. The smell is that of latex, rubbery. It isn't that strong, and I know it will dissipate with time, but it is not the vanilla smell people have reported with LI Latex. On the bed: When I first laid down I wasn't that impressed, it was much softer than I was expecting. IMO, firm latex is not nearly the same as firm innerspring. I put the sheets on (Modal Jersey sheets from JcPenney, which are to die for!), and gave it another try. Much better now. Final impression: I love the springy feeling. I hate going to hotels, and having a soft bed that feel stiff because I feel heavy and stuck in place. Latex is bouncier, which is how my old (worn out) bed was. I like the spring a lot. Although the bed is softer than I was expecting, it is not a negative at all. The mattress feels springy, supporting, and slightly soft, in a gentle way. It is hard to describe exactly how it feels, but it feel nicer and more luxurious than anything I've been on before. Also, the terry cover is made for up to 8", but the "looseness" of it being on a 6" mattress is not really noticeable. I have a lighter down blanket that I put on the bed, and then laid on top of. I did not like it, it took away from the latex feel. Lastly, I think that 6" of latex over the slats is OK, but not the best. If I am lying, I can't really feel the slats, although if I sit on the center beam I can feel it. I think that 6" is the bare minimum, and OK if you are not a heavy person. I have no desire at this point to make the bed any softer than it is, so I probably will not get an additional topper. I also don't have the desire to turn a $380 mattress into a $760 mattress, by getting another 6" firm core. If I decide that I need some extra cushioning, I will likely add 1" of 32ILD latex from FBM as a topper, and possibly another 1" if I still feel I need more, but after 1 night, I don't see this happening. About me: 5'7, 140lbs, mostly a side but also a stomach sleeper. The bed: Ikea Malm, with Sultan Lillaker adjustable flexible slat foundation, set to firm. FYI, the fact that the slats have 5 adjustable ones is great. I tried out one side of the bed firm and the other soft, a definite difference. The setup: Flex Slats, 6" of firm latex, Terry Cover, Jersey Modal sheets. I would like to get some sort of mattress protector, hopefully a very thin cotton cover, as I don't want anymore than what is necessary to be between me and the bed. If someone can recommend a thin and cheap pad/protector, I would appreciate it. Preferably something at Target or JCP, so I can return it locally. I will post another review in a couple weeks, after I've had a chance to sleep on it more. This message was modified Nov 19, 2007 by jiffy524
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jiffy524, I forgot. Are you primarily a back, stomach, or side sleeper? Also, you might want to consider some dense polyurethane under your core if you do want it stiffer, rather than a topper. You can get that from FBM too: |
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Jim, I edited my last post to include sleeping preference. I am mostly a side sleeper, but also stomach. Never back, I just can't do it. I decided I loved the feel of the latex so much, I wanted to try a latex pillow. I bought this one from overstock.com, but it has not shipped yet. I had an overstock gift card, so I ended up paying only $17/ shipped for it. I will review that as well once it arrives. Here are the sheets I bought from JcPenney. Seriously, these feel incredible. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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Modal is very soft. I have a set of "Pure Beach" sheets from Bed, Bath & Beyond. They aren't necessarily that durable though. Every time I wash and dry mine, I have a full lint screen. OTOH, they weren't ridiculously expensive so I don't expect them to last forever. They really do have that soft, well-worn sweatshirt feel to them right out of the package. I have 2" of latex coming from SleepWarehouse. I will now have Talalay from each of the three manufacturers. I didn't plan it that way, that's just how it's working out. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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jiffy524 wrote: Jim, I edited my last post to include sleeping preference. I am mostly a side sleeper, but also stomach. Never back, I just can't do it. I decided I loved the feel of the latex so much, I wanted to try a latex pillow. I bought this one from overstock.com, but it has not shipped yet. I had an overstock gift card, so I ended up paying only $17/ shipped for it. I will review that as well once it arrives. Here are the sheets I bought from JcPenney. Seriously, these feel incredible. How do those sheets compare to the Costco sheets on sale this weekend? Costco has 450 thread count, royal sateen, Egyptian cotton sheets set for $49 (king size) |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I just received my FBM 1" 20ILD topper. I weighed it at about 13 pounds for a king (it's maybe 1-1/2" longer and 1/2 to 1" wider than a regular king) that puts it at about 3.6 lbs/ft^2. To me it feels like 20 ILD or maybe a little softer. When I laid on it for several minutes (on top of my MyComfort gel bed), it felt great. I'll report back after sleeping on it. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| We slept on the 1" 20ILD latex over our gel bed last night, and it felt wonderful! The 1" is thin enough that it conforms to the gel, allowing it to do its job (buckling at the hip and shoulder area) and it was soft enough for great comfort. It was dense enough that I didn't feel the "sharpness" of the gel through it. That was the problem with the 12ILD PU I tried over it -- you could still feel the "edges" through it. And unlike the 2" FBM pink memo foam we tried, we weren't sinking in 5" at the hips. I think this may be it for us. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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That's awesome donw. I can pull out one of my 1" soft latex layers and put it on top. I'm still skeptical that it won't adversely effect the Intelli-Gel, but it's worth a try. I need to wash my bedding anyway, so today a good time. I can feel the Intelli-Gel, but I don't find it bothersome. But even with 2" of soft latex under it, in addition to the 1" of foam that's bonded to it, It feels quite firm. I am going the route of softening things up under the Intelli-Gel, but I will give the 1" overlay a try. I'll have to take the mattress apart again in a few days anyway when my 2" latex topper arrives from SleepWarehouse. Update: OK, one of my 1" latex layers is on top, with a Southern Textiles mattress protector stretched (tightly!) over it and the mattress. I had a paranoid thought as I was reconfiguring my mattress. Again I tried to feel ANY difference between 1" layers that are supposed to be ILD 20 and ILD 32. I expect them to have a "night and day" difference in feel, but they feel IDENTICAL to me. I've been saying since the beginning that I think they sent me two of the same thing, and I did not think they were ILD 20. My new thought was this: what if they just took the 2" ILD 32 topper I returned and sliced it into two 1" layers and sent them back to me? Would they really stoop THAT low? If this is truly what happened, then In theory I should be able to match the two pieces. In practice there are 16 possible combinations, and such a huge piece of 1" latex is quite stretchy, so it might be hard to tell. For the curious and mathematically inclined: How 16 permutations? Each piece has two possible orientations. Each piece has two surfaces. If we call the four surfaces A,B,C,D, subscripted with a 1 or 2 for the two orientations, then we get: A1 C1 A1 D1 B1 C1 B1 D1 This message was modified Dec 1, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I know someone else mentioned it might feel the same because they are so thin (1"). Why don't you fold them both in half, and try to feel a difference? |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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jiffy524 wrote: Sorry for the delay in my update, I had some problems with my bed from IKEA, and finally got it assembled last night. My impressions of the mattress? Great! Immediate impression: As I said before, it shipped very quickly to me. The package said to weigh 56 lbs, for a 6" firm latex full size mattress, I didn't bother to weigh it. The box came torn, FBM could have picked a better box, but I'm sure UPS did a number on it. It was, however, wrapped very well in plastic shrink wrap inside the box. Out of the packaging: I ordered the terry cloth cover for $20 more, great choice. FBM even put the mattress into the terry cover for me, which I was not expecting although greatly appreciated. The mattress came folded, more than rolled. It was folded in half, top to bottom, and then side to side. It unpackaged pretty easily, but I had a friend to help due to its size and "wet noodle" consistency. The smell is that of latex, rubbery. It isn't that strong, and I know it will dissipate with time, but it is not the vanilla smell people have reported with LI Latex. On the bed: When I first laid down I wasn't that impressed, it was much softer than I was expecting. IMO, firm latex is not nearly the same as firm innerspring. I put the sheets on (Modal Jersey sheets from JcPenney, which are to die for!), and gave it another try. Much better now. Final impression: I love the springy feeling. I hate going to hotels, and having a soft bed that feel stiff because I feel heavy and stuck in place. Latex is bouncier, which is how my old (worn out) bed was. I like the spring a lot. Although the bed is softer than I was expecting, it is not a negative at all. The mattress feels springy, supporting, and slightly soft, in a gentle way. It is hard to describe exactly how it feels, but it feel nicer and more luxurious than anything I've been on before. Also, the terry cover is made for up to 8", but the "looseness" of it being on a 6" mattress is not really noticeable. I have a lighter down blanket that I put on the bed, and then laid on top of. I did not like it, it took away from the latex feel. Lastly, I think that 6" of latex over the slats is OK, but not the best. If I am lying, I can't really feel the slats, although if I sit on the center beam I can feel it. I think that 6" is the bare minimum, and OK if you are not a heavy person. I have no desire at this point to make the bed any softer than it is, so I probably will not get an additional topper. I also don't have the desire to turn a $380 mattress into a $760 mattress, by getting another 6" firm core. If I decide that I need some extra cushioning, I will likely add 1" of 32ILD latex from FBM as a topper, and possibly another 1" if I still feel I need more, but after 1 night, I don't see this happening. About me: 5'7, 140lbs, mostly a side but also a stomach sleeper. The bed: Ikea Malm, with Sultan Lillaker adjustable flexible slat foundation, set to firm. FYI, the fact that the slats have 5 adjustable ones is great. I tried out one side of the bed firm and the other soft, a definite difference. The setup: Flex Slats, 6" of firm latex, Terry Cover, Jersey Modal sheets. I would like to get some sort of mattress protector, hopefully a very thin cotton cover, as I don't want anymore than what is necessary to be between me and the bed. If someone can recommend a thin and cheap pad/protector, I would appreciate it. Preferably something at Target or JCP, so I can return it locally. I will post another review in a couple weeks, after I've had a chance to sleep on it more.
Also my medium density latex pillows from Overstock felt great this past year but I wanted a softer latex pillow like my old pillow and Dave sent me that also. I had returned my 2" topper and was waiting to pick out what I wanted in exchange. I love my latex bed so much and wish I found this site way before my Rockaway Bed fiasco in February so I could have had a latex bed sooner than May. I never slept with a topper or any cushion until I was sleeping on the floor and added the Overstock Latex topper per recommendations from my decorating forum I belong to and that is whey I knew my clients were right when they told me about Flobeds.com having Latex kits with a good return policy in case latex was not for me as a bed. I knew I loved Latex as a pillow since I slept on a latex pillow all of my life but I was also looking for a softer latex pillow than the ones Overstock Sold me and Dave found that for me also. Let us know what you decide and happy sleeping. I do now love the legs on my slat box and the pine smell went away. The 10" legs made the bed just the perfect height for me to get easily on and off but still look like an adult bed with my pretty new fancy headboard. I am happy and I hope you get the perfect topper for yourself. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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jiffy524 wrote: I know someone else mentioned it might feel the same because they are so thin (1"). Why don't you fold them both in half, and try to feel a difference? I have folded them in half (2"), thirds (3", and fourths (4"). |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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donw wrote: We slept on the 1" 20ILD latex over our gel bed last night, and it felt wonderful! The 1" is thin enough that it conforms to the gel, allowing it to do its job (buckling at the hip and shoulder area) and it was soft enough for great comfort. It was dense enough that I didn't feel the "sharpness" of the gel through it. That was the problem with the 12ILD PU I tried over it -- you could still feel the "edges" through it. And unlike the 2" FBM pink memo foam we tried, we weren't sinking in 5" at the hips. I think this may be it for us. I slept with the 1" overlay on top of my Intelli-Gel mattress last night. It was comfortable enough, but I wouldn't say more so than with it under the Intelli-Gel. I felt some pressure on my hip that I don't recall feeling when the Intelli-Gel was the topmost layer. Even just 1" of latex is going to distribute any "point source" load, and given the way the Intelli-Gel works, with each column being supported by the 8 adjacent columns, any distribution of force will make the Intelli-Gel more firm and less able to accommodate something like the point of the hip bone. I will sleep with it like this until by 2" soft latex topper arrives because it's a lot of work to monkey the Intelli-Gel topper, which weighs over 100lb, around. MyComfort makes a two layer Intelli-Gel overlay. That has got to be one heavy SOB. This message was modified Dec 2, 2007 by haysdb
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| haysdb, maybe it was sinking too abrubtly for me (at the hips), and the topper makes it sink more gradually. I slept so well last night--only turned a couple of times. I slept on both my side and back. I do believe my configuration is better for back sleeping. Although the latex does seem to help reduce arm circulation problems, I think I would need some kind of zoning to get my shoulders perfect. I do wonder if you have a 32ILD 1" instead of 20ILD, though. |
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donw wrote: I do wonder if you have a 32ILD 1" instead of 20ILD, though. I should know for sure when I get the soft 2" topper from SleepWarehouse. At present I have nothing to compare what I have to. The softer the topper, the less it would interfere with the operation of the Intelli-Gel, so I think it's imperative that any topper used over Intelli-Gel needs to be soft and thin. I like the way the Intelli-Gel is conforming to pressure points and yet firm and supportive at the same time, I just think that alone it's too thin to represent the entire comfort layer for a side sleeper. I started out with an ILD 38 core that I feared was not firm enough for my 240 lbs, and now I'm struggling to soften things up between the 5.6" core and the 3.25" Intelli-Gel overlay. When I was told the ILD of the 2.8" of latex in the MyComfort Intelli-Gel/Latex overlay, I refused to believe it. At that point I was paranoid about going too soft. I have come full circle and am now looking for the softest foam I can find to put under the Intelli-Gel. |
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Do FBM latex toppers look like the picture on their website? It looks like the holes are really small compared to most latex I have seen. I think I'm going to order a 2" 32 ILD. This message was modified Dec 3, 2007 by steve2u
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Steve, mine does not look like that picture - holes are bigger in relation to the spacing. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I just received my FBM latex. I am not sure how flawless latex should look, but mine had many imperfections (perhaps FBM resells 'seconds'). I doubt it will have any impact on the performance, time will tell. |
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ericgl wrote: I just received my FBM latex. I am not sure how flawless latex should look, but mine had many imperfections (perhaps FBM resells 'seconds'). I doubt it will have any impact on the performance, time will tell. ericgl - What did you order? Topper or mattress? |
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I received 2 3" toppers (the 20ILD and 32ILD), and 5" of Lux foam yesterday. Not to stray too far off-topic, but I was quite suprised how firm the Lux foam felt, even under 6" of latex. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Can the 3" 32 ILD support you without bottoming out on the LUX? |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| Eric, that's why we normally recommend half (or more) of that PU base to be 36ILD HQ foam. See my The perfect latex/PU foam thread. How did your 20 compare to your 32? My 1" 20 is very soft. |
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steve2u wrote: Can the 3" 32 ILD support you without bottoming out on the LUX? I can't say for sure, but I think so. I would guess I am depressing the mattress maybe an inch and a half at the max. My pressure points seem gone, but it still feels very firm, too firm of a change. |
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donw wrote: Eric, that's why we normally recommend half (or more) of that PU base to be 36ILD HQ foam. See my The perfect latex/PU foam thread. How did your 20 compare to your 32? My 1" 20 is very soft. Mine too, but the 32 is definately firmer. I read your thread but I was concerned about not having enough support. I have ordered another 2" of 32ILD to see if that helps, but I may have to rethink the core. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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Update: I must be getting used to it, slept good last night. It was the first morning in years I felt like I could have laid in bed all morning. Years will need to pass before I can say the FBM latex performs like latex from more expensive sources, but so far I am pleased. This message was modified Dec 5, 2007 by ericgl
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Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
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ericgl wrote: Update: I must be getting used to it, slept good last night. It was the first morning in years I felt like I could have laid in bed all morning. I still haven't ordered my 32 ILD layer yet...I've been waiting for ericgl's review on firmness. I was worried that it might be too soft for me, but it's sounding like it's fairly firm and supportive. 3" of this 32 ILD latex may be the perfect combination with my 3" HD36 and 4" LUX if I go with foamorder's Diamond Quilted Case with the 2" quilted top. Years will need to pass before I can say the FBM latex performs like latex from more expensive sources, but so far I am pleased. |
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steve2u wrote: I still haven't ordered my 32 ILD layer yet...I've been waiting for ericgl's review on firmness. I was worried that it might be too soft for me, but it's sounding like it's fairly firm and supportive. 3" of this 32 ILD latex may be the perfect combination with my 3" HD36 and 4" LUX if I go with foamorder's Diamond Quilted Case with the 2" quilted top. 2" top? I doubt it. It may be constructed of 2" of uncompressed material, but once quilted into the ticking it will be no more than an inch. |
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haysdb wrote: 2" top? I doubt it. It may be constructed of 2" of uncompressed material, but once quilted into the ticking it will be no more than an inch. They state that the case adds 2" to the foam thickness - it's probably not the same as having 2" of foam being that it's quilted in, but my previous Sealy Fenway had about 2" of quilting when it was new and still does along the top edges of the mattress. I think I'm going to order the 32 ILD latex from FBM first and keep and eye on the clearance section at foamorder for a 12" King case. That will give me 2" to soften it up more or add more LUX (or something else that's cheaper) to the bottom to add height. |
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
| I slept on my 4" of LUX and 3" of HD36 last night and woke up with a lot less back pain than I did with the 3" memory foam on top of it. I think this combination would be too hard in the long run and make my arms go numb if I did roll on my side, but it felt good sleeping all night on my back. Can someone give me a comparison of the FBM 32 ILD latex and their HD36 PU. I'm starting to worry that 3" of 32 ILD latex on my HD36 would soften the mattress up too much, but I have read some feel the FBM latex is a little firmer than LI's latex and that latex has a softer feel than PU foam of the same ILD. After reading other threads on all latex mattresses (Flo, SleepEZ, etc.), I got the impression that many people liked having a 2.8" layer of 36 ILD for their top support layer when they prefer a firm mattress. |
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My impression having slept on latex for the last few nights is the added springiness (resiliency?) of Talalay give more support with less firmness than PU foam. Memory foam, at least mine, has negitive resiliency (my term) and once my heat and body weight deformed it, it was hard without support. Perhaps after a few weeks I'll determine it is to soft, but right now it is so much better. You could try 2" of 32ILD and add a third if you feel it would help without much penality. |
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ericgl wrote: My impression having slept on latex for the last few nights is the added springiness (resiliency?) of Talalay give more support with less firmness than PU foam. I think that's a good way of describing the feel of latex. Latex and memory foam are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Latex is highly resilient. Memory foam doesn't literally have negative resilience, but it's about as close to zero as any material can be and still be a solid. |
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Update: So, I've been sleeping on my FBM latex bed for a while now, and overall I am very satisfied. 6" is fine for me, but in all honesty, it is really not enough, I can feel it bottom out if I sit on it. I might remove the adjustable slats, and just let it be a flex slat base, as the added depth of the adjustable slats cause it to bottom out more quickly than the slats which are not adjustable. That being said, the bottoming out is more of a problem with the slats than the actual mattress. Every morning, I wake up with the bed feeling just as great as it did when I went to bed. I have a hard time getting up every morning because it feels so comfy. I have been sleeping mostly on my side and have been pretty comfortable overall, although I can feel some slight pressure in my hips. I think that removing the adjustable slat will resolve that though. I am very satisfied with my decision to get firm latex. I have no desire to turn a $380 mattress into a $760 mattress, by getting another 6" core. I also feel that adding a medium topper might make it a little more comfortable to sleep on my side, but will not allow me to sleep on my stomach. I have toyed with the idea of getting 2" of PU foam to put under the mattress, but have not done so. At this point, I highly recommend FBM. As for the pillow from overstock.com, its alright. I do really like the feel of the latex, however the pillow was a little softer/lower than I would prefer. That doesn't stop me from using it every night. It is excellent for back sleeping, which I don't do, good to put under your head and chest for stomach sleeping, and side sleeping is acceptable. I have a small frame though, someone larger might find the pillow much to low. I would like to try another latex pillow, but for now I am generally satisfied. At least, satisfied enough that I don't feel the need to spend $50+ on a LI pillow. |
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jiffy524 wrote: I might remove the adjustable slats, and just let it be a flex slat base, as the added depth of the adjustable slats cause it to bottom out more quickly than the slats which are not adjustable. That being said, the bottoming out is more of a problem with the slats than the actual mattress. I'm not following what you mean about removing the adjustable slats, or them bottoming out. What foundation do you have? |