Just bought a new Flobeds
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I just purchased a new FloBeds. It is the 100% natural Talalay 4 layer mattresses. The top most layer being a soft egg crate 2" piece of Talalay. I purchased the following configuration. On the left side of the bed I have a median top layer, firm middle layer, and extra firm bottom layer. On the right side the top layer is firm, the second layer is extra firm, and the bottom layer is extra firm. I felt that this should give me an opportunity to switch the layers around and come up with the configuration that will work the best for my 6' 2" 210 pound frame. It has been quite a wrestling match, reading all the different descriptions that various people like, when it comes to firmness layers. You also run into this with some of the websites. No two people seem to consider this the same way. So I'm just going to have to experiment. This is one of the main reasons that I went with FloBeds. They have the most liberal exchange policy coupled with a generous return policy. They definitely get more money than some of the other sites. But when you're purchasing something this expensive from the Internet, and cannot lay on it, feel it, look at it, and even smell it, it's good to have a situation where you can make corrections at a nominal expense. Given the fact that FloBeds has an excellent reputation with the BBB, and Dave and Dewey Turner are excellent people to do business with, it just seemed to make good sense to me to consider the extra cost as an insurance policy. One last point I would like to make. I just realize that I have been misspelling FloBeds name. I had been misspelling it "FlowBeds." Wrong! It is spelled FloBeds.com. I hope I have not misdirected anyone. It will probably take about a week to get this bed in my home, set up, and slept on. When I have had an opportunity to do this I will be sure to post back and let you know what my experiences are, as I know how confusing this kind of a purchase can be. This message was modified Sep 22, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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I've been lucky enough to be able to try both a Dunlop and a Talalay bed. The Dunlop is firmer. But that doesn't mean that the Talalay lacks proper support if you get the right ILD. Talalay definitely has a bouncier, springier feel, and the latex is "airier," but I found it was quite supportive, too. I too thought at first I was going to go Dunlop, but once I tried Talalay there's no going back. So you may find yourself surprised :) or you may just confirm your opinion that you want a Dunlop latex. LI does say on their website that Dunlop is firmer than Talalay. They recommend using it as a mattress core. Latex International asserts that a blended Talalay product is more durable than 100% natural. From their website: "By definition, latex is a rubber particle suspended in water. There are 2 types of latex; natural rubber latex and styrene butadiene rubber or man made latex. All latex is either a blend of the two or 100% natural latex. All mattress components and pillows from Latex International are 100% latex. Latex International uses a proprietary blend of natural and man made latex to provide the optimal balance of comfort and durability. Natural rubber latex is for durability. Natural inhibits tearing as it can be stretched like a rubber band. Man made latex helps in creating a product that is resistant to sagging or taking body impressions as it can be compressed over and over and will continue to provide the same feel experienced on the retail floor for years to come. Blended latex is more durable than 100% natural latex sleep products and are less likely to take a body impression over time. Wear and tear simulation testing shows blend superiority. 100% natural latex cores experience 5 to10% more mattress core height loss (i.e. body impressions) due to wear and tear than our Talalay and 2 to 3 times more loss (softening) due to repeated sitting and sleeping." Obviously Flobeds feels differently since they have decided to carry 100% natural Talalay latex. And they are a reputable company, so I think this is just a matter of personal preference. Two things sold me on the Talalay process: 1) trying out both the Dunlop and Talalay mattresses and feeling the difference between them - although I could tell the Dunlop was firmer, I did not feel it offered more or better support; and 2) watching the Flobeds video comparison of two pieces of wrapped latex they had on a shelf for five years. When they unwrap the five year old compressed Dunlop piece, it did not regain it's shape. When they unwrap the five year old Talalay piece, it immediately unfolded in perfect condition. http://www.flobeds.com/TalalayVsDunlop.htm Interestingly, while browsing on the LI site just now, I see that they also sell a Dunlop latex: "In 1997, Latex International entered into an agreement with Sapsa Bedding to be the exclusive distributor of continuous process (Unilatex™) latex cores in North America. This ensured a comprehensive latex product portfolio. Today, Latex International remains the only Talalay latex foam manufacturer in the Americas. Sapsa’s Unilatex™, made to our specifications and high standards, is the highest quality, most consistent Dunlop process product in the world. The product is a firmer, denser latex and is ideally used as a base core. We recommend 2 to 4” of LI’s Talatech® latex on top of the Sapsa material to optimize comfort, support, and pressure relief." This message was modified Oct 2, 2009 by KimberlyH
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
| By the way, grats on your new Flobed! I've been checking every day to see what your experience has been and am looking forward to your future reports about your comfort and adjusting the layers to suit you. How is your wife liking the new bed? |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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KimberlyH wrote: I've been lucky enough to be able to try both a Dunlop and a Talalay bed. The Dunlop is firmer. But that doesn't mean that the Talalay lacks proper support if you get the right ILD. Talalay definitely has a bouncier, springier feel, and the latex is "airier," but I found it was quite supportive, too. I too thought at first I was going to go Dunlop, but once I tried Talalay there's no going back. So you may find yourself surprised :) or you may just confirm your opinion that you want a Dunlop latex. LI does say on their website that Dunlop is firmer than Talalay. They recommend using it as a mattress core. Latex International asserts that a blended Talalay product is more durable than 100% natural. From their website: "By definition, latex is a rubber particle suspended in water. There are 2 types of latex; natural rubber latex and styrene butadiene rubber or man made latex. All latex is either a blend of the two or 100% natural latex. All mattress components and pillows from Latex International are 100% latex. Latex International uses a proprietary blend of natural and man made latex to provide the optimal balance of comfort and durability. Natural rubber latex is for durability. Natural inhibits tearing as it can be stretched like a rubber band. Man made latex helps in creating a product that is resistant to sagging or taking body impressions as it can be compressed over and over and will continue to provide the same feel experienced on the retail floor for years to come. Blended latex is more durable than 100% natural latex sleep products and are less likely to take a body impression over time. Wear and tear simulation testing shows blend superiority. 100% natural latex cores experience 5 to10% more mattress core height loss (i.e. body impressions) due to wear and tear than our Talalay and 2 to 3 times more loss (softening) due to repeated sitting and sleeping." Obviously Flobeds feels differently since they have decided to carry 100% natural Talalay latex. And they are a reputable company, so I think this is just a matter of personal preference. Two things sold me on the Talalay process: 1) trying out both the Dunlop and Talalay mattresses and feeling the difference between them - although I could tell the Dunlop was firmer, I did not feel it offered more or better support; and 2) watching the Flobeds video comparison of two pieces of wrapped latex they had on a shelf for five years. When they unwrap the five year old compressed Dunlop piece, it did not regain it's shape. When they unwrap the five year old Talalay piece, it immediately unfolded in perfect condition. http://www.flobeds.com/TalalayVsDunlop.htm Interestingly, while browsing on the LI site just now, I see that they also sell a Dunlop latex: "In 1997, Latex International entered into an agreement with Sapsa Bedding to be the exclusive distributor of continuous process (Unilatex™) latex cores in North America. This ensured a comprehensive latex product portfolio. Today, Latex International remains the only Talalay latex foam manufacturer in the Americas. Sapsa’s Unilatex™, made to our specifications and high standards, is the highest quality, most consistent Dunlop process product in the world. The product is a firmer, denser latex and is ideally used as a base core. We recommend 2 to 4” of LI’s Talatech® latex on top of the Sapsa material to optimize comfort, support, and pressure relief." Kimberly, I think you're right about "Dunlop being firmer" does not equate with "Dunlop providing more support". I have never slept on Dunlop - and would love to try it some day - but the one time I laid on a Dunlop core the best way I can describe it is that it felt like laying on a rubber mat. Firm yes, but "supportive"?, I'm not so sure. That is, Does the Floor give "support"? To me, support means it allows your body to sink in where it needs to sink in. I'm not sure if Dunlop really does that, or if it's just plain FIRM (or hard)... But again I'm not that familar with Dunlop. Maybe in the more medium ILD's it does allow you to sink in enough and give the right support. My feeling was that it would be better for a core, but not a middle or top layer. I think what they are saying about 100% natural latex not lasting as long as a synthetic blend, may be somewhat true, based on the man who recently posted here who said he bought a natural latex mattress 12 years ago and now it's dipping. I also looked at a used natural latex mattress once and saw that it was dipping in the middle, and the person said it was only 5 years old, though certainly I cannot corroborate that. From most everything I've heard, even 100% natural latex should last 10 years, and really, in my opinion, if you can get 10 years out of a mattress, that's good enough. So to me Which lasts longer shouldn't be the criteria. It should be "Which FEELS best?" |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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I know I said I wasn't going to post for several days until I have something new to report. But I had a couple thoughts that I thought I would pass along. I will just mention that I had another good nights sleep last night. Two things I’ve noticed after having slept on this bed for a full week. Number one, and possibly of interest to some, is the fact that I cannot feel any crack between the two split layer side’s of the bed. This was something that was discussed at length on this forum recently. This business of having a split mattress in a king-size bed. I just cannot feel any division. What I can feel is the transition from the softer side of my bed to the firmer side of my bed. It should be noted here that the FloBeds provides a convoluted two inch piece of Talalay that does not have a split in it and fits over the top of the other cores. This very well could contribute towards this "no split feeling." Another thing that I noticed, I enjoy the softer side of the bed when I first go to bed and try to get to sleep. But towards the final amount of time I spend in bed, let’s say the last hour or two, if I happen to wake up and I’m not ready to get up yet, transitioning to the firmer side feels good. My guess is that when we first go to bed, due to the rigors of the day, we are more tense and a softer surface feels better. But once we have been asleep for five or six hours, and are fully relaxed, then our body appreciates a firmer surface. Just a thought, don’t know if it has any validity or not. To address this business of who on the Internet has the best return policy and exchange policy, as far as I know FloBeds has the best of both in the sense that you have unlimited exchanges for 90 days, and a full refund of your money if you decide you do not like the bed within the 90 day time frame. The only cost to the purchaser is the cost of return shipping. And the prices that I am hearing from FloBeds vis-à-vis Savvy Rest is that FloBeds shipping costs or considerably less.For instance FloBeds is charging me $35 to return two cores from the middle part of the country to the West Coast. I know that Savvy Rest wanted $170, if my memory serves, for approximately the same scenario. I need to check with UPS and see what they would charge me as an individual for the same shipping. But I have been under the impression that FloBeds is passing along to their customers the same kind of rates that they as a company acquire from UPS. These natural latex cores are not small or light. My guesstimate is that you can figure that each 3 inch core weighs about 25 pounds. And this is for one half of a Cal King dimension piece of foam, since I get split layers. I believe that what is going on is that Savvy Rest charges shipping both ways, both from their factory to you, for the requested new cores, and from you back to the factory. FloBeds is not doing this. They pay for shipping to you and charge you the rate (that they can acquire from UPS) from you back to them. At least this is how I interpret it. So... of all the various companies that I investigated the simplest most straightforward and least expensive scenario is "habitat". Their prices are less expensive, there is no cost for shipping unless of course you don't like the bed within the six-month trial, and if you want your money back you pay them $75 for shipping it back to them. They make it simple because they severely limit your choices. They have three different beds, there is no exchanges, there are no other choices. You try it out for six months, if you like it, you keep it. If you don't like it you return the bed and pay the $75 return shipping cost. That's it. They claim that 80% of the people will like their bed as they configure it. I imagine it's a pretty big and heavy package. I can just imagine what a California King bed must look like. It's all of one piece, shrunk wrapped in a container. You take it out of the container,cut it free from its plastic wrappings, let it expand for about an hour, and you have your bed. Simple, straightforward,... and very limiting. If it had not been for the fact that I wanted more choices I believe I would have given them a try. In fact part of the reason that I am getting two more cores from FloBeds is to try out a theory. Habitat sells 3 mattresses as I just indicated. A 6 inch Dunlop core in a cover, that they sell as a mattress. This same six-inch Dunlop core with a 2 inch soft Talalay top all glued together in one piece, in a cover. They do the same thing for their third offering only it has a 3 inch soft Talalay topper all glued together in a cover. That's it, that's all they offer. My thought is that I will acquire a soft 3" Talalay core and place it on top of two extra firm Talalay cores. This should give me an approximation of what habitat offers in their best mattress. I am quite eager to give this configuration a trial run. I will be sure to let everyone know how it turns out. This message was modified Oct 2, 2009 by eagle2
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2nd time flobed
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I just joined this board tonight and wanted to let you know I am on our second flobed queen due to destruction from the military during moves our beloved bed was destroyed a year ago I did not hesitate to order another we bought our first bed while stationed in ct Jan 04 memory zone select visco and talay 11 inch high with the wool cover we also purchased the euro slat foundation with flexible beechwood slates very popular in europe according to the website its adjustable with blue rubber like inserts you can move around on the foundation its breaks down in pieces which is great for moving the foundation but moving the mattress is hard to do. My hubby broke one of the wood pieces on the euro slats by standing on it not the smartest move 200 pounds but the company was wonderful shipped out another at no cost to us they covered shipping as well we paid 2,246 for the bed at that time and I just replaced it again memory deluxe latex and memory foam mattress with 50.00 discount for second purchase august 09 for 1,908.00 that is including shipping on both of the listed prices we love our bed its been so comfortable and supportive its easy to clean or take apart you can ship them to the company for cleaning also the zippered covered which is great option as well I saw at costo yesterday a uv light including travel one to keep viruses and germs at bay think it was 69 dollars am going to purchase for when we travel to clean hotel beds hate germs easier to do that than risk kids or us getting sick five minutes of insurance. |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
| Please, please use punctuation in your posts! Sounds like you have some good info to impart, but i honestly can't read it very well! I don't mean to be obnoxious--i just think others will have trouble as well. Thank you, and welcome to the forum! |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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Welcome NavyWife2 and I am happy that you enjoy your FloBeds and just got another one with the customer service at FloBeds being exceptional which is what I found out also. Eagle2, Please keep us updated on your FloBeds Latex Core Layers. I also found that when I first go to bed, I like a little more give on the bed and in the morning, I like the bed a little firmer but I still chose my bed as firm as I could with that little bit of cushion on top along with my heavenly latex pillow that I love so much. It took me 6 Overstock Natural Latex Pillows to find 2 that I love to be the right height for my small frame. The others I use as spare pillows and shams. |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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Lynn2006 wrote: Welcome NavyWife2 and I am happy that you enjoy your FloBeds and just got another one with the customer service at FloBeds being exceptional which is what I found out also. Eagle2, Please keep us updated on your FloBeds Latex Core Layers. I also found that when I first go to bed, I like a little more give on the bed and in the morning, I like the bed a little firmer but I still chose my bed as firm as I could with that little bit of cushion on top along with my heavenly latex pillow that I love so much. It took me 6 Overstock Natural Latex Pillows to find 2 that I love to be the right height for my small frame. The others I use as spare pillows and shams. Lynn: Everything is going along swimmingly, I am enjoying my FloBeds very much. As I adjust to the bed more and more, I am beginning to think that the softer cores that I have ordered are going to be unnecessary. But since they are going to arrive this Thursday I am certainly going to try out the soft core over two extra firm cores. I got this idea from reading about the habitat bed, and I am determined to give it a shot. Although I don't expect to like it all that much. I am basing this opinion on what I am experiencing now. As you may recall I have one side that is firm over extra firm over extra firm, and the other side is medium over firm over extra firm. Like you,when I my first go to bed I like the bed a bit softer. Then after I have relaxed and been asleep for awhile, particularly two or three hours before I'm ready to get up, I will roll over on the firmest side and it feels just about right. I'm beginning to think that what FloBeds advised for me, being 6'2" and 210 pounds, the firm over extra firm over firm configuration, may very well prove to be the ideal arrangement. I am looking forward to finding out. I purchased two king-size super fluffy Talalay pillows in my FloBeds deal. They were just too filled with fluff and too heavy for me. I like a smaller and much less full pillow feel. So at first I took out about half the filling in one of the pillows, the other one I left in the plastic container it came in. This still didn't feel right as the king-size case allowed a lot of the filling to fall to the bottom. So I took about three quarters of this reduced material in this King-size case and put it in a regular size case that I had on hand. It seems to be about right. So as you stated, finding the right pillow can be almost as big a problem as trying to find the right mattress. In any event, my bed is sleeping well, I am quite happy with FloBeds and their service, and I'm looking forward to this Thursday and trying out some new configurations. I will be sure to report back with a full description of my experiences. This message was modified Oct 6, 2009 by eagle2
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Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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I'm new here & have really appreciated all of the info on this site. We are looking into purchasing a latex mattress in the very near future. My husband has MS and sleeps very uncomfortably on our regular mattress. As for myself, I gave up trying to sleep in a regular bed at least a year ago. Instead, I sleep on our couch which is comfortable as far as no pressure points for me. We went to a store yesterday that sells the Land & Sky mattresses which are Dunlop latex. Overall the 3 models in the store were nice quality with the latex layers individually covered which seems like a good idea. However I am looking for a more cushiony feel, and I found them to be too firm for me, almost as if they were pushing back too much. We did try one combination of medium, soft, soft, that was okay for me, but not great. My husband found it too soft though. He is 6 ft, and 245 lbs. I am 5'5" and 145 lbs. We are both side sleepers most of the time. I plan on contacting FloBeds soon to check out their latex. Seems like they have a good product & customer service. From what I have gathered on this forum it seems like the Talaylay is not as dense and firm as the Dunlop. I'm hoping that will work better for us as I was not really sold on the Dunlop, but I love the idea of the latex. It's still a scary thing to buy a bed without trying it out first. I look forward to hearing how your new FloBeds is working out for you. |
Re: Just bought a new Flobeds
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diamonwater wrote: I'm new here & have really appreciated all of the info on this site. We are looking into purchasing a latex mattress in the very near future. My husband has MS and sleeps very uncomfortably on our regular mattress. As for myself, I gave up trying to sleep in a regular bed at least a year ago. Instead, I sleep on our couch which is comfortable as far as no pressure points for me. We went to a store yesterday that sells the Land & Sky mattresses which are Dunlop latex. Overall the 3 models in the store were nice quality with the latex layers individually covered which seems like a good idea. However I am looking for a more cushiony feel, and I found them to be too firm for me, almost as if they were pushing back too much. We did try one combination of medium, soft, soft, that was okay for me, but not great. My husband found it too soft though. He is 6 ft, and 245 lbs. I am 5'5" and 145 lbs. We are both side sleepers most of the time. I plan on contacting FloBeds soon to check out their latex. Seems like they have a good product & customer service. From what I have gathered on this forum it seems like the Talaylay is not as dense and firm as the Dunlop. I'm hoping that will work better for us as I was not really sold on the Dunlop, but I love the idea of the latex. It's still a scary thing to buy a bed without trying it out first. I look forward to hearing how your new FloBeds is working out for you. Greetings Diamonwater: Welcome aboard our little corner of the Internet. Since I just purchased a FloBeds, and am so far quite satisfied, I am quite high on their product. I understand your reluctance to spend this much money on the Internet for a product that is not only unseen, but is not felt, and most important of all, cannot be slept on until you receive it at your home. But this is one of the reasons that I am impressed with FloBeds. As far as I know FloBeds has the best exchange and return policy for latex mattresses on the Internet. You have 90 days for unlimited exchanges. You also have 90 days to try out the mattress and if you don't like it you can return it for a full refund, no restocking fees, only the cost for return shipping. Another feature that I like about FloBeds is that on their exchange of layers policy they pay shipping to you and you only have to pay, what I am assuming, is their costs for return shipping. For instance I have two cores that should be arriving tomorrow. When I talked to the son of the owner, Dewey Turner, and placed my order he charged me $35 for return shipping, the return shipping labels will be coming with the new layers. They normally also charge a deposit on the cores you're ordering, which gets refunded when you return the cores you don't need.They are very good about this and very helpful. since this is a father-son company, and the father, David, has been in business for 30 years and is something of an inventor himself, they do everything they can to make sure you're satisfied. They have an excellent BBB rating. So I highly recommend them (and no, I do not work for them or receive any commission from them) because I believe they are a throwback to the way business used to be done in this country, many, many, years ago. You need to go to their website and check out their pricing and use their, "Firmness Advisor" I am finding that it is quite accurate. http://flobeds.com/ You of course can email them or call them personally. Usually one or the other will answer the phone. You get to deal directly with the people who own the business. I understand your confusion about Dunlop versus Talalay. I went through the same experience that you're going through now. I was convinced in my mind, from all my reading and getting samples from two different companies, that Dunlop was going to prove the better material as a base. But I am finding that by using the extra firm Talalay that it is very supportive. And that's the beauty of having a four layer mattress. Their top layer is a single 2" sheet of soft convoluted Talalay.This comes on every mattress, and is not adjustable, as far as I know. But the other three layers can be any mix of, soft, medium, firm,or extra firm. If that isn't firm enough for you they can even sell you some blended Talalay that is even more firm. But I can not imagine why anybody would need that. The one side of my bed that I currently have structured ia a firm top piece, over and extra firm middle piece, over and extra firm bottom piece, this is quite firm it seems to me.I'm going to try some different configurations as soon as my new layers come in tomorrow. There are other good niche market manufacturers of mattresses besides FloBeds. Savvy Rest, SleepEZ, and Habitat, which is an entirely different approach to the same latex mattress idea (they have an excellent website with some very instructional videos by the way) are a few of the competitors. But none of them have the same degree of flexibility and low cost in the exchange and return policy area. I'm sure there are other companys besides these four. Many folks here like to do their own thing and purchase individual foam pieces from various companies and build her own mattress. This does not appeal to me as I just want a finished product with a company standing behind it that will take care of me for the reasons that I'm trying to address in this post. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask and any number of people will try and answer them for you. Good luck in your quest. I know how frustrating and frightening it can be to spend $2-$3000 ( for a Cal King which is what I bought) sight unseen. I forgot to mention that my California King mattress is what is referred to as a split mattress. In other words one side of the bed that the one partner sleeps on, can be a different configuration than the side of the bed that the other partner sleeps on. So basically in my bed there or seven different pieces of latex. The top piece is a full California King size 2" piece of latex. The other six pieces are divided 3" pieces of latex that can be any firmness you wish. I hope this makes sense, and that I have clarified any confusion I may have created. This message was modified Oct 7, 2009 by eagle2
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