OKOK.. So I just posted about wanting to walk into a store and buy a ready-made latex mattress..  But, let's say I went the FloBed route.  Can soemone help me configure?

Me:  Stomach/5'7"/165lbs - Prefer med/firm bed, but nothing too firm.. I like some cushion on top.
SO: Side&Back/5'5"/110lbs - Prefers a pillow top feeling..  generally prefers things on the softer side, but still wants some support.

Flobeds online rec:
Me: Medium/Firm/X-Firm
SO: Soft/Soft/Med (if i use Side setting) or Soft/Med/Med (if I use Back setting) 

The Soft/Soft/Med really sacres me, based on reading this forum..  Should I firm her side up and get a soft topper?

How important is the topper cover or mattress pad to overall comfort?

Thanks again for the help.  I feel like I'm getting more confused rather than finding some clarity!

You might get the combo right the first time.  If not,  I can imagine how easy it is to package the samples up, ship them back, wait for the other pieces to arrive, and do it all over again and again until it's perfect.  I don't have a lot of free time on my hands, but you might. 
I might have to look into this option if I ever become unhappy (which I'm not) with my store bought mattress.
If possible try using the search feature and look up returning a mattress kit 101.

Good_Sleep wrote:

Core exchanges at Flobeds are done on their website. They take a $100 deposit per core and you have the option of receiving a prepaid shipping sticker at $35 per core. Then they ship you the new cores and you get your deposit back when they get the old cores back.

The cores are fairly easy to get back in the bags if you follow the instructions that come with the mattress. You stick the core in the larger bag, insert your vacuum attachment hose, turn it on, twist it, pull the hose out and slip the smaller bag on. It took us about 20 minutes to package 4 cores.

On a side note, make sure you have a UPS or UPS-authorized center nearby as I don't believe they do pickups on ground shipping and you're not going to be able to stuff the cores in a drop box. ;)

blaupunk,

I just wanted to add that we received our blended Talalay sample from Flobeds today. I couldn't quite recognize the smell but my wife helped me out. It smells exactly like an Old Fashioned donut! (that's what Dunkin Donuts calls them anyway). We're going to have to come up with some very non-scientific tests to compare the support between the sample and our natural Talalay cores.

D3FI, I was surprised I did not have any allergies to the blended latex when I finally caved in and ordered a 44 ILD on each side of my bed that gave me the support that I needed. I had allergy problems to a synthetic latex pillow that was not the Talalay process that I bought last year that I gave to a friend.  I never had any problems so far with natural or blended Talalay Latex. The blended actually has less of an odor but a slightly different odor that I needed to air out for a few days over my banister in my upstairs hallway before putting the new latex cores in my zippered up cover.

I have a feeling, you and your wife would like three 44 ILD's with a 36 ILD 1" topper if you like it that soft.  I could not sleep with the 2" convoluted topper either.

So far I have a 1" latex topper over a 36 ILD over a 36 ILD over a 44 ILD. I am going to switch the 44 ILD to the middle tomorrow night to make my bed even firmer. My friends love it just the way it is right now. I am comfortable on the left side that is firmer than my right side the way it is now.  Each 36 ILD has a different firmness since they have ranges and I think the 44 is almost a 46 on my left side and one of the 36's is close to a 38 and that side feels perfect for me.

I am still glad I went the FloBeds latex kit way since I hated my bed of 15 years that was always too hard and the recent beds in the stores caused me so many allergies from the chemicals they used. It least I am able to move the latex cores around and exchange them to get the perfect comfort level rather than deal with the big stores with comfort exchanges that cost $299 plus not getting a good deal the second or third time around if they give you another chance to pay the money to do the exchange.

I called UPS and they came and picked up all my mattress cores in boxes since I sent 7 back initially since I went way too soft and found out that anything less than a 36 ILD was too soft for me despite my less than 5 feet height and about 100 lbs weight.  I also have a little bit of scoliosis in my back so I like a firm bed but I need a little cushion since I sleep on my side and do not have a lot of padding on me.

Lynn, you "scare me." If a person less than half my weight needs the firmest available latex, what chance do I have, a 240 lb guy, to ever be happy on latex? My ILD 40 core will be here on Monday, so I will soon know.

haysdb, I used to sleep on a board on the floor with my mother when I was little and we were at our rental home and the mattress was too soft. I have not yet met anybody who likes the bed as firm as I used to sleep on. My friends love my bed just the way it is except one friend who tried it out feels it is too firm for him. My friends are much taller and weigh a lot more than me and some are female and some are male.  So I am just unique in that I like a very firm bed. All of the Kingsdown beds in the stores including their firmest one, was too soft for me when I was initially looking for a conventional mattress. But after sleeping directly on the floor and finding that I wish I had a little cushion, I ordered the 1" latex topper from Overstock. That is when I learned that some cushion and some confirming was better for my back than rock hard and then I started to see I needed a little give in my new bed despite wanting firmness. 

I have two clients that told me about FloBeds and the lighter partner sleeps on the 2" convoluted topper over medium over medium (28 ILD density) over a platform bed while the taller bigger partner sleeps on the same soft topper with firm (32 ILD) over extra firm (36 ILD) over the platform bed.  Since they only have two layers, it is much firmer their way than if they had three layers of latex.  They had one latex exchange for the Firm 32 ILD (exhanged a 36 ILD for a 32 ILD) since it was too firm over the platform bed for them.

When I had two 36 ILD's over the slat box, that felt perfect for me but I wanted a fatter mattress so I added a third 36 ILD and that made me realized I needed to go with a 44 ILD blended latex to get the support my particular body likes since not many people like beds as firm as me with my small height and weight.  It is my scoliosis. I do not like the small amount of my s-curve to curve anymore since it puts pain in my back and that is why I like it firm. But a carpeted floor actually was too hard for me without the soft topper.

Thanks Lynn. That puts it in context for me.

When my son was in his early teens I built a home theater in my basement. I used the densest foam rubber pad I could find under the carpet. My son was a skater and would have a bunch of his friends over to watch skate movies on the big screen. I'd go downstairs and there would be half a dozen boys crashed out on the floor. I'd go around and throw blankets on them and they we there till morning. Amazing how a thin layer of padding can make even a concrete floor comfortable for some people.

Another question (which I'm sure has been addressed before)..  Can you feel the dividing line in the middle of the bed when you get a FloBed since it's seperated (and seperately customizable)?

blaupunk wrote:

Well the 2" topper is glued together into 1 piece (40" + 20" in the queen for example). As I stated earlier we're not using the topper and we still can't feel the split. Keep in mind the cores are really packed into the case. Even without the topper the zipper is a snug fit all around. There's no room for the cores to slide around either.

I think you would probably notice it if 1 side was 20 ILD ande the other was 44 ILD but with only minor differences in firmness we don't feel the split. Vivetique and some other companies offer split sides as well so it's not only a kit thing.

Since I had some time yesterday to take out my latex cores to exchange the old cover for the new zippered up new bed cover Dave at FloBeds sent me, I thought I might as well move the 44 ILD in the middle of my two 36 ILD cores with my 1" topper  on top. This was perfect!  the new cover feels wonderful and I was ready for this new firmness combination.  I never knew a 36 under a 44 ILD would give a nice feel until reading posts on this list. I thought having it on the bottom would be the best foundation.  I had asked for a new cover a few months ago due to when it arrived, this was a rip in it around the zipper area and another part inside.  He told me it rarely happens but as soon as I am was sure I was keeping the latex bed and I had moved around all my latex pieces, he would send me a new cover.

So my final latex bed set up is a 1" soft topper to cushion my pressure points since I sleep on my side, over a 36 ILD (averages out a little over 37 ILD it says on the side) over a 44 ILD (averages a little over 45) over a 36 ILD over the pine slat box with 10" legs so I can store things underneath. I attached my iron headboard using the headboard brackets Dave sent to me.  This is my side. I have not tried out the other side that is duplicated except the 44 ILD averaged out only a little over a 44 ILD density so the top 36 ILD is a little less than 37 ILD.  I can't feel any dividing line.

My 36 ILD 3" cores are 100% Natural Talalay Latex and my 44 ILD 2.8" latex cores are blended Talalay Latex.  I have allergies to chemicals and after always airing out the cores over my banister for a few days before putting them inside the zipped up cover, I never have any allergies to my bed like I did to the polyurethane Simmons Bed I had bought at Rockaway Bedding In February and sent it back.

I do find the blended latex is sturdier and seems to have more consistency in the same level of firmness throughout the cores.  I had initially wanted 100% natural latex since I had an allergy reaction to a synthetic latex pillow that was not made with the Talalay Processing when I bought the pillow over one year ago.  I gave it to a client whose wife loved the low profile very firm latex pillow from Vitalex. 

I am currently sleeping a standard natural latex pillow from Overstock.com but soon will find a low profile softer Talalay Latex Pillow. My 6" height and medium firmness on my current pillow just feels a tiny bit too high and firm. I love soft latex pillows that have less loft/height due to my petite size despite sleeping on my side.

Hoping my sharing will help others before the order any latex bed that maybe they need firmer than they think an maybe they need a less thick topper.  I have scoliosis and I woke up with no back pain. The other configuration with two 36 ILD's over a 44 ILD felt good but having the 44 ILD feels slightly better to me with the 36 ILD under the 44 ILD. I will let others know if I am still comfortable sleeping with this configuration after several more days.