foambymail latex - who owns it?
Sep 30, 2007 2:44 PM
Joined: Sep 28, 2007
Points: 28
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
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #12 Oct 4, 2007 12:01 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Wouldn't most frames accommodate slats? As long as it has rails along the side?
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #13 Oct 4, 2007 12:30 PM
Joined: Sep 28, 2007
Points: 28
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?
Reply #14 Oct 4, 2007 3:45 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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.
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #15 Oct 6, 2007 10:09 AM
Joined: Oct 1, 2007
Points: 10
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?
Reply #16 Oct 6, 2007 3:22 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Why would it not be able to flex properly? What about a metal frame would interfere with the operation of the slats?
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #17 Oct 6, 2007 5:34 PM
Joined: Oct 1, 2007
Points: 10
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?
Reply #18 Oct 7, 2007 1:03 AM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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.
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #19 Oct 7, 2007 1:04 AM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
kbell wrote:
Note that we are getting off topic here.

Did we ever.
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #20 Oct 10, 2007 4:36 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #21 Oct 11, 2007 9:18 PM
Joined: Oct 1, 2007
Points: 10
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

Recent Posts