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 #61 Dec 1, 2007 3:26 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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
A1 C2   A1 D2   B1 C2   B1 D2
A2 C1   A2 D1   B2 C1   B2 D1
A2 C2   A2 D2   B2 C2   B2 D2



This message was modified Dec 1, 2007 by haysdb
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #62 Dec 2, 2007 12:42 PM
Joined: Sep 28, 2007
Points: 28
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?
Reply #63 Dec 2, 2007 1:40 PM
Joined: Aug 31, 2007
Points: 793
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.



Jiffy524. Dave at Flobeds sent me a 1.5" Queen Topper that averages 23.6 ILD density made by Latex International and it feels so silky and soft but not too soft and sturdy.   I sleep on my side. Maybe you need 1.5" of cushion. My 1" wonderful Overstock topper was falling apart so I wanted a sturdier topper.

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?
Reply #64 Dec 2, 2007 4:05 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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?
Reply #65 Dec 2, 2007 4:20 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #66 Dec 2, 2007 4:35 PM
Joined: Sep 3, 2007
Points: 167
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.
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #67 Dec 2, 2007 5:09 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
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.
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #68 Dec 3, 2007 11:29 AM
Joined: Oct 28, 2007
Points: 69
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
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #69 Dec 3, 2007 11:54 AM
Joined: Sep 3, 2007
Points: 167
Steve, mine does not look like that picture - holes are bigger in relation to the spacing.
Re: foambymail latex - who owns it?
Reply #70 Dec 3, 2007 7:30 PM
Joined: Nov 25, 2007
Points: 53
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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