Mattress Forum

I apologize for the long post, but some background may be helpful. Basically, my girlfriend and I have had some AWFUL luck with mattresses over the past year.  We've now returned THREE king sized mattresses due to issues.

Our first was a Sealy PerfectDay I-series Ceremony Super Pillow Top. This felt amazing at first, but within 2 weeks, I was walking around more hunched over than some 90 year-olds. It was too plush for me, although my g/f loved it. So, we returned it (for a small fortune) and tried again.

Next, I went to Bed-In-A-Box. I was impressed with the company's way of doing business, appreciated their liberal return policy, and actually got to try out some models because I just happen to live near Piney Flats TN. we got their 17 inch adjustable mattress, with twin-xl splits in both the reversible comfort layer and the reversible core. I wasn't able to get a "perfect" fit for firmness, (firm-side up for both layers, g/f soft side up over firm side up), but it was decent. The problem was the slow rebound to the memory foam. If either of us needed to change positions, we had to practically throw ourselves over, often shaking the whole bed. So, we donated it to charity for a refund per BIAB's policy. As an aside, these guys were really awesome to work with, and if memory foam is right for you, I HIGHLY recommend talking with them. Just know that if you return a mattress, they won't let you buy another from them.

We had to start all over, and at this point, I was more willing to spend extra money to find the "right" bed. I'd heard great things about latex, but the bulk of reviews were generally on par with the best memory foam reviews. We just knew we needed a faster rebound time, and thought we had a good choice in the Tempur-Pedic Weightless Supreme. It felt good in the store and was easy to roll around on. When it first arrived, it was firmer than in the store, but tolerable. We thought we had a winner, and that once it softened up a bit, it'd be perfect. However, within 2 weeks, something changed! My weight had sunken in the middle of the bed, my shoulders didn't go with them, and my back always felt out of alignment. It appears that the lower density memory foam necessary for the faster response time just isn't up to handling my weight. It got so bad, that for the past week, I've been sleeping on a 15+ year old low-end innerspring with about 2" sag. Sadly, it's preferable for both of us now, but too small for both of us. After a nightmare of a time with lies, deceit, and other things I will forever associate with the mattress industry, I finally managed to get HH Gregg and Tempurpedic to take the darn thing back. So...back at square one, all over again!

Given the need for faster response and softness with good support, I'm at the point where I'm pretty certain we need to consider either a good innerspring with a good latex topper, or, most likely, an all-latex mattress. Today, we drove down to Asheville (1.5 hrs away) to try out some latex beds. We tried the Natura, but didn't like the separation between us and the latex, although they were decent. We both liked the PLB Nutrition a lot, but I think my hips and belly drop a bit too much for proper alignment for long-term comfort. After many combinations, my G/F fell in love with the PLB Nature with the PLB 2" latex topper. It's a bit too soft for me, of course, but it seems to give us a starting point. The main problem is that getting both in a King-Size bed will leave my side too soft and would cost nearly $5500 to get from PLB as such. 

I personally think I would do well with the PLB nature as-is, but my G/F needs a bit more cushioning, so we need to come up with something that's similar to PLB nature on my side and similar to PLB nature with 2" 19 ild latex on her side. It should be noted that these are the newest PLBs with the active-fusion, and I haven't found accurate ILDs on them yet, so I'm just guessing they're close to the old generation.  We also would want a cover that is similar to the PLB in terms of softness and closeness to the latex itself.

As of now, I'm looking at either trying to design a multi-layer mattress or consider a flobed with V-Zone. My fear with V-zone is that I've never had a zoned bed before, and while I love the idea for side sleeping, I wonder about how I'll do when I'm on my back (25% of time).

According to Flobeds online recommendations, I should look at Firm Vzone/Firm/X-Firm for me and Medium/Medium/Medium or Medium/Medium/Soft. Her side sounds much softer than what we tried in the store, however (based upon listed ILD's).

If I don't go with a V-zone, I am thinking that a 2-3" 19 ILD topper to cover both sides would be ideal for transitional comfort across the midline, and also that way it doesn't need to be integrated into the primary mattress. Perhaps that is too much soft cushioning, for me though? As for the core/support layers, from what I'm reading about weight and support, I will likely require another 8-9" of mattress for adequate support (total 11"+). It seems that most bed offerings are in 3" increments, so I couldn't mimic the Nature precisely either. So, with that in mind, as well as our demographics listed below, does anyone know what might be some reasonable options for our conundrum?

Vitals:

Me: 6'0" 210lbs (1 year ago was 165, and I hope to get back there but that's another issue); Sleep ratio: Side 75%, Back 25%

Her: 5'5" 130ish; Sleep Ratio: Side 50%; Back 25%; Other 25% (restless)

Biggest Needs:

1. Comfort with appropriate support

2. Good return policy! (burned thrice, only once with a less than brutal experience)

3. Flexibility to adjust if necessary

4. Easy to set up. I really don't want to do mattress surgery, due to a lack of both time and coordination.

I seriously hope some of you can come up with some good suggestions, because I'm tired of months of back pain and having to sleep in different rooms.

Thanks in advance,

-Evan