Almost 4 weeks ago, we bought a Natura Celebrity 8” mattress.

I initially wanted a "bowling ball mattress," but, based on the information and reviews I found, I changed my mind, as I learned that some people have had problems with durability of these, perhaps due to the coils not being tempered.

My husband basically left the decision up to me. He went with me and tried a few and said he would like anything I liked, as we both like a fairly firm mattress, and we both didn’t want a pillowtop or a tempur foam mattress. Unfortunately, pillowtops are very popular right now, so there weren’t many choices in tight-top mattresses in most of the stores I visited. I was only beginning to find out about latex mattresses and couldn’t seem to find any in my area, so I decided to go with a mattress similar to our old one, which had given us good service for 13 years. I chose a Sears-o-pedic, Sealy-made, firm, tight-top mattress. The one I chose felt fine in the store, to me. However, once we slept in it all night, we hated it. I woke up, both uncomfortable and hot, in the middle of the first night. The mattress sloped a bit toward my husband (who's heavier than me, but not THAT heavy), it creaked and squeaked, and we could feel the springs. I had initially thought, if we bought a firm mattress, we could always add a topper to it, but this mattress was thicker than our old one, even without a pillowtop, so there would have been no room for a topper. Also, I was already unable to sit on the edge to put my socks on and have my feet touch the floor. And this was not a particularly thick mattress compared to the others in the store. Fortunately, we had a sleep guarantee that allowed exchanges or refunds, and we would not have to pay for a second delivery ($50), if we exchanged. (It doesn’t seem to be against the law here—every store that sells mattresses has some sort of sleep guarantee). It took a week to get this set picked up, and we hated it more each night.

During this time, I started going to all the stores again. I found out the department store where I’d bought my mattress DID have a latex mattress on the floor, on an adjustable bed. (I’d asked them about latex mattresses before, but the salesperson didn’t know they actually carried these.) I tried it and liked it, but I found out it wasn’t Talalay latex, which is what I wanted, based on my research. So, I looked in the store’s online catalogue and found the store carried a 6” Natura mattress “on sale” for $1699 (Cdn). I tried to exchange my mattress for that one, but the clerk said the stores and the catalogue were different divisions, and she could only give me a refund—I’d have to pay delivery again this way, too. So, I decided to buy elsewhere, and I insisted on, and got, a refund on my delivery charge, as well.

I tried the Natura 8” Celebrity mattress at a small, locally owned store, and I liked it. Also, it was “on sale” (and, yes, I take that with a grain of salt) for $1499 (Cdn.) for the Queen set. I was a bit hesitant to go with latex, because this was something new to me, and I couldn't find any reviews on the Natura. It is made of Talalay latex, but not LI made latex. It’s European made, I think, and is a blend of 40% natural and 60% synthetic. Different firmnesses were not available, but I liked the firmness of the one in the store, and I got my husband to come and try it, too, because this was something different, and he liked it, as well. It has a layer of wool sewn into the ticking, but otherwise, it is all latex. It is supposed to be medium firm, and we find it firm enough for our tastes, which do tend toward a firm mattress.

At first, we found it too hot, but we loved it otherwise. I was a bit puzzled, because we also bought latex-filled pillows, and those weren't too hot. So, I tried removing the polyester filled, teflon-treated mattress pad the shop had made us buy (in order to qualify for the 30-day exchange guarantee, even though we already had a fairly new mattress pad), and I replaced it with two cotton flannelette sheets under our regular sheet, and that did the trick. We do find that the mattress is a little warmer under our bottoms, which tend to sink in a bit, but it’s not enough to cause us discomfort.

We also bought Natura latex pillows, and we like them. It took me a while to get used to mine, as it's thicker than my old pillow, but I love it now that I'm used to it.

We’ve had our Natura Celebrity for 4 weeks now, and we think it's absolutely the most comfortable mattress we've ever slept on. I used to wake up with a numb arm in the morning, and often my legs, and especially my feet, would be stiff when I got out of bed. Now, I experience far less numbness and stiffness. And my bursitis in my hip feels better, too. My husband says he doesn't wake up in the night and has a more restful sleep. We both think we toss and turn less, and latex also doesn't transfer movement from one sleeper to another, so we are less disturbed when the other person does turn.

I also really like the weight of the mattress, too. Although it’s a little more difficult to lift the corners when I make the bed, I find that everything stays tucked a lot better. The mattress seems to hold the bedding in place, and I like that.

One thing that concerns me is that there seems to be a firm ridge down the centre of the mattress where we don’t sleep. I’m not sure if this has to do with the wool batting being compressed where we do sleep, or if it is an indication that the mattress itself is beginning to develop body impressions already (and I thought latex wasn’t supposed to do this?). It doesn’t affect our comfort at all; it is just a concern to me, because I don’t know the reason.

I can’t compare this mattress to other latex mattresses, other than the Dunlop one in the department store. I liked the feel of both of those, so I suspect I would like pretty much any latex mattress. I did try to find the Sealy Reflexions to try, but I didn’t have any luck. I suspect they aren’t available in Canada, as I couldn’t find any reference to them at Sealy’s Canadian website. But I’m happy with my purchase, and I think I paid a very reasonable price for latex.

I loved it, my wife hated it. She likes to sit in bed and read or do work... This bed is made to support you very comfortably while you are prone and it's very nice.

The Queen-size 9" Ultimate Plus I ordered from foamsweetfoam.com last Friday March 4, arrived on Wednesday March 9. Super-fast shipping, (3 working days) for $12.50, I'd say.

I wrestled my 6 year old lousy pillow-top mattress off its foundation, then placed the well packed tri-layered Ultimate Plus where the old mattress was. I removed the strapping , then watched the Ultimate Plus decompress. I let it air out for about an hour before placing a mattress pad, the fitted flannel sheets, and down comforter on it.

I was surprised how "cushy" the mattress felt at first, but once I got under the covers for my first night's sleep on it, I was absolutely amazed at its totally supportive feel. There are NO pressure points, and it is as firm a mattress as I've ever used - exactly what I wanted. Also, if I ever want to change how the bed feels, I can take out a Latex layer, replace it with another at a different firmness, or put in a layer of memory foam. How great is that !

I slept through the night with no tossing and turning. In fact, I was amazed at how completely unruffled the sheets and comforter were when I awakened. I woke up feeling great, and I did not have that "need to stretch out" like I used to with that lousy pillow-top.

Last night's sleep experience was better than the first since I kind of knew what to expect. When I awoke this morning, I had no feeling that I needed to go back to sleep - I was done sleeping. I slept throughout the night, with no waking moments due to discomfort. My body and my brain are rested and I really do feel rejuvenated.

I am a "warm" sleeper, and I know some people have expressed concerns over whether Latex mattresses are too hot. For my experience, sleeping on a latex mattress with a good cover, a mattress pad, and flannel sheets has no impact one way or the other when it comes to heat. Incidentally, I ordered the Ultimate Plus with the simple cotton cover.

I can uncategorically say my experience with foamsweetfoam.com was superlative. The website was easy to navigate, the order process was simple, my questions were answered knowledgeably, the 3 business day shipping for such a heavy item was awesome, the set up was a breeze, and the rebate form for $100 tops it off quite nicely. It was not the most expensive, nor the least expensive, but it was closer to the least expensive "deal on a Latex Mattress" out there, and it certainly exceeed all my expectations in every way. Its value far exceeds its price.

I already look forward to crawling into bed knowing I will greet each day well rested, rejuvenated.

I am happy to read your experiences and answer any of your questions. This forum has been a wonderful resource.

Regards to all,
Inlanding