Latex Mattresses - Worth It?

[rbw]

Hi all! I tried searching the forum to see if anyone had already asked this question, but it looks like the search function is broken.

I am about to buy a new bed, and am wondering if latex mattresses are worth it. They seem to be more expensive than spring mattresses but are touted to be more durable... not to mention how there's this purported issue of electromagnetic radiation with re. to spring mattresses (not sure whether to believe this though).

A bit about my sleeping habits: I don't have back problems and have slept on spring mattresses my whole life. I start out sleeping on my side but usually roll over on my back sometime during the course of the night. I tend to prefer firm mattresses. (So in all, I am pretty average.)

Being mustachian, I would of course love for this mattress to last a long time.

Any comments on latex vs. spring vs. other kinds of mattresses welcome! Or if a thread on this already exists, please point me there :)

[ooeei]

If you're worried about springs, there are other options besides latex.  We got a Tuft and Needle foam bed a couple years ago, love it so far.  I think Ikea has foam mattresses as well, and there are plenty of other online retailers of them.

[NatureKnight]

I just got a Spindle (which is latex) when we moved recently. I definitely like it better than our old spring mattress (which wasn't fancy to begin with really). I chose it because it was completely natural. I hope to use it for at least 15 years. I like that you can just replace the layers instead of the whole mattress to get it to last longer, too.

If you aren't as worried about it being 100% natural latex and live near IKEA, they have one to try out. It is still mostly natural I believe, and is cheaper than the Spindle. I tried it out and thought it was super comfy.

I found The Mattress Underground forum to be helpful when I was researching mattress stuff.

[acroy]

Curious about this as well.
We have a nice foam one, feels great but 'sleeps hot'. It's like sleeping on a hot plate, it holds the heat so well, even with several thick cotton toppers. Not so good in TX. DW can normally be comfy, I am much less so. I'm intrigued by latex, as it's supposed to conduct the heat away much better and 'sleep cool'.

[Bracken_Joy]

Posting to follow the discussion. Our mattress isn't likely to last too much longer, and I want to have a plan when it finally goes to the big mattress store in the sky.

I know the frugalwoods bought an amazon foam one they liked: http://www.frugalwoods.com/2014/06/23/how-i-saved-2120-by-buying-a-mattress-online/

[mynewchoice]

My wife and I are in the market for a new mattress and so many of our friends and colleagues have recently purchased a Tempurpedic mattress, so naturally we went and checked those out.  I thought it was really comfortable but at a price point of over $6,000 for the adjustable split king mattress, I was not on-board with that purchase (although admit that I was nearly ready to pull the trigger because our current mattress is quite uncomfortable).

I have now been looking at the various foam mattress options (Yogabed, Tuft & Needle, Leesa, etc.) but don't recall seeing any of the latex mattresses, so I will need to take a look at those too.  Following along to hear feedback from others as well.

[Dollar Slice]

Curious about this as well.
We have a nice foam one, feels great but 'sleeps hot'. It's like sleeping on a hot plate, it holds the heat so well, even with several thick cotton toppers. Not so good in TX. DW can normally be comfy, I am much less so. I'm intrigued by latex, as it's supposed to conduct the heat away much better and 'sleep cool'.

I have a three or four inch thick latex topper, and I love it for comfort, but I find it pretty warm. I think a lot of it has to do with how deeply you sink into the bed, so if you have a firmer or softer foam it may make a difference in heat retention.

I haven't had a memory foam mattress though, so I can only compare it to innerspring.

[mynewchoice]

We have a nice foam one, feels great but 'sleeps hot'. It's like sleeping on a hot plate, it holds the heat so well, even with several thick cotton toppers. Not so good in TX. DW can normally be comfy, I am much less so. I'm intrigued by latex, as it's supposed to conduct the heat away much better and 'sleep cool'.

Do you mind sharing which foam mattress you have?  I am curious as I have been reading quite a few reviews and claims, and some indicate that multiple layers of foam are better as it provides more comfort while others indicate fewer layers are better for keeping cool (as the glue between layers stifles the airflow capability).

I am quite close to pulling the trigger on a Tuft & Needle to give it a try and if we end up not liking it we can return it.

[ooeei]

We have a nice foam one, feels great but 'sleeps hot'. It's like sleeping on a hot plate, it holds the heat so well, even with several thick cotton toppers. Not so good in TX. DW can normally be comfy, I am much less so. I'm intrigued by latex, as it's supposed to conduct the heat away much better and 'sleep cool'.

Do you mind sharing which foam mattress you have?  I am curious as I have been reading quite a few reviews and claims, and some indicate that multiple layers of foam are better as it provides more comfort while others indicate fewer layers are better for keeping cool (as the glue between layers stifles the airflow capability).

I am quite close to pulling the trigger on a Tuft & Needle to give it a try and if we end up not liking it we can return it.

I live in Houston and have a Tuft and Needle.  Never noticed it being any hotter than any other bed I've slept on.  Then again, I'm not a picky sleeper to begin with.

[rbw]

Thanks everyone -- really useful comments. I must add that I live in Singapore, so I can't really purchase some of those recommendations that are only shipped (at a reasonable cost) within North America. And because I live in Singapore, which is hot and humid (think Florida) all the time, the discussion on 'cool' vs. 'hot' mattresses is very applicable!

Getting an IKEA mattress is an interesting idea -- we do have IKEAs here, and the mattresses are amazingly cheap (but seem to be foam rather than latex). Strangely though, they seem to come in non-Singaporean mattress sizes. (Yes, another complication is that Singaporean mattress sizes are quite specific! It may be because IKEA is a European company that their mattress dimensions are different, though they are established enough in Singapore that I am surprised they haven't customised these dimensions.)

I will keep ruminating over this...

[Lanthiriel]

I recently bought a latex mattress, as I hate spring mattresses but often find memory foam too soft. This one was the firmest non-spring and was only $600 for a King. I'm not sure of the brand. It has a bamboo cover supposedly for odor control and has cuts through it for airflow. It doesn't sleep nearly has hot as my old IKEA memory foam. I've had it about six months and I love it.

[centwise]

Thanks for the mattress thread; I don't have advice, but I'm also in the market for a mattress so I'll join in the discussion!

Does everyone use a mattress-plus-box-spring combination? I currently have a futon on top of a wooden platform. I'm hoping to replace the futon with a mattress, but I would like to keep the platform. I have tried mattresses in stores and really like the foam ones (Ikea seems to have the best price). But in the store, every mattress is on top of a box spring, so I have no idea what the mattress would feel like on my wooden platform.

Any advice?

[dougules]

I recently bought a latex mattress, as I hate spring mattresses but often find memory foam too soft. This one was the firmest non-spring and was only $600 for a King. I'm not sure of the brand. It has a bamboo cover supposedly for odor control and has cuts through it for airflow. It doesn't sleep nearly has hot as my old IKEA memory foam. I've had it about six months and I love it.

I'm really glad to hear that.  We bought a Tempurpedic a few years ago.  It's very comfortable and helps DH's back, but I get a headache if I sleep on it for more than a night or two.  I've been sleeping on an old mattress in the spare room, but was thinking about looking into something all natural when I can bear to part with a few of my little green friends.   I'm guessing latex would fit into that category?

[ooeei]

Thanks for the mattress thread; I don't have advice, but I'm also in the market for a mattress so I'll join in the discussion!

Does everyone use a mattress-plus-box-spring combination? I currently have a futon on top of a wooden platform. I'm hoping to replace the futon with a mattress, but I would like to keep the platform. I have tried mattresses in stores and really like the foam ones (Ikea seems to have the best price). But in the store, every mattress is on top of a box spring, so I have no idea what the mattress would feel like on my wooden platform.

Any advice?

Our Tuft and Needle foam mattress is on top of a bed frame with a built in support structure.  My previous bed frame with a box spring was squeaky and shaky, this one is not.

https://www.amazon.com/Zinus-SmartBase-Mattress-Foundation-Replacement/dp/B00BWC1X3S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468517846&sr=8-3&keywords=heavy+duty+bed+frame

[ender]

Just a note, box springs are the biggest waste of space/money ever.

We have our Tuft and Needle bed directly on a frame we got from Walmart online (for $79) which allows for tons of storage space below the bed.

We're looking into getting a nicer bed frame and have been talking about getting one mounted 15-20 inches off the floor.

[acroy]

Just a note, box springs are the biggest waste of space/money ever.

^^ yes they are crap, far as I can tell.
We built our own platform using 2x10s with mdf on top, mattress right on top of it. Super solid, looks sharp, some storage under the matress.

[pbkmaine]

Chiming in to agree that box springs are ridiculous. We have a foam mattress plus  "cool gel" memory foam mattress topper on slats (IKEA platform bed with drawers) and we sleep fine in humid Florida.

[Lanthiriel]

I recently bought a latex mattress, as I hate spring mattresses but often find memory foam too soft. This one was the firmest non-spring and was only $600 for a King. I'm not sure of the brand. It has a bamboo cover supposedly for odor control and has cuts through it for airflow. It doesn't sleep nearly has hot as my old IKEA memory foam. I've had it about six months and I love it.

I'm really glad to hear that.  We bought a Tempurpedic a few years ago.  It's very comfortable and helps DH's back, but I get a headache if I sleep on it for more than a night or two.  I've been sleeping on an old mattress in the spare room, but was thinking about looking into something all natural when I can bear to part with a few of my little green friends.   I'm guessing latex would fit into that category?

I think Latex sleeps a lot like memory foam, just a little firmer. I'm not sure that it would help you with the headaches. Something about how it cradles your body works great for some people, but not for others? You might want to do some Googling and see what you come up with.

Just a note, box springs are the biggest waste of space/money ever.

^^ yes they are crap, far as I can tell.
We built our own platform using 2x10s with mdf on top, mattress right on top of it. Super solid, looks sharp, some storage under the matress.

+1 for box springs being useless. I sleep on an IKEA frame with sort of the mid-level wood slats (a bit springier than the 2x4 version) and bought a cheap metal platform bed frame for the memory foam mattress in the guest room. Both work great.

[ohsnap]

...
Does everyone use a mattress-plus-box-spring combination? I currently have a futon on top of a wooden platform. I'm hoping to replace the futon with a mattress, but I would like to keep the platform. I have tried mattresses in stores and really like the foam ones (Ikea seems to have the best price). But in the store, every mattress is on top of a box spring, so I have no idea what the mattress would feel like on my wooden platform.

Any advice?

A foam mattress will be fine on your wooden platform.  That's essentially what we have.  When we switched to foam about 4 years ago, I wanted to keep our existing bed, so DH basically built a platform by using 1x8s (I think) and screwing them into the frame. 

We bought our foam mattress from Costco; I recommend checking their website, at least for comparison purposes, when mattress-buying. 

[Tjat]

Latex does not sleep like memory foam. You're much more likely to sleep ON a latex mattress, while memory foam tends to make you sink. As far as cost, I've found Direct online manufacturers to be much cheaper than anything you can find in a local store. I've heard good things about #BestMattressEver (which I have), Spindle, and Helix.

Buying any "S"-company brand name is most definitely not mustachian.

[noodlestache]

Posting to follow! Currently sleeping on an old spring mattress that needs to be replaced.

[smalllife]

Anyone have experience with sleeponlatex? 

[monkeytree]

For those of you who have the steel bed frames, do you buy headboards/footboards separately? Any recommendations for specific ones? We are also considering the Tuft and Needle and also hoping to upgrade to a king from a queen while we're at it so we would need a new frame and possibly headboard.

[ender]

For those of you who have the steel bed frames, do you buy headboards/footboards separately? Any recommendations for specific ones? We are also considering the Tuft and Needle and also hoping to upgrade to a king from a queen while we're at it so we would need a new frame and possibly headboard.

We don't have a headboard/footboard currently. We are talking about getting just a headboard, though we're in "think about and ponder for a long time" land.

[pbkmaine]

I don't like headboards. They tend to creak and bang against the wall, which drives me crazy. I would much rather have a big square Eurosham serve as a headboard substitute. That way, when I get bored, a couple yards of fabric gives me a new look.

[mynewchoice]

For those of you who have the steel bed frames, do you buy headboards/footboards separately? Any recommendations for specific ones? We are also considering the Tuft and Needle and also hoping to upgrade to a king from a queen while we're at it so we would need a new frame and possibly headboard.

I am planning to buy the T&N mattress as well, and was very close to purchasing the headboard I have shared a link to below (price has just gone up by about $15 on Amazon though).  However, I was confirming the dimensions with my wife and when she realized that the top of this headboard is only about 36" from the floor, she no longer wants to get this one.  We browsed at Ikea this weekend and saw a couple that we liked but are continuing to look.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W4DCVLW

So to answer your question, we will be buying something separately to hold the mattress but we have not decided what that will be as of yet.  As others have noted, you don't have to go that route though.