Hi ErikuTamu,
The organic beds were in the 5000 range for a King Bed and way out of our price and budget.
In many cases "organic" mattresses are a buzzword for expensive. I'm guessing these were OrganicPedic (OMI) and while they are very good quality and I know from personal experience can be very comfortable ... they are not particularly good value. The latex in the mattresses also isn't organic (its 100% natural Talalay and there isn't any organic Talalay). They are also significantly more than many mattresses that use similar materials made by other manufacturers.
The Pure Latex bliss mattresses also use good quality materials but they can also be significantly more than other latex mattresses. They have an "all natural" line which uses 100% natural Talalay (like the OMI) and also a "natural" line that uses blended Talalay. They also use a stretch knit cover rather than the wool quilted cover that is used in the OMI.
1) The model that I felt like I enjoyed the most was the Pamper Model Firm Synthetic 8 inches of talalay latex which consists of 2 inches activefusion climate control latex and 6 inches of natural talalay latex support core
This would be the new version of the "natural" Pamper. It is their firmest mattress and many people that buy this add a topper for extra pressure relief but of course this depends on the body type, sleeping positions, ad personal preferences of each individual. This is basically an 8" blended talalay latex mattress.
1) Pamper Model Firm All Natural - 1 inch pressure relieving natural talalay latex + 6 inches latex support core + 1 inch latex base firm layer (8 inches)
This is basically the same mattress but uses the more costly 100% natural Talalay instead of the blended talalay (or the active fusion Talalay). You can read more about the differences between the different types of latex in this article along with
post #6 here
and
post #6 her
e. While the 100% natural Talalay is more natural than the blend ... in lower ILD's (softer) ... it is also less durable than the blend. They feel very similar.
2) Pamper Model Med All Natural (10 inches) - 3 inch natural talalay latex + 6 inches talalay latex support core + 1 inch latex firm base layer
This would actually be the "all natural" Nature model which has a 2" soft top layer with a 1" firmer layer under this and then the 6" support core with the 1" stabilization layer at the bottom.
3) Pamper Model Med Synthetic (10 inches) - 2 inches climate control latex, 2 inches talalay latex, 6 inches support core
This is the "natural" (meaning blended talalay) version of the Nature.
These 3 models i wasn't exactly sure, but felt my middle section less support than the first model.
The Pamper uses a slightly firmer support core and becvause the comfort layer is also thinner it will "stop" the heavier hips/pelvis from sinking down as far. The tradeoff is that there would be less pressure relief because of the thinner comfort layer. This would typically be more apparent for side sleepers.
I guess my one biggest fear is that i do have a heavy bottom / mid section and I am scared that i'll choose the wrong model in the end where my lower back will start to ache, or I choose the 8 inch one where it is firm enough for my mid section but causes unexpected pain to other parts of my body. How can i really know that this is the bed right for me?
If you are in doubt ... I would go with a firmer version because you can always add softer toppers to a mattress that is too firm for good pressure relief but you can't really 'fix" a mattress that is too soft in the support layers or where the comfort layers are too thick and soft. In other words you can always add layers for softness but you can't remove or change layers that are already part of the mattress (at least with the PLB because many smaller manufacturers are able to do this when necessary). the most important part is to spend at least 15 minutes (completely relaxed as ifyou were going to sleep) on every mattress you are seriously considering to test specifically for pressure relief and for support and alignment. Pressure relief is fairly easy to test for and
this article
may help in your testing but support/alignment is more difficult to test for and
this article
and
post #11 here
may help with this as well.
Would you have any other recommendations / models / stores that you would recommend I take a look at or try?
If you let me know your city or zip I'd be happy to let you know of any possibilities in your area I'm aware of in your area.
Thanks again for all your help. I could really use your guidance.
You may have read this already but the best guidance I could provide would be to make sure you have read
post #1 here
and the information it links to. The most important part of finding your best mattress can be to connect with the merchants that have the knowledge and experience and integrity to help you make the most suitable choices for your body types and sleeping positions and have the quality, value, and service that you are looking for.
There isn't a "formula" that can choose a mattress based on "theory at a distance" that is more accurate than your own personal testing along with the help of knowledgeable and experienced people. Your own testing is always the most accurate way to make sure that a mattress you are looking at has good pressure relief and provides good support/alignment. Of course all your other preferences (see
post #46 here
) and the price, benefits, and services of the merchant you are dealing with will also play a significant role in deciding which mattress best matches your "value equation".
Phoenix