TOPIC:

We've been shopping for a mattress over the last several months and as an information addict I'm IN LOVE with this website!

I find myself leaning towards a natural latex bed. Although, I'm not averse to an innerspring with a latex comfort layer either, I just can't seem to find one that isn't mostly polyfoam with a thin layer of latex (except the Archetype but it was too firm) so if you know of one, please advise.

Anyway, my hubby (6'2" 215lbs) and I (5'5" 155 lbs) have tried the WJS Caznovian pillowtop and the WSJ Archetype pillowtop and the Savvy Rest Serenity. The Cazenovian and the Serenity (SMF) were both comfy and supportive when lying on our backs, but for both of us when we laid on our sides, with our arms under us, as is our usual sleeping position, our shoulders didn't seem to sink in enough to keep our spines straight in the upper back - our hips, legs, and middles were supported and aligned but our spines curved up at the shoulders. Is this because the beds weren't sinking in enough or was it because of the pillows? How can I tell? And what should we look for / ask to change in the mattresses?

BTW -we're in the Binghamton, NY area and have visited SleepMaster in Syracuse (WJS and other's factory store) based on info I saw here, and they were wonderful! We also visited Home Green Home in Ithaca for their selection of natural mattresses and although they are not a factory store, their prices seems quite competitive and they were lovely and helpful as well.

Also, we are planning a trip to the Philadelphia PA area in a few weeks, so if there is someplace we should check out down there that would provide a better selection than what we have here (which is admittedly limited, I was thrilled to find someone within an hour to try the Savvy Rest) please let me know.

Thank you SOOOO much! Websites like this speak to my nerdy soul!

Hi woofwoofgrrl,

The first and most important thing when testing a mattress is to make sure you are completely relaxed ... similar to just before you go to sleep ... and that you are wearing loose clothing that isn't too thick (which would interfere with how the mattress compresses). It's also important to spend at least 15 minutes on any mattress you are seriously considering.

The two ways to check for alignment are with your "eyeballs" and by feel. Your eyeballs seem to indicate that your upper body is being held up too high (a pillow issue would involve more of a head tilt and possibly a skin crease in the neck on the side that was sinking down too far). I would also make sure that you are crouched down when you are looking because spinal alignment can be deceptive and it doesn't have to be exact (straight as a ruler). If you "bounce" your upper body a little you may also notice that it feels a little firmer under your shoulder than you are completely comfortable with and that the torso/ribs isn't supporting as much weight as it could. If this is the case then it's likely to be an issue of a comfort layer that may be either a little too thin or a little too firm to "allow" the shoulders to sink in quite enough. Your arms under your body may also lead to the need for a little thicker or softer top layer.

If it is a pillow issue then you could tell this because of the "tilt" of the head and neck.

Of course it isn't always "black and white" when you are dealing with anything concerning the body but between the "feel", some light "bouncing" under the shoulders, and your eyeballs you should be able to get a clear enough picture of whether you need a little more depth or softness. If they have a thin soft topper then you could test with this to see if it makes a difference.

If you tested the Savvy Rest with Dunlop then it may also be worthwhile testing it with soft Talalay. If you did test with the Talalay ... then this is as soft as it would go (I definitely wouldn't use two soft layers on top) and it may then be a matter of adding a thinner topper if you need it. I somehow don't think that would be the case unless your testing indicates discomfort but of course you are the "expert" when it comes to what your body is telling you and what you can see in person. I added a few more options to the Syracuse list (within about 100 miles) in post #2 here (including homegreenhome thank you ) and some of these may be close enough for you to visit (Pure latex Bliss at Olums for example).

The better options in the Philadelphia area are in post #4 here . You would need to call the retailers or manufacturers in both places because I don't keep any records of any individual mattresses the retailers or manufacturers on the various lists carry on their floor (this would be a full time job by itself with all the changes that constantly happen) but there are certainly some other latex options available.

Phoenix