Goldilocks Finds the Best Latex Mattress to Replace Her 35-Year Old Latex Mattress!

This is a TRUE STORY about locating my perfect latex mattress 40 years ago, once I bought my first bed, and my hard hunt to find a replacement.

While growing up, I used to babysit our neighbor's kids. When she learned I Had gotten engaged, she invited me to her house one day to propose I purchase a latex mattress like hers. She pulled the sheets off her king size bed so that she could show me how the mattress had not sagged, and pointed out edges and the corners were still firm after an amazing period of time. I searched the local furniture stores, but couldn't find this latex mattress anywhere. I remembered that when we had proceeded south, my mom had purchased much of her furniture from a sales rep at a large furniture store in a nearby town. He said that although the shop did not carry this mattress, he could purchase it, and I requested him to order a sturdy latex mattress for me "SIGHT UNSEEN."

As we grew older my husband and I slept on this latex mattress for 35 years without experiencing any aches or pains, and our independence is partially attributed by us from the good health we enjoy to this latex mattress and medicine! It wasn't until about the 33rd year when we found that the cover was wearing out and exposing the latex in a few places, so we simply set it in a zippered mattress cover. This worked well until the 34th year, when we began seeing small sagging and body indentations. We then began our investigation to purchase another latex mattress like it. I searched online for exactly the same latex mattress maker, but was disappointed to learn that they had closed their doors. A neighbor suggested we see a small, local mattress maker in our region whose family had been buildin mattress-journal for 3 generations. I desired to be certain he could supply the same latex as that of our first latex mattress. I told the owner the name of its producer, and I remember him saying, "All latex is the same." He was wrong! Having purchased three mattresses within a 3-year span, I believe I am qualified to report: ALL latex is NOT the same!

• bout one year later, we found we were not sleeping as comfortably because our new latex mattress was sagging with minor valleys on either side of the bed. We called the manufacturer. It took a while for him to come test on it, but he said that it didn't seem like it was sagging when it was seen by him. I reminded him that when I Had called him, I'd told him that he wouldn't see the sagging -- he had to lay on the bed to feel the valleys. He didn't lay on the bed, but he did shove his hands down into the mattress in several different areas and he was surprised to see how deep his hands "sunk down" into the mattress... like there was not much support.

• e ordered a new latex mattress to replace it, but this time he ordered the most solid one he could. This second latex replacement mattress did nicely until we had had it nearly one year, and then once again we discovered sagging with little valleys. We made the trip one weekend only to discover that the way it was constructing its latex mattresses had been cheapened by the business. However, as soon as we lifted the mattress to see if it was 'heavy' latex like our 35-year old latex mattress, we were very surprised to find this new mattress was! We subsequently found the mattress was finished on ONE-SIDE ONLY. I will never comprehend how these new features would help the consumer, but I can see the life of this so called 'latex' mattress is shortened, which certainly helps the mattress makers.

After returning home and studying the net, we now understand what the large mattress makers are doing. You will find that nearly all the large mattress manufacturers, who have been in business for generations, have resold their companies. A number of these new owners and investors are interested in producing substantial, instant returns on their investments. They have redesigned and marketed their mattresses to put huge profits in their pockets, but the shortcuts they are making to raise their gains are reducing the useful life of their mattresses. You do the math. If they all get together and decide to cut the life of their products in half, we consumers are induced to purchase their products MORE GENERALLY and all of them profit even more. For example: One of their shortcuts and advertising strategies is designed to sell you on the advantages of purchasing a "one sided" mattress, but in fact, the life of your mattress has been cut in half and you'll need to buy at least twice as many mattresses in your lifetime if you need to sleep comfortably. Inside my hunt for an ideal latex mattress, I really talked to one mattress store owner years past who confessed she wished they'd 'bring back' the 2- .

We also learned that the two previous solid latex mattresses we possessed began to "sink and neglect" after one year because they were not made of the firmer Dunlop Latex. They were made of the newer Talalay Latex, which is processed by incorporating more atmosphere which could possibly cause the mattress to compress and soften over time. After learning the differences between both manufacturing procedures, I and I associate an Angle Cake with the Talalay Latex that is softer and a Pound Cake with the firmer Dunlop Latex, respectively. I'd even talked to the Talalay mattress manufacturer that made both of our latex mattresses which softened after just one year. I told her that she was very youthful and what she considered my husband, cushioning and I considered uneasy valleys. We personally required and expected a mattress to provide the support our bodies seven years, or maybe five. That first Talalay mattress that failed after the first year was replaced by the business, but they wouldn't replace the second one. And, BUYER BEWARE: All mattress guarantees are not the same. Please read and "understand" ALL the conditions of your warranty BEFORE you purchase your mattress.

In continuing my on-line search for my perfect latex mattress, I found a mattress manufacturing company that was very caring and helpful. Lee Carter, the owner and now my new friend, has a wealth of personal experience building mattresses and has an abundance of knowledge concerning the mattress business. He has disclosed significant insider information that I wasn't aware of, for example a fresh government regulation which has induced mattress makers to use chemicals to make fire resistant mattresses. Was the general people notified of this new regulation? Not only was I concerned about exposing my body to the potentially dangerous substances in a fresh mattress, substances can also emit fumes and odors, which might cause me to become nauseated because of my sensitivity to scents. To my knowledge, Lee Carter owns the only business that offers its customers "chemical free" mattresses after simply obtaining an experienced prescription.