Buying from the Manufacturer

Only mattresses bought directly from the manufacturer are truly "factory direct".Resellers buy them & sell them at a profit. Manufacturers are typically more knowledgeable about the materials used as you are dealing directly with the entity building the mattress.

Cover Type

In woven fabrics, the strands are tightly packed together and several criss-cross over one another, offering minimal elasticity or pressure relief (popular woven fabrics are denim, tweed and canvas). In knitted fabrics the strands of yarn are looped together as opposed to being straight, allowing them stretch in any direction offering much more "give" and elasticity over woven fabrics for much better pressure relief.

Cover Assembly

A mattress cover typically contains a top layer of fabric, and a fire resistant solution, either natural wool or a thinner, man-made substitute. More plush mattress covers are typically quilted together for optimal pressure relief, while thinner covers are simply glued (laminated) together. This process essentially adds a layer of glue between you and your natural latex, which increases surface resistance.

Chemical Free?

Mattresses with glued covers and glued layers are not chemical free. Some "chemical free" mattresses contain as many as 4 cups of glue within a single mattress.

Hand / Feel

Elasticity and a "soft hand" in a latex mattress cover is crucial because it allows the fabric a natural way to be stretchable without offering any surface resistance. This is important as reduction of pressure on the surface of the mattress reduces the constriction of blood flow to the neurological system, providing a deeper undisturbed sleep, thus optimizing regeneration and restoration that comes naturally from sleep itself.

Custom Firmness Options

Multiple firmness options are important when buying a mattress online you can't try first, as you have a much better chance of getting the right comfort feel vs. settling for a one size fits all solution. With more options, you're not limited to 1 particular model because of its firmness.

Layers Removable to adjust comfort

Hopefully you pick the right mattress the first time around. What happens if it's too soft or too firm? If all layers are glued together, you're only option is to package and return the whole mattress. With removable layers, you can easily adjust the mattress firmness by changing a layer of latex without having to return the whole mattress.

Free Comfort Exchange?

Buying a mattress online can offer a great savings opportunity, but also increases your risk of buying a mattress that doesn't meet your comfort expectations. With a free comfort exchange option (just $45 shipping), you significantly reduce your risk of buying sight unseen.

Mattress Warranty

A good warranty will protect you against sagging or long term mattress defects. Some mattress ReSellers offer extended warranties which are not backed or supported by the mattress manufacturer. Remember a warranty is only as strong as the company issuing it. If buying from a ReSeller, be sure to ask for a copy of the Manufacturer's warranty as well prior to purchase (a manufacturer's warranty should contain the manufacturer's name and address for verification).

Shipping / Return Shipping

Shipping a mattress can be expensive, but is typically built into the price. In the event you need to return your mattress, some companies will pay all shipping costs and just charge a flat return fee; others claim to be free but may deduct a fee from your refund for usage or "damage" to the mattress after the fact to cover shipping costs. Be sure to know the amount of all possible fees upfront.

Customer Complaints filed with the BBB after purchase

Customers typically only file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau after an issue is not resolved to their satisfaction, typically involving a financial nature. As a general rule, for every customer who files a complaint, there are 50 dissatisfied customers who kept their silence. While it's common for even reputable companies to receive an occasional complaint every now and then, a significant number may indicate that a company's product and/or service is not the same as described.

Bamboo Rayon: Facts behind the Fiber

While bamboo the plant is wonderfully sustainable; bamboo the fabric isn't so easy to categorize. Chemically manufactured bamboo is a regenerated cellulose fiber also called BAMBOO RAYON because of the many similarities in the way it is chemically manufactured and similarities in its feel and hand.

Bamboo Rayon is chemically manufactured by "cooking" the bamboo leaves and woody shoots in strong chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH - also known as caustic soda or lye) and carbon disulfide in a process also known as hydrolysis alkalization combined with multi-phase bleaching. Both sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide have been linked to serious health problems. Breathing low levels of carbon disulfide can cause tiredness, headache and nerve damage. Carbon disulfide has been shown to cause neural disorders in workers at rayon manufacturers. Low levels of exposure to sodium hydroxide can cause irritation of the skin and eyes. Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkaline base also known as caustic soda or lye. In its dry crystalline form, caustic soda is one of the major ingredients of Drano. This is basically the same process used to make rayon from wood or cotton waste byproducts.

This gives some feel for how chemically intensive the hydrolysis-alkalization and multiphase bleaching manufacturing processes are for bamboo rayon fabrics that some companies promote as being sustainable and eco-friendly.

Because of the potential health risks and damage to the environment surrounding the manufacturing facilities, PlushBeds refuses to distribute, endorse or promote any mattress covers made from Bamboo Rayon.

Advantages of Natural Wool in a Mattress

Due to its high cost, most mattress manufacturers do not use natural wool or very little natural wool in their mattress construction. When used in sufficient quantities, natural wool is better than any other textile used to make mattresses, providing several benefits which contribute to comfort and a great night's sleep, including:

Durability: Wool is extremely long lasting. It can bend thousands of times without losing form.
Temperature Regulation: Wool can evaporate moisture in either a warming or cooling manner. This incredible property maintains warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer. Wool garments are used from the hottest of deserts to the coldest of climates.
Hypoallergenic: Natural wool in a mattress is great for people with allergies. Natural lanolin on the outside of wool fibers makes wool durable and resistant to dust-mites, mildew and mold.
Flame Resistant: Wool can naturally pass flame tests used in the bedding industry without the addition of chemical flame retardants.
Comfort: Wool conforms to the shape of your body to provide you the support you need while you sleep. This means less tossing and turning and fewer aches and pains in the morning. Wool in bedding helps people sleep more soundly.
Biodegradable: Unlike traditional mattresses which are made from plastics, metals, and harsh textiles, Wool is a natural material that is biodegradable, making it much safer to dispose of when required.

Comfort Layer

Over 90% of latex mattresses sold today are made with blended latex as the comfort layer. Blended latex is made from a foam blend of natural and synthetic latex before the molding process begins. In most cases, blended latex foam is made up of 70% synthetic latex and only 30% natural latex.

When you buy all-natural latex, you invest in the hidden costs of transportation, agricultural management, and equipment used in processing. Natural latex is also a truly superior material for ameliorating night time pressure-point related pain and unsatisfying sleep. The long lasting characteristics of natural latex make it superior to blended latex as a mattress comfort layer.

Mattress Core

Where's the Latex? - There's no law that states how much latex must be in a mattress for it to be referred to as a latex mattress. Many of the latex mattresses sold in retail mattress stores and on the internet contain a thin layer of latex and other "mystery foams", which are cheaper to produce, and can break down quicker. Be on the lookout for "soy-based foam", "smart foam", or "special pressure-relieving material." While these might contribute to a nice mattress, they are typically not latex.

Hybrid latex mattresses (latex on the top layer with a foam core) can still be great mattresses, and are optimal for people on a budget who want to experience sleeping on latex; however, when shopping, just make sure you know what you're comparing.

To Glue or not to Glue

Some companies glue their latex layers together. While they claim un-glued layers shift around, we have not found this not to be the case, as latex is very abrasive material & layers will naturally grab each other. A disadvantage of gluing layers together is that if for some reason your mattress is either a little too firm or a little too soft, your only option is to return the whole mattress, whereas if the layers weren't glued together, you might be able to conveniently exchange a layer of a different firmness with the manufacturer.

Not all Return Policies are the Same

Hopefully you'll choose the right latex mattress the first time around, and will sleep happily ever after. But what if you don't? What are your return options? What are your return costs? Will the company tell you up front? How many days do you have to try the mattress (60 days is acceptable, 90 would be better)?

Does the company have a comfort exchange policy or is your only solution to send the mattress back? Will the company come and pick up the mattress or are you responsible for shipping it back to the company? Many companies tell you they will "take the mattress back" within a certain time period, but fail to mention that it's up to you to get it there. It typically costs $300-$475 to ship a used mattress one-way across the country.

Are you responsible for just the return shipping or the shipping costs both ways? Is there a cap on what those costs are? What does "like new condition" really mean, and is it possible to be in "like new condition" after sleeping on it for 30 nights? Read the fine print, as what seems too good to be true, usually is. There's an old adage, "What the bold print giveth, the fine print taketh away". While you should never expect a complete refund if you damaged a mattress you're returning, look for fine print that leaves the amount of your refund to the discretion of the company, as there have been many occasions where customers are charged hundreds of dollars because of ordinary use being claimed as mattress damage. Expect to pay something for returning a mattress. Anything that promises otherwise might be too good to be true.

GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Sheets

Where most competitors don't offer any sheets, only PlushBeds offers GOTS certified organic cotton sheets with every latex mattress purchase.

Purchasing a Latex Mattress Tax Free

Buying your latex mattress from an online retailer not located in your state provides the opportunity for customers to purchase their mattresses without paying sales tax normally collected at the time of purchase through local retail stores. Be sure to check with your tax advisor to see if disclosure of online purchases is required in your state.