FAQ

Is this kind of mattress unique?

It’s a relatively new concept in the United States. But the slat suspension system is fairly well-known in Europe and other parts of the world. It was introduced over 60 years ago and many companies manufacture sleep systems in that style. Latex foam rubber mattress fill is also more common in other countries.

Why haven’t I seen this before?

Only 3-4 companies – and even fewer component manufacturers – dominate the U.S. market. They make high profits with the name brand mattresses they sell so they have no incentive to introduce something different.

How do I know this will be right for me?

You don’t really. Buying a mattress can be very difficult. It ranks high in terms of consumer dissatisfaction. (30% of consumers are unsuccessful in their first serious attempt at making a mattress purchase and delay the buying decision for up to a year. And 30% don’t like the one they finally do purchase.) The problem is, because people only test a mattress briefly in the store, they don’t realize the mattress is poorly designed or made with poor quality materials. Design Sleep mattresses not only have superior components and design , but a huge advantage over other mattresses in that you can adjust and readjust them after your purchase.

Will this fix my (back/shoulder/hip) problem?

Fix it? That’s a hard one to answer. Physical problems have many sources. A bad mattress – bad support – can certainly aggravate a condition. And if you sleep on the right mattress, you may find the problem goes away or lessens. But no mattress can be guaranteed as a “cure” for anything. All we do know is that ours will provide excellent support and comfort.

Do the slats ever break?

Very rarely. But sometimes there may be a hairline fracture that causes one to split. If that happens, we can send a new slat and you can easily replace it yourself: snap in, snap out; you don’t need any tools or special hardware.

Does latex deteriorate?

Natural latex foam is the single most durable cushioning material known. That refers to pure, high-quality latex foam like ours. Some materials have been misleadingly called latex, but are largely synthetic or are blended with large amounts of clay or silicates. Others may be real latex but are subjected to inferior processing. These “wanna be’s” will deteriorate. But not our natural latex cushioning.

What about allergies?

The natural latex we use eases a lot of allergy problems because of its purity (Oeko-Tex certified) and because its ventilation shafts keep the mattress drier, discouraging mold, mildew, and dust mites. A very small percentage of people are allergic to latex. Usually they work around latex and directly handle it, such as health workers using latex surgical gloves. The number of latex proteins found in foam latex is infinitesimal compared to latex gloves. As for the light-weight wool in the mattress lining, there’s no known allergy specific to wool. And the wool in our mattress never contacts the skin.

What about chemicals?

Our mattresses contain no harmful chemicals, no PBDEs, no formaldehyde, no dangerous residues that can be inhaled or absorbed. The textile components of our mattresses have been thoroughly tested and certified 100% clean and safe by Oeko-Tex, an environmental testing agency based in Europe.

Will this bed sleep “hot”?

No. Synthetics and polyesters do because they don’t allow moisture to evaporate; they retain moisture and lock the humidity in. Our mattresses have several elements that guard against that. The cotton mattress covering allows moisture to permeate and evaporate instead of trapping it. The mattress cover has a wool lining and wool is one of the best dissipaters of moisture, keeping sleeping temperatures comfortable. The latex foam we use is constructed with “breathable” air shafts to bring the air that circulates freely in the steel innersprings up to the mattress surface, while wicking away moisture.

With slats set for side-sleeping, can I sleep on my back?

Yes. We understand that most people sleep in multiple positions. We’ve found, in fitting thousands of customers, that the base support provided by this sleep system accommodates the differing needs of back- and side-sleeping.

How about motion and bounce?

You will experience very little motion on any of our European mattress models. Because of the resiliency of the latex, elasticity of the stretch cotton cover, flexibility of the slat suspension, and significantly higher number of compressed coils, our mattresses are extremely quiet.

What if things change & I need different support later on?

The slat settings you receive cover a fairly wide range of changing needs. But sometimes you need a re-adjustment. Most problems are easy to solve; you can try different slider settings yourself. Or you can call us and we will help you determine how to reposition the sliders to get the best results.

Is a firm mattress better for my back?

Not necessarily. U.S. mattresses need to be firm simply because they sag and wear out quickly. It’s not a question of better support; in fact, a too-firm mattress lacks good contact pressure so it’s not providing adequate support. In a well-design ed mattress like ours, firmness or softness is just personal preference and has little bearing on the overall support dynamic.

Why did my Sealy/Simmons/Serta sag so quickly?

Probably several reasons. The poor quality cushioning (couch-grade polyfoam) loses about 40% of its resilience in the first 18 months. If it was an extra-thick, extra-padded mattress, research shows that the more plush the padding, the faster it breaks down. Also, many U.S. manufacturers are not making higher innerspring coils for these extra-thick mattresses. They’re just stretching out the standard coil. So it loses its compression and shock absorption properties relatively quickly.