mattresses/sleeping locations

[smiley]

Okay, our bed sags in the middle (so ds and I end up on top of eachother in the middle of a big bed) and is totally saturated with urine.
It's time for a new bed, esp. bc dh said he'd start sleeping with ds when we get a new bed (the old one makes him snore -- don't ask!)

However, I remember hearing somewhere that mattresses are toxic or offgas something bad or something like that, so I'm hesitant to run out to Sleep Country and buy a new one.

WHAT should we be sleeping on???????
What do other people use/wish they used?
I'm willing to spend a decent amount, but wouldn't mind if I didn't have to.
HELP!

[ukmama]

After 5 years on a sprung mattress I recently bought a new bed, a wooden slatted base and a latex mattress. Latex is a natural product, dust mites can't live in it, it distributes weight evenly (no roll together),it is silent (no creaky springs) and above all it is sooooo comfortable. I got mine from a company called dunlopillo and it cost about £1300 (in UK). I can honestly say I will never have any other type of bed and it is the best investment I have made!!

[summermom]

Latex mattresses seem so comfortable! But they are s-o-o-o-o expensive....

Regular mattresses do off gas - maybe you could buy one and put it in the guest room or store it somewhere for a few months?

[TripkeHughes]

What about a futon? Are they bad? We love ours but it is time to buy another (10 years old and starting to show signs of wear).

[smiley]

Are futons as comfortable as beds? I'm certainly open to them, just wish there was a way to do a test run!

[Bekka]

We just purchased a futon sofa and we had not shopped for futons for seven years (since we bought our previous one). Even in a small city like where we live, we found a shop with five different types of fill and the great thing about them is even high quality ones are not very expensive. Depending on where you live/where you're willing to order from, you can even get them made from organic materials if that's important to you. They have really become more mainstream as well as better made. The ones we looked at at had foam (latex?) core, with layers of cotton. They have a cotton cover. And in the one shop they come in 6 and 8 inch matts. Go for the thickest you can find. Now, as far as comfort--I sleep best on our futon, as opposed to the alternatives when we travel, but maintenance is some work--we hit our mattress with a big stick (broomstick) once or twice a month to fluff it). Some of the new mattresses even have coils (springs), but we didn't choose them. To avoid outgassing, unbleached cotton, latex foam? I don't really know. But that's my $.02 about futons.

[youngyogamama]

Hello! I have also heard good things about latex matresses. The ones that I looked at are around 1600$. A lot more that other matresses but for how much time you spend in bed in may really be worth it. I a big advocate of buying a wonderful bed (if you can afford it, obviously). I found latex beds at www. realgoods. com (great site). Good luck.

[AmandasMom]

I had the same problem as you and I posted the same question as you on the old board I'm now sleeping on an air bed I got at Wal-Mart. It's just a temporary solution, but I like the air mattress! I'm now researching REAL air mattress set ups. The kind with duel controls so my husband can have his soft mattress and I can have my hard one. They are about the same price as a good mattress/box spring set but they won't sag.

[smiley]

After all of your good advice, I finally went shopping yesterday, to a great futon and natural bed store (for those of you in Seattle, like Christine, it's called Roaring Heart -- i think).
The man was super-helpful and I think I decided on a futon-type mattress that's made out of organic cotton, latex, and maybe wool, with a wool topper on top. It was great and was NOT 1600 -- I think a King was around a thousand (but I'm not positive).

[Lila]

If you're interested in a futon, check out http://www.whitelotus.net/
I want to get their organic cotton futon when we have the $$.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by Lila

If you're interested in a futon, check out http://www.whitelotus.net/
I want to get their organic cotton futon when we have the $$.

I'm seriously looking into one of their cotton/wool futons after I move. It's the least expensive chemical free bedding I've seen anywhere (though I can find a slotted wood frame at IKEA for less.)