Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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 firm mattress often lacks good contact pressure so it's not providing adequate support. In a well-designed mattress like European Sleep Design's mattress, firmness or softness is just personal preference and has little bearing on the overall support dynamic.

With slats set for side-sleeping, can I sleep on my back?
Yes. We at European Sleep Design 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. There may be a little compromise, but not enough to cause concern.

How about side-to-side bounce?
Not on a mattress from European Sleep Design. Because of the significantly higher number of compressed coils (up to 3,594), the resiliency of the latex, the flexible slat suspension system, and the special quilting on the top pad, this is an extremely quiet mattress.

How do I know this will be right for me?
You don't really. Buying a mattress can be very difficult. It ranks highest 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 do finally 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. European Sleep Design's mattresses not only have superior components and design, but a huge advantage over other mattresses in that you can adjust and readjust them, giving you almost unlimited options after your purchase.

What if things change & I need different support in later years?
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 European Sleep Design and we will help you determine how to reposition the sliders to get the best results.

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. No mattress can be guaranteed as a "cure" for anything. But we do know that our European Sleep Design mattresses 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, European Sleep Design 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 break down?
Latex foam is the single most durable cushioning material known. That refers to high-quality pure 100% natural latex foam like European Sleep Design's. Some materials have been misleadingly called latex, but they aren't really. They are either subjected to inferior processes or blended with large amounts of clay or silicates, so they do disintegrate. But not ours.

What about allergies (to the latex or the wool)?
A very small percentage of people are allergic to latex. Usually they work around latex and directly handle it, such as health workers allergic to latex surgical gloves. The number of latex proteins found in foam latex is infinitesimal compared to latex gloves. If you don't have a diagnosed allergy to latex, you shouldn't worry about it. In fact, latex rubber usually eases a lot of allergy problems (due to mold and mildew). As for the light-weight wool in the mattress lining, there's no known allergy specifically to wool. And the wool in the 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.

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.

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. European Sleep Design's mattresses have several elements that guard against that. There is a wool layer and wool is one of the best dissipaters of moisture, keeping sleeping temperatures comfortable. (In fact we recommend wool covers and pillows, too.) The cotton in the mattress covering also allows moisture to permeate and evaporate instead of trapping it. The pure 100% natural latex foam is constructed with "breathable" air holes to aid in thermal balance. And the steel innersprings allow air to circulate while increased airflow beneath the mattress means greater hygiene.