Spindle Mattress Review (Natural Latex Bed)

Spindle Mattress Overview

Most bed-in-a-box mattress companies will offer free shipping, free returns, and a 100-day risk-free trial, along with a 10-year warranty. Spindle goes above and beyond, as it offers a 365-night risk-free trial. So if you decide their mattress just doesn’t check all your boxes after 364 nights, Spindle will pick it up for free, and refund all your money. Off the top of my head, only Nectar and DreamCloud also offer a 365-night trial period.

They also provide the standard 10-year warranty, which you should spend time to read up on. However, if you are concerned you might encounter problems after 10 years, Spindle offers a 25-year comfort renewal program. The program costs extra to enroll in, but you can purchase replacement parts for your Spindle mattress at prices that are substantially below typical pro-rated terms.

Like many bed-in-a-box companies, Spindle offers free shipping, but if you live in Alaska or Hawaii, you will have to pay a small fee. To keep costs down, Spindle ships the mattress in three boxes. Latex beds are so heavy, that if it were shipped in one piece, it would be above the weight threshold of FedEx and UPS.

Spindle Mattress Price and Coupon Code

One of the biggest selling points of Spindle is its price tag. It’s significantly cheaper than other latex mattresses found online and in-store. Many other 100% natural latex beds are about $500-1,000 more expensive than Spindle. Here’s a breakdown of pre-discount prices for the Spindle mattress:

Plus, Spindle is generous when it comes to coupon codes and promo codes. Check the discount box on the right hand side of the screen to see what sort of savings you can score right now. You can usually expect to take about $100-$200 off the MSRP price.

Spindle Mattress Layers and Construction

Before we go any further, I’ve got to share what we believe to be the biggest drawback of this bed: you have to put it together yourself. Our Slumber Yard team is well versed on mattresses, but we infrequently have to build one, layer by layer. And by the way this is not a one person job.

Spindle even says in their instructions (they have a video on their website)—latex is very heavy, so you will need at least two people for this job. Not only will you need to unbox and unroll the three heavy individually wrapped layers of latex, but then you must carefully line them up and place them inside the mattress cover before zipping it up. If you don’t spend the time to align the latex layers properly, the sides of the mattress will look lumpy and unattractive.

Spindle says it may take up to ten tries to get the alignment right. If you aren’t careful the latex can tear, and Spindle says that any tear over two inches can greatly affect how the mattress feels. All in all, the process of putting together the mattress took a long time (45 minutes+), and we felt the DIY aspect somehow made a very nice latex bed seem like IKEA furniture.

Next, let’s break down how the mattress is constructed. Spindle offers four different firmness levels (soft, medium, firm, and extra firm). We picked the medium version, so we received three 3” layers of natural latex. Two were labeled “medium,” and one was labeled “firm,” so we got to choose how to layer the bed. We opted to sandwich the firm layer between the two medium layers.

If you prefer a firmer or softer mattress, it is easy to switch the configuration of the mattress. That is one benefit of the DIY mattress approach—you can alter the firmness of your bed at any time.

The mattress cover has an earthy, non-chemical smell, as it’s made with 1” of EcoWool (an un-certified organic wool) batting stitched to an organic cotton fabric. Spindle says most of the cotton is grown domestically and is predominantly sourced from New Mexico, Texas, and India. Although the mattress cover is removable, Spindle says it shouldn’t be washed or dry cleaned. If you get the mattress dirty, it’s best to spot clean with a damp rag or vacuum.

One other thing to note is that this bed ends up being very heavy—heavier than most mattresses we’ve reviewed. Combine that with the fact that latex foam is bendable (almost like a slinky) and you get a bed that’s difficult to move. We mention this because it means Spindle won’t be a great option if you’re planning on moving soon.

How Are Latex Mattresses Made, Anyway?

Some of you might be wondering, “how the heck is latex made, and why is it considered a natural material?” Here’s the gist of what you need to know. Latex is made with rubber tree sap, which is what gives it that bouncy, springy feeling. Traditionally, the sap is turned into a mattress through one of two ways.

Dunlop is the oldest, and least energy intensive method. Mattress companies vulcanize the latex (it’s heated up, and mixed with other materials such as sulfur) before it’s put into a mold, so the foam can solidify. This method results in a solid slab of supportive latex.

The other method is Talalay, which is a more extensive, resource-intensive process. The rubber tree sap is vacuum sealed, flash frozen, and then baked into a mold. This style results in a less dense latex foam that feels more flexible and “bouncy.”

Overall Feel and Firmness

As previously mentioned, Spindle is offered in four different firmness levels. As you’d expect, the medium version is the most popular. However, regardless of which version you choose, you have the capability to arrange the latex layers according to your preference.

The bed feels exceptionally springy (similar to other latex mattresses). If we had to pick another bed we think it compares well to in terms of how it feels to sleep on, we’d have to go with the Zenhaven mattress, another all-natural latex bed.

Keep in mind that your weight plays a big role in how firm a bed feels. So if you are petite, if will feel much firmer than if you are heavier (250+ pounds). We’ll say that if you are above 250 pounds, you may prefer a hybrid or spring mattress, although the firm latex option should do a good job of supporting your body. It’s just that the bed is only 10”, which isn’t terribly thick for heavy people.

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Side and Combination Sleepers

Spindle will be just fine for side sleepers, although you may want to play around with the configuration of the bed to get things just right. Same goes for combination sleepers. The bed is responsive and makes switching positions easy, but you may find that you prefer a softer or firmer piece of latex foam on top—it just comes down to personal preference.

Back and Stomach Sleepers

We found the Spindle mattress to be a good option for back and stomach sleepers. The springy nature of latex offers support around the hips and lower back area. Typically back and stomach sleepers will prefer firmer beds, which is why we’d first recommend the firm model over the others.

Temperature Regulation

Latex foam tends to sleep cooler than many other types of foam, especially memory foam. Interestingly enough, however, Spindle, on their own website, says their bed isn’t a good mattress for hot sleepers. We disagree. We’ve found latex beds to sleep cooler than most other foam beds. We think Spindle is trying to cover their butts with this overly-broad disclaimer.

There are a few reasons why we say that latex foam tends to naturally sleep cooler than other foams. First, it has more of an open cell construction that allows for more airflow. Second, it responds more quickly to pressure and therefore sheds heat more quickly. And third, it tends to feel a little firmer than these other foams, which causes you to remain more on top of the bed rather than sink into it. In other words, less of the foam envelopes your body, allowing heat to dissipate quicker.

Motion Transfer

This is important if you share a bed with a partner that moves around a lot in their sleep. If the mattress does a poor job of limiting motion transfer, the bed can jiggle and shake with their movement.

We were not blown away with Spindle’s ability to isolate motion, but it wasn’t bad. Let’s put it this way: we think it will work for the vast majority of people, but if you’re partner kicks like a mule in their sleep, you might consider one of the beds on our Best Mattresses for Motion Isolation list.

Edge Support

Edge support is only really important if you are in a relationship or have a bed-hogging pet. It’s the aspect of the bed that keeps you from feeling like you’re going to fall off.

As a whole, we found the edge support to be average on the Spindle mattress. This is also common with latex mattresses and all-foam beds in general. However, if you spend the time to align the sides perfectly while putting together the mattress, the edge support will be greater than it would otherwise. Also, the firmer the bed, the better the edge support.

Verdict

If you are looking an affordable latex mattress, this is a great option. However, having to put it together yourself is frustrating, and it will likely take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to get right. The DIY aspect of this bed is reflected in the price though, as this latex mattress is $500 to $1,000 cheaper than its competitors.