Melinda’s quest for a new latex mattress

Sigh; it’s that time. Time to buy a new mattress. I remember the last time my husband and I bought a new latex mattress. We were newlyweds. I kind of pictured one of those movie scenes where we’d lay on different mattresses, hold hands and giggle. 

Um… Let’s just say life is not Hollywood. Why? Because the Princess and the Pea has nothing on me. I’m particular. And so is my husband. Then again, aren’t we all picky about our beds? And why not? Humans spend about a third of our lives in bed, and not getting a good sleep can screw up our health. I liked one thing and he liked something else. In the end, we compromised, neither of us particularly thrilled. And now, here we are 20 years later, facing the daunting task of finding mattress bliss together.

Maybe you’re like me and your mattress is old. Or you didn’t bring a mattress with you from home. Maybe you fell in love with a gorgeous bed from here, but your current mattress doesn’t fit it. Or perhaps you just moved here and have discovered that rented furniture in this part of the world comes with a rock-hard mattress. Might as well be sleeping on the floor, right? 

You could, of course, buy a cheapie mattress to tide you over while you’re here for a couple of years. But who wants two years of bad sleep? And then your contract will be extended and you’ll end up with ten years of bad sleep. Or you’ll end up investing in a good mattress and then wish you’d never spent money on a bad mattress in the first place.

So, whatever the reason, you’re here and you’re dreading looking for a mattress, just like me. That’s it. I am going to procrastinate no more!

Let’s look at Willow Mattress

What’s Willow? It’s a completely customisable, certified 100 percent natural latex mattress available right here in Singapore.

These are nothing like my old latex mattress. For one thing, the king-sized version has the option to be made into two halves, which means it can be different on each side – so, my husband can get his dream bed and I can get mine. The mattresses are actually made up of layers, too. This means you can put a firm layer on top now and then, a couple of years from now, you can rearrange the layers and get a softer top, if that’s what you want. That means your mattress can adjust to your body’s ever-changing needs as you age, or if you hurt your back or even if you want more support during pregnancy.

My old bed was a bit hot, but latex’s new-fangled open-cell structure addresses that. Also, think of big holes being drilled down through the mattress to make it even more breathable.

The support is still great and the latex conforms to your body, but the mattress is cooler – good news for Singapore’s hot weather. Heck, you might even be able to turn your air-con up a degree or two and help save the planet. Other benefits of latex? It’s anti-mould and anti-dust mite, two more big pluses in Singapore’s humidity.

Other advantages

Willow products are made up of all-natural fibres sourced in Thailand. And the soft and luxurious mattress cover is crafted from organic cotton fibres. It’s completely removable, too, making it a snap to clean.

I was also worried I mightn’t be able to find an American-sized king in Asia. Willow has it covered, as it stocks not only Singapore sizes, but European, Australian, American, UK and Ikea sizes, too. And they can do custom sizes.

Plus, the mattress comes with a 100-day trial. So, let’s say you’re sure the firmness is ideal for you when you try it out in the store, only to get home and realise it’s not quite right. No worries! Willow will work with you to ensure your mattress is the perfect one. And, if in the end you still can’t find exactly what you’re after, you can even get a refund. 

What are we waiting for? Let’s go try them out!

Willow Mattress is a pop-up shop within Emperor’s Attic, #01-10 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road.

8787 7817  | willowmattress.com.sg

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This article first appeared in the September 2019 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Melinda Murphy

Melinda does Special Projects for Expat Living which includes pulling together big stories, videos — all sorts of cool stuff. It all builds on her background as a television correspondent, producer and author back in the US. Her life is kind of a special project, too, with two young kids, an old dog, a ridiculous number of volunteer activities — and a very understanding hubby.