Mattress Forum

I envision the perfect solution to be a foam that will allow me to sleep on my side without bottoming onto my very firm mattress.  I stomach sleep a lot less.  I am going to read over your post again when i am less tired and make a decision.

Thanks much!

Exactly. You already have 2" of latex on the pocket coils which is probably "on the softer side" but probably a little too firm and not quite thick enough. Since you don't weigh very much, foam will feel firmer to you than others who weigh more since you don't sink in as far. You probably don't need much in terms of thickness to add to what is already there and I would suggest that around 20 ILD or less would probably work. It may be worth a call to Gardiner to ask them what the ILD of the 2" you already have is as that could make a difference in how thick and how soft a topper would need to be and what you choose. It would also really help to tell what felt "firm" to you.

Sandman,

Yeah ... it's pretty bad when you look at a lot of the mass merchandising stores that carry mostly "S" brands and you know without even going there that none of them are worth buying. It's kind of sad that so few people end up on a forum like this before they start looking and spend most of their time and research testing polyfoam (oh ... and "counting coils" of course lol) and end up choosing between bad and worse :).

Phoenix

Gardner says I have 2" of 28 ILD talalay.  They sell a 3" topper of 20ILD from Latex Int'l (Rejuvenate Line) for $440!

I will be looking for a local store, even factory, to get a latex blend topper because I'd like to feel it first.  If there's nothing in-store locally, do you have any suggestions for on-line purchasing?

Thanks much, and Happy new Year.

You sure won't get much argurment from most of the people on this forum. You were fortunate though because you at least had the "wisdom"  to buy your mattress from a good manufacturer and avoided the pitfalls of the major manufacturers. You have a very nice mattress and with a little "softness" on the top it should be great and will certainly last you for a long time.

28 ILD is probably a little on the firm side for someone of your height and weight although there are some who would probably like it. I am thinking that you won't need 3" (it would probably be good for you on top of "bare coils") and my "gut" is saying 2" of soft latex would probably be good (there's even a possibility that 1" may be enough). It's a good idea to test this out first though as you are thinking.

I have a pretty large list of places where latex is available around the country so if you can tell me what city you live in I may be able to make some suggestions for a good place to go.

Phoenix

I'm in Boston.  I'd like to find a place that sells either or both latex and HR poly.  A few questions, if I may:

- You think a blend of natural and synthetic latex is best? I know to look for a low ILD.

- Would HR in a softer version be worth the money savings?  I don't care if it only last me a year - I can always buy another one and just want a good night's sleep.

- I am guessing you suggest HR poly or blended latex because I won't "bottom out" on my very firm mattress?  (My original question and concern.)

- What is "convoluted"?

Thank you.

Latex is generally made in one of two ways. One is the Talalay method and one is the Dunlop method. In your case I would choose Talalay as it comes in softer ILD's than Dunlop. Talalay latex comes in blended versions and natural versions. It's unlikely you would feel any difference between them in terms of how they feel in the same ILD. Natural is more expensive than blended and the blended may also last a little longer than the natural in the softer ILD's (even though blended is less expensive). In other words I would probably choose blended talalay latex in your position.

Would HR in a softer version be worth the money savings?  I don't care if it only last me a year - I can always buy another one and just want a good night's sleep.

HR poly is the most expensive (and durable) poly and is getting close to latex in price and longevity. If it was substantially less and price was my main issue then I may choose it but between these two I would choose latex as I believe that the price difference is worth it in comfort as well as durability. If I was looking strictly at price alone and it didn't matter if something wasn't as supportive or didn't last a long time then I would consider a lower grade of poly as it is substantially less. In doing this though you would also be giving up the other qualities of a latex topper besides durability which is it's ability to be comfortable/pressure relieving and supportive at the same time. So whether it is worth it would depend on the individual. With a mattress as nice as yours though I would personally choose latex even at the higher cost and put my efforts into finding the best value latex.

I believe that given your height and weight, and that you have 2" of medium latex over pocket coils, it is unlikely that you are "bottoming out" although I understand that it may feel like this. I am thinking that it is more that it is just too firm overall and that a softer layer on top will solve the problem and the medium and pocket coils underneath this will keep you in proper alignment (support). In other words you have a great mattress that just needs a little more "cush" on top.

Convoluted is a type of foam that looks like an "egg crate" with bumps on top. They do this to make it softer (less material). I mentioned it because there are sometimes people who look for this that may read this thread and it can someimes be difficult to find. I would stick with "non convoluted" in your case.

There is a list of outlets (retail and manufacturers) that are close to boston in reply #1 here.

What is underneath your topper will make a big difference in how it feels so I would test any topper you are trying on a "medium" latex mattress. Since gardiner would likely have your exact mattress to try a topper on It would be the best place to "test" a 2" and 3" topper (assuming they have both). If they don't have a 2" topper to test over "medium" latex, then some of the other outlets or manufacturers in the list probably would. Once you know what ILD and thickness works for you (I am guessing that 2" or less of 20 ILD or less) then there are many good places to order them online if the price is too high where you are doing your testing (the 19 ILD rejuvenite for example is available online for less than gardiner is charging).

You may want to try here if you want to test polyfoam of different grades but again make sure it is on top of something similar to your mattress as what is under it will make a big difference. Some of the manufacturers on the Boston list that use polyfoam in some of their mattresses may also sell polyfoam toppers.

Phoenix

PS: your "simple" question may not have been quite so simple after all but at least we are "back to the point" where you have clear and fairly simple choices in what is next :)