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Background info: Currently we have a very firm queen sized spring mattress with minimum padding, and a 2" 32 ILD talalay latex topper. We are finally ready to upgrade and are looking for a king sized mattress, or 2 twin xls. I'm not too thrilled with spring mattresses ( my previous bed was a think cotton futon with a foam core). We are looking at getting a latex bed. me: 5'6", 140 pounds, side sleeper, issues with mid and lower back pain, pressure pain on the side hubby: 6'4", 260 pounds, side and stomach sleeper, low back pain, pressure pain on the side I find the 32 ILD topper to be a little too firm. While it provides some cushioning, for the most part I float on top of it. Hubby sinks into it, causing me to roll toward him. He also says the topper feels a little "bouncy".
Talked to Sleepez, was told about their 8" special, and here's what they suggested for a split configuration: Topper: for both me and him 2" soft, 20 ILD my side: 3" medium (32 ILD), 3" firm ( 38 ILD) his side: 3" firm (38 ILD), 3" X firm (44 ILD) They said the 100% natural Dunlop is firmer than Talalay, and Dunlop will support hubby better, although I may prefer the more plush feel of Talalay. The price is the same for either type. I have never slept on a Dunlop mattress so I have nothing to compare it against. I do like the feel of the Talalay topper we have and like the "plush" feel of it. One of my concerns is to have enough support for my husband so he does not bottom out or excessively curve his spine. Would Dunlop be a better choice than Talalay? Is he going to feel more "bouncy" on a Dunlop than a talalay? Does Dunlop last as long as talalay? Can we do a combination of Dunlop and talalay? BTW the Dunlop and Talalay layers are of slightly different height so if we do this we have to make sure the number of Dunlop and talalay pieces are the same on either side. Will the 20 ILD topper be too soft for us? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. |
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Just to add a couple of ideas here that could make a difference in fine tuning ... (for those that are so inclined)
In general, the heavier you are the softer a particular ILD will feel to you. This of course will also be affected by your own particular makeup and what you are used to sleeping on. It's always amazing to me that what one person calls way too soft another will call the hardest mattress they have ever slept on (If you want proof of this, just read through all 186 posts in the Costco thread here http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/new-natural-latex-beds-sale-now-costco/7639-A-1.html ). I have a hard time believing that anyone would sleep on a mattress with a top layer of 32 or even firmer and yet others wouldn't believe how someone could sleep on a top layer of 16.
Thinner layers stacked together generally feel a little softer than one thick layer of the same ILD. In other words 2 three inch layers will feel a little softer and could have different support characteristics than a single 6" layer. Three 1" layers will generally feel softer than one 3" layer. This could mean that you "go through" the top layer and into the next one more easily which completely changes the feel of the bed (this is what happened to me with the sawgrass even though it had 3" on top)
This is where some of the custom manufacturers excel. Many of them have a lot of experience working with different thicknesses and the different feels that come from this as opposed to only working with either 3" or 2" layers. This can make a difference in my experience (played with this a lot in my "lay on bed" testing). They can be especially helpful with this if you have done a lot of "lay on bed" testing and have made notes of how you felt with different layering schemes. The more information you bring to the people who you buy from ... the more they can help you.
This could mean that a 3" layer on top of a 6" core could actually work out better and be more supportive or comfortable than a 3" layer on top of two 3" cores 2" of soft on top of 3" of a little firmer could feel or support differently for some people than 3" on top of 3". 3" of softer on top of 3" medium on top of something else could feel different than 3" of softer on top of 4" of medium on top of something else 1" of firmer on top of 2" of softer on top of 3" of firmer could feel different than 3" of softer on top of 3" of firmer 1" or 2" as a transition layer between 2 other layers could work out better than a 3" layer as a transition between 2 other layers. Same with a 4" transition layer. And on it goes
When I first talked with the company who made my bed, I asked for a quote for 9" (so I could compare with other 9" models I had looked at on a fair basis) and the initial makeup with this would have been 2.5 over 4 over 2.5 two sided without latex in the quilting. We changed it later to what it finally became although it cost a little more. This means that they can also customize the price in ways that won't make so much difference although some won't go into that level (1/2 inch refinements) of "fine tuning". A custom manufacturer should also have more experience with different quilting patterns and materials in the ticking which can also make a difference in the feel (and of course the price). They will also (and in my case did) make other adjustments (made part of my bed a little tighter for example because they knew it was going on an adjustable bed and that the material could stretch a little more in some places) depending on your personal circumstances.
It's worth talking to several people if you have questions that you aren't yet completely satisfied with the answers you have received .... before you get to your final destination. In reading this forum and the legacy forum, I often wonder if some of those who couldn't make any latex configuration fit could have had their perfect bed if they could have added thicker or thinner layers to their layering scheme or different quilting or materials to their mix. While most seem to get to a 90% place with basic layering some never got to a place that they were comfortable even keeping their bed. The downside of course is that if you get it wrong with a custom built "manufactured" bed that isn't designed to do a layer exchange, then it is horrendously expensive to ship it back and have it "re-made", no matter how much you saved or how "perfect" you thought it would be. No matter which direction you go you lose something and gain something else. In a perfect world, we would all have a custom manufacturer as our next door neighbor. In the end we all need to decide for ourselves what is more important, how sensitive we are to "mistakes", and how close we want to get to 100%. The most surprising thing to me in my research journey was how many real choices there are out there.
Phoenix This message was modified Oct 10, 2010 by Phoenix
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