| OK, I'm calling on all you experts! Like most people considering the big switch to a latex mattress I've done tons of reading and research but still am not sure what we need. After reading through this forum (twice) I almost feel like maybe I'd like Dunlop better than Talalay, but I don't see a whole lot of discussion about Dunlop. I like a very firm mattress with very little "give". But, as a side sleeper I know I need some amount of softness on top. I hate conventional pillowtops. My weight is around 140 and my husbands around 240. I have back issues - low back pain, degenerative disk problems, lots of trigger points, yada, yada..... I have seen a couple of people say there's a big difference in the feel of Dunlop and they prefer it. So, is anybody still buying Dunlop or should I assume most of these posts are all Talalay. And does Dunlop only come in all natural or is there some blended? Tnanks for any help you can give me! |
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Thanks for that interesting comparison, Steve. I think you're on to something. I have a couple inches of firm and medium firm Talalay latex in my zippered coil mattress and it wasn't until I put the Dream Coil Omalon topper on that I really felt more "suspended", as you described it. The Omalon is guaranteed for life---never to flatten. So, now I have the best of both worlds---latex and a firmer top (maybe a sensation similar to the way Dunlop process feels. st3v3k4hn wrote: Lynn<p>Thanks for the informative post. There is so much info out on the web its really hard to know who or what you can trust. </p><p>But I did want to note one thing about the SleepEZ post. He is clearly comparing <em>natural</em> Dunlop to <em>synthetic</em> Talalay (he says "The major benefit of the Talalay process is in the softer firmness. The combination of natural more elastic latex with synthetic latex..." I am not sure if/how this changes if you compare to natural Talalay. Also, this FAQ still says "We use only Talalay latex for all our mattresses and mattress toppers." Since thats not true anymore, I think its safe to say that this FAQ is at least a bit stale, so some of their opinions might have changed.</p><p>Also, I wanted to point out at least one source that seems clearly pro-Dunlop, because most of the ones you pointed to seemed to be either neutral or pro-Talalay. This is from the Habitat Furnishing blog, June 19, 2007. I have no idea if this site can be trusted (although I did note that they do sell both types of latex, so that seems like a good sign). The reason I picked this quote is that he hits on a lot of points that, if true, would impact my upcoming decision...</p><p>"When I compare our Dunlop mattresses side by side with a Talalay bed, to me it so obvious, the main observation being that you tend to sink more in the Talalay material, vs. the Dunlop Natural material, which keeps you suspended if you will, on top of the mattress. Side sleepers especially seem to respond better to the Dunlop method since when you apply a lot of weight to the latex in a limited area (imagine side sleeping being like a knife on edge, vs. a belly or back sleeper, where the weight is more evenly distributed), the pressure point reduction and weight distributing qualities of the latex being clearly superior. You don’t bottom out on it, and you can easily turn from side to side effortlessly. This is important when you consider that a common complaint of memory foam users, and a few Talalay process mattress owners I have spoken with, say that the sinking effects of this materials cause you to feel like your stuck in a rut, and you can actually wake up as your body fights to wrestle its way out of the sinkhole in your bed."</p><p>I don't mean to seem argumentative or anything, I suspect the differences aren't really that great. I just wish this was all a little clearer so I could decide already (I am SICK of my stupid Tempurpedic mattress)...</p><p>Steve |
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BeddyBye wrote: Thanks for that interesting comparison, Steve. I think you're on to something. I have a couple inches of firm and medium firm Talalay latex in my zippered coil mattress and it wasn't until I put the Dream Coil Omalon topper on that I really felt more "suspended", as you described it. The Omalon is guaranteed for life---never to flatten. So, now I have the best of both worlds---latex and a firmer top (maybe a sensation similar to the way Dunlop process feels. You all know I'm not a big fan of Talalay, but I couldn't pass up that Brylane Natura topper. I wasn't crazy about it all by itself, but when I slipped it under the 1" visco topper from Overstock I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the feeling. The Talalay made the combination a bit firmer and more resilient than the visco alone, while the visco eliminated the jiggly, pushy character of the Talalay and provided just the right amount of soft, cradling cushiness. And since the Overstock foam is so low density (for visco) it's not at all temperature sensitive so it sleeps very cool. (I guess there's something to be said for really cheap memory foam!) In fact I thought the combination of the two approximated the feeling of my old. much loved Dunlop latex mattress. |
| Steve, please let us know what you think after your topper arrives. I'll be anxious to know how you like it. I was wondering if anybody has this combination: 2 layers of Dunlop and then a softer Talalay layer on top? I assume they will allow you to order it that way? |
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Leo3 wrote: I tried to put toppers on the memory foam side and had the same experience, it is too firm. How long did you have the Tempur mattress before it went bad for you? i had mine probably 6 months before it started giving me pain. What thickness of toppers are you getting? Do they charge more for shipping? I hope it works out for you : ) I think think the poly foam under the memory foam is not useable for sleeping on! But maybe with the Dunlop it will be. I am so frustrated with this horrible bed too! I have wasted so much money on bad beds and toppers. I don't have anymore $ to waste. Don't get me started on the problems with Tempurpedic! I bought it based on the hype and the sexy squishy sample. Truth is I never really liked it. I should have returned it but I kept hearing if I stayed with it eventually I would get used to it and start to like it. Bah! As I posted previously, I am getting the 3" Dunlop topper (split soft / medium) from SleepEZ. They charge around $444 for the topper and shipping. The good news about this is that, if you like it, you can "upgrade" to any one of their beds for a discounted price (turns out to be cheaper than buying the bed outright). So, you can test the latex (Dunlop or Talalay) & 2 of the firmnesses before committing to the full mattress and making your full choice of layers. Sounds like a deal to me! And, yes, I promise I will post back once I get everything! Steve |
| Steve, I went to the SleepEz website and found the page that tells about this, but for the life of me I can't seem to understand how it works - Senior moment I guess. If you wind up with a 3 layer bed that would normally cost $1050, what would your savings be? And how does this affect the one free comfort exchange? You may have stumbled onto something substantial here and I wouldn't wanna miss out! |
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I think sometimes finding the just right combination is the key. Like you said, by itself, something might not feel all that great. Add another element and suddenly it feels wonderful! That's what seems to be happening to me with this Dream Coil topper added to the latex and CuddleBed. Together it seems like the magic combination! cloud9 wrote: You all know I'm not a big fan of Talalay, but I couldn't pass up that Brylane Natura topper. I wasn't crazy about it all by itself, but when I slipped it under the 1" visco topper from Overstock I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the feeling. The Talalay made the combination a bit firmer and more resilient than the visco alone, while the visco eliminated the jiggly, pushy character of the Talalay and provided just the right amount of soft, cradling cushiness. And since the Overstock foam is so low density (for visco) it's not at all temperature sensitive so it sleeps very cool. (I guess there's something to be said for really cheap memory foam!) In fact I thought the combination of the two approximated the feeling of my old. much loved Dunlop latex mattress. |
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Mimi wrote: Steve, I went to the SleepEz website and found the page that tells about this, but for the life of me I can't seem to understand how it works - Senior moment I guess. If you wind up with a 3 layer bed that would normally cost $1050, what would your savings be? And how does this affect the one free comfort exchange? You may have stumbled onto something substantial here and I wouldn't wanna miss out! I can't verify from experience (yet) but they told me you still get the comfort exchange. And by the way, the 1 exchange covers a layer, so thats really 2 pieces (if you split them) in the larger sized beds. I can't really imagine needing to swap more than that... As for the economics, their example is: Say you want a 3 layer queen (model name = 10000). Buying it outright costs $1295. The alternative is, buy the topper ($295) and then upgrade to the full bed by ordering the 2 layer bed (model name = 7000) for $850 more (they give you the larger case that fits the 3 layer bed for free). Together thats $1145, so you save $150 (assuming the shipping costs all work out the same, which frankly I am not sure). I think you save even more as the prices go up (by the way, some of the prices seem to have changed slightly since they did the example, so check actual prices before buying). The example on their website is also a little misleading because it shows what you save if you already have the mattress topper. Of course we need to buy the topper so we save less. Still, it does seem to be cheaper this way, and it definitely offers some flexibility for trying things out, so I still think its a good deal... If you have any other questions I suggest just calling them; they were really nice and not at all scary... Steve This message was modified May 29, 2008 by st3v3k4hn
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BeddyBye wrote: I think sometimes finding the just right combination is the key. Like you said, by itself, something might not feel all that great. Add another element and suddenly it feels wonderful! That's what seems to be happening to me with this Dream Coil topper added to the latex and CuddleBed. Together it seems like the magic combination! Yep, that's exactly it! I'm beginning to think building the perfect bed is a lot like haute cuisine. It's the combination of ingredients and the way they are blended together that make it special. |
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Leo3 wrote: That is a good question.... I question I have pondered on sleepless painful nights. I too have a memory foam bed (Sealy) and feel your pain (the one who also has this bed), have you tried flipping the mattress over and then try different toppers? That is where I am, but my story doesn't have a happy ending yet. I tried many things, but I have not tried the Dunlop because it weights much more and would cost more to ship (my thoughts anyway). Also I can't find any of it locally to look at, and it costs more doesn't it? Cloud 9, Where can you buy just 1" of Dunlop? I have 2 layers of the Natura topper under a mattress cover, and under my featherbed, and I still have hip pain after so many hours (like Cloud9 mentions). So I thought the Dunlopillo layers would help, but apparently either the mattress cover makes it harder, or you do bottom out. I wish us all good luck in finding a solution.
But you might want to try putting your Natura topper--one or both--over the featherbed. Feathers compress, feel hard and cause pressure points. Another thing you could try is to get some half inch HR foam and just place it under your hip area over the featherbed leaving the latex where it is. You may need to play around with the arrangement of your toppers until you find the one that feels best for you. |
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Thanks, Steve! I think their example is what was confusing me. And you're right, some of the prices have changed. At any rate, I'm going to list my questions and give them a call. I would like to try the Dunlop as well and getting just the one layer will hopefully give us an idea of the feel of it. Of course if we put a 3" topper on our bed right now we'll need a step-ladder to get up to it! Can't wait to hear your feedback when your topper arrives! Mimi |