Mattress Forum

>>Wool pad/protector

That works.  More expensive.  Will it wash?  Is it redundant?  Wool wicks better than it absorbs.

>>Cotton pad/protector

That works, if you already have wool in the mattress cover doing its ventialtion trick.

>>Wool pad built with cotton lining

Wool wicks.  Cotton absorbs.  Sort of a conflict of functions here.

>>Get a wool pad, and a separate cotton mattress protector, and put the cotton over the wool

That's the functional plan.  If the wool is already in the mattress cover, you could just add a cotton with polyfill pad.  Too many layers will interfere with the Latex contouring to your body.

>>However, I've heard contradictory things about what the best option is. Some say wool is the best protection from moisture. Others say wool wicks away moisture but isn't really sufficient for someone who sweats a lot, and that one should use a cotton pad instead.

Wool wicks.  Cotton absorbs.  Cotton with polyfill will tend to absorb and dry itself, especially with wool below encouraging ventilation as you move about.  Cotton alone is only good if you want to HOLD body moisture close to you so that as your body heat evaporates it, you are cooled by the heat loss to evaporation.  But know that this evaporative cooling cycle requires the supporting ambient temp and humidty conditions, which may not always exist.  Best goal is wool for ventilation and cotton/polyfill above for an economical/washable interface.  Other fibers could serve, like more wool, silk, etc, and even specialty synthetics, but that will cost more and be harder to source than a simple cotton/polyfill pad.

>>Some cotton products are described as "waterproof" and/or are woven tightly enough to prevent dust mites and other particles from getting in. On the other hand, some say cotton is not as breathable as wool.

True.  The allergen weave fabrics are typically for thin covers over the whole mattress or box spring.  I have put these on new traditional mattresses, but the are not cheap.  I favor the much cheaper vinyl version for box springs.  But I would skip this allergen protection on a 100% Latex mattress since Latex resists infiltration of the creepy crawlies, and the cover would resist Latex contouring.  And, they do not protect from spills.

Cotton breaths, but it absorbs body moisture immediately, which then inhibits ventilation.

>>Any recommendations on what option to use?

A layer that ventilates/breaths, and a layer that absorbs that you can wash easily.  For me, it is:

Fitted sheet
Cotton with polyfill pad
Wool/Bamboo mattress cover
Latex layers in the mattress cover

The sheet and pad comforts.  The pad collects moisture until the wool and Latex can ventilate it away.  You could probably throw more money at the pad for alternate filbers for slight improvement, but same functional role.  You could introduce a waterproof membrane to the pad, but this would cost more and impede ventilation... less necessary with a 100% Latex mattress since it is possible to take it apart to clean up a major spill, assuming it's not by a cat!

GK

Wow, thanks for the detailed response!

The mattress I ordered won't come with a wool cover, just a cotton zipper cover (I assume a thin one).

So just to clarify--if we're talking about a wool pad and then a cotton/polyfill pad--isn't that a lot of padding? I can find examples of wool pads online, but it seems like they're relatively thick and are meant to be used on their own (as opposed to a thin mattress cover).

Also, can I ask why you suggest polyfill instead of cotton filling?

If the mattress cover is simple, then put the wool in a good pad.  The wool will help ventilate your body heat.  And skip the cotton/poly pad, if it is too much.

Polyfill is a cheap wool.  It ventilates and cushions, but wool works better.  An all cotton pad would just fill up with your body moisture and remain damp and clamy... not wet, just would hold a higher moisture content and then feel and behave like it was humid.

The material application here is similar to how you would select gear/fabric layers for outdoor clothing:

Layer 0 (El Zero):  Cotton, sucks up water and cools you as it dries.  Good on a hot day.  Otherwise, good for hypothermia.

Layer 1:  Fine quality synthetic evaporation layer next to the skin for wicking away moisture to keep you dry and not cool as it dries.

Layer 2:  Vapor Barrier Layer... a waterproof layer used in severe conditions to block all evaporative cooling in very cold conditions and to keep layer 3 dry and functioning (seals in Layer 2).

Layer 3:  Insulating layer... down, wool, polyfill... anything that lofts and can be kept dry in given conditions... your activity level and the weather.

Layer 4:  Breathable waterproof shell to shed wind and precipitation and to protect the function of the other layers.

Getting back to your mattress, you want L0 cotton or better next to your skin for comfort... a silk or fine synthetic could work but availability and cost would be a factor.  Next you want L1 for wicking and ventilation... getting the moisture away to dry... a polyfill or wool will do this.  L2 is usually only used with small kids.  L3 is usually built into the mattress cover; if not, then put this function at L1.  L4 would be the bed canopy!

GK