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Hi! My husband and I are planning on buying a split California king 100% natural talalay latex mattress. We are having trouble deciding if we should go with three 3" layers or four 3" layers. Some companies tell us that three will be fine. Others suggest 4 layers. I am a very small person but my husband is 6'8" and weighs 300 pounds. We would be willing to spend more and get 4 layers but we don't want to spend more money if it is unnecessary. (Plus we don't want a very thick mattress because it will be going on an adjustable base.)--does anybody have any experience with a 12 inch thick mattress on an adjustable base? How does it work? 2) What firmnesses should we get? He likes a firm mattress (sleeps on his back) but a "soft feel" and doesn't want to feel like he's sinking in. I don't know anything about ILDs...I need to be educated.
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| With your husbands weight I would say 4 layers definitely. Have you looked at the adjustable bed manufacturers website, they may say what the limit is on how thick the latex should be. But I believe most people do have 12". Phoenix has one, I am sure he will chime in here shortly. Have you looked at Flobeds website? They have something that tells you what you should get, by weight, comfort etc. |
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12" is usually regarded as the approximate upper limit by most of the people I talked to but the preference would usually be thinner than that. My mattress has 10" of latex plus another inch in the quilting layers and it conforms quite well. If you like the massage, then thicker means you feel it less. In mine we can feel the massage less in the lower area than the upper area. The different brands have different weight limits as well so check their specs and warranty. The Reverie has the least, the Ergomotion is next and the Leggett and Platt has the highest, the opposite of my order of preference. In terms of how thick or how many layers, there is no reason that 9" of latex could not support 300 lbs but an extra layer may give you more flexibility in how it's put together. In some cases 12" could be a disadvantage as it may allow too much sinking in the deeper layers and cause "hammocking". The natural Talalay doesn't come in as firm an ILD (a measure of firmness of a layer) as the blended or Dunlop and you may need firmer layers than it can provide. All of this depends on the body weight distribution, sleeping habits and issues, and preferences as well, as much as the actual weight itself. Have you tried out any latex mattresses in the stores to get a sense of how different constructions work for you? Given your size differences you may also want to consider split layering on each side. Phoenix This message was modified Dec 13, 2010 by Phoenix
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Flobeds also recommended 4 layers. Anybody out there who weighs 300 pounds who can tell me if this would be supportive enough for him: Xtra firm/Xtra firm/ Xtra firm (ILDs 34-38)? (Flobeds suggested super firm (ILDs 42-46), but that only comes in blended--and we would like to keep it all natural.) I'm hoping that the top convoluted layer of latex will provide the softness that my husband is looking for so that he doesn't feel like he is sleeping on a rock. |
| If anybody is interested in learning more about ILDs, flobeds sent me this link: |
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9" of latex is enough to "support" pretty much anybody ... especially if they didn't sleep on their side.Beyond this it is more about tailoring the mattress to give it a great enough range of response and the "best" amount of comfort for the individual. Here is an example of a bariatric all foam mattress (not even latex) that provides both "comfort" and "support", is designed for weights of up to 600 lbs, and is only 7" thick. Phoenix This message was modified Dec 13, 2010 by Phoenix
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If I was going to keep it all natural then 3 x 3" "support" layers in relatively softer ILD's could easily cause hammocking. the lowest 3" layer would always be softer than a slatted base no matter what it's ILD and would allow you to sink in more than having only 2 support layers of the same firmness. There are other issues here as well but in general 12" of natural I believe would be too thick without zoning and with zoning you may "sink in" more than you would want to (you would only have the option of softening certain zones not firming them up). It may be well worth considering high quality Dunlop for part of your mattress (all natural), and I would also strongly recommend some field testing as well. If you are too far "out of range" with a layered zip covered mattress with "standard" layers, they can be difficult to "fix". It would also help to know your husband's general body proportions (weight distribution, broad shoulders etc) Phoenix This message was modified Dec 13, 2010 by Phoenix
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