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New member here ... and I'm in a conundrum.
Perhaps 10 years ago I bought an Englander latex foam mattress. It's a latex slab with thin egg-crate glued to each side, and a cover. At some point I decided I didn't like the support - felt like it was giving me a backache - so I removed the egg crate on one side, and let that be the bottom side permanently. Was pretty happy with that for some years, but had pondered maybe removing the egg crate from the top too. Recently, girlfriend was diagnosed with dust-mite allergy, so I decided to go ahead and trash the cover and remove the top layer of eggcrate. So I now just have a slab of latex, about 6" thick, with a mattress cover on top. And it's too hard - I am a side sleeper, and it's pretty uncomfortable on my hips. I like a firm mattress, but it's just too much. The weird thing is, when you press on the latex with your hand, it feels kind of mushy. So I wonder what to do. I'm thinking maybe add back some sort of topper, of higher quality than the eggcrate, perhaps 2" of latex or memory foam bought from one of the mail-order places. But I seek advice. Please let me know if there's add'l info I should provide, and thanks. This message was modified Oct 23, 2011 by RustyShackleford
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G'day Rusty.......just call them & ask about the certifications. The reason some mattresses (Latex or otherwise) require a firm flat base (not slatted) is simply due to the base layering used in the mattress, ie- the foam layer used in construction as a support layer (& a great way to add thickness to a mattress without adding any latex) or in the case of "flippable" mattresses it's to do with the soft foam "comfort layers" that has been used. Some cheap P/U foam types cannot handle the dipping between each slat & will get permanent rutts from the foam collapsing under duress. It is extremely common for bedding manufacturers to use cost saving methods during production such as limiting the amount of actual latex in the mattress, & bolstering the overall thickness with cheap nasty P/U foam that is heavily treated with fat soluble chemicals such as flame retarder, dyes, masking perfumes, & VOC's that can seriously affect chemically sensitive souls. P/U foams also only have a third of the longevity that natural latex will give you. Mattresses that can handle slatting, generally will have latex base layers (support layers on single sided no-flip mattresses) or durable comfort layers made from latex rubber (flippable mattress types) so inturn can handle the dipping between each slat that occurs. Due to the fact that natural latex rubber does not rely on displacement of air when compressed like foam does, so it will always have close to 100% return after compression (like a LGA test procedure), whereas for foam to have 100% return of loft, it will rely on drawing back air into the foam structure. The less the air can draw back into the foam, the flatter more unsupportive the foam will get. This will also change the overall density of the support or comfort layer, simply put- foam is cheap & sucks. When you purchase a latex mattress, use this simple check-list of questions to ask the retailer or (prefferably) manufacturer: *ECO certified latex (100% natural)??? why? natural latex is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, dustmite free, biodegradeable, renewable, untreated & extremely long lasting. *LGA tested (quality/duability tested)??? why? to ensure that your mattress will have the same feel 5years down the track, & for warranty assurances. *Is the pillowtop 100% natural fibre (wool, alpaca, tencel, ingeo)??, or is it 100% synthetic (polyester, dacron, rayon blended) or a blended fibre (wool/poly, wool/dacron etc)??? Why? natural fibres will breathe under your skin creating an airflow layer that disperses bodyheat build-up & promotes out-venting of airflow caused by the pincoring of the latex (venting system/mold). Also, synthetic materials do not absorb any moisture, giving you a clammy, hot sleeping surface. *Is the support structure 100% latex layering (combination of densities)?, or is it combined with foam layering (base layer, comfort layer, central support layer)???? Why? P/U foam layers reduce internal airflow, last a quarter to a third of the life of natural latex. Are a cost cutting method used during production to maximise profit margins within products. Are heavily treated. Unrenewable. *Is the outer fabric or quilting natural, or synthetic fabric (polyester)??? Why? heat, simply heat......synthetic fabrics reduce airflow & are simply HOT. Rusty, I would look for a topper that is set to a 5 (prefferable) or 7 posture zone setting that will target a softer zone for your shoulders, whilst giving you a firmer support zone for your hips & lower back. Avoid any mono-zone posture zoning as they are for beanpole bodytypes, not really sidesleepers. The thicker the topper, the better. 3 inch (7.5cm) is generally the go, set in a plush medium density to reduce that counter-pressure on the shoulder. Good luck mate. LukeyDC- cobber from Oz. |
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I bought the 3" soft from FBM/FF and love it. I was worried about all the complaints about smell and so forth, but I let it air out according to the directions, and bought the terry cloth cover and have been very happy with it. The hardest part was getting it into the house (I used my feet and thus leg strength to roll it in and then tumbled it up onto a spare bed where I lay it out). I definitely needed help to get it on the bed -- myself and two other women. But after 18 months I find that the underbed is still too hard, so am looking for a softer latex underneath... looking at the medium talalay. Any thoughts?
sleep deprived |
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lefty2026 wrote:
Egg crate foam is only for adding a soft feel, it's pretty much completely unsupportive. Even soft latex will provide some support since it pushes back, so you might like it. |