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Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who has kindly contributed their input in my previous threads. I've learned quite a bit about mattresses and toppers, what to look for and what to avoid, and I'm certain that right now I'd be 100% happy with my mattress if only I'd heeded *all* of the sage advice I've been given (but sometimes you just have to forge ahead stubbornly and make your own mistakes, none of which I plan to ever repeat). The OMF mattress that felt absolutely perfect in the show room is now causing me grief, mainly in the form of lower back aches. To those of you enamored of the convenience of purchasing an innerspring mattress that feels great in the store, here's what I've learned: if you suffer from any back issues whatsoever, get the firmest model possible with the least amount of PU foam, then craft your own comfort layer using toppers. Or have your bed custom-made by a local mattress maker (this will be the method by which I acquire my next mattress, I hope). I don't care how fabulously comfortable, supportive, etc., that mattress seems during the "test drive", it is not going to feel the same after sleeping on it for several hours. So now I am planning to exchange my orthopedic ultra plush for either the ortho ultra firm or the ortho extra firm (I haven't tried the ultra firm yet, but both have only 1" of PU padding), and I will need toppers to make it comfy. At this point I'm torn between talalay blended toppers and memory foam, or possibly a combination of both. I need good lower back support, but I crave that "pillow top" feel, so I'm uncertain as to how to best approach this issue. I've had memory foam toppers in the past and loved them, so I thought I might do well with either 2" of Sensus foam, or a layer of "cushion firm" latex and 1" of either Sensus memory foam or 1" of soft latex. I'm a side sleeper, so I don't know if a 2" comfort layer will be enough, but I'm more than willing to start with that and go from there. So what do you think? 2" of Sensus, or a latex/Sensus combo, or a medium latex/soft latex combo? A combo I haven't thought of? I'm going for softness *and* support here, which I know is a tricky combination to pull off. Any advice welcome! |
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Forgot to mention: FoamOrder.com offers a 90-day trial on their 5.3lb-density memory foam toppers. I've never done business with this company; no idea how good they are -- I'm just putting the info out there. -Catherine |
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Hi! I was just wondering... seems like a lot of folks (think most have been side sleepers?) have said that something works for their hips, but not their shoulders, or vice versa. So I was wondering if anyone's ever tried to make "zones" with different ILDs (or maybe even with memory foam vs latex)? I know some latex mattress places will say they "zone" the density within their mattress, but I was wondering if any of you have tried a similar idea with your DIY beds? In other words, just for example in your case, Catherine, cut the top third of your 1" 24 ILD latex topper off (where your shoulders and head would go), and (after having bought another 1" topper in something softer like the 1" 19 ILD latex topper you were thinking of, or a memory foam topper) do the same thing - cut a third of it off, and put it in place where the 1/3 24 ILD topper was removed, if that makes sense? I suppose that might create a lot of "waste" though... Potentially you could make pillow(s) or doggie beds (if you have the 4-legged furry friends) out of the "left overs"? Or actually, I think I saw on some of the sites that you can order a custom size - not sure if the cost would be comparable or if they'd charge a bunch for it being "custom cut"?? Forgive me if there's already been a gazillion posts with this idea! Been trying to read as much as I can! |
Oh, and the obvious downside to not being able to return them then...  |
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mattressnewbie wrote: Hi! I was just wondering... seems like a lot of folks (think most have been side sleepers?) have said that something works for their hips, but not their shoulders, or vice versa. So I was wondering if anyone's ever tried to make "zones" with different ILDs (or maybe even with memory foam vs latex)? I know some latex mattress places will say they "zone" the density within their mattress, but I was wondering if any of you have tried a similar idea with your DIY beds? In other words, just for example in your case, Catherine, cut the top third of your 1" 24 ILD latex topper off (where your shoulders and head would go), and (after having bought another 1" topper in something softer like the 1" 19 ILD latex topper you were thinking of, or a memory foam topper) do the same thing - cut a third of it off, and put it in place where the 1/3 24 ILD topper was removed, if that makes sense? I suppose that might create a lot of "waste" though... Potentially you could make pillow(s) or doggie beds (if you have the 4-legged furry friends) out of the "left overs"? Or actually, I think I saw on some of the sites that you can order a custom size - not sure if the cost would be comparable or if they'd charge a bunch for it being "custom cut"?? Forgive me if there's already been a gazillion posts with this idea! Been trying to read as much as I can! Yeah, mattressnewbie, many of us here have been zoning. Not sure how many here currently are doing so. I experimented with zoning for a year or so and I have never come to any conclusions. Sometimes it seems to work for me and sometimes it does not. For me, I think the zoning has to be VERY subtle. If not, then it's like my body curls in all the wrong ways. So overall, yes, it can be good, but it has to be just right. That's my opinion. There used to be a guy here who was really into it and had like a bunch of soft foam for his shoulders. But that kind of extreme zoning never has worked well for me. I have a bunch of pieces of HR foam and latex and memory foam cut into thirds but mostly I don't use much zoning, at least not lately. |
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mattressnewbie wrote: I was just wondering... seems like a lot of folks (think most have been side sleepers?) have said that something works for their hips, but not their shoulders, or vice versa. So I was wondering if anyone's ever tried to make "zones" with different ILDs (or maybe even with memory foam vs latex)? ... In other words, just for example in your case, Catherine, cut the top third of your 1" 24 ILD latex topper off (where your shoulders and head would go), and (after having bought another 1" topper in something softer...) do the same thing - cut a third of it off, and put it in place where the 1/3 24 ILD topper was removed, if that makes sense? Zoning probably works for some people, but I'd like to avoid that. For one thing, I don't think I could bring myself to slice up something I just forked over $132 for (my Talatech topper). For another, I prefer to channel my considerable OCD-ish tendencies in other directions.  My bed is pretty close to perfect now. When I got into bed last night -- extremely tired and sore after a weekend of intense physical labor (building a retaining wall on a steep hillside) -- it felt sooooo good. I think I need juuuust a little more cushioning, since my mattress is so minimally padded. I'm leaning toward 1 more inch of latex -- either 28 or 32 ILD, under my 24 ILD topper -- and if I do that, I'll stick with SleepLikeaBear. Their prices just went up a bit, unfortunately, but their products seem reliable (you know what you're getting) and their service is great. Still considering, at times, the 1" Sensus at Overstock -- it would be cheaper than the latex topper -- but I'm changing my mind about every 7 seconds or so. If I ever make up my mind and try another layer (of whatever), I'll report back on the results. I could be wrong, but as I said before, I don't think I need *softer* cushioning; I think I need *more* cushioning. Not a lot more -- just a teensy bit more, for my shoulders. Which, after the past two weekends of wielding a chainsaw, drill, and sledge hammer, might be a tad more muscular.  -Catherine |
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Hi Everyone - I've been lurking for awhile learning about latex beds, toppers, pillows, etc. I recently realized that a number of my health problems could be traced back to my older, yellowing memory foam topper. I took it off the bed trying to figure out if it was causing my indoor allergies, and it turns out it was causing both my husband and I problems - including aching joints, stuffy nose, night sweats for him; and chronic sinusitis, joint pain and a lot of respiratory congestion for me. I was surprised to learn it was the memory foam becuase we'd had it for a few years. But these problems did develop and worsen gradually (we figured we were just getting 'older,') and the topper was yellowing, crumbling and looking increasingly decrepit these days. So my husband figured it was probably releasing more chemicals as it broke down - probably adding to the worsening of symptoms. I'm not a chemist, but *something* was definitely wrong since everything cleared up when took the thing off! Anyway, while my congestion & joint pain has been drastically reduced, I'm no longer comfortable on the bed without a topper. My shoulder does not sink in enough. As a make-shift solution I've folded up an older polyfill comforter and I'm limping along with that... But I need a longer term "patch" till we can go all out and replace the bed (probably with latex - after learning so much here). I was thinking of getting the 2" latex topper from Overstock.com, but while searching tonight, I ran across these "Oodles" products. (Actually they appear to use the infinity symbol ( I've tried and LOVED shredded latex pillows for the loft and conforming nature. Apparently Oodles makes pillows AND toppers using latex pellets they call 'springs,' and some kind of natural corn fiber. I was curious if anyone had tried them. I hadn't seen any mention of them, and in fact when I searched - nothing came up. I wonder if they might be more resilient than other fiber-filled toppers/pillows since it contains latex? Anyway - Costco has the pillows for around $30.00. And I found a 2" topper online (Sportsmanguide.com ?!?) for around $107 for a King size. It's obviously more expensive than a Cuddlebed, but about $75 less than, say, an ECO topper at Overstock. If anyone has experience with this, I'd love to hear. SK |
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SKeeter wrote: .....I recently realized that a number of my health problems could be traced back to my older, yellowing memory foam topper......... And just when I'd almost decided to go ahead and try the Sensus topper.... Hrmph. (But maybe the Sensus is better made and will last longer than your memory foam topper?) My reasoning was that if I want to try another layer of Talatech in a few months, SleepLikeaBear will mostly likely still be around. But if I want to try the 1" Sensus topper from Overstock in a few months, it might be gone. And I woke up this morning with both hands asleep, so that makes me more inclined to try an additional layer of topper now. Not sure how much any topper is going to help with the hands, though -- I've been up for a couple hours, and they're still falling asleep. Happens intermittently, but fairly often -- while typing, holding the phone, holding a book, etc. -- I don't have great circulation in my hands or feet (they're typically cold from about October to June), and the problem gets exacerbated by overuse (periods of working a lot on the computer, and/or gripping heavy tools or rocks/bricks/lumber). I'm very interested in that Oodles topper you mentioned, SKeeter. I'd prefer one inch to two inches, but I'm wondering if that topper manages to combine the springiness and support of latex and the conforming-to-your-shape nature of memory foam. That'd be neat. -Catherine This message was modified Sep 22, 2009 by Catherine
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Catherine - I have the same problem with my hands tingling thru the day since I removed my topper. It is really annoying! I have broad shoulders and wide hips (hourglass). So finding bed configurations that are supportive enough, yet allow my shoulders and hips to sink in enough is a challenge. I started an Oodles thread and saw you answered that one too. I'll report back - after trying both the pillow and topper. Crossing fingers. :) Re the Sensus topper... My old memory foam was Novaform from Costco. Several folks have commented since they learned that that it was a nasty version of memory foam. I assume that means some may not be nasty like that but I'm not willing to try it again. If you aren't sensitive to the chemicals or outgassing (most folks don't seem to be), it might be great for you. I know the memory foam worked for me as a cushion. I was fairly comfortable. But I just had all those other health issue crop up from the allergy. It might work - but you definitely would want a good, long return policy since the kinds of symptoms you can get from a chemical reaction might not at first be obviously connected to the mattress. I know it took me YEARS to connect the dots... Ugh. But my hands didn't tingle... heh heh! So it worked as a cushion. I just hope that I won't have to trade comfort or health on my next topper. I'm optomistic. :) SK This message was modified Sep 23, 2009 by SKeeter
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SKeeter wrote: My old memory foam was Novaform from Costco. Several folks have commented since they learned that that it was a nasty version of memory foam. I assume that means some may not be nasty like that but I'm not willing to try it again. If you aren't sensitive to the chemicals or outgassing (most folks don't seem to be), it [the Sensus] might be great for you. Thanks for the info, SKeeter. I don't think I'm especially sensitive to the off-gassing, but I'd like to avoid it if I can get comfy with toppers made of something other than memory foam. I won't rule it out entirely yet, but I'll hold off until I see what the OOdles topper is like. If that one doesn't work for me, then I'll be back to dithering & choosing between adding a layer of memory foam or adding another layer of solid latex. We'll see. I think I'm glad I went with the 24 ILD from SleepLikeaBear instead of the 19 ILD that Evelyn initially recommended (we talked for quite a while, and she changed her recommendation to the 24). I think 28 ILD might have been even better -- 'cause if I fold the 24 ILD topper over and lie on that, on my side, my shoulders still come close to bottoming out -- but these numbers can get a little abstract. It all gets kinda abstract, really, if you don't have good-size samples of all the different foams and ILDs to try out. And most of us don't. From everything I'd read on this forum, I was sure I'd prefer Dunlop to Talalay. And maybe it would be fine -- it's probably not fair to judge based on the small samples I received from SleepWarehouse.com (one was 6"x6"; the other was 7"x8"). But from what little I could tell by tucking those samples under my shoulder -- while lying on the floor and then on my mattress, on my side -- they didn't feel good. I could understand why one person here described the Dunlop as feeling "like a bag of wet cement." And then I tucked my Talalay pillow under my shoulders, and that felt good. (No idea what the ILD of that is.) The solid Talalay pillow is too squishy to sleep on -- comes up around my head too much -- but the nights I tried it, I seemed to breathe better (even though I have good anti-allergen covers from National Allergy on the regular pillows), so I might try a different latex pillow at some point. Either firmer latex or shredded latex. But that squishy pillow sure felt nice under my shoulder. So that sent me to Sleep Like a Bear, for the Talatech topper. I'm rambling now; sorry. Guess I'll get more coffee and get myself to work. -Catherine |
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Catherine - I hear ya! It's like a maze in a jungle trying to navigate all the options - especially when you need to make choices without actually laying on (or better yet SLEEPING ON) the finished product. I think the good news is that there are SO many more choices today than there were (or than I was aware of) 10 years ago. I think we'll figure it out. :) Have a lovely day. |