Almost there... firm mattress a tiny bit too firm... topper advice?
Jul 24, 2010 9:27 AM
Joined: Jul 24, 2010
Points: 12
Hi Everyone,

First of all, I appreciate this forum! Glad it's here. Been lurking a while.

Over a year ago we got a 100% lemon mattress from Sleepy's (OMG awful! sales manipulation! hypnotism! it was bad). A S&F Garden Grove. It was like a mushball--no support. I have SI joint/low back problems and they were made worse by sinking into the mattress. 

After a year of suffering, we ended up getting a queen 100% talalay latex mattress. The OMI Organicpedic Lago. Support at last! Low back comfort has been restored. The first week was totally comfy, but now we are starting to find that we want just a little bit more cushion on our shoulder and hip points (we are side/back sleepers). Like, the support is a great level, but those points need just a little bit more softness. We are both tall (5'8" and 6'2") and and slender/average weight, with bony shoulders and hips that jut out. 

So we're thinking about a latex topper to add that bit of cushion that we need. I feel confused about the density and height of the topper we should get, since we really don't need much adjustment. Anyone been in this boat?

Also, stupid newbie question: do you get an extra deep mattress pad to accommodate a topper, or does a standard one work okay? Or do you not put a mattress pad over your topper at all?

Thanks!

JB

Re: Almost there... firm mattress a tiny bit too firm... topper advice?
Reply #13 Jul 25, 2010 1:51 AM
Ouch
Location: San Jose, CA
Joined: Apr 4, 2010
Points: 143
topperquest wrote:

 

And I have a buying question...

 

Huge price difference between 1" toppers: 

http://www.sleeplikeabear.com/natural_latex_international_latex-mattress_toppers

http://www.foambymail.com/LatexTQueen.html

Is FoambyMail evil? I have seen them mentioned a lot on this forum. I will do a better search.

I have a 1" soft latex topper from FBM, and it's great. The quality is first-rate. No imperfections at all. And, very reasonably priced.

It gives the cushy feeling I wanted on top of a very firm TP mattress. It also allows my shoulder to sink in more, which not only eliminates shoulder pain and/or arm numbness, but also allows my pillow to better support my head and neck.

It actually may be too soft for you. You may want to opt for their medium, if you still want support, but a little bit of softness. I wanted a lot of cushy softness on top of the firm mattress, to simulate the feeling of sleeping on the floor in Japan, with a soft down "futon" on top of the Tatami mat floor.

This message was modified Jul 25, 2010 by garypen
Re: Almost there... firm mattress a tiny bit too firm... topper advice?
Reply #14 Jul 25, 2010 10:39 AM
Joined: Jul 24, 2010
Points: 12
I have to say... I read on this forum somewhere that when you get a firmer mattress, you need a firmer pillow. Last night I slept so much better b/c I swapped my mush pillow (which lined up well with my body on a mush mattress) with a cheap fluff firmer pillow from Target. So much better! My neck/head are so much higher b/c the mattress is firm.

Because the mattress is pretty firm, I wonder if 20 ILD would just let me sink a little to the firmer layer. But now I'll mull over your advice, garypen, as we still haven't ordered. Thanks! 

Re: Almost there... firm mattress a tiny bit too firm... topper advice?
Reply #15 Jul 25, 2010 12:26 PM
Joined: Oct 15, 2009
Points: 966
topperquest wrote:

I have to say... I read on this forum somewhere that when you get a firmer mattress, you need a firmer pillow. Last night I slept so much better b/c I swapped my mush pillow (which lined up well with my body on a mush mattress) with a cheap fluff firmer pillow from Target. So much better! My neck/head are so much higher b/c the mattress is firm.

 

Because the mattress is pretty firm, I wonder if 20 ILD would just let me sink a little to the firmer layer. But now I'll mull over your advice, garypen, as we still haven't ordered. Thanks! 


Yes, you do need a firmer (thicker really) pillow because you don't sink in as far into the mattress.  So, your head is higher above a firmer mattress.  Most neck issues are caused by not having the right pillow.

Remember that 1" in not a whole lot, so the impact of different ILDs is not as great.  If you want something in between, you  might want to consider the 24ILD from rockymountainmattress.  If you just want to add some softness, I think the 20 is okay. 

Everyone is different so it is hard to say.  I like it soft enough to avoid pressure points in side sleeping.  So, I actually have 2" of softer layers (1" memory foam, 1" 19ILD).
 

Re: Almost there... firm mattress a tiny bit too firm... topper advice?
Reply #16 Aug 14, 2010 8:07 AM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
I am one who has bought.. currently using Foam by mail 1" latex 20 ILD.  The topper did come with a couple of patch repairs from the factory, which does not affect your sleep.  They were approx 2 inch by 2 inch spots where they apparently cut out tears and glued in.  I didn't even notice them until many months later of "customizing layers" as sandman suggests.  Latex is very tear sensitive in the soft 20 ILD range so handle carefully. 

Also, if you buy a queen 1 inch with which to experiment, you can fold it to feel what 2 inches of same material felt like.

I have also tried the 14 ILD from sleeplikeabear.com.  It is softer.. and nearly twice as expensive.  I decided that it wasn't softer enough to merit the $172 over the $90 I already had and couldn't return... and sent it back.  They will charge you (me in Atlanta at least)  $32 restocking and shipping fee.  Return shipping was actually only $9.

I have lower back pain and flip flop from back to side, so I need what I find to be a nearly impossible combination of firm and soft and haven't quite gotten there yet.

Good luck!

shovel99