Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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I thought I FINALLY had my mattress problems solved. My mattress was PERFECT for the first 2 weeks... Then, about 3 nights ago it started to hurt a little. I figured it was just ME... (though I had not done a lot of work - I did a lot of back work the previous days and slept great through those days... But now for the past 3 nights I have had substantial back pain when sleeping. Not as much as before the new latex layer, but enough to make the last few hours of sleep a bit painful. So did the latex "break in" in 2 weeks and is now too soft for me? Or what? Or did the back work I did the previous week take a week to catch up to me? I think I might have to change my configuration after thinking I had it perfect... Ideas? I am very discouraged by this. I REALLY thought I had it right, finally; I had great comfort for 2 weeks! |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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Dear Jim: I know I have been an advocate of getting to 85% comfort level and forgetting about it. But I was doing a little math after making this rather offhanded observation. There are 365 days in a year as everyone should know. If my little calculator is correct 15% of 365 is 54.75 nights. That's a lot of nights to be uncomfortable. That works out to 4.56 nights per month. Now a person might put up with a little over one night per week of bad sleep due to their mattress, but if you were unfortunate enough to get all of that months bad bed nights in a row, it would make a lousy week! So I think I'm going to revise that figure upward to 90 or 95%. That means a lot of us probably need to do a little bit of adjusting. I hope you can get your comfort level into the 90 percentile bracket! |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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jimsocal wrote: First of all, someone was asking about the spring count in my mattress. One place told me 390/Queen and someone else told me 420/Queen. I was told my Twin has 216 coils, that they are 12.5 gauge and double-tempered. Who knows? It is obvious that a lot of mattress salesmen just make stuff up half the time. But I am almost positive they are 12.5 gauge Bonnells because everyone said that, there was no disagreement on that point. So I slept for the 2nd night (this time around) with the Dunlop latex included in the configuration, on the bottom next to the springs. But this time I put the wool on top to try to soften it a bit. It was a little softer but still I did not sleep well. I tossed and turned all night, for the 2nd night. Way worse than the original configuration that was, say, "70%" good. This was like 40% good, or rather, 60% bad. It didn't feel "too hard" per se, it just felt as if the latex was pushing back too hard against me if that makes any sense to you. I have issues with my arms falling asleep and this was causing that as well (unless it was just coincidence). So tonight I took off the Dunlop. I'm going to try to sell it. (PM me!) I'm sure it's great for someone, but not for me! Maybe if it had been 1.5" like it was advertised as being, instead of 1.75", I might like it better or be able to use it, but at 1.75" it's just too firm. Not sure that even is the reason. For that matter, it may be mis-labeled and is really a Firm. I don't know, I just know it feels really firm to me and I can't tolerate it as part of my mattress. Okay. So I took everything off since I had to remove that bottom layer, and put everything back the same but without the bottom layer. So now I have only the 2 Talalay layers (1.75" total) on top of the springs, plus the wool cover. I have a feeling this isn't going to work, either, but I figured I may as well try it. By the way, part of the theory I have as to why last night's configuration didn't work is because it was just plain too much foam. It felt like when I was sleeping on pure foam with no springs; almost that bad. Before when my mattress was working I had around 2.25" of foam on top of the springs. So I will see if 1.75" is too little. Certainly 2.75 is too much, at least when part of it is this Dunlop piece. Maybe if I had an inch of soft latex on top, then it might not be too much. (?) If this configuration does not work I'm going back to the original configuration that was at "70% comfortable". I can't take another night at less than 70% comfort level!
When I look at US-mattress the cheapest Sealy firm twin has 216 13 gauge coils, and the most expensive has 448 14 gauge. The expensive has foam around the edges as well (with no coils), so the effective coil count in the sleeping area is even higher (possibly 10-20% higher than 476). This is perhaps a question for Budgy. What would you recommend in terms of coils for someone like Jim looking for back support? Would 500 14 gauge coils provide more support than 216 12.5 gauge coils (in a twin)? I know the type of coils will matter as well, but assuming the same type of coil would there be much difference in terms of support? Or is the difference mainly comfort? This message was modified Feb 26, 2010 by sandman
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Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
| the higher priced Sealy coils are also an Offset spring which hinge far more accurately than a bonnell coil. I don't see any reason why they also wouldn't hold up, but they probably are a more comfortable/conforming spring to use. Kind of an intermittent coil in terms of benefits between heavy bonnell springs and most pocket coils. More durable than a cheap pocket coil, not quite as conforming, but more so than a bonnell spring. |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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budgy wrote: the higher priced Sealy coils are also an Offset spring which hinge far more accurately than a bonnell coil. I don't see any reason why they also wouldn't hold up, but they probably are a more comfortable/conforming spring to use. Kind of an intermittent coil in terms of benefits between heavy bonnell springs and most pocket coils. More durable than a cheap pocket coil, not quite as conforming, but more so than a bonnell spring. Thanks Budgy. You didn't address part of my question, would say 448 14 guage coils provide more support than 216 12.5 gauge (in a twin)? What is the downside of having a lot less but thicker coils? Mainly comfort? This message was modified Feb 26, 2010 by sandman
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Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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its really difficult to try and 'quantify' support when it's usually a 'qualitive' type of description (yes I just made up that word lol). If support is simply the mattresses ability to push up than there is not going to be much of a difference, after all for every action there is an opposite and opposing reaction. The strength of the coil actually does not determine how much support it gives your total body, it really just determines the durability of the coils themselves. Proper support is taking that same amount of body weight and distributing it as evenly as possible over the largest surface area possible while still maintaining good posture. In terms of overall strength each individual coil will of course be weaker in the higher coil count model, however you have more springs sharing that load, I am willing to say because it is a well made spring it is probably more than strong enough. In terms of comfort and overall quality of support it would in theory be better, the coils hinge better along the lacing wire due to being straightened at the top of the coil (offset) versus being a completely rounded spring at the top like a bonnell. If it conforms better to body shape than it is distributing body weight over a larger area of your body and the mattress, which usually does also make it feel a little more comfortable. Now all this being said the difference might be marginal, its hard for me to guess how much difference he would be able to tell because he is of course using denser and much better quality upholstery than either one of these mattresses come with 'stock'. |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
Budgy, I am sorry to say I have no idea what you are saying. Please don't be mad at me but you sound like my husband, or Charlie Brown's teacher. LOL,  As long as Sandman and Jim get it I guess that is all that matters. I don't think I am ever going back to springs anyway. I find them all painful. |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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More later... Don't have time to reply to previous posts right now... I slept better last night with less foam (that is, no Dunlop layer). Only 1.75" of latex on top of springs (+ wool topper) and I slept way better than with the Dunlop 1.75 added. I am going to try it again tonight. But unless it's better tonight (I'd say I was at around 70% last night), I will go back to the original configuration I had or closer to it (add back a 1/2" layer of firm HR on the bottom perhaps). Wish I had money to buy new springs. But I'm really not convinced that would help, either. It might, though... I think I'll buy a new CHAIR, first! ;-D |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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Yes, a new chair!!! I know you are in a hurry Jim, but why did you not like the Flobed? What ILD did you try and was it blended talalay? Was it the 12" or the 9". Just wondered so I could learn something.  When you get a chance tell me why you think it didn't work out, too soft, too firm, too springy? Springs are just as confusing and you can't tell good ones from bad ones. Hope you are getting your bed to 80% soon. We won't discuss my mattress situation, lost cause. |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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Leo3 wrote: Yes, a new chair!!! I know you are in a hurry Jim, but why did you not like the Flobed? What ILD did you try and was it blended talalay? Was it the 12" or the 9". Just wondered so I could learn something. When you get a chance tell me why you think it didn't work out, too soft, too firm, too springy? Springs are just as confusing and you can't tell good ones from bad ones. Hope you are getting your bed to 80% soon. We won't discuss my mattress situation, lost cause. Long time ago, Leo3. I don't even remember! Basically I think it boils down to this: my body (and my wife's) prefers springs underneath it! I'm guessing ours was the 9" one based on the fact we didn't want to spend a lot of money and we bought a King size. Felt too springy, too much like it was "pushing back" against my back, wouldn't let my back relax (much like I recently experienced with the Dunlop layer, curiously enough). We exchanged several layers and kept it for around 90 days. Finally we gave up and got a refund. Flobeds was very nice about it. I put the 1" layer of HR foam back underneath my 2 layers of Talalay (but no 1/2" layer of super firm HR foam underneath that). Will see how that feels tonight. It wasn't TOO bad with only the 1.75" of Talalay on top of the springs, but I liked it better with a bit more. |
Re: Discouraged... Does latex break in a lot after a week or two?
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jimsocal wrote: Long time ago, Leo3. I don't even remember! Basically I think it boils down to this: my body (and my wife's) prefers springs underneath it! I'm guessing ours was the 9" one based on the fact we didn't want to spend a lot of money and we bought a King size. Felt too springy, too much like it was "pushing back" against my back, wouldn't let my back relax (much like I recently experienced with the Dunlop layer, curiously enough). We exchanged several layers and kept it for around 90 days. Finally we gave up and got a refund. Flobeds was very nice about it. I put the 1" layer of HR foam back underneath my 2 layers of Talalay (but no 1/2" layer of super firm HR foam underneath that). Will see how that feels tonight. It wasn't TOO bad with only the 1.75" of Talalay on top of the springs, but I liked it better with a bit more. Thanks Jim, was it blended talalay or natural? Dunlop should be firm, can't understand why it would hurt so much, it doesn't bounce. Maybe you need to just keep replacing the firm HR foam when it wears out in 6 months? I removed my 24ILD 1 1/2" and my 20ILD 1" last night, so I just have 3" of ???ILD that I believe is 32ILD. My back was started to spasm by 5 am, and I laid there and slept for a hour each time, woke up, repeat until 8am a Javalina woke me he was playing with a watering plastic can on the patio! I couldn't believe it, until I saw he came back later to play some more. I can't make this stuff up. What a treat, I enjoyed watching him. Back to my mattress... Within a month or so I am going to have to ditch this bed and start over. I just can't make it work. I think I may add my 1" brylane topper back in tonight, I can't take another night of back spasms. |