latex topper advice please
Jul 15, 2010 8:32 AM
Joined: Jul 15, 2010
Points: 3
We bought a firm Stearns & Foster and my husband LOVES it -- he no longer wakes with back pain.  I, on the other hand, toss and turn all night becuase the bed is just too hard for me.  We recently slept at a hotel with a deep feather-bed on it -- I slept like a baby whereas my hubby moved to the floor during the night becuase his back was so unhappy!   I purchased a one of those poly-foam mattress covers which does help a little but I think I need more.  I'm thinking of purchasing a twin-sized latex topper for my half of our king-sized bed. (I don't want a feather-bed because one of my young kids is allergic).   So here are my questions:

Is this is a workable solution (a twin topper on my half of a king bed)?

What IDL should I get (I'm thinking 2" of 14-16)?  I weigh between 115 and 120 lbs (varies by season!).

Dunlop, Talay, 100% natural latext -- I'm confused, which is best (I hate anything that smells -- gives me headaches!).

Any particular brand recommendations?

Thanks so much!!

Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #6 Jul 19, 2010 2:17 PM
Joined: Mar 11, 2010
Points: 56
hellbed wrote:

Oh Talalay is supposedly made in only 40" wide so if you get a queen or king which is supposed to be talalay and it doesn't have a seam up the middle is probably isn't.



Yes, the blended talalay topper I received from Flobeds does indeed have a seam down the middle, which is undetectable when you are laying on it.

Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #7 Jul 19, 2010 4:50 PM
Joined: Jul 15, 2010
Points: 3
I just spoke to someone at Flobeds -- he said that an uncovered twin-sized 2" talalay latex topper would cost $250 BUT the cover would cost twice as much as the topper since it was wool (and with it cover it became a "mattress" that would have to pass some fire-resistance test).  He said that I could get the same topper elsewhere cheaper.  He gave the distinct impression that he didn't want to sell me the topper without the cover, but that he didn't want to sell it to me with the cover because it would be too expensive (not that I mentioned anything about cost to him).   How's that for customer service?!

SleepEZ only sells a 3" toppers, which is too thick, IMO, for using on just half a King-sized bed.

FoambyMail has a 2" Talalay latex topper 39"x75"  (20 IDL)  for $110.99.  1" for $58.99. 

SleepLikeABear has 100% natural 2" Talalay latex topper 38"x75" (20 IDL) for $252.  1" for $146.

Is the FoamByMail price too good to be true (ie is it really Talalay)?  Is there a difference between 100% natural Talalay and just plain old Talalay?

Also, SleepLIkeABear has Talatech toppers too.  I know these are partially synthetic and apparently wear better than 100% natural.  Which is better?  Does one smell less than the other?

Opinions please!

This message was modified Jul 19, 2010 by kavikat
Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #8 Jul 19, 2010 6:48 PM
Joined: Jul 2, 2010
Points: 3
kavikat wrote:


SleepEZ only sells a 3" toppers, which is too thick, IMO, for using on just half a King-sized bed.


Opinions please!


Sleepez sells 1, 1.5, 2 inch toppers as well as 3 and 6 inches. 

http://www.sleepez.com/mattresscomponents.htm

Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #9 Jul 19, 2010 10:52 PM
Joined: Aug 31, 2007
Points: 404
The Talatech toppers I got from sleeplikeabear were very smelly and still are (although less so) a month later.
Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #10 Aug 3, 2010 4:00 PM
Joined: Mar 11, 2010
Points: 56
Interesting that he didn't want to sell the topper without a cover, and that you could get the same topper elsewhere for cheaper. I exchanged several emails with Dave/Dewey trying to determine if I wanted the latex topper and they never told me that. Wonder why you got a different response. Possibly because I told them that if I still wasn't happy, I was going to send my costco latex back and get the flobed like I originally wanted. However, it's been working out great, so no returns yet. My topper did not come with a cover.
Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #11 Aug 3, 2010 4:13 PM
Joined: Nov 17, 2009
Points: 81
how about this place in north carolina,  www.absolutecomfortonsale.com   looks like they have better price then   www.sleepez.com
This message was modified Aug 3, 2010 by tony
Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #12 Aug 3, 2010 8:39 PM
Ouch
Location: San Jose, CA
Joined: Apr 4, 2010
Points: 143
kavikat wrote:

FoambyMail has a 2" Talalay latex topper 39"x75"  (20 IDL)  for $110.99.  1" for $58.99. 

Opinions please!


I purchased a 1" soft Latex (20ILD) topper from FBM for my half of a King (39" x 80"), and it's quite soft and cushy. For me, 2" of it would be too much cush. Plus, a 2" topper would create a huge difference in height between the two halves. 1" isn't that bad.

It doesn't come with a cover. But, you can just let it lay on your mattress, under your sheets (and mattress protector, if you use one.)

BTW, if you have a King, you don't want a 39x75 for your half. That's only twin-size. You want 39x80, which is Twin XL. A King is the same as two Twin XL's.

Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #13 Aug 3, 2010 8:48 PM
Joined: Aug 3, 2010
Points: 1
hellbed wrote:

Your best bet is to contact some of the latex vendors that offer samples. Several of them will send you a block or both soft talalay and medium dunlop. With these in hand you will be able to identify what you get much more easily by comparing with the samples.

 

Rule of thumb talalay seems more resilient and springy and has more consistantly sized bubbles when you are looking at a cut surface. Dunlop will have more irregular bubbles, with more big ones and a greater variety of sizes.

Identification should only a be a problem with the bargain suppliers like Overstock and maybe all the Foambymail aliases. I haven't heard any reports of the boutique operations like flobeds or rockymountain sending the wrong stuff.

A couple of other points worth mentioning. If the listing says its from Shri Lanka, its almost certainly going to be dunlop NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY. Almost all Shri Lanka latex comes from Latex Green which makes only dunlop according to their website. If the listing says 100% natural, it is most likely dunlop or they are lying and it is not really 100% natural - a  number of sources say that hardly any talalay is really 100% since there are only two factories in the world which make it.  Which is not necessarily a bad thing; according to Latex International blended talalay performs identically, and is more durable than 100%.

Oh Talalay is supposedly made in only 40" wide so if you get a queen or king which is supposed to be talalay and it doesn't have a seam up the middle is probably isn't. 

 

 


 


I'm confused...Rocky Mountain Mattresses, which appear to have a good reputation based on a numuber of sites I've visited, offers a "100% natural talalay matteress topper" AND they say that their "toppers are cut full to the edge".  So....their Talalay isn't natural?  Isn't authentic?  Help...I need to pull the trigger on this decision and thought I'd found the place, until I came across this post.  The topper in question:

http://www.rockymountainmattress.com/product_info.php?products_id=86{15}86{12}160

Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #14 Aug 4, 2010 12:37 AM
Joined: May 3, 2008
Points: 827
maddie wrote:


I'm confused...Rocky Mountain Mattresses, which appear to have a good reputation based on a numuber of sites I've visited, offers a "100% natural talalay matteress topper" AND they say that their "toppers are cut full to the edge".  So....their Talalay isn't natural?  Isn't authentic?  Help...I need to pull the trigger on this decision and thought I'd found the place, until I came across this post.  The topper in question:

http://www.rockymountainmattress.com/product_info.php?products_id=86{15}86{12}160

"The company added 6 Queen size latex presses and molds in its current Connecticut location to increase 2005 capacity by 28%."

Direct quote from http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=FTB&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=latex+international+queen+size+core&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
 

quote from a .pdf file from Latex International, click on the first google link.  Google is your friend, LOL.

RM has nice latex toppers, authentic natural LI.  Call them or email them they will tell you.  Good prices too.  I have the 24ILD.  So do many people here, search this forum.

This message was modified Aug 4, 2010 by Leo3
Re: latex topper advice please
Reply #15 Aug 4, 2010 8:18 AM
Joined: Nov 17, 2009
Points: 81
will a  firmer latex topper like 32 ild   still have  give to it to provide relief from pressure on the shoulders and hips