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Hi, I have a 4 inch memory foam that I got at overstock about 8 years ago, it has I believe, broken down. It rips easy now and there is a big depression in the center where I sleep that no longer will recover. My lower back is complaining again and I am no longer getting a good sleep. I also have a bad rotator cuff from a recent accident that hurts more if I sleep without the memory foam. I have a gold bond extra firm mattress as a base for the topper that is less than a year old. I have been looking at the following products: Aerus Natural 4.0 lb. Plush 2.5” Memory Foam 2.5 inch I saw at samscluba wool topper that has 8.33 lbs of wool from naturaworld also debating a latex topper.
I was looking at the wool topper as I perspire alot at night, maybe due to the heat of the memory foam or just the fact that I perspire more normally than normal. I hear the wool is very good at wicking and keeping heat at reasonable levels in both winter and summer. I was not sure if the wool topper alone would give me the needed pressure point relief that the memory foam does. I also think the foam I am currently using is not dense enough; I think it is 2 lb. Reading some of this forum the aerus sounds pretty good without too much off gassing... I am not sure if my allergies are affected by the current topper or not but they may be worse with it .. so I was thinking along the lines of a better setup with less fumes. I know samsclub has the aerus and if I went with that would I need to double it up for 4+ inches ( put two of the 2.5 together?) Would I be better off with something like a thinner wool pad and the foam? i know this is highly subjective but would the 4 pound aerus and a wool topper give me a fairly firm feel but soft enough to relieve pressure? I am a side and stomach sleeper so I can never get perfect, I just want some setup that is softer than the extra firm base and not as soft as the 2 lb foam with some breathability. I haven't looked into latex toppers yet, the aerus seems to be within my budget though and it claims to be free from off gassing? I have no clue here. Thank you, Bob This message was modified Dec 22, 2010 by BobKat
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To my knowledge, the latex bliss topper is 14 ILD. Sorry if I created any confusion in the last post which was referring to the Rejuvenite ILD's. Testing it on a very firm mattress would give you a much clearer idea of how it reacted to you. The more you can "isolate" a comfort layer (or topper) in your testing the more accurately you can get a sense of how it works for you. Sometimes even testing it on a hard surface like a floor can give you an accurate picture of "how much" it feels like you are going through it and tell you how much "give" you would need under it to make it work best. If it felt closer to laying on the floor itself (a "sharper feeling" of being too hard), then you would know you needed more softness immediately under it. If it felt just "a little too hard" ... a more "dull" hardness, on your "pointy parts" like your hips, then you would know that it would be good on a firm mattress (which is softer than a floor). Phoenix PS: you can see from the latex bliss constructions (softer over soft, thin firmer layers over soft, and different thicknesses of layers) how sophisticated their understanding of latex and layering is. This is not surprising since their "parent" company makes it. I believe it's an attempt to "show the industry" how to use latex "more correctly" and while they are more expensive than "doing it yourself" or other options (they don't want to "cut the throat" of smaller or even larger manufacturers who already understand what they do and buy their latex), it is why I believe they are "among the best" of the "national brands". With their different toppers and the different thicknesses and ILD's of their different models, they are much closer to a "make your own" approach than most (if you take only their 4 basic models and the 2 toppers, there are 12 different variations of construction). I also believe it is partly an effort to show the industry the value of using very soft latex instead of the cheap soft poly that most mattresses (including most extra firm ones) have in the very top of their construction. It's a very smart strategy IMO. They win if other major manufacturers don't copy them (they sell more Latex Bliss) and also if they do copy them (they sell more latex). This message was modified Dec 31, 2010 by Phoenix
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Phoenix The info on Latex Bliss mattresses is very interesting, so I went out to look at their site (unfortunately it doesn't look like they are for sale in Washington?). Anyway, the thing I wanted to ask about is their "stabilization" layer. Each of their beds seem to have 1" of poly foam at the bottom, for stabilization. Do you know why they do this and what it really does? Thanks... Steve |
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I have shoulder problems and recently bought a 2" latex topper (soft talalay). We have been a bit disappointed with it - it turns out latex has a quality called "pushback", which makes it feel much stiffer than the ILD would suggest - you just don't sink in the way you do with MF (or even cheap, soft convoluted poly foam). So if your old memory foam worked for you, but has just worn out (and after 8 years, it probably has), it would make sense to just buy the same thing, again. You can spend a lot of money very quickly once you get experimenting. BTW there were some great deals on MF over Xmas at stores like Kohls and Bon Ton, and I think Kohls still has one running through the new years weekend. We picked up a made-in-US 2" MF topper for $70 that normally sells for $220. |
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Steve, There is a lot of good information about the Pure Latex Bliss on youtube and at their blissipedia site ... but unfortunately it doesn't have any info about why they use the "stabilization layer". I believe it is to help counteract the "swaying" or "jiggly" feeling some people feel with thicker Talalay mattresses as it is less dense than Dunlop and can have more of a tendency to move a little more from "side to side" especially with a body laying on top of it. A very firm and stiff layer underneath the mattress could help counteract this and this would make sense to me. I would think it would have to be glued to the core to be most effective. A secondary benefit could be to protect the Talalay although I don't think this would have been as important in their thinking. The only place I know of that sells them in WA is http://www.higginsonsflooringandsleepshop.com/contactus.html which is quite a ways away.
Hellbed, Unfortunately, most of the soft latex being sold is around 20 ILD or more and this would feel much firmer than memory foam which is usually around 12-15. Of course memory foam also melts but it's usually the depth of cradling and pressure distribution that contributes to a "feeling of softness" rather than the pushback. I think a 14 ILD latex could feel similar in terms of softness except it wouldn't have the tendency of memory foam to allow certain parts to "sink too far". It will be interesting to see what happens as more 14 ILD toppers with stretchy covers "hit the market" to see how they compare with memory foam. Some of the testing that has been done in the "pressure relief" patents indicate it is slightly better even than memory foam in certain combinations (pressure relief inlays). Firmer memory foam also can feel quite hard, at least until it melts. Poly ... especially HR poly aslo has pushback (and in some cases even more than latex) and yet can feel very soft as well in the "super soft" ILD's (around 10 in some cases) or in the convoluted which "acts" softer than the ILD of the material that it was fabricated from. Phoenix This message was modified Jan 1, 2011 by Phoenix
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Looked out on the site you mentioned and found this explanation:
Why is there Foam on the Bottom of a Latex Bed?This is a great question. The answer is simple and it has to do with manufacturing the mattress. Imagine a 200-pound sneaker that was six feet wide and six feet long. Now imagine moving that around from left to right or forwards and backwards on your dining room table. That would seem difficult right? Why? Because rubber naturally has a gripping surface. That is why they use it to grip in many applications; Tires, Sneaker soles, crutch and cane tips. Rubber is an amazing high quality material that is not only heavy but also very difficult to move. When we build a bed, we have to move it a lot. To make it moveable, we added one inch of poly to the bottom of all of our constructions. Simply put, you can slide poly around with rubber on top of it, but you can’t move rubber by itself easily. There is one more reason, the fire retardant cover adheres better to the poly on the bottom of the bed than it would latex. ------- So no reason those of us building our own mattresses should do the same :-) |
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Thanks ... I hadn't gone back far enough in their posts to read that. It makes even more sense than my "possibility". Just to show you how "nuts" I can be sometimes, I lay down with my eyes closed and tried to figure out the effect of a stiff 1" layer underneath and my "guess" was all I could come up with :) I thought they might be on to something that we could copy but while it seemed it could go "in that general direction" it didn't seem like the effect would be all that great. Now it makes a lot more sense. Phoenix This message was modified Jan 1, 2011 by Phoenix
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I ended up ordering a 3" topper from www.customsleepdesign.com at the beginning of January. I ordered a 3 inch 19ild so we shall see. I do hope it comes before shoulder surgery in a couple of weeks. I had called International Latex and that place was referred to as a dealer of their toppers also, they seemed knowledgable on the phone and very helpful.
Update 2/10 .... It has been a while but it is finally shipping YAY This message was modified Feb 10, 2011 by BobKat
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A comment on the Pure Latex Bliss 2" 14ILD Topper:
I own one, and it is 1-5/8" Latex with a very nice feeling cover. I just wanted to point out that, evidently, the 2" is including the cover thickness. I didn't need the cover and was choosing between (both 14ILD) the PLB 2" Queen Topper at STLBeds for $299, and the 2" Queen from SLAB at $314. I figured I'll save $15 and get a "free" cover by going with the PLB Topper. But now I realize it wasn't as good of a deal as I thought due to the thickness difference (which can create some challenges when customizing). However, we do love the topper. I even doubled it over for my wife to sleep on 3-1/4" of 14ILD and she loved it (she is 5'6" and 110lbs). But, unfortunately for her, after two nights, I had to take my side back. Gary This message was modified Feb 9, 2011 by Conservative
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The topper came. I ordered a 3 inch but they shipped me 2 inch lol so now I have to wait another week. They shipped the wrong topper. They are sending a return label and the 3 inch on Monday. I was so excited to get it too but mistakes happen and as long as they are made right it's all good. This message was modified Feb 11, 2011 by BobKat
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