Mattress Forum

Now that we have a "more suitable base" I want to just review some of your options and also confirm what you have to "play" with.

My understanding is that you have a 1" piece of latex of unknown ILD bought from foambymail (unknown because you never know exactly what you get from them and it feels firmer than the 20 you had ordered), 3/4' of soft eggcrate, and you were mentioning earlier that you also had a 2.5" piece of quality foam as well. Would you say this piece is softer or firmer than the doubled or tripled latex? ... and how big is it (does it cover the whole mattress?)

It would also help to know what kind of pillow you are usually using.

Phoenix

If you have a thin firm blanket (say wool but any thin firm piece of material that is big enough... even a thick flat sheet, carpet underlay etc) ... fold it in 3 ... and then lay it sideways over the middle third of your bed and tuck it under. It should be under your hip/lumbar area but not under your ribcage. If the material is thicker (carpet underlay etc) then just double it but make sure it is laying up to but not under your ribcage.

Double up your latex and put it on your side of the bed over the material. Double up your eggcrate and put it on top of the latex. You should now have 1.5" of eggcrate over 2" of latex over the middle third support material over your mattress.

Take a look at the drawing here http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/my-design-custom-sleep-design/16344-0-1.html and you will see what I've been trying to "simulate" before you buy anything.

Lets see what happens.

And the pillow?

Phoenix

If I understand well, you want me to slightly thicken the bottom part of the bed, under the toppers, starting from my lumbar area? I see what you have in mind, that would help my shoulders sink in a bit more while providing some relief on my rib cage. You'd like me to test it for a short while or spend a whole night that way?

Phoenix

 At this point, I'm considering 3 scenarios:

1. Purchase the 3' latex topper from Costco to replace everything I have on the bed and give that a try. If I like it and decide to keep it, it will prove to be an expensive solution but I'd probably be so happy that I wouldn't care as much. If it doesn't work, I can always return it.

2. Do nothing as of yet and wait another week or two to see how things evolve and if things keep improving. I have a feeling it might to a certain degree but I highly doubt the bed would ever be comfy enough that we could enjoy sleeping late or let me read in bed for hours, like I used to do on my old bed. I know some people say the bed only needs to be comfortable enough to fall asleep in it but I’m looking for a little more softness, enough to be able to fall asleep even when you’re not completely exhausted!

3. Order another inch of soft latex from FBM and the terry cloth bag to have a full 2 inches of latex as a base. If the bed ever gets too soft, I could simply remove the egg crate, which won't last very long and will eventually have to be replaced anyway. If this is still not good enough, I could resort to add an inch of good quality memory foam. People here mentioned Sensus and Aerus I believe. Is using a single inch of memory foam a good idea to add just a little softness without make you sink too much?

I know the memory foam is probably tempting but I would tend to stay away from it in your case simply because it has little resilience and will not help in any way with support even though it may with pressure. You are one of those "difficult" cases that has issues with both pressure and support and this is compounded with the weight. The memory foam would add softness but I I really think it's risky in your case because you have both pressure and alignment issues and the only materials that have qualities that can help with both are latex or HR poly.

The costco topper is the same ILD throughout and I believe that in your case your upper body needs something softer than your hips. The only reason I would consider the latex from Costco at this point is because you can return it ... and because you never know whether your actual experience would be different from what you might otherwise expect.

I called Costco to find out the ILD for my own information as well and they didn't know so are checking with the manufacturer and will call me back in a day or two. They did tell me that the "manufacturer" was Literielaurier (they thought they actually made the latex which of course they don't) so I called them to find out if they sell toppers to the general public and they do! The person who would know more about prices and options was busy with a customer so I left a message on his voicemail and he'll call me back. I'll post here when I get more information.

Phoenix

I'll wait to hear the details you'll get from the latex from Costco before going there. Too bad the 2' model is only available in twin and double.

In any case he told me that the Costco topper was 40 ILD which would probably be too firm for you. It comes from LI.

He also told me that the Quebecois also like their latex either really soft or really firm so the toppers they sell from stock are 19, 40, and 44. When I told him that the people here would likely want a greater range as there are many who build their own mattresses, he said he could get it in other ILD's as well. They do a lot of latex volume and have a good relationship with LI. He will email me tomorrow with the prices for queen in 2" and 3" so we can get an idea of how they do price wise. They will also cover it for an extra cost.

It wouldn't surprise me if your quilt was giving you as much or more "support" than memory foam just from surface tension (depending on what it is and how it lays) but every inch of "lost support" would add up in your case. An inch of memory foam and an inch of soft poly could cause too much sinking in for your back to like it even if the rest was latex. Latex in the softer ILD's will usually relieve pressure (almost) as well as memory foam. I would also really make sure that you know the ILD of what you are buying as there is such a range that the wrong ILD, especially in a thicker layer, could really aggravate the problem.

Phoenix

That old quilt is really worn out, a bit uneven and not tight at all. I only use it because it softens up the surface a little. I tried it without and the bed is a little harder. I put it over top of the mattress pad, which is holding the egg crate and the latex together, so it doesn't move. The pad does however tightens things up and the surface is not cushy at all, just a tightly stiched cotton. I know I need support but I'm certain that some of the pain I have (lower back and hips) comes from pressure, hence my hurry to find a fix. Even ordering today would give at least a full two weeks before delivery. Today, I had to hold myself not to rush to Walmart and get the cheap 1.5 inches Simmons (*LOL*) memory foam pad...