Too firm mattress & Latex topper?

[DoreenA]

I recently bought a bed. Didn't want pillow top after all the horror stories, so got a semi-firm set. Now I"m finding this bed too firm for me and wake up with sore shoulders and tingling limbs. Exchanging it doesn't seem to be an option since all the tight-tops are firm and pillow tops the only other choice.

I"m ready to order a 100% talalay 2" topper, 19ILD, at a good price. Would 3" be preferable?I need a softer bed since I sleep on my front. Would this thickness be adequate to soften the bed and remove pressure points?
I"m about 5'7" and 140lbs.

 

[Sall]

Yes, that is a good start to add 2 inches and then if it is not soft enough you could add another inch later. Don't buy 3 inches yet but keep in mind that you may need 3 or 4 inches but maybe not, so adding one inch at a time is a good way to go. 3 or 4 should be the maximum for comfort in my opinion. The next inch could be the same or softer or firmer depending on how it feels.

 

[DoreenA]

Thank you!
That does make sense! I never heard of latex toppers until a few days ago after reading around on this site, so I'm a bit at sea here. My bed is not rock hard, but just too firm for me. I almost feel the store sent the wrong one, but of course they deny it.

One more ? - this topper doesn't come with a cover. Is a cover necessary? Could I use just a sheet to wrap on it? It will going under a typical mattress cover.

 

[markbnh1]

No cover necessary. Just keep it out of direct sunlight which can break down the latex. I have just a mattress pad over my latex. You could add an old sheet also if it makes you feel better.

 

[Sall]

markbnh1 wrote:
No cover necessary. Just keep it out of direct sunlight which can break down the latex. I have just a mattress pad over my latex. You could add an old sheet also if it makes you feel better.

I agree. I just have a mattress cover over mine too. Some folks here use just a sheet so they can "feel" the latex better.

 

[DoreenA]

So, I ordered it. I'm very anxious to see what it does for me. I hope 2" is enough. I'll post results if anyone is curious.
I read on this site somewhere that it's best not to have too much between you and the latex...? Would laying it right on top of the bare mattress and putting the fitted bottom sheet and standard mattress pad over it be too much? Would I still "feel" it enough? Does having too on top of it affect how soft it feels?
Sorry if I sound clueless. Believe it or not, it's been nearly 20 years since I purchased a new bed (long before the advent of pillowtops and latex pads), so I AM clueless!
Great and detailed info on this site!

 

[sleepswithcats]

I think "sleeping next to the latex" means that you don't want a 1-2" pillow cushion on top of the matress. One of those inexpensive mattress pads that you can pick up cheak at your local department store should be fine. If you already have one, just put the latex under the mattress pad and you'll be all set. I would not recommend sleeping directly ON the latex. Body oils and salts from sweat will probably also destroy the mattress. I've seen what sweaty fingers do to latex gloves and would not want to sleep directly on a piece of latex. It would probably also be hot.

 

[DoreenA]

sleepswithcats wrote:
,,,just put the latex under the mattress pad and you'll be all set.

I do have one of those less expensive pads, and I like it because it's cool. I would also like to put a sheet over the pad. Just got new ones and love the feel of them. Is sheet + pad too many layers?

Tried a test last night. Took a comforter folded in half and put it under the sheet. Even that made the bed feel softer, although it has no support of course, so I can't wait to get my latex pad and try that!

 

[DoreenA]

Okay, so back to square one. Got my supposed 100% talalay 2" latex topper today from Overstock.com. Only problem is that they sent me a single-bed sized, polyurethane, 4" mattress instead (!!) which is completely unusable for me.
After a whole day of torturous phone calls, they agreed to refund my money as a one-time courtesy since they don't refund on bedding items, even though the mistake was theirs and the suffering was mine..
Does anyone know where I can get such a mattress topper in Canada, other than Costco which has only one at 3"?.

 

[slpngoc]

DoreenA wrote:

Okay, so back to square one. Got my supposed 100% talalay 2" latex topper today from Overstock.com. Only problem is that they sent me a single-bed sized, polyurethane, 4" mattress instead (!!) which is completely unusable for me.

After a whole day of torturous phone calls, they agreed to refund my money as a one-time courtesy since they don't refund on bedding items, even though the mistake was theirs and the suffering was mine..
Does anyone know where I can get such a mattress topper in Canada, other than Costco which has only one at 3"?.

Hi Doreen,
http://naturalmattressstore.com/
I visited this store in Palo Alto, CA this afternoon. This is no vapor website store, it's the real deal. They have 3 stores in the Bay Area and make high-quality organic mattresses, toppers and pillows. Palo Alto (Stanford U) and San Rafael are upscale cities.
They make latex toppers of 100% natural talalay latex, and their site says they ship. I laid on their Clarity bed which is individual coils and their 3" latex (in the bed, not a topper). The bed was Incredible (notice capital I) I don't work there, not am I plugging for a friend there. It was the most comfortable mattress I have ever laid on. The latex was Incredibly soft and responsive yet the bed was supportive. I was blown away after leaving the store. I have a Sears situation to work out, but I would buy from this store without hesitation.
Look at their reviews on Yelp. Search ' natural mattress store San Rafael ' . 39 reviews almost all 5 /5 stars.
I believe they would make a latex topper and ship to you. Cheap, no. Their twin Clarity mattress only was $1600, so I'll bet a 2" topper would easily run $300 or more for a queen.
btw, read their site under 'mattress comparisons'. Very informative. The owners worked in the mattress industry for 25 years prior to founding this company.
Hope that helps, good luck!

 

[DoreenA]

Thanks, slpngoc! I'll email them. I don't mind the price of the topper - it's the shipping cost to Canada that usually makes me reel (if they do ship to Canada!) They list a 2" Eco-Cloud Ultra topper that sounds lovely.
I wish we had stores like this around here. In the meantime I guess I'll have to keep sleeping on folded up comforters..like my dog! Oh, wait! I just got HER a memory foam mattress...haha!

 

[sleepswithcats]

Lots of people have ordered from foambymail.com for DIY mattress pieces and toppers. The recent reviews of the latex have all been positive. See the recent DIY mattress thread for pics. FBM ships via UPS, so if UPS ships to Canada, you may be in luck. People have also mentioned Sleep Like a Bear for toppers. You should contact these vendors and ask the specifics about shipping. Perhaps you could start a separate thread with an appropraite title like "buying latex topper in canada" which might get better response.

 

[slpngoc]

Doreen,
If you can find a local mattress maker close to you, that might be your best bet for getting a great latex topper for your bed.
In the massive SF Bay Area, there are some local mfrs. After all my looking around, turns out there is a local mattress mfr. about 2 miles from my house. It is one of the few places where you could have a open coil or individual coil mattess made with only 1" of poly foam. Then you can order up whatever depth 2", 3" , etc .. of latex or other foams they enclosed in fabric. Velcro the topper to the mattess and good to go.
I sampled www.selectsleepmattress.com/home.html 2" latex topper in the store and it was very soft and cushy.

 

[DoreenA]

I've emailed the places named, but no replies so far! We'll see what comes up. Thanks for the suggestions!

BTW, Overstock wrote back and offered me a $40 discount should I wish to re-order the topper. Nice offer, but I really don't want another fiasco.

 

[DoreenA]

So I had to compromise. Since I cannot test a latex topper before buying and have read here that some people just don't like the feel of it, I decided to wait until these toppers reach this part of the world. But I still desperately needed some softness for my firm bed. So I started looking into fiber toppers which I'm sure no one here would recommend. I'm avoiding memory foam since I've heard so many complaints about heat generation and I don't need that.
I finally ordered a 2", gusseted fiber bed from Sears (I have 90 days to test it and at least it's an easy return if I don't like it) and it arrived Sat. It was expensive, but the quality is beautiful and it's soft and comfortable. Since then I've been getting up without the stiffness and backache I've been experiencing since forever. I wanted it even cushier so yesterday I got a fairly cheap foam topper from Walmart. I put the foam on first, the mattress pad on top of that, the fiberbed on that, then a sheet.
Last night I felt I finally got my "pillowtop", but without the fear of the sagging. I don't know how long this arrangement will hold up or remain comfortable, but for now it's heavenly and even in this extreme heat it stays cool and airy feeling.
I still want a latex topper down the road, but only when I can see, touch and test it first.
I'm very appreciative of this forum and all I've learned here. It never would have occured to me to buy a firm bed and then layer it. Such a wonderful idea! Thanks bunches!!

 

[jimsocal]

Sall wrote:
Yes, that is a good start to add 2 inches and then if it is not soft enough you could add another inch later. Don't buy 3 inches yet but keep in mind that you may need 3 or 4 inches but maybe not, so adding one inch at a time is a good way to go. 3 or 4 should be the maximum for comfort in my opinion. The next inch could be the same or softer or firmer depending on how it feels.

I agree with this 100%. Always buy less softness or firmness than you think you need, then you can add more later by way of another softer or firmer layer.

 

[old_golfer]

DoreenA wrote:
So I had to compromise. Since I cannot test a latex topper before buying and have read here that some people just don't like the feel of it, I decided to wait until these toppers reach this part of the world. But I still desperately needed some softness for my firm bed. So I started looking into fiber toppers which I'm sure no one here would recommend. I'm avoiding memory foam since I've heard so many complaints about heat generation and I don't need that.

I finally ordered a 2", gusseted fiber bed from Sears (I have 90 days to test it and at least it's an easy return if I don't like it) and it arrived Sat. It was expensive, but the quality is beautiful and it's soft and comfortable. Since then I've been getting up without the stiffness and backache I've been experiencing since forever. I wanted it even cushier so yesterday I got a fairly cheap foam topper from Walmart. I put the foam on first, the mattress pad on top of that, the fiberbed on that, then a sheet.
Last night I felt I finally got my "pillowtop", but without the fear of the sagging. I don't know how long this arrangement will hold up or remain comfortable, but for now it's heavenly and even in this extreme heat it stays cool and airy feeling.
I still want a latex topper down the road, but only when I can see, touch and test it first.
I'm very appreciative of this forum and all I've learned here. It never would have occured to me to buy a firm bed and then layer it. Such a wonderful idea! Thanks bunches!!
Doreen, I have been going through the same problem with an extra firm mattress and have waisted money on a memory foam topper from Macys and now I just recieved a "Rejuvenite Latex Mattress Topper -28 ILD" from an on-line store. I would recommend "ChoiceRest" at http://shop.choicerest.com and look at the Rejuvenite Latex Mattress Topper - 19ILD which is their plush version. The Rejuvenite is made by Latex International and is a Talalay Latex product with a very nice cover. I recommend the plush 19 ILD over the 28 ILD firm since the latter seems too firm to me and i'm over 220's.