1" Dunlop Topper

I just bought a new Simmons firm Queen mattress, box spring and 7 leg frame. I am an 80 year old male,
6’', 215 lbs and a side sleeper. The mattress is too firm for me, so I am bought a 2" memory foam topper from Macy’s. After 3 weeks, the topper is way too hot for comfortable sleeping, and I awake each morning with lower back pain. I toss and turn almost every hour. It seems like the memory foam topper is sagging…after 3 weeks? This combination is not working for me.

I saw this recommendation on another site. “Speaking from experience with a bad back and combination side and back sleeper, you want as little soft layer as possible, so that your body almost “bottoms” out of the comfort layer, so there is resistance support, to be best for your back. https://www.foambymail.com/ has the cheapest Queen 20 ILD latex topper (their softest, start with that) which is $98 shipping included. No return. I recommend starting with one of those…you can see if 1 inch works”

I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but, is a 1" Dunlop latex topper thick enough to help me with my problem?

Hi jostarr,

The memory foam you purchased is probably very low quality/density and it could also be too soft for you which means that in combination with the softer upper layers of your mattress your pelvis/hips are sinking in too far which is the most common cause of lower back pain.

Unfortunately you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress/topper combination and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion about which topper would be the best “match” for both you and the mattress you are using it on (the specifics of the mattress under the topper can make a significant difference in which topper will work best for any specific person) in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own personal testing or sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

While it’s not possible to make specific suggestions because of all the many variables involved that are unique to each person and your own experience is the only way to know for certain whether any mattress/topper combination will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP … there is more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to that can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. It also includes a link to a list of some of the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of as well.

Adding an inch will certainly add “a touch to a little” additional softness and pressure relief but you are the only one that can decide whether it will be “enough”.

If you are planning to order from Foambymail (FBM) then I would read this post and this post and this topic (about their polyfoam and sources) and this post (presumably from a past employee) before buying anything or considering them as a reliable supplier. Buying from them is really a roll of the dice in terms of knowing what the firmness of a topper you purchase really is vs what they say it is and they also don’t sell Talalay latex … they only say they do.

Phoenix

Thanks for the suggestion. I can not afford to play the trial and error game. I could get a Mattress Pad like this: Extra Plush Bamboo Fitted Mattress Topper -Queen Pad found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Bamboo-Fitted-Mattress-Topper/dp/B008URGSWO/ref=sr_1_14?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1443527201&sr=1-14&keywords=mattress+pad

Or go to a 2" Dunlop Topper like this: Pure Green 100% Natural Latex Mattress Topper - Soft - 2" Queen Size:

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Natural-Latex-Mattress-Topper/dp/B00UYG8F7U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443526710&sr=8-2&keywords=2"+latex+topper

It seems to be a soft but also supportive topper (Firmness rating is 20 ILD) 4.0 lbs/cubic ft

Issues with ,my back are more important that with my shoulder. I can not sleep on my back, but just laying on my new bed and memory foam for 20 minutes or so hurts my back.

I think the link I have shown is a Dunlop Latex, correct? If so, maybe this will feel cooler and be a good
comfort layer for a side sleeper with back issues like me.

Hi jostarr,

The only way to know for certainly whether any mattress/topper combination will be a good match for you will be based on your own personal experience so to some degree any topper you purchase will have some uncertainty involved.

[quote]I could get a Mattress Pad like this: Extra Plush Bamboo Fitted Mattress Topper -Queen Pad found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Bamboo-Fitted-Mattress-Topper/dp/B008URGSWO/ref=sr_1_14?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1443527201&sr=1-14&keywords=mattress+pad[/quote]

You can read a little more about fiberbeds or down alternative mattress pads (which use polyester fibers) in post #2 here and post #10 here.

Yes … it’s 100% natural Dunlop.

Latex in general is the most breathable of all the foam materials and tends to sleep cooler than memory foam.

Phoenix

I just bought a 2:", ILD 20, Queen Dunlop topper a few weeks ago from a reputable supplier. Here are my results and questions:

The first night’s sleep was fantastic. But, it has not continued. The topper ‘seems’ to be too soft…almost like the old memory foam topper I had been using. It seems that I am sinking in, and am having a hard time rolling over. Let me describe my bed and other details.

I have a brand new Simmons Queen Firm Mattress (with pocketed coil springs) and the matching Box Spring. I also bought a new 7 leg metal frame at the same time…to prevent center sag.

I sleep alone on the bed and am an 80 yo male, 6 ft, 215 lbs. I am basically a side sleeper. When sleeping on the bed without any topper, I feel pressure in my shoulders and hips. And, I wake up with lower back pain.

Using the new 2", 20 ILD topper, my shoulder and hip pains are gone. But, I still wake with the lower back pain. Even if I just lay on the bed on my back for 10 minutes or so I feel the same lower back pain. My theory, and it is just a hunch, is that the topper is thick enough, but too soft. Before I make any changes, I wanted to hear your thoughts. I have a one time chance to make an improvement. I can exchange the 2", 20 ILD topper
for a 30 ILD or a 44 ILD one…

Please consider what I have just told you about the bed, topper and my height, weight and sleeping position and let me know what you think the problem might be and what solution you suggest. I know you will give the “standard” reply, that only I can make that choice. But surely of the two choices I now have, you might suggest one or the other. If you are unwilling to do that, can you tell me how I can tell the difference between 20 ILD, 30 ILD, and 44 ILD.

Thanks,

Hi Jostarr,

While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because there are too many unique unknowns and variables involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of PPP or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.

There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.

These posts are the “tools” that can help with the analysis, detective work, or trial and error that may be necessary to help you learn your body’s language and “translate” what your body is trying to tell you so you can identify the types of changes that have the best chance of reducing or eliminating any “symptoms” you are experiencing (at least to the degree that any symptoms are from your mattress rather than the result of any pre-existing issues you may have that aren’t connected to a mattress).

[quote]I sleep alone on the bed and am an 80 yo male, 6 ft, 215 lbs. I am basically a side sleeper. When sleeping on the bed without any topper, I feel pressure in my shoulders and hips. And, I wake up with lower back pain.

Using the new 2", 20 ILD topper, my shoulder and hip pains are gone. But, I still wake with the lower back pain. Even if I just lay on the bed on my back for 10 minutes or so I feel the same lower back pain. My theory, and it is just a hunch, is that the topper is thick enough, but too soft. Before I make any changes, I wanted to hear your thoughts. I have a one time chance to make an improvement. I can exchange the 2", 20 ILD topper
for a 30 ILD or a 44 ILD one…[/quote]

Based on your description it’s possible that your mattress is BOTH too soft and too firm. In other words your mattress may have comfort layers that are too soft and thin to provide good pressure relief so that the symptoms that are related to pressure points would be from feeling the firmness of the deeper layers in your mattress (which would account for the topper helping you with your pressure point issues) AND the deeper layers or components in your mattress could be too soft to provide suitable support and keep you spine in good alignment over the course of the night.

If a mattress is still in very good condition and there are no visible impressions or sagging or soft spots in the mattress (particularly under the heavier parts of your body such as your hips/pelvis) and the only issue is that it is too firm then a topper can be a good option to add some additional softness and pressure relief although there is always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper if you haven’t tested the combination in person because the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.

On the other hand … a topper is not a particularly effective way to “fix” a mattress that is already too soft or that has developed soft spots or sagging and at best it may provide a temporary or partial solution and at worst it can make some of the issues you are experiencing worse. If you add a firmer topper to a mattress that is too soft then the new comfort layer (the firmer topper) may end up being too firm to be comfortable for you to sleep on AND the topper will usually still “bend” or compress into the layers underneath it that are softer or have developed soft spots or are sagging so you can end up with BOTH comfort layers that are too firm and uncomfortable and support or transition layers underneath it (that were meant to be softer comfort layers) that are too soft to provide suitable support underneath the topper.

The most effective solution for a mattress that is too soft (either comfort layers that are too thick/soft or support layers that are too soft) or has developed soft spots or is sagging is to first identify the layers that are the cause of the issue and then removing and replacing layers that are too thick/soft or that are sagging.

There are some suggestions in post #4 here for a mattress that is too soft and assuming that the there is no flex in the support system under your mattress and it’s providing good non flexing support (you can test this by trying your mattress on the floor to see if it makes any difference) It may be worth trying the mattress upside down with the topper for a few days to see if this makes a difference with your back pain as well. This “test” would reduce the effect of the softer layers of your mattress that are deeper in your sleeping system and if this helps to reduce your back pain it would “point to” the cause of your issues being the comfort layers in your mattress which could be too “thin/soft” to isolate you from the firmness of the deeper layers in your mattress but may also be too soft to provide a suitable transition or support layer with a topper on top of them. Some of the other suggestions there may also help with your lower back pain as well.

I would be hesitant to replace your topper with a firmer once since you could bring back the pressure issues you were experiencing previously (which it helped with) and it’s possible that you would be back to having a combination of pressure issues and lower back issues.

While a thinner topper in combination with the softer layers in your mattress may also provide “enough” pressure relief to isolate you from feeling the firmness of the deeper layers in your mattress and would put you closer to the firmer support layers in your mattress (which can provide better support/alignment) … since you were experiencing lower back pain on the mattress without any topper at all and with a 2" topper it would be less likely to make a significant difference in your lower back pain and you may find that a thinner topper would be less effective at pressure relief as well.

Phoenix