100% Natural Latex vs. 100% Natural Botanical Latex ???

[phoenix]

Hi rvneedssleep,

Thanks for taking the time to share an update with your comments and feedback … I appreciate it.

The result? I did NOT like the blended Talalay at all! I didn’t like the more chemical odor (as opposed to a more rubber-like odor), I didn’t like the Talalay feel, and it seemed to hold body heat worse than my experience with 100% natural Dunlop latex toppers…

The smell of the latex will generally dissipate to levels that you won’t notice over the course of a few weeks.

While it’s not always possible to to track down temperature regulation issues for any particular person on a specific mattress because there are so many variables involved (including your room temperature and humidity, your sheets, your bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, the firmness of your mattress, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range) and some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking down a potential cause or causes for temperature regulation issues (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.

Latex in general is more breathable and “temperature neutral” than other types of foam materials such as memory foam or polyfoam and Talalay latex is also more breathable than Dunlop latex so your experience is somewhat unusual although the reason for your temperature regulation issues may be connected to other reasons besides the latex in your mattress.

The whole bed was too mushy. I actually think my originally intended layers would have been LESS mushy.

The layers you originally intended to purchase were a little bit softer than the ones you ended up purchasing so they may have been a little bit more “mushy” (comments like mushy generally refer to materials that are softer than someone tends to prefer) but it would be difficult to say for certain without actually trying it. Dunlop is also a little less resilient than Talalay so that could also affect the “mushy” feeling as well.

As you probably know from your reading here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are also more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article) and not everyone prefers all latex mattresses so it’s also possible that an all latex mattress just isn’t the type of mattress that you tend to prefer.

I decided to avail myself of the opportunity to swap out layers. I have to say that Sleep EZ customer service was very accommodating in working with me to swap out both Talalay layers instead of just one. So what I ended up with was a more standard arrangement - 3" Firm 100% Dunlop on the bottom, 3" Medium 100% Dunlop in the middle, and 2" Soft 100% Dunlop on top.

This would be firmer than your first combinations and while you didn’t specifically mention it I’m assuming that with the firmer layering and because all the layers were Dunlop that it felt less “mushy” to you.

I wish that I could say that I have now found the perfect mattress which is a total delight to sleep on and solves all of my pressure point and back pain issues, unfortunately it has night. I am rather disappointed, to say the least. My experience with a 3" latex topper on my hard-as-a-rock Sleep Number airbed had convinced me that an entirely latex mattress might be the perfect mattress for me.

All the layers and components in a mattress or a mattress/topper combination will have some effect on all the other layers and components both above and below it and on the mattress “as a whole” and since the mattress under a topper was a completely different type of mattress and the thickness of the top layer of latex (and possibly the firmness as well) was also different it’s not all that surprising than an all latex mattress would be different from the latex topper on your airbed.

What I have found is that I usually still have hip pain lying on my side, which would indicate possibly it is too firm; but I frequently get lower back pain when lying on my back, which would indicate possibly it is too soft. However, it is the most comfortable when I am lying on my back. I am back to thinking that it is not possible for me to get a mattress that will work for me. I am keeping the mattress though. Some nights I do better on it than other nights. I am not entirely blaming the mattress. I think my body just doesn’t cooperate with anything. (Note, I am not overweight. I am 5’ 5" and 120 lbs.)

While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because they can be very complex and there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort” and PPP or any “symptoms” they experience (and there are different causes that can lead to similar symptoms) … 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.

While it’s true that the most common cause of hip pain is a mattress that is too firm and the most common cause of lower back pain is a mattress that is too soft … it’s also possible that a mattress that is too soft can put the hip joint out of its neutral alignment and can cause hip pain as well and that a mattress that is too firm and doesn’t allow you to sink in enough to provide good support for the more recessed parts of the body can lead to lower back pain as well.

It would be helpful to know whether you had any hip or lower back pain on the original layering combinations that you tried and how your experience and “symptoms” changed with each combination because this could provide some clues about the layering combination that would have the best chance for success.

I’m not sure if you have already returned your original layers but there may be some layering combinations that work better for you.

Phoenix