Hi rvneedssleep,
Well, this certainly sounds like a step in a positive direction. Some people simply have an affinity for springs for the support unit versus latex, and this may be the case in your situation. Iām hoping this is the start of you being able to get some better sleep.
Phoenix
Thanks! Me too! 
For the life of me, I canāt figure out how to start a new post or topic! So I am replying to my old post. I have a question regarding ILD ratings of specific Dunlop latex toppers. I have two 6" spring mattresses in the house with two different toppers. One is too soft, one is too hard. I am considering getting a different latex topper that has an ILD rating in between the two, but I donāt know that I can be sure that just because the ILD rating is in between that it means it truly will be firmer than one of mine while softer than the other. Here is what I have:
BED #1: 6 inch āmed. firmā 14.5 gauge twin springs from Bay Bed WITH 3 inch medium 30 ILD Dunlop latex topper from Sleep On Latex (a bit too soft)
BED #2: 6 inch 13.75 gauge Caliber Edge twin XL springs from DIY Mattress (Arizona Premium Mattress) WITH 3 inch firm 44 ILD Dunlop latex topper from Sleep On Latex (a bit too firm) (NOTE: I did also try this topper on the other mattressā springs and it is still a bit too firm, so that sort of cancels out any difference between the springs.)
What I am considering: 3 inch firm 33-39 (presumably ILD rating) Dunlop latex topper from DIY Mattress (Arizona Premium Mattress) . Does it really make any sense to try this topper as hopefully falling between the other two that I already have? Can I be reasonably assured that it will in fact be firmer than my Sleep On Latex 30 ILD and softer than the 44 ILD?
Thanks.
rvneedssleep:
Have you tried putting the medium topper onto the lower gauge bed? The coils on the higher gauge bed might be the problem. I had a spring base before that didnāt really provide me with enough supportā¦ a firm topper covered that up really well by redistributing my weight across more springs, but a topper that was comfortable on a firmer bed caused me to sink right in.
I think for some reason you can only make new posts in the ask-the-experts part of the forum. Hereās a link to the arizona-premium-mattress part of the forums, they should be able to answer your question there if you still need something between the two toppers you already have. Arizona Premium Mattress - Mattress Underground and they should be able to answer
All latex falls in a range of firmnesses so even your 30 ILD is probably in a range something like 28-32 ILD and your 40 could be 38- 42 or 40-45. If manufactures give just one number, the number is usually in the middle of the range or at the bottom.
That said, it is mostly likely that your new piece of latex would fall into the middle range between your two layers. However there is a slight chance that it would overlap with your 40, depending on where the 40ās range actually falls.
And of course, since there is a range, your 40 could be something like a 42 instead of an actual 40. It is hard to tell without a hand squeeze or test equipment.
Dok,
Thanks for your reply. I swapped toppers on the two beds temporarily to see what they felt like. Bed #2 belongs to my mother and is a twin XL. Bed #1 is mine and is a regular twin. Permanent swapping is not an option and the toppers do not fit or do not fit ideally on the opposite bed due to the length difference. The 44 ILD topper is firm on both mattresses. The 30 ILD is softer on both.
Thanks for the info on posting and the link.
DIY,
Thanks for your reply. My firm topper is supposedly 44 ILD, not 40. So seems like would be firmer than your 33-39 āfirm.ā Your range explanation makes sense. But I wasnāt sure how accurate ILD numbers really are. 33-39 is quite a spread. Canāt afford to buy yet another topper and find out that it is as firm as the firm already in the house (which seems unlikely) or as soft as the medium I already have (which seems possible given what you said about ranges and the 33 low end number of the spread IF my existing medium is a little higher than the 30 ILD it is advertised to be). Hence, the conundrum.
Hey rvneedssleep,
Thanks for the post, this is always an interesting topic. As @diynaturalbedding explains, these ILD estimates are in a range. A key question with the toppers is what is the density of the toppers you purchased. Every Dunlop manufacturer sells latex by density, this is the specification they actually measure for every core. They do not test every core for ILD, really only Talalay Global, and Radium test every latex core for ILD testing. The most common densities for Dunlop manufacturers are 65, 75, and 85 Kg per meter cubed. Some have 70 and 80.
Additionally, the ILD of different materials or different types and blends of latex also arenāt always directly comparable to each other (see post #6 here ) partly because ILD can be measured in different ways and partly because ILD isnāt the only factor that affects the softness or firmness of a material so again using the ILD or other specifications of a particular layer as a reliable indication of how any mattress will āfeelā or how firm it will feel to you compared to another mattress with a different combination of layers can sometimes be more misleading than helpful.
That said, as you keep the purchases from the same company, SOL, your chances of getting a feel āin the middleā of the two toppers is much better. If you choose a different suppliers latex from a different manufacturer, you may have a more difficult time getting the right feel.
Thanks,
Sensei
The two toppers I already have are from the same company. The one I am considering is from a different company.
I donāt believe there are any density ratings for either of the two companiesā products.
Hey rvneedsleep,
Thanks for the info. I believe you mentioned Sleep on Latex, I am pretty sure if they were called they would tell you what density corresponds to what ILD rating. It is a fact they āpurchasedā the latex by a density measurement, albeit they donāt communicate/market them this way.
So, I want to just express caution, if the ānew supplierā for the topper is getting latex from a different manufacturer than SOL, it is harder to predict if the actual feel will be different, or āin the middleā of the other two. Of course, it could also be perfect right in the middle of the range. This is possible also. What company, or product are you considering? I may know if the latex is sourced from the same factory.
Thanks again.
Sensei
DIY Mattress dot net aka Arizona Premium Mattress. A rep from there also responded to my original post.