Hi johnnyjuice99.
Welcomed back to our Mattress Forum! Thanks for your kind words.
You found a good way to test and pinpoint a possible cause for the sagging. To check all your bases, I’d also suggest a “ground up” assessment to make sure that there is nothing under the mattress that may be contributing to the issue. The mattress needs to rest on an evenly supportive base that will not sag or weaken over time under the weight of the mattress and the people on it. You can verify if the support system you are using is appropriate if you place your mattress topper combo directly upon the floor to see if that makes any difference for you. If it improves then you also have a foundation issue that needs addressing.
Your BMI is a bit in the higher ranges and as you carry most of the “weight around the upper body and hips” it’s quite possible that your “3” Soft Natural Latex" will (sooner rather than later) start breaking down and losing its supportive qualities in the areas your weight is more concentrated (which can also be sped up by many other factors such as higher levels of activity on the mattress, nightly toss and turn, type of latex, …100% NR is not as durable as Blended Latex). Even so, it’s very rare for a latex topper to show this level of wear and tear so soon in its life cycle. All given, I am guessing that the layer was too soft for your needs when you first purchased it, thus any amount of foam softening put you over the edge of what would be a good spinal alignment for you.
[QUOTE] Do I go with a:
- 3" Medium latex topper OR
- 2" Soft Latex topper in hopes that being closer to the mattress will give me support I need OR
- 2" Medium latex topper [/QUOTE]
In theory, all 3 options could work (at least for a while), but there are a few things to keep in mind based on your experience thus far. The 2" in soft (assuming it’s the same type of latex) will break down sooner than the previous 3" layer so you are looking at a shorter life span for the topper. You most likely are aware that firmness choice should be based on the sleeper’s needs and preferences and not on durability considerations but in this case, it’s worth mentioning.
If you have a way to open the Toper cover, I’d also look at the cell structure to see you have Dunlop or Talalay in soft. (You can post a picture here if you are unsure).
From your description, it looks like your heavier parts bottom out onto the firmer layers below while your lighter parts are not sinking in deep enough to ensure neutral spinal alignment. It would probably be safer to increase the topper firmness (this will also be more durable) but we can revisit that once you let us know what your sleeping position(s) is, and what kind of discomfort, pains, and symptoms you experience during the course of the night.
Generally, both firmness and thickness topper choices would depend on many factors such as your primary sleeping position, range of sensitivity, etc… there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person so it would be difficult for anyone to predict or make a specific suggestion about which combination of materials and components would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, Personal Preferences) or how a mattress will "feel. So I’d also revisit both these readings The mattress shopping tutorial here) on testing guidelines in step 4 and post #2 here.
Phoenix