Hi Phoenix,
Would you please share with us what your perfect mattress would be made of, feel like,do for you, and look like. Thanks.
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Hi dudley9007,
That’s an interesting question and there probably isn’t one answer because I’m always curious about choices I haven’t tried yet and always tempted to try something that I haven’t. I’m not sure that “perfect” even exists for me because it always seems to be evolving.
As a reference point … I’m currently sleeping on a mattress I designed and had built (and shipped across the country) by one of the members here (although this was well before I began the site). It’s a variation of the Barrington although they don’t offer Talalay support cores any more apparently.
It is a two sided mattress with 3" of 22 ILD talalay on each side of a 28 ILD talalay core. It’s finished with a damask ticking which is quilted with quiltable latex and a high quality down substitute fiber. It was meant to be used on an adjustable base so the sides were reinforced to keep it tight with ongoing motion. The quiltable latex functions as a slightly dominating layer over the softer talalay to “compensate” a bit for the overall thickness and softness of the comfort layer.
I had some real difficulty choosing between many great options available but in the end I chose this one because I had liked the feel of quiltable latex wanted to try it and they offered this in their mattresses. I also wanted to try out the down substitute which was a high quality dacron made in Italy. I’m a sucker for soft plush mattresses and both my DH and me are fortunate that we like the same layering, are both side sleepers, and seem to stay aligned more easily than most people.
This was a “risky” construction in the sense that the support layers are softer than would work for most people. I like the feeling of softer talalay and it’s “springiness” more than the feel of Dunlop. It was also a risk because the mattress doesn’t have a zip cover so there were no layer exchanges and the cost of shipping it across the country for a comfort exchange would have been prohibitive so I was “stuck” with it whether I liked it or not.
It’s been great but interestingly enough … both of us (maybe with aging) have been shifting towards sleeping more on our backs and for this it’s too soft … although more for her than for me (I’m tall and slim and she is much more “curvy”) so if I had to choose again based on how we sleep now (more combination sleeping) rather than then … I would likely firm up the middle layer to either 32 or possibly 36. I would likely also replace the quiltable latex and down substitute quilting with a thick stretch knit cover or possibly a wool quilted cover (I an sleep warmer sometimes) now that I’ve had the chance to try it and satisfied my curiosity because I like the feel of being on the latex or wool more than a synthetic fiber quilting.
So on to what I would still like to try to satisfy my next round of curiosity.
In a super premium range … it would probably be a VI Spring Magnificence built just for us. I know someone who was involved with them and in our conversations he “educated” me that nobody has truly lived till they’ve had one. While there are many super premium brands … this is probably the one I would choose for a mattress in the 5 figure and up range. They do things that nobody else in the world does (how they choose, prepare, and layer the fibers , side stitching, hand tied coils, tufting, and all the other stuff that you would expect in a mattress of this price) and the mattress is as much a work of art as it is a mattress. Of course I’d have to buy a new mansion or yacht to go with it as an accessory. While I doubt that it would be more comfortable or even longer lasting than other much lower cost choices or even a well layered or zoned latex mattress … I just want to sleep on it for a year or two so I can say that I have and for the sake of the experience. One day … but probably not any time soon :).
In a premium mattress that was more down to earth and that used materials I know I like … it would probably be a Talalay latex mattress with some type of custom zoning since I like the “accuracy” of suitable zoning.
In a more “regular” price range … a 3" comfort layer in the range of what I have (22 ILD or perhaps a little lower) over a firmer 32 core with a stretch knit cover (or possibly a wool quilted cover or a wool mattress pad or thinner topper) would be my everyday choice. I would probably go a little softer in the comfort layer (to 19) and as I mentioned a little firmer in the support layer. When the time comes though, I’d have to give some thought to exactly what I want to do and do more testing with materials that are available at the time because while this would make a great everyday mattress for us … I may want to experiment with something I haven’t tried yet.
I also very much like the feel of an inch or two of latex over about 2" of more responsive and breathable memory foam over latex, again with a stretch knit cover so this would probably also be in the running although I hesitate with any memory foam because I much prefer the freedom of movement that comes with a more resilient material like latex.
Of course without the actual process and intent to buy a mattress it’s difficult to speculate what I may be thinking at the time.
I tend towards more simple and functional with some soft and “cushy” on top, and some experimentation thrown in … except of course if the price gets past five figures when I would be sleeping as much on thoughts about my mattress as I would be on the mattress itself.
Too many mattresses … and not enough time (or money either) to try all the ones I want to 
Phoenix
Thank you Phoenix for your time and insight.