Hi lamont,
You’re very welcome, Thank you for the kind words.
[quote]I though that someone my size would be best with a combo of Latex with a HR Polyfoam base.
I’ve seen Sleep EZ can do an all Dunlop Latex. I think that Dunlop is firmer then Talalay?
Do you think that a combo of a Talalay top of 44 ILD with a base of Dunlop will work? I don’t know the ILD rating of Dunlop and how firm they go.[/quote]
A firm polyfoam base using a true HR polyfoam with latex on top certainly could be one option for someone of a higher BMI. Comparing latex to polyfoam for a support core, a latex support core is more durable, more resilient, more elastic, more adaptable to different weights and shapes and sleeping positions, more supportive (it has a higher compression modulus so it gets firmer faster with compression), more “natural”, and has a different more “springy” and responsive feel than polyfoam. It is a higher performance material. Of course it is also more expensive than a polyfoam core and for some people … a latex hybrid which has the benefits and “feel” of latex in the upper layers (the top 3" - 6" which are the most subject to wear and tear and contribute more to the overall “feel” of a mattress) is worth the cost tradeoff. For others it isn’t. The latex will also contour and better put up with the specific demands and weight concentrations placed upon it when used in a power foundation setting.
Dunlop and Talalay aren’t directly comparable in terms of firmness using only ILD numbers because there are several factors that can affect how soft or firm a mattress (or an individual layer) feels besides just the ILD of the material (see post #4 here) and Dunlop and Talalay that are the same thickness and ILD won’t feel the same in terms of their firmness for most people because they have a different response curve and compression modulus (how quickly a material becomes firmer as you sink into it more deeply). There is more about the difference between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here. But overall, when rated at a similar ILD, Dunlop will generally feel firmer than Talalay, as it has a higher compression modulus and “firms up faster”.
Regarding the specifics of which type of latex (Dunlop certainly would be a good choice, at least for the base layers) and the ILD to choose, I would use the guidance from SleepEZ during a phone conversation and follow their recommendations (as they will have your best interest at heart), as they will know better than anyone else how their componentry works with various people with similar BMIs and with adjustable beds, and they can draw upon their decades of experience helping others who were in similar circumstances.
Thicker mattresses can be helpful for those in a higher BMI, as there is more material to contour and also stop the heavier parts of the body form sinking in too deeply. A mattress using 10" or so of latex certainly could work for your BMI range, but again I would defer to the guidance provided by SleepEZ.
I’m still perplexed why they would have been quoting you such a high shipping cost (or any shipping cost at all), as the Comfort Max mattresses on their site are listed as a “custom made mattress” as well and shipping on those is listed as “free” (i.e., built into the price of the mattress). Apparently they’ve provided you quite a bit inconsistent information. That’s too bad, and can be frustrating, I know. I saw their specifications, which listed 3" of latex in the uppermost layer, combined with 3" of a transition layer of 2.5 or 3.0 lb 60 ILD polyfoam, and then a 4" polyfoam core of similar material. An all-latex option would be more durable, and at your BMI I would strongly recommend you to consider less polyfoam, even better quality as described in your post.
Phoenix