6+3 vs 3-3 inch layers

[phoenix]

Hi September,

I switched your post into a new topic with a more appropriate title because your questions are different from the original topic.

I’ve been told that 6" talalay King size latex does not come in one continuous slab, but rather 2 twin longs. We are concerned about feeling the crack b/w the two pieces. First of all, do you know of anyplace that sells a continuous king size slab of talalay? And second, do you think the crack will be felt? (esp considering we’re planning on putting two layers on top of the 6").

There are some comments here about the pros and cons of split layers in post #2 here but you won’t be able to feel a “crack” in between the bottom layer of a mattress if they are inside a suitable cover.

There is also more information about glue seams in Talalay latex in post #2 here. It’s certainly possible to order a mattress with a solid 6" latex layer on the bottom (and a manufacturer could probably glue split layers together for you) but it would generally be much more costly to ship because it would require shipping with a common carrier rather than with a courier. You could also have a solid 2" or 3" comfort layer that was glued together as well in the upper layers of the mattress (which can be shipped by courier) which would remove any possibility of feeling a split layer in the deeper layers of the mattress. You would also lose some of the flexibility of having a side to side split in the mattress where you can customize each side independently.

Thirdly, this bed at Healthy Choice is beyond our budget, and the closest one we found online is Arizona Premium. But they only have the 2" in soft, and the 3" soft or medium. I’m thinking 6" firm, 3" medium and 3" soft might be the closest we can come to the Healthy Choice mattress we liked, but not sure if the 3" would feel a lot different from the 2" layer.

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or approximate another one in post #9 here. If the type and blend of latex, all the layer thicknesses, and all the layer firmnesses are all the same in both mattresses and they both have a similar cover then they would be very closely comparable in terms of firmness, “feel” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) but every layer and component will have “some effect” on every other layer in the mattress so once there are differences between the specs of two mattresses then they would no longer be the same. In some cases the differences may be small enough that some people wouldn’t feel them (and you will feel more of the differences between layer firmness and thickness in layers that are closer to the sleeping surface) but others that are more sensitive to smaller changes certainly could so the only way to know for certain how two different mattresses compare in terms of firmness, feel, and PPP for you will be based on your own personal experience.

While your own careful testing or personal experience is the most reliable way to know whether a mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP (or is a reasonable approximation of another mattress) … when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (which would certainly include Arizona Premium) and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

I would also keep in mind that Arizona Premium is a manufacturer so they may also be able to custom build a mattress that has the same layering as your reference mattress. As you probably know Arizona Premium is one of the members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.

The second model we like is:
3x3" layers: medium on the bottom, firm in the middle, and soft on top.

What do you think about these two combos?
Is there any science/ insight into these “non traditional” arrangements? Of course, it felt amazing so we could just go by that, but since most other mattresses we tried were firm on the bottom, medium in the middle, and soft on top, we’re looking to understand why these other two combos were so comfortable. We tried to test our posture alignment following your instructions, but couldn’t really see it so we’re really just deciding based on comfort. We’ve tried a few stores in person and feel like it’s time to make a decision, hopefully without going back to a store.

There is more information about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to “fine tune” a mattress or the exchange/return options that are available to you).

The first “rule” of mattress shopping is to remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

While I can’t speak to how a mattress will feel for someone else or how two mattresses will compare in terms of comfort and PPP … outside of PPP (which is all about how well you will sleep on a mattress) the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is it’s durability and a mattress is only as good as its construction and the quality and durability of the materials inside it (which is all about how long you will sleep well) regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label.

Since all the mattresses you are considering are “all latex mattresses” … none of them have any lower quality materials or weak links that would compromise durability and if they are using the same type and blend of latex then they would be closely comparable in terms of durability. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.

A S/F/M combination would have a little bit firmer sleeping surface for most people and would also be a little more “supportive” with the firm layer in the middle instead of on the bottom and this is a combination that is often used with component mattresses where someone starts out with a S/M/F layering but finds it is a little bit too soft in terms of support/alignment and the support needs to be “firmed up” a little but there would certainly be no durability issues with this combination and which one is “best” would depend on which one you sleep best on in terms of comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment. Once isn’t inherently better than the other (although S/M/F would be more common).

i’ve heard from some stores that their assemble it yourself latex mattresses shift a little in the mattress cover and need to be jiggered a little, perhaps every month. while Arizona Sleep says their mattress cover is a little bit smaller than the latex pieces and fits very snug, and there’s no shifting. so i’m inclined to buy from them, but wondering if anyone has had positive/negative experiences with the foam shifting or not.

There is more about glued vs unglued layers and layer shifting in post #2 here but this also generally isn’t an issue because latex is very heavy and “sticky” and doesn’t tend to shift inside a mattress in normal use. If for some reason the layers do shift a little then it’s very easy to zip open the cover and “wave” them back into position again and wouldn’t be much more time consuming or difficult than changing sheets.

Phoenix