About to be married, need help buying mattress!

[phoenix]

Hi typesomethingwitty,

If instead of one KING layer you have two TWIN XL layers that lay side by side, are there issues where the two layers meet? Obviously, there is the issue where, if you slept in the middle, one side of your body would be on a firmer layer, the other side on a softer layer. But beyond that. Is there a gap? Can it become a trouble spot?

No it wouldn’t become a trouble spot because latex is “sticky” and one edge wouldn’t slide over the other easily and there would also not be a gap between them with a well fitting cover. The quilting would also even out any split and while as you mentioned there would be a noticeable difference between the sides (which is the reason for the split layer) and you may feel this if you were in the middle … you wouldn’t be feeling the “split” itself and with the quilting there wouldn’t be a “sudden” change. There is more about this in post #2 here.

The King size “Ultimate Dreams Eurotop Latex Mattress” is due to arrive between September 19 and September 24. Based on what I’ve read, I’ll receive an email from the manufacturer later tonight or tomorrow requesting confirmation on the firmness level. (Update: Just received the email.)

Wow … your events are moving faster than my ability to reply to forum posts! Congratulations on your new mattress (for the second time) even though you haven’t quite decided on the firmness level(s) of each side

Since she sleeps almost exclusively on her side, my wife has said she would want a “4” firmness level (1 being firmest, 10 softest). Given how lightweight she is, I wonder if upping it to a “5” would help the mattress better conform to her body. Thoughts?

Given her lighter weight and side sleeping (which points to thicker softer) … I would also think a 5 would be closer to her needs and even that may be firmer than the “averages” indicate. This would also depend on her preferences though because some people who are lighter and thinner (less curvy) will often prefer firmer than their height/weight would normally indicate otherwise. They feel like it provides more “freedom” of movement if they tend to “sprawl” over the mattress and with their lighter weight may not be as sensitive to pressure issues. While a 5 equates to 32 ILD (which would be much firmer than most lighter side sleepers would normally choose) … the quilting layer will also make a big difference and soften the comfort layer below it’s latex rating. I would probably suggest a conversation with Chuck (rather than an email) because he is very good at listening to feedback and making suggestions based on his more specific knowledge of the mattresses they make but my sense is (absent any specifics of her preferences or feedback on beds that are known to be firmer) that she may want to go a little softer.

Since I’m not exclusively a back sleeper, my guess is my firmness level should be near my wife’s: a 4 or 5. I want it to be comfortable (soft beds in mattress showrooms make me want to kick off my shoes and take a nap), but also supportive.

Again it would depend on more specifics and a reference point that was known but since you are a big guy with multiple sleeping positions … a 4 or 5 would seem more in line with your needs than your wife’s (who is significantly lighter). Again though … I would talk with Chuck because they can also suggest a few other “alterations” in the type of quilting they use which can offer a bit more fine tuning. As a general rule … for those who sleep on their stomach then “just barely enough” to provide good pressure relief on your side is usually best for alignment in your other sleeping positions especially your stomach. I would err on the side of firmness because a protector, mattress pad, or thin topper can make adjustments for a mattress that is too firm but too soft is much more difficult to correct. If you are ordering the exchangeable layers though … then you would retain the option of being able to change in either direction which in this case seems to make sense given the complexities of each of you alone and the differences between you. Overall though and based on averages and the specs you have given (here and before) … what you are suggesting would seem to me to be in your range.

Phoenix