Advice for mattress topper

[Sensei]

Hey meatball,

Welcome back to the forum and thanks for your updates !

About a month ago I got a new 10" latex queen mattress from SleepEZ with their recommended 3" soft talalay, 3" medium dunlop, 3" firm dunlop configuration. It’s definitely more supportive than my previous mattress and I no longer seem to get lower back pain from the mattress dipping down around my hips. Unfortunately, I think because my hips stick out a bit and I am a fairly lightweight side sleeper, the latex doesn’t seem to contour my shoulders or hips at all and I am experiencing quite a bit of pain and numbness in my hips and legs . I anticipated likely needing an additional topper of some sort but wanted to wait until I first tried the mattress as is.

Congrats on your new Sleep EZ 10" latex queen mattress purchase ! Thanks for supporting expert trusted member Sleep EZ, I think highly of their product quality, construction expertise and customer service post-sale. Sorry to hear that your experiencing pain in your hips and legs now, after the lower back pain had subsided. Are you using the same pillows as you had with your previous mattress? Can you have your husband check your spinal alignment by taking a few pics of your side sleeping position to get a better idea of how your head, shoulders and hips are placed? As you have only had the mattress for a month or so, your body may still be adjusting to the transition from your previous “cheapo foam” mattress to the different support and feel of an all-latex mattress.

The topper I initially looked at was the Birch Plush Mattress Topper and I thought I would like it because it uses a very soft talalay layer and an inch of wool on top. I do really like the wool feeling of my mattress and don’t want to lose that with an all latex topper. However, after having slept on latex for over a month now, I am concerned that even their plush latex will not be soft enough.

Have you reached out to Sleep EZ for their thoughts before adding a topper? They did mention in their previous post to you the flexibility of layering combinations that the 10" latex mattress provides.

I happened to come across a wool fleece topper (SnugFleece Original) and it seemed promising with a number of people mentioning pressure relief but I am concerned that relief would be short-lived once it started to compress and mat and would then feel very stiff. I do have a sheepskin that normally keep on my sofa and tried that out on my bed while napping and did like the feel of it. I realize a sheepskin is a little different than the fleece topper but it’s hard to know to what extent in terms of feel.

While they are prized for their very high breathability and temperature regulation abilities, wool and other natural fibers have little elasticity and resilience and rely on construction methods to give it these qualities. Wool does compress over time and requires a little extra TLC to retain its properties, but that does not make it any less desirable as a mattress material as it is one of the most durable of the natural fibers. You can learn more on wool topper care from TMU trusted member Sheperd’s Dream.

It seems like a lot of people like the wool toppers that are encased in cotton and they supposedly don’t compress as much since the fibers are horizontal and so perhaps that would be a better option than the wool fleece? Based on appearances alone, the encased wool toppers to me look like they would get lumpy and possibly make it hard to get out of bed, and it’s hard for me to judge whether or not they would provide comfort at pressure points or if they would just feel stiff at those points with too much fluff elsewhere. Some of the wool toppers I looked at were the SurroundEwe Standard topper, the St. Peter Woolen Mill Deluxe topper, and the Holy Lamb Deep Sleep topper.

Try using TMU’s site search on variations of the term “wool topper” to see other consumers’ experience and points of view for comparisons of the different brands you have interest in.

Lastly, I have considered the CozyPure LaNoodle Cuddle Top Latex Topper, which sounds interesting but I haven’t heard any feedback about it from anyone who uses it. I placed a shredded latex pillow under my hip to get a rough idea of what it might feel like, and it was certainly soft, though a bit wobbly, though that may just be true for the pillow.

Thanks for considering expert trusted memberCozyPure’sLaNoodle Cuddle Top Latex Topper as one of your options :). LaNoodle Toppers are quite popular with consumers; here is a post on their performance that you may find interesting.

I’m not really in a position to buy one of each style to test them out and so I was hoping to get some feedback from people who have used any of these types of toppers, especially for pressure relief, so that I can hopefully make an informed decision.

You’re doing a good job of being a responsible consumer, meatball. Taking the time to research, ask questions and weigh options are all part of “making an informed decision” and is worth the effort you’re putting in for your new mattress early on. Most people are not in a position to “buy one of each style to test them out” and seeking feedback from other consumers, as well as asking questions of the manufacturers is a better/ more responsible approach to finding answers. The early Bed-in-a Box e-tailers established generous in-home trial periods, comfort exchanges and free return policies as a way of creating trust with consumers, affording them the ability to test a mattress “sight unseen” and to shop from the comfort of their home. Over the years, however, the ability to “Zappos” experience a mattress has drastically changed attitudes about mattress shopping from one of careful research, comparison and commitment to one of “I’ll give it 30 days and see what happens.” And sadly, what is happening is not only financially difficult for the smaller manufacturers and retailers who work hard to support their customers, but more importantly is wasteful to natural resources and devasting to the landfill situation. Kudos to you for being part of the solution and not adding to the problem . Good luck and let us know which way you decide to go.

Thanks,
Sensei