So I pulled the trigger around 2 weeks ago on a bunch of components to make a 1300. SleepEZ was great - customer service was awesome and the product is amazing!
I went for a single Eastern King cover with split layers inside. Layers are as follows
Top layer 3" Medium 100 Percent natural talalay
Mid layer 3" Firm 100 percent natural talalay
Bottom layer 1 3" X Firm 100 percent natural dunlop
Bottom Layer 2 3" X Firm 100 percent natural dunlop.
Foundations are split (two TwinXL foundations), and are beefier than anything I could find commercially available (1 inch slat spacing - they could probably hold a car). They sit inside a Thomasville 4 poster bed that has been beefed up by adding an extra 4 steel feet to the 5 legs that it already had.
The trouble I seem to have is that I can still feel some motion transfer when my wife climbs into bed. This may be normal coming from a memory foam bed, but I wonder if there’s anything I can do to alleviate it.
Should I look at going for two separate zippered encasements?
Can I add some wool batting between the foam layers to dampen any extra vibration?
Hello Savantstrike
Thank you kindly for your inquiry! Latex foam does indeed cancel out more motion transfer compared to that of standard spring mattresses. However, if your frame/foundation has any type of movement or "wiggle’ to them, you will feel it when you or your partner are moving on the mattress. The best way to test this is to place your mattress temporarily on the floor (solid surface). The floor has no wiggle or movement to it, and will give you a good idea as to whether or not your mattress offers little to no motion transfer.
Also keep in mind that your mattress cover will stretch and “break-in” overtime, which will also help with motion transfer. When your cover is tight, you will feel a bit of your partner’s movements. However, when your cover breaks in and loosens up, that transfer will start to alleviate.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call our office anytime, we are happy to help in any way. Thanks again, have a happy new year!
So I did a couple of things which helped reduce motion transfer.
- I rearranged the layers to make sure they were as far from the sides of the zippered cover as possible. This also helped stretch it some more (added bonus)!
- I did some surgery on the bed frame - I removed the slats and lip from the sides of the bed with a mallet, letting the platforms rest on the floor.
- I added 12 versa legs (6 per platform) so that I could get the height to the floor right.
- I bought more layers so that only the top layer is talalay.
This improved things dramatically, to where I’m pretty close to where things are perfect (my wife moves a lot in her sleep so nothing will be perfect).
I have two more questions
-
Did I do anything going from talalay to Dunlop? Is Dunlop better at reducing motion transfer? It feels like it is but I changed a lot all at once.
-
Would I get any additional deadening if I were to change the layers to be firmer?
Hello Savantstrike
I am happy to hear that you have all but eliminated motion transfer in your bed!
To answer your question about the Dunlop vs Talalay as it pertains to motion transfer; there really isn’t a huge difference, as long as your foundation and frame are stable with no movement or wiggle to them underneath your mattress. Both types of latex contour to your body naturally without "pulling’ foam from your partners side of the mattress. Softer latex on top allows your body to contour a bit more, thus helping slightly with any motion transfer you maybe experiencing however. As long as you have the right configuration for your body weight and preferred sleep positions, and your foundation/frame is stable and sturdy, then motion transfer will always be at a minimum regardless of which type of latex you choose in your mattress.
Please feel free to update us anytime. Thanks again!
Ah, I think I changed too many variables at once to figure this out on my own.
I thought for sure the extra bounce of the talalay was contributing to motion transfer, but it seems like it would have had a minimal impact. This makes sense though as all I did was change the middle layer from talalay to Dunlop (the top has always been talalay). Side by side in the same ILD, the two processes feel remarkably similar, so the differences in online reviews are exaggerated (at least in my opinion).
Savantstrike
You are correct in that there is not a huge difference (if any) between the two types of latex. Motion transfer usually stems from either the foundation or the frame the mattress sits on. Please feel free to call our office should you have any questions. Keep us posted as to how your mattress is working out for you. Have a terrific day!