Hi flybear, and welcome back after 10 years!
Sorry to hear your Tempurpedic is no longer providing a good sleep any longer; 14 years is a good run for that brand. As you know, any mattress you find to be ideal is based on your
Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) - well done providing these! - and your PPP (Posture & alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).The good news is, as you do have a lower BMI, you have a lot more options in mattresses than a higher BMI sleeper, as they would likely need additional support, and certain materials may ‘break down’ for higher BMI ranges.
Interesting that you felt less achy on hotel mattresses; this would definitely indicate the foams on your Tempurpedic have ‘broken down’ - this can leave ‘ridges’ and ‘valleys’ in the foam which can cause aches, pains, and even alignment issues - and being away from your mattress your body felt better with a different type and firmness of bed.
As for latex rubber, the feel is certainly not for everyone - and as well, there’s a difference in feel between the types of latex - as you have seen, Talalay is considered ‘bouncier’ than Dunlop (the common comparison is between angel food cake and pound cake), though, as you can see comparing the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, latex is one of the most durable materials you can have in a mattress. As it’s been a while since you tried the shredded latex topper, you may find latex of a different firmness more supportive.
I agree with your points on the ‘big box’ store mattresses - well done in surmising the lack of details and specifications can sometimes hide insufficiently dense foams and inexpensive ‘fillers’. Just from what you’ve said about the local visco foam/latex hybrid…microcoil s, again are one of those layers which some consumers love and others don’t…but all good data points for your consideration!
Since it’s been some time since your last visit, you might want to take a look at the Trusted Members of the site have offering s which may be of interest; CST carries the Silver and Gold modular poly-latex mattresses, Nest Bedding has the Owl foam & latex hybrid; GhostBed has the Classic Latex & Memory foam hybrid,and The Mattress Factory has the Barrington gel foam and latex mattress, for a few examples. As always our Trusted Members continue to be vetted for quality, transparency in materials and componetry, generous return and exchange policies, and great customer assistance; this would tick many of your ‘boxes’ for what you are looking for in a mattress manufacturer, and certainly discussing your Stats, PPP and mattress history with them will allow them to provide good alternatives to the ‘big box’ mattresses.
Please feel free, if you find any particular mattresses interesting, to ask in the forum and we may be able to better assess their suitability and durability for your body profile. I wish you success on your journey to a new mattress!
~ Basilio