At the beginning of my research, these were most attractive to me. I know you don’t like memory foam (Adele) but it seems the beds I’ve flopped down on in stores usually have a small amount of memory foam in their layers. I don’t like all memory, just a little. Most of the ones I like have mf under other layers. An example would be the poorly rated Dr. Breus Reward2 or Prosperity1 (both have mystery cores) and odd layer sequence, all 1" layers I think)
Back to the BB Aloe mattress. First, with interchangeable layers, if mf deteriorated, I figure it could easily be replaced. Also, it could go under the latex if desired, right? BUT…
My other concern is that the poly base is only hd…wouldn’t hr be better? (Or do you feel 2.18 hd is good enough core for average size people, sometimes one plus a cat.)
My thoughts. I live near Los Angeles where I can purchase foam sheets. Would it make sense to buy a sheet of hr poly for the core, and additional sheets of latex and perhaps a thinner sheet of memory?
I do like the idea of all latex too but need to try more in showrooms. I am not sure i love the spring of it but have only tried Ethos Organic so far. I understand blended are less springy, also dunlop, and also that latex comfort layers can approach the feel of memory. Is this correct?
Based on a couple of your recommended online retailers, I could afford all latex if it is worth the extra $. What would be the optimum thickness of the actual latex in a mattress for average weight people, side sleepers, about a level 6 preference I think.
Actually like you there are some memory foam combinations I like a lot (for example thinner layers of memory foam in combination with more resilient materials and particularly if the more resilient materials are over the memory foam).
Personal preferences aside though (and mine are no more valid for someone else than any person’s preferences are for someone else) … memory foam is a more “tricky” material to get right because it not only responds to pressure but its properties change over the course of the night depending on several factors including temperature, humidity, and how long it is compressed (it gets softer over the course of the night with continuous compression even if temperature and humidity is constant). The specific design and layers of a memory foam mattress can be even more important in terms of matching a mattress to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences than it is with faster response materials that only respond to pressure and where the properties of the material aren’t as subject to change over the course of the night.
Yes … you are correct on both counts.
In a base layer there would be little point to using HR polyfoam and in most (but not all) cases the expense wouldn’t really be justified because the base layer isn’t as big a part of the overall “feel” of the mattress and just needs to “stop” the heavier parts of the body from sinking down too far. You will very rarely find true HR polyfoam in the base layers of a mattress (HR foam needs to have a density of 2.5 or higher, a compression modulus of 2.4 or higher, and a resilience of 60% or higher). There are many HD foams that are in the HR density range that aren’t actually HR foams and use conventional foam production methods. There are also lower density polyfoams (often called high performance or high comfort foams) that have many HR foam properties but are lower in density than true HR foams. 2.18 lb polyfoam is a high quality material and is more than enough to be a very durable material used in the base layer of a mattress. The properties of a foam though that are not connected to its durability and how they contribute to the overall feel and performance of a mattress can be just as important as its density/durability.
The support layers of a mattress are not usually the weak link of a mattress in terms of durability (which is usually in the quality of the comfort layers which will soften and break down more quickly than the base layers) although they can play a role in the performance of the mattress depending on the thickness of the comfort layers and the weight of the person on the mattress (both of which are part of what determines how much the deeper layers will flex and compress). In general the quality and durability of the upper layers are a more important part of the durability of a mattress than the base layers although the middle (transition) layers and base layers of a mattress certainly play a role in how a mattress feels and performs both in terms of how it feels when you are going to sleep but often even more in how well it keeps you in alignment which is a big part of how you feel in the morning (with or without the pain or stiffness and discomfort that can come from sleeping out of alignment).
Designing and building your own mattress takes a great deal of skill and knowledge and is quite risky for most people so I normally wouldn’t recommend it unless you are up for the challenge and the learning curve for its own sake and are OK with the cost of the mistakes you can easily make. You can read more of my thoughts about this (designing and building your own mattress) in post #15 here.
You can read more about the different types of latex in this article and in post #6 here and in post #6 here. The blend of latex usually has less to do with how “springy” it is than the type of latex (Dunlop or Talalay) or even its softness/firmness.
Latex and memory foam are very different materials and they can’t really be compared with each other in terms of how they feel even though they can both provide similar levels of pressure relief.
There is no optimum thickness for any mattress including latex. The “optimal” thickness is the specific design that provides you with good PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) and this can vary widely even for people with similar body types and sleeping styles. In general though most people would choose a latex mattress that was somewhere between 6" and 12" depending on the design goals of the mattress … the need for different layers, and on differences in body types and sleeping styles. Most people do very well in general terms with designs that are in the range of 8" to 9" and people that are heavier or certain designs may require a thicker mattress to accomplish their design goals but there is a very wide range of different mattresses that are possible inside this thickness and thickness by itself is not really meaningful. You can read a little more about the potential benefits of a thicker mattress and layer thickness in general in post #14 here.
Your detailed response to my question is greatly appreciated. I have been reading for days and still need to digest the huge amount of information you’ve posted.
Thanks for reminding me that I DON’T have the ability, knowledge or true desire to build my own mattress :cheer:
You’ve probably seen this but just in case you haven’t the better options and possibilities in the Los Angeles area I’m aware of are listed in post #2 here. You have some very good local options available to you
