Bed too firm. Need to soften the bed to relieve pressure points

[phoenix]

Hi Toro,

Although the materials used in the quilting and comfort layers suggest that the bed should have a soft feeling, I find it quite hard.

This could be because the polyfoam layers have a higher ILD. Any density foam can come in a wide range or ILD’s (firmness levels) and the cover and quilting can also makea difference in the perceived firmness of a mattress. Since “softness/firmness” is subjective and varies widely in the perceptions of different people with different body types, sleeping styles, and perceptions … if it feels firm to you then it is no matter how it may feel for someone else.

I added a 2" Dunlop latex topper (ILD 18), but my shoulders and hip still get sore and I toss and turn all night.

It’s not uncommon that Dunlop toppers that are sold as having an ILD in the high teens are actually much firmer. It is not common at all to have Dunlop that is that soft. Dunlop also feels firmer to most people than the same ILD in Talalay because it gets firmer faster with compression than Talalay. There is also a much wider range of ILD variance across the surface of the layer in Dunlop than there is in Talalay. In other words this may be a firmer layer than 18 ILD.

1) Remove the dunlop latex topper and replace it with a 2" all-natural Talalay latex topper (approximate ILD 16 to 19). From your mattress forum I have learned that Talalay is better than Dunlop as a comfort layer and may provide better pressure relief.

This could certainly be a reasonable option. There are also some topper guidelines that you can use in post #2 here that may help give you some guidance in terms of thickness and softness based on how firm your mattress feels to you and how much of a change you are looking for. I certainly wouldn’t call Talalay better than Dunlop in any layer because it is a preference choice (my daughter and many others I know for example would argue with you because she prefers Dunlop in all the layers in her mattress :)). The choice is really a matter of preference but it is true that Talalay is a more popular choice in comfort layers because it is more easily available in softer versions than Dunlop.

2) Remove the dunlop latex topper and replace it with a 3" all-natural Talalay latex topper (approximate ILD 16 to 19). This would not only provide the benefits of Talalay, but also one additional inch of comfort layer. But I am afraid of creating alignment issues by making the comfort layer too thick.

Again I would use the guidelines to estimate the thickness that may work best for you. Thinner comfort layers (in your mattress combined with the topper) are less risky in terms of alignment.

3) Remove the dunlop latex topper and replace it with a 2" all-natural Talalay latex topper (approximate ILD 16 to 19) plus a 1" Dunlop latex topper (ILD mid-20s) . Having the Dunlop underneath the Talalay would create an intermediate layer. But I am not sure if this would integrate well with the bed quilting and comfort layers.

This may be overly complex and I would tend to go with only one variable at a time which is difficult enough. If necessary you can add an extra inch later (using your actual experience to determine if it was necessary) but I would work with only one layer and variable at a time rather than trying to “overdesign” a topper based on theory with no specific reference points. I don’t know if anyone could predict “in theory” how a mattress with two topper layers and three comfort layers (with unknown ILD’s) would perform in combination with each other no matter how you design the top two layers.

Phoenix