I have been reading the information on here and found it very helpful so far. I was wondering if anyone can provide me with some guidance regarding purchasing a cheap, but solid construction, firm mattress set and then adding a couple of inches of latex topper. My husband and I are both pretty sensitive to the chemical smell of memory foam in the conventional mattress, so we would like to get a firm with as little of the memory foam padding as possible and add a 2" or 3" latex topper. I really like the feel of latex and generally find the memory foam to let me sink in too much to a mattress (plus the unpleasant smell). This will be a main bed for only a year and will then be moved to the guest bedroom. I am a 135 lb mostly back (but sometimes side) sleeper while my husband is a 220 lb mostly side (but sometimes back) sleeper. Here are my questions:
I would like a recommendation for a cheap, but solid construction, firm mattress set. We are looking at queen size. I am more concerned with it having motion isolation, good coil count, good construction, than the feel of the mattress, given that we will be putting a layer on top. We’ve looked at brands like Denver Mattress, Lebeda, and the major Serta, Simmons, and Sealy, but find that many show rooms do not showcase their firm beds. From the footwork we’ve done, stores show firm sets starting around $400-500 dollars, but we’ve seen many online for $250-350. Given how little information the manufactures give, I was hoping that someone could provide some insight on a good basic product.
Given our weights and sleeping style, what thickness and ILD of latex would you recommend? I was thinking of getting either the 2" or 3" soft (~20) in a natural dunlop. We tried a latex bed at Lebeda which was 24 ILD and I found it to be a little firm to me, while my husband found it way too firm.
We would like to spend 600-700 dollars on this set up total, but I’m not sure that is possible given the expense of many of the latex toppers. Alternatively, we were considering getting two layers of latex (a 3" firm layer and a 3" med/soft) to make a basic latex bed until we can afford more, and then add layers as money becomes less of an issue. I think that 6" (3 firm, 3 med/soft) would be ample support for me, but I’m not sure about my 220 lb husband.
There are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to make specific mattress recommendations for someone else based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). I also don’t keep a list of all the mattresses available in any specific area based on their specs because it would be impossible to keep up with and is constantly changing … but if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know of any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area where you may be able to find a mattress that meets your criteria.
I would also tend to avoid buying a firmer mattress and then adding a separate topper afterwards unless there is no other reasonable alternative or unless you have a chance to to do some careful and objective testing for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) on the specific combination in person using the testing guidelines in the mattress shopping tutorial. Deciding on a topper that would be a good match for both you and the mattress (the specifics of the mattress can make a significant difference in which topper would work best for you) can be almost as challenging as buying a new mattress in the first place.
In most cases you will also find that it’s less costly to buy a mattress from a good manufacturer or retailer that doesn’t have any lower quality materials or “weak links” inside it (that you are paying for) in the base mattress and that already contains the layer or materials that you would otherwise be adding as a topper.
If you do decide to go ahead with the additional uncertainty of buying a mattress and a topper separately then I would suggest buying the mattress first and then adding a topper that you think would work well for you after you’ve tried it and based on the information in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to that can help you use your actual sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline for choosing the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that would have the least possible risk and best chance of success.
If you choose a suitable topper and the mattress/topper combination is a good match for you in terms of PPP then it would also have the advantage of being able to replace just the topper if it softens or breaks down before the top foam layers in the mattress (the top layers of a sleeping system tend to be the ones that soften or break down first) or if your needs or preferences change over time. A topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it.
Thank you for the information. We are located in the Kansas City/St. Joseph MO area. The reason we were thinking of buying a mattress and adding a separate topper is that all the mattresses we encountered with a layer of latex on top were much more expensive for a smaller layer of latex (3/4 of an inch or so) and often included some kind of memory foam as well. Additionally, we figured we could get better value with more knowledge of the materials by adding our own. We agree though that it would be ideal to find a reasonably priced bed where we didn’t have to add a topper.
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Kansas City / St Joseph area are listed in post #2 here.
The tutorial post also includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online and there are also some good innerspring options available there as well if you are comfortable with an online choice.