Hi Mattress4Matt,
You certainly made a great quality/value choice but I’m sorry to hear that your mattress didn’t work out as well as you hoped. The good news is that Brooklyn Bedding has a great trial period and refund policy so that you can return the mattress for a refund and start over again to find a mattress that is a better “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences).
Latex in general is “good” at motion isolation but it’s not as good as memory foam so it’s not surprising that you are experiencing more motion transfer than you would with a pocket coil mattress with memory foam comfort layers. Your “poor” rating is probably because you are using a reference point that comes from sleeping on memory foam because in general terms most people that sleep on latex don’t have motion transfer issues but of course some people are more sensitive to this than others.
Most of what you feel on a mattress will come from the top layers so if you were to purchase another mattress with top layers that have the same general firmness from another manufacturer it would most likely have the same firmness rating. The top two layers of latex in their firm version would be firmer.
Having said that … I would also keep in mind that there are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for mattress firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer.
Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
Probably not … at least not by itself. All the layers and components in a mattress (including the cover) will have an effect on every other layer and component above and below it and on the mattress “as a whole” so if a particular mattress isn’t a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, or PPP then it’s generally the result of the combined effect of all the layers and components in the mattress not just a single one.
Stomach sleepers will generally tend to do better with a firmer mattress to reduce the risk of the hips and pelvis sinking down too far and sleeping in a swayback position (which leads to back pain and discomfort) so your experience could be a result of the thickness/firmness of the upper layers and/or the firmness of the deeper layers but it’s much more likely to be a combination of how all the layers and components interact together with your body type and sleeping style.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
If you are looking at online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be worth considering.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
Phoenix