After doing a lot of reading, I’m considering a queen ultimate dreams latex mattress form amazon. The 10" talalay over foam looks good to me except that the foam is 1.5 lb not 2 lb. They also have a queen natural latex that does have the 2lb base foam. But the top layer there is dunlop not talalay and I’ve been reading that talalay is better. The price difference is not a factor for me, which would you choose between the two? I like firm mattresses and I worry about the lesser density core being more likely to sag. Is that .5 lb difference a big deal?
Hi sarak310,
I wouldn’t consider Talalay to be better than Dunlop or the other way around. They are just different and have a different “feel” and the choice between them would be a preference choice more than anything else. Some people will prefer the feel of one and some prefer the other. There is more about the differences between them in post #7 here.
In most cases the weak link of a mattress is in the upper layers which are the layers that take up most of the compression forces and are the most subject to wear and tear and softening and the deeper layers will have a less significant effect on durability. There is more about all the variables that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.
Having said that … it also depends on your weight and body type because higher weights or body types where weight is more concentrated in one part of the body (such as those who have a more pear shaped body) will compress the layers below the latex more than those who are in lower weight ranges and in these cases the support layers will play a bigger role in the overall durability and useful life of a mattress. A reasonable weight range where I would strongly consider a higher density support core would be once you are in the lower 200 lb weight range or higher.
Of course it will make “some difference” anyway but the differences would be more significant in higher weight ranges so for those in more average or lower weight ranges any smaller difference in durability may not be worth the tradeoff in price compared to say some of the Brooklyn Bedding latex hybrids which have exchangeable Talalay latex comfort layers and use a more durable 2.17 lb polyfoam as the base layer.
Phoenix