Currently Trying out Latex Hybrid Mattress, Could Use Some Tips/Advice

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I’m currently trying out a Sleep Ez Latex Hybrid Mattress. Been sleeping on it for about a month. When it first arrived I took an excellent nap on the firmer side and was excited for a night’s rest. Unfortunately I’ve only gotten about two nights of sleep where I woke up feeling good and not in some pain (some nights I have trouble getting comfortable throughout the night). And one of the good nights included using my wool topper on the firmer side. So basically I find the firmer side too firm especially for my side and the softer side I feel like I sink in too much.

The pain I’m getting is usually sore shoulders and lower back pain. I talked with sleep ez and they suggested I try a medium 2" talalay topper for the firm side and I’ve been giving that a go the last couple nights, but it still doesn’t feel right. I weigh about 195 lbs and am 6ft tall. Usually a back sleeper, with occasional side sleeping.

My previous/actual current mattress was a cheaper Mattress Firm mattress that I ended up getting a wool topper for and eventually adding another wool topper so I could feel comfortable. I’ve had that mattress about 3 years and did get a good night’s rest often, but it had started to feel like it wasn’t supporting me well and also always felt too firm in a way hence the toppers. I believe from looking up it specs they are as follows:
Quilting Layers:
• Fire retardant fiber
• 2 Layers of 7/8" Super Soft Quilt Foam
• 7/16" Super Soft Quilt Foam

Comfort Layers:
• 1.75" High Density Soft Support Foam
• Gel Infused Memory Foam Zone
• Versare
• 1.75" Shock Absorbing Base Foam

Support System:
• 528/650 F/E Lura-Flex Coils
• 5.5" Foam Encased Rails

I know y’all don’t give specific recommendations usually but I just wondering what direction I might wanna look in next. I’ve also tried the tuft and needle memory foam mattress and a Brentwood Home Oceano memory foam hybrid in the last year and wasn’t a huge fan and they both felt too hard for me.

I’m somewhat limited by my local options living in Bloomington, Indiana and haven’t found a mattress I thoroughly enjoy locally, but would be open to some travel. I did find one local cheaper mattress that felt pretty comfortable, but I’m worried about quality and how long it would last. Its specs listed online were:
.75" high-density quilt foam
2.5" high-density body foam
High-density gel memory foam for lumbar support
.25" firming pad
13-gauge Bonnell coil unit with 390 individual power packed wrapped coils

Anyway, I’ve learned a lot perusing the forum and appreciate any and all help.

Thanks,
Evan

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Hey Evan,

Welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile: ! Thanks for your question.

trusted memberThanks for your support of Sleep EZ . Sorry to learn of your sore shoulders/ lower back pain discomfort, Evan; is this a carry over from your previous mattress or a new development? Good to hear that you have reached out to Sleep EZ and attempted to resolve your comfort issues with their help.

If you found the 2" dunlop latex side of the Select Sleep Latex Hybrid too firm for your side sleeping profile and the 3" plush side too soft/ sinking in too much, it would seem that the 2" medium Talalay topper would be closer to the feeling of comfort you seek. Could you describe briefly what “still doesn’t feel quite right” means? Also in terms of your body profile, how is your weight distributed? What are you using as a foundation?

My previous/ actual current mattress was a cheaper Mattress Firm mattress that I ended ups getting a wool topper for and eventually adding another wool topper so I could feel comfortable. I’ve had that mattress about 3 years and did get a good night’s rest often, but it had started to feel like it wasn’t supporting me well and also always felt too firm in a way hence the toppers. I believe from looking up it specs they are as follows:

Quilting Layers:
• Fire retardant fiber
• 2 Layers of 7/8" Super Soft Quilt Foam
• 7/16" Super Soft Quilt Foam

Comfort Layers:
• 1.75" High Density Soft Support Foam
• Gel Infused Memory Foam Zone
• Versare
• 1.75" Shock Absorbing Base Foam

Support System:
• 528/650 F/E Lura-Flex Coils
• 5.5" Foam Encased Rails

Which Mattress Firm mattress do you have and what size is it, Evan? Besides feeling “too firm”, are there qualities that you did like about the mattress? Do you like the feel of memory foam/ HD poly foam as opposed to latex? Generally speaking, memory foam’s slow response nature of forming itself around your body’s profile, creating the feeling of “sinking into” the mattress can be appealing to those who do not move around or change positions often during the night/ If possible, you may consider having someone snap some pics of you in both back and side sleeping positions on both mattresses to get a visual of how your shoulders and back are aligning in each case and get a better idea of where the pressure point impacts are on what parts of the mattresses.

Yes unfortunately we cannot give specific recommendations as only you can “feel” what you feel on any given mattress and there are countless options available out there. We are happy to guide you through the research process and offer thought-starting encouragement for consideration. Also, feel free to query any of the TMU trusted members as they have many years experience pairing consumers with best-suited mattress choices, based on their deep understanding of their component specialties.

.75" high-density quilt foam
2.5" high-density body foam
High-density gel memory foam for lumbar support
.25" firming pad
13-gauge Bonnell coil unit with 390 individual power packed wrapped coils

This mattress may have felt pretty comfortable initially, but considering the specs and your slightly higher BMI,long-term durability could be a consideration here. If you prefer the feel of innersprings in a mattress, a good quality pocket support core is a better option long-term from a performance standpoint.

Thanks for your kind words on the site, they are much appreciated! You are doing a good job with your mattress testing and research, Evan and your patience will be rewarded with a mattress more suited to your preferences. Looking forward to hearing which way you decide to go and best of luck.

Thanks,
Sensei

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Hey Sensei, thanks for getting back to me!

My current mattress is a Hampton & Rhodes HR420S Plush. Queen size and I’ve been using a wooden slatted base, with slats no more than 3" apart. Saying it’s too firm might not be as accurate as saying it just doesn’t feel supportive enough. It does feel softer especially when side sleeping compared to the firm side of the latex hybrid, but the hybrid did feel more supportive when sleeping on my back, but still too firm. When I added the 2" medium latex topper to the hybrid I felt like I was sinking in too much which is making me think I might not be fully into the idea of latex, or at least being sunk into it.

The couple of memory foam (one all foam, another hybrid) mattresses I tried at home felt too hard (do some memory foams feel softer?). But I’m still open to whatever will work for me.

I feel like I have a very average build with maybe a little more weight in shoulders and hips. Some of pain issues were from the current mattress, but the new hybrid mattress helped some and gave me others. On the firm side, two nights when I actually could sleep well on it, I woke up feeling good. But usually it just feels too firm for me to get comfortable, especially on side. I feel like I want something slightly less firm. On the softer side I noticeably sink in and even though I can get comfortable, wake up with sore legs and sometimes lower back pain from where my back sinks in.

I will take your advice and snap some pics.

Thanks for the help so far!

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Hey Eagorn,

Thanks for your reply :slight_smile: .

Does your wooden slatted base have center support? How wide/ what thickness are the slats and what type wood are they? You could experiment with whether the foundation itself is supporting your weight correctly by placing the mattress on the floor for a couple of night’s sleep. That would also clear up whether the mattress itself is failing to provide correct back support for your needs.

When you lie on a memory foam mattress, it will soften with heat and pressure and become semi solid. It is less open-celled than other foams, so the air inside the foam takes more time to both move away from pressure and also to come back “on the rebound”. This transformation from elastic behavior to viscous (liquid) behavior and back again, in combination with the more closed cell structure of the foam results in a slower response to changing pressure and shape and is why it is referred to as a “slow response foam”. As memory foam requires body heat to become viscous enough to “flow”, the “unmelted” areas of foam that are further away from your body will be firmer and resist pressure without “flowing away” from that pressure. This generally results in a “stable cradle” of material that feels “softer” close to you while it remains “firmer” further away from you. Memory foam is well-known for giving the feeling of “sinking into” a mattress, and without knowing the other components involved, the “too hard” feeling you describe may be a result of other factors, including the mattress’s support system.

Sorry to hear that you continue to have various pain issues, Eagorn; these must be quite frustrating to sort through and manage, but you are doing a good job with your patience and research, keep up the good work :slight_smile: ! Looking forward to your reply and feel free to share your pics when you have a chance.

Thanks,
Sensei