I have a platform frame with tatami mats http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1EXCI1iRbPHuzOWWfYj4TRE_uN1bz1GNKlllztGtjmN95QkKa and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice as to whether or not I should get
the 2 inch topper made of wool
or the 3 inch topper made of wool
http://www.thefutonshop.com/3-inch-Soft-Organic-Wool-Mattress-Topper/p/731/6224 ?
And also if I need the latex pad as well?
Hi Siren,
The main difference between a 2" topper and a 3" topper of the same material is that the thicker topper will be softer and more pressure relieving.
I looked at the links for the two futon shop wool toppers and it seems odd to me that the 3" topper has either the same or less wool in it than the 3" topper (usually thicker toppers have more wool). I would call and ask them if this is correct. There is also more about wool toppers in post #3 here. They will tend to feel a little firmer and less resilient and less contouring than soft foam toppers like latex but they are also more breathable and temperature regulating.
I’m not sure if you have a mattress or not but all of these are meant more as toppers to go on top of a mattress and would feel very firm and likely bottom out if you used them directly on top of your platform bed.
Phoenix
Thank you Phoenix,
I’m currently sleeping on a board, with cardboard over that, and 1" foam pad.
My fiancé sleeps on a 2-3" futon mattress with springs on the floor.
When you say that it’ll likely be very firm and bottom out do you think that would be resolved by using a 2-3" dunlop latex pad?
We’re not going to put it on the bare bed slats. We have tatami mats that may be resilient enough to sleep on bare so this is just for added comfort. We could get the 5" or 8" (this decision and our current sleeping arrangements aren’t being guided by cost, to be clear, but preference) mattress but I am worried that they will be too soft and also that they will be difficult to fold and move around the house.
I was considering a firm dunlop latex pad and then topping it with a couple inches of wool. But then I wondered whether the latex pad is even necessary if we aren’t used to a whole lot of padding normally.
Thank you for that link. He and I had already both read it before I posted. We were seriously considering the snugfleece but waffling between that and a mattress (topper).
Is it possible that this 3" topper that I’m looking at might compress down to 1-1.5" and that’s a concern? Perhaps we should get a 5" mattress. There doesn’t seem to be any difference between the mattresses and toppers this company is selling other than the thickness.
Hi Siren,
Wow … what you are both sleeping on wouldn’t work well at all or be the preference for most people but each person is unique in their own needs and preferences and what works well for one person may not work at all for others.
For most people only having 2 or 3" of foam would still be much too thin and would become too firm and/or bottom out when they sleep on it. Again though if you are comfortable with a mattress that is very firm or if a very thin mattress works for you then it would be fine for you regardless of whether it would work for other people. There is more about the effects of thickness in post #14 here.
As you mentioned … thinner layers of a flexible material would be much easier to fold and store if that is a major priority. Latex in particular is an exceptionally flexible foam.
Wool will generally compress about 30% of its thickness over time but this will also depend on the specifics of how the topper is made and tufted, the density and compression of the wool, and the type and breed of the wool. Wool becomes firmer over time (unlike foam which becomes softer as it ages) so impressions are a normal part of how wool performs over time and aren’t generally an issue that affects support although it can affect comfort.
The only way to really know which mattress or combination of materials works best for you in terms of PPP is with your own personal testing or sleeping experience.
Phoenix
Thank you for your time and advice!
I went back to the store and put the 3" topper on the floor and found it comfortable and more than sufficient. Then I put it over a 2" dunlop latex topper and it was even better! But we can always get that later after we feel how the 3" wool works on the mats.
Hi Siren,
If your body is telling you that the topper works well for you in terms of PPP then that’s more important than any “theory at a distance” or whether it may work for anyone else 
Phoenix