In anticipation of my eventual configuration and the desire to protect the latex layers for as long as possible but also feel the latex doing its magic, do you think this cover would protect it from the forces which seek to destroy it? Or would you go also put an allerzip waterproof mattress encasement over that? Maybe that is overkill, I donât know. To me just the mattress cover with stretch to it seemed ideal and I would avoid the mattress encasement and just use a waterproof pad on the top. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
All foams will need protection from the mechanical abrasive forces, outside added materials (body oils, skin cells, fluids, etc.) as well as protection from UV rays and oxidation. Most foams will already have anti-oxidants blended into them, but youâll still want to use a good covering. There are a myriad of mattress encasements available, with the most flexible generally being some sort of a cotton/polyester/viscose blended with something like elastin. These will interfere less with the point elasticity of your very soft latex later.
Youâll always want a good mattress cover for protection from wear and âthe elementsâ, as well as helping to hold the materials together. DIYNaturalBedding had some interesting comments a few years ago about some of their latex samples and noted that the latex using a double wool batting and cotton cover showed the least amount of discoloration, followed by their latex using a single layer of wool with a cotton cover. Both showed minimal discoloration (some of which of course is normal). Of course your mattress will also have a mattress pad, fitted sheet, flat sheet, blanket and comforter upon it during the day as well. Iâm not familiar with the encasement youâre describing, but maybe someone here on the forum here is and can provide you some feedback.
If you want to look at some other options, you may wish to look at some of the cover suppliers listed in the component post here.
Thank you Phoenix, that is very helpful! I am looking around at the various links to covers. Just so I understand correctly, the mattress could benefit from a waterproof pad on top, but the latex still needs to breath correct? My thoughts were to order a cotton blend cover and a separate waterproof pad for the top only. I see some encasements made of a thin plastic(?) ,which waterproof the entire bed. Is that necessarily better with latex in regards to preserving longevity? I am thinking the answer will be no, since you just referred to a cover of wool and cotton, both of which are very breathable.
Some of the covers I am interested in have measurements of 38" by 74". The problem being my layers are 38" by 75". I am doubting the lack of an inch will be a big issue? I would think cotton-polyester would stretch. Maybe if someone out there has experienced this, they could chime in. Thank you very much!
You can read more about mattress protectors in post #89 here, and here. A polyurethane film for the upper layer would generally be preferable over plastic, as the polyurethane film will allow for some breathability and be more flexible that the plastic, but still be waterproof.
As for the dimensions, both your cover and your latex will have some âgiveâ, so I wouldnât have much of a concern. Also, having a bit of a snug fit will assist with keeping things in place (although latex doesnât tend to travel too much due to its higher coefficient of friction).
That is very helpful information. I ended up purchasing a 9 inch stretch cotton-polyester blend cover, which appears to be of good quality. I wanted to feel as much of the latex as I could so decided not to go too stiff on the cover. This size leaves me the option to put my 20 ild, 28 ild layer and 35 poly layer inside, but also to switch out the poly layer on the bottom for 3 inches latex for a full latex build. I might do this someday, depending on how long the poly lasts or if I get adventurous. Right now I am waiting on my 28 ild middle layer in the mail, which will be here in two days. I did buy a mattress protector with a polyurethane film as well.
While I wait to assemble my bed I was wondering ( for future reference) if you could enlighten me as to the safest way to soften OR firm up a mattress of latex made in the 3 layer config. I know I am getting ahead of myself here but in case the situation arises, what is the difference from adjusting from the bottom up vs. the top down? This is assuming I only have a 9 inch mattress cover to work with, which is true. Letâs say I had s-m-f, and wanted to soften the bed but not risk alignment. Would the safest bet be switching out the firm bottom for a medium? On top I obviously canât go softer than soft, and switching the medium out for a soft Iâve already experienced to be too soft( with two softs). Iâve been told by another source that changes made to the bottom are like half changes in feel, not sure how accurate that is. Or conversely if I wanted to go firmer it would be easier since I would already own a medium and could put the soft in the middle layer I suppose. I canât foresee having to do these changes at this point but it might be nice to know I knew what options I had if I did have to. I suppose the biggest advantage of the 3 layer system is these adjustments, and having one soft-medium and firm may offer at least 2 or 3 adjustments. Although you probably would not want to put a soft on the bottom I read on this forum, since it would be a waste of a soft. Thanks for any information, I canât seem to find an exact answer in my search thus far.
In general, changes made to the uppermost layers of a mattress will have a more dramatic effect on the perception of softness versus changes made in the deeper layers. In the hypothetical you described, changing the transition layer to a lower 20s ILD in Talalay or Dunlop would create a bit of a softer feel. Changing to a softer support core would also result in the mattress feeling a bit softer, but there would be a larger potential for a negative impact upon alignment.
this has been my experience with memory foam as well. anything less than the ultra high densities such as those used in the tempurpedic etc seem to provide barely any support at all for someone of my BMI (185lbs, 6â1"). I melt right through my Addableâs 2" 4lb gel memfoam layer making it mostly worthless at best and a hammocking risk at worst.
maybe memfoam is good when you put something between it and your body to prevent it from getting warm and melting too much, but idk most memory foam mattress layers seem like just a gimmick to me.
All memory foam is generally quite plush (usually low to mid-teens in ILD), and a higher density isnât necessarily a âfirmerâ memory foam (there really isnât a memory foam used in mattress construction that would be considered âfirmâ). When memory foam mattresses are described as âfirmâ, this is mostly a function of the combination of materials beneath the memory foam. Memory foam can be manufactured with different speeds of response and sensitivity to temperature, and there are brands whose 5 lb memory foam actually has a âfirmerâ feel than their 7 lb memory foam. But expecting a memory foam layer to be supportive would be incorrect, as that is not what the product is designed to do.
While I understand your opinion, most memory foam mattress layers certainly arenât âa gimmickâ, but a legitimate comfort layer used within a mattress whose durability is mostly density-dependent, and like any other comfort layer the overall comfort provided depends upon the thickness, ILD, ordering and combination with other materials within a finished mattress, and the preference for such, like any other comfort material, is subjective and personal.
I have run into a hiccup on my DIY hybrid latex mattress build. I was wondering if I could get a few suggestions. The 19-22 layer over the 28-32 layer is causing a lot of pressure in my shoulders, to the point where I canât stay asleep at night. Itâs quite painful really. I think at my weight and pressure point issues itâs just too firm. So my set-up once again is 4 inch 35 ild poly foam, 3 inch 28-32 ild natural talalay latex, 3 inch 19-22 ild latex. Iâm not sure if I should return the 28 layer and change it out for a 23-27 in 2 or 3 inch. Or maybe add another 2 inches of 19-22 on top and keep the 28. Iâve been struggling to make latex work for me for around 3 weeks now. Iâm not sure how much longer I can hang in there, as itâs causing some pretty moderate sleep disturbances at this point. I sometimes wonder if I should have just done two 19-22 ild softs over my poly foam but I didnât want to risk alignment.
I suppose it doesnât help that Iâm trying to keep it at 9 -10 inches to fit in a mattress case, so my options are limited. If I ditch the poly base foam, then I would have more wiggle room but also more expense. I also have less experience with full latex than building off a poly base at this point, so everything I know would go out the window.
If you think you need just a bit more plushness, then your idea of adding a few more inches of plush Talalay on top could be a good solution. This would keep your âdeeper supportâ consistent. Commonly the solution in situations like this would be to add a little more thickness to the surface (to isolate you a little more from the firmer transition layer).
If youâre going to stay within the limitations of your mattress encasement, then switching to the 23-27 ILD would be the next most logical option. With the size of your mattress, I donât know if you have enough material to fold over your current plush Talalay upper layer to see what that might feel like on top of your polyfoam core using two 19 ILD layers.
If you end up replacing your polyfoam core with latex, you would be basically starting over with your DIY experiment, as youâd be impacting your deeper support characteristics as well as your overall levels of comfort.
While you may have run across this information previously, Iâll include it here as I know you are always interested in learning:
When you are dealing with pressure relief issues (typically numbness, tingling, limbs falling asleep, etc.) then itâs usually about the thickness and softness of the upper layers of your mattress and the âcradleâ that is formed when you sink IN to the top layers.
If the more âpointyâ parts of your body are bearing too much weight (what are called âbony prominencesâ) then you would have pressure issues because the parts of your body with more surface area would not be in firm enough contact with the mattress and would be bearing too little weight to relieve the pressure on your bony prominences.
In other words, the upper layers are about âallowingâ enough sinking in to create the mattress cradle which is a larger area of surface contact with the mattress to relieve pressure and support the recessed areas of the spine. The deeper layers are about controlling any further compression than necessary for pressure relief to âhold upâ the heavier parts of the body and keep the spine in its range of natural alignment. The amount of sinking allowed by lower layers has less effect on pressure relief in other words (in most types of mattress construction) but controls alignment. This is why when people change the firmness of upper layers to solve support issues or the lower layers to solve pressure relief issues they will often create new issues and may not solve the issue they are trying to âfixâ. This is also why describing a mattress as a whole as either soft or firm can be very misleading because all mattresses need some of both. There is some much more detailed information on shoulder and arm issues in posts #2 and #3 here.
By the way. I did fold over my 19-22 ild topper lengthwise. I laid there for about 10 minutes on my side, absolutely no pressure in my shoulder and a real feeling of being almost weightless. It was pretty enlightening really. I was uncertain whether it would allow the occasional back sleeping but felt more supportive that I thought.
Iâm glad you had enough material to try that out. You can put those results in your âreal worldâ testing to help you decide which way to proceed.
Hello, I was reading some posts here and coming across yours notice we are on somewhat similar paths. If there is a mattress store around you that carry the latex bliss line (to get a feel of the different latex layers) they have one called the Beautiful that is a 6" 36 ild blended core, 3" 24 ild, and 3" 19 ild atop (all Talalay Globalâthough I am going to use Radium.) This is an extremely plush mattress that still has great support, and it seems like your layers are lining up close to this. They also have one called the Nature that is 6" 36 ild, 2" 28 ild, 2" 22 ild, which seems closer to what you might be feeling now, and that setup is a lot firmer. I am a side sleeper with shoulder issues and the Nature still causes some pressure points but the Beautifulâs setup is a very good one, I think. My only concern is Iâve never owned a bed with a plush comfort layer, the Nature feels more like a ânormalâ bed, rather flat, but with some comfort layer, while the Beautiful is luxurious. I am going to most likely go with Radiumâs s9 (40 ild) for a 6" core and 3" s6 (25 ild) with 3" s4 (19 ild) on top, but it was suggested to me to buy the layers separately to get a feel of each one, I may only need the core and the 25 ild comfort, but can always then buy the 19 ild as I think this is going to be the setup I want. As far as covers, I have read that while the thick wool covers decrease some of the conforming features it really helps increase the lifespan of the latex, I have considered a wool cover for the 2 layers then a stretch knit topper cover for the last one. I hope this is of some use to you and wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thanks for relaying your experience with Pure Talalay Bliss. I personally have never tried that line, but see there is a dealer about 3 hours from me. I have however done some looking into the layering and ILDâs they use in their mattresses, just for a frame of reference. Just a guess, but I think the Nature model would probably be too firm for me, given the 19-28 layering over 35 ild poly foam was. Itâs possible the 36 ild latex on the bottom of that would soften it up a bit, but I didnât want to chance it. I have a layer of approximately 24 ild coming next week so I think this will tell me a lot in my testing. My intuition tells me I need under 25 ild latex in the first 6 inches of layers for my shoulder to sink in enough. It looks like the beautiful model goes down to 3 inches of 15 ild over 3 inches of 24. I think for durability concerns (at least for myself) I choose not to go below 19. I want the mattress to last a good long while. I think my 19 over 24 will work out, but if it doesnât I plan on ordering an additional 2 inches of 19 to put on the top. I have a layer of 28 Iâm considering sending back for a refund, but Iâll wait to get the 24 layer and see how they all intermix with each other. Thanks for your reply, and I do think something that falls close to the beautiful would probably be my preference as well.
As a side note, I found something called a mattress insert, which can be placed between layers in a latex bed in the hip section. Supposedly it spreads out the weight of the heaviest part of the body( for many people) to a wider surface area, so keeps sinkage down. I liken it to a DIY zoning, and probably the cheapest way. This insert is 1 inch thick, made out of stiff plastic and around the size of an extra large cutting board. If I have to I will resort to inserting this between layers 2 and 3( if I decide to go with a 3 layer system) to retain alignment while getting the soft bed I need for my shoulder. I plan on making my own out of stiff poly foam of 50-100 ILD, however.
Good luck with your latex configuration!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well!
By the way Alpharalpha, I also used Radium and am quite satisfied with the quality. I think itâs smart to cover your latex as you stated as well. I went with a cotton-poly stretch knit cover, itâs pretty thick and looks like it should preserve the latex without the need for wool on top.