Hi bmcken1829.
Thanks for the additional info. Good to hear you explored a few options on your mattress testing trip.
I understand your “disappointment that you couldn’t be provided with the ILD’s” but some manufacturers consider the ILD information proprietary. They are probably well aware that the only reason that a potential customer would need ILD information is to “duplicate” the mattress elsewhere because ILD is a “comfort spec” not a “quality spec” and has no bearing on the quality or value of the mattress
While the specs that affect the quality and durability of the layers and components are important to know … when you are testing a mattress locally then having the number of the “comfort specs” such as ILD/IFD isn’t really necessary or even an important part of transparency because with careful testing your body will tell you much more about whether any specific combination of layers or components or any specific mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) than knowing the ILD/IFD of the individual layers regardless of what the actual numbers may be. The firmness “word ratings” can suffice but there are a few other factors that come into play
This is a bit more that you may want to know but it is worth noting that the ILD rating is never an exact number, and how it is represented in ILD is determined by the foam manufacturer (the ranges they decide to produce) or even how the reseller wants to advertise it. You can see the ILD numbers and the “word ratings” that Talalay Global (who makes the Talatech blended and natural latex) here. Talalay Global calls their softest natural Talalay N1, with a range of 14-19.99 ILD. There can be a bit more slight variation in ILD for a blended versus natural Talalay core, although the range of +/- 2 or so for the ILD is quite standard. Also, Dunlop and Talalay aren’t directly comparable in terms of firmness using only ILD numbers because there are several factors that can affect how soft or firm a mattress (or an individual layer) feels besides just the ILD of the material (see post #4 here)
Dunlop and Talalay that are the same thickness and ILD won’t feel the same in terms of their firmness for most people because they have a different response curve and compression modulus (how quickly a material becomes firmer as you sink into it more deeply). There is more about the difference between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here.
In the choices you mentioned the 19 ILD Talalay over 34 ILD Dunlop would be softer feeling and plusher than the 22 ILD However, I wouldn’t be able to tell you which one you might find more suitable for you as that is subjective. As you already noticed when you are testing a mattress locally … your own experience is much more meaningful than the ILD numbers that are attached to your experience and there are many people who pay too much attention to ILD numbers (which by themselves say little because other specs such as compression modulus, layer thickness, point elasticity, and others are just as important to how soft or firm a mattress feels than ILD specs alone). There is more about this in post #2 here.
Some of the “cheap” metal grid foundations may not be the best choice for your mattress, but you didn’t link to which one you were considering so I can’t comment upon that. Some wire grid metal platform bedframes can also work well as the metal is very strong and as long as the surface area is enough and the wires are close enough together to ensure that the mattress doesn’t sag through or damage the base. There is a variety of different designs and some use more or less steel of different gauges so here too quality usually determines price.
The amount of “cooling” that the wool cover material would provide is “in line” with temperature regulating products You can read more about phase change materials in post #9 here . There is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range. Latex itself is a quite breathable material.
Phoenix