After looking at mattresses online, I have come to the conclusion that I want to build one myself with my personal preferences. A Hybrid Latex build.
A little bit about me, I am 5’10 and 180 pounds. About 50/50 back sleeper and side sleeper. I like a firmer bed for the support as it feels much better when sleeping on my back. However, with the research I have been doing, I have found out that a more plush bed is better for side sleepers. This may ease some shoulder pain I get. With that being said, this has left me very conflicted with the type latex foam I want to get and keep changing my mind. I decided to come to the professionals for some guidance. Everything I am looking at getting is from the Arizona Premium Mattress store.
I am looking at the Combi-Zone Pocket Coil by Leggett and Platt. I was thinking of changing to the 6inch Bolsa coils to save some money, but if they are a lot better, I would rather spend the extra on the combi-zone. Thoughts?
For the latex layers, I am very conflicted on what I want to get now. I was originally thinking 2 inches of Dunlop and 2 inches of blended Talalay leaving me with a 12inch mattress, but very unsure on the ILDs that I would want. My thought was to get a firmer Dunlop for the bottom, but then I noticed the coils are considered “firm” and not sure if this would end up being too firm. Will 4 inches be enough latex? What got me thinking further was the wavy Dunlop you can flip over, but I wasn’t sure it was would cause more heat with it being solid latex.
Lastly, the cover. I didn’t think this was going to be a hard decision, but the more I read, the more I keep switching between wool and cotton. I want one that protects the mattress well, but also allows ample air flow to keep it cool as possible (gets hot in the summer). With this being said, I was leaning more towards the Organic Cotton cover. I feel like this one may be thinner to allow more air and also get me closer to the Latex instead of the bamboo wool cover. Is this the case?
Sorry for the long post, I tried to keep it short.
All excellent questions. Combi zone or Bolsa, no wrong choice. Combi is better for back sleepers however the Bolsa is better for side sleepers. Either will work if you go with the Wavy topper and follow it up with a Soft Talalay topper. That gives you the flexibility to move the layers in case you need to tweak the feel.
Both springs are firm overall, the bolsa just doesn’t have the extra lumbar zoning. Even solid latex breathes because it’s open cell foam. I would also choose the Organic cotton cover because it puts you closer to the latex and might also be slightly cooler although the bamboo breathes very well also.
Final thought, sleeping on your side is the best way to sleep but most can’t sleep in that position for very long because of pressure points in hips and shoulders. Eliminate the pressure points with a soft mattress and you will sleep through the night in one position which is why I recommend soft for the top layer.
Thank you, Ken for the response. All very helpful information.
I need to think about the coils as you have bought up great points for each and now I am leaning back towards the Bolsa coils. I will definitely be going with the wavy topper knowing that it is still breathable and follow up with a Talalay topper on top. I was originally looking at the Medium 28 ILD blended Talalay, but will look into the soft 19 ILD instead. Sounds like the cotton cover will be exactly what I was looking for.
In general, 4 inches of latex enough? I was trying to keep it to a 12 inch mattress with 8 of it being the coils leaving 4 inches for latex. Now that I am leaning back towards the Bolsa coils, I might go with a 4 inch blended soft Talalay with the 2 inch wavy. I just dont want it to be too soft on top and not have enough support.
[quote=“Arizona Premium” post=79924]All excellent questions. Combi zone or Bolsa, no wrong choice. Combi is better for back sleepers however the Bolsa is better for side sleepers. Either will work if you go with the Wavy topper and follow it up with a Soft Talalay topper. That gives you the flexibility to move the layers in case you need to tweak the feel.
Both springs are firm overall, the bolsa just doesn’t have the extra lumbar zoning. Even solid latex breathes because it’s open cell foam. I would also choose the Organic cotton cover because it puts you closer to the latex and might also be slightly cooler although the bamboo breathes very well also.
Final thought, sleeping on your side is the best way to sleep but most can’t sleep in that position for very long because of pressure points in hips and shoulders. Eliminate the pressure points with a soft mattress and you will sleep through the night in one position which is why I recommend soft for the top layer.
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Very helpful reply
Sorry to hijack this thread.
Hi Ken,
I have seen your 31 ILD poly foam base on your website. Could you tell me what the firmness equivalent in blended talalay latex would be in a similar 6 inch base. From what I understand poly foam will feel roughly 20% firmer, or so. Does that then bring one to the conclusion that a 36 ILD talalay base would bring a similar amount of firmness-support, to the 31 poly foam? Thank you.
Hey guys gonna jump in here for my first post. Really grateful that this place exists and excited to get a great mattress soon.
Would the Bolsa coils be a better idea for someone who is looking to do 5 inches of foam.
I currently own a 6", half poly half Dunlop that I purchased from foamoder 15 years ago. I’ll have to open in up for a closer look but the Dunlop used in the top layer is n28. Could it still be good? Is frankenmattress viable?
Im contemplating a setup with 6" coils and 5 inch foam so obviously would want to close the deal with 2" Talalay. Have customers ordered this set up in the past? Is my idea out of left field?
The big ideas here is that 6" gives me some coil foundation but allows for more progressive layering. I already own a piece of Dunlop that might still be in good shape and suitable as a transition layer. From there just two inch of Talalay to close the deal. There’s a lot to figure out and obviously I’ll have to find some showrooms that will allow me to get a feel for what is best for me.
Also does the 6" Bolsa coils have lumbar zoning like the 8" l&p? If not, can an advanced slatting system like the one pictured help overcome that deficiency?
We’ve done all kinds of configurations using this Bolsa spring as a starting point. As far as your foamorder bed I’m afraid that the dunlop is probably glued to the foam base and as such you will have a difficult time removing it without massive tearing.
Adding a couple layers of latex over the coil spring is very common here. Usually a medium layer followed by a soft layer but it really depends on your weight and favorite sleeping position.
If you are mainly a side sleeper then not having the zoning could be more beneficial. The lumbar support is mostly for back and stomach sleepers. If you did need the lumbar then yes, that base will work or you could just upgrade to the Combi Zone coil and then the base won’t matter as much.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m 6’1" about 180. I prefer back sleeping but will go to my side from time to time.
My plan is to start by adding two inches Talalay topper to my current foam set up. I’d like to get a cheap zip up case to marry all the layers together best I can as my current foam order setup is inside a bamboo zip up case that is made for 6" and I don’t suppose jamming two more inches of foam in there would be a good idea. Since this would be a trial run I’m not looking to invest in a premium case just yet. Will any zip up mattress case work just to keep the three layers of foam in? Can you recommend some quick and dirty cases to get me through in the short term?
First off I do prefer to be flat on back but with the option to side sleep. The low profile nature of this one intrigues me for back sleeping and I can always put another one on top of it to side sleep. Regarding latex pillows is there a general material and density that you think works best. Obviously I think a medium firm is best but how would you have no idea what medium firm means to me. The amazon listing just says latex, doesn’t mention type or ild
Secondly it looks like they laser cut the edges to give it a contour shape. Is this something you could do for a mattress topper?
First thing I would find out about this pillow is where is it made. Latex pillows from China, lets just say that the quality is usually extremely poor and inconsistent. Pillows are an extremely personal choice and it’s something that almost has to be tried before you buy. Most of the latex pillows we offer we only offer in store because of that reason.
When I view a cross cut of the avocado green mattress i see they have a 1" layer of “soft” (14-19 ild) Dunlop beneath the 8" l&p coils and then 2" of the same Dunlop on top. Can you speculate in general why an inch beneath coils is useful and why soft foam?
Not really sure why they do it but I can tell you that only 2" over the coil is simply not enough. In most cases you will sink through it and feel the coils which is why we put a 3" layer over the coils instead of just two. There is a big difference in how a 2" feels vs. 3".
So 2" you will feel the coils even with the plush bamboo mattress case? And a padded mattress cover on top?
I realize you can’t feel it for me and we’re in a subjective theoretical space here but better to be having this convo here on the forums than to hem and haw over the phone. I’m trying to keep mattress height under 9" (don’t ask) but can go 10 if needed.
I’m guessing in the case of avocado green mattress they’re counting on the wool batting taking the sting out of the coils, allowing for a 2" comfort foam layer to suffice, which I’m guessing it could (for a few years). Can you think of any reason why foam under coils is useful? Is that just to protect the bottom casing of their mattress, which could be of cheap quality?
Before Avocado was in existence there was our Ultimate Hybrid which I created in 2014 and worked closely with Leggett and Platt to fine tune the spring system used in that model today. We tested different configurations and found that 2" even with our bamboo and wool cover was just not enough to prevent customers from feeling the coils in most cases. Sure we could put a firm layer of 2" in there but then the mattress was uncomfortable for most. 3" was the minimum especially if choosing the soft for that layer. You will have to ask them for their reasoning for taking that inch out of the top and putting it under the coil where to me it serves no real purpose.
If 10" is the max you can go then take a look at our Eco Sleep model with the Bolsa spring upgrade. It finishes at 10" and might be just what you need.
