I currently have a really over-priced all-latex mattress, Obasan 3.0. Each layer of latex is wrapped in zipped cotton. All layers are encased in a zippered case of wool and cotton. My husband and I hate it, it’s been 2 years with this all-latex mattress. We miss our traditional innerspring mattress that was 20 years old and still in good condition. It was a Sterns + Foster Easton, firm. We wanted an all-natural mattress, but I don’t think we like the feel of latex, it is a weird feeling, exactly like rubber - with the tension of pushing against you, yet soft, a kind of an unsettling feeling, and mushy soft edges. It took us a long time for our bodies to “adjust” to the mattress, with aches and pains along the way. We still wake up with some lower back pain. And still don’t like the mattress feel overall. It feels like it’s not supportive /stable enough? We’ve also tried adjusting the firmness in the core of the bed. I am considering building my own mattress by repurposing the latex from our mattress, and adding pocketed coils.
We are combination sleepers. I am 140lbs, prefer back or side, and my husband is 190 lbs sleeps in all 3 positions, starting out on his stomach.
Our current mattress, top to bottom:
• 2" comfort layer soft dunlop ILD 20-22
• 4" various ILD dunlop (soft, med, firm in 6 sections - head, mid, foot for each person) (considering replacing with 8" Combi-Zone Pocket Coil by Leggett and Platt)
• 4" base dunlop (one side med ILD 32-35, one side firm ILD 38-42)
• On a wood-slatted bed frame
I am considering using our base latex followed by Leggett& Platt 8" pocketed coil springs.
Some questions I have about base and top layers:
Base Layer
Could I use the wool topper as a base instead of the latex? We bought this hoping to provide some comfort to the mattress, but didn’t like this either, as it’s not very conforming.
Comfort layer
- is a 2" layer of soft dunlop enough as a comfort layer?
- Or, would using the 4" core layers of latex be better?
- Or a third option, could we use the wool topper instead or add it on top of or underneath the latex?
- Or, wool batting or wool flake layers on top of the 2" latex?
If anyone has advice, I would appreciate it! I never knew it was possible to build your own mattress.