Thank you !
Hi Phoenix,
I was reading one of your posts on bedding when I had one of my unfortunately frequent “Oh my god I’m so stupid” moments. I thought I should share this epiphany since it invalidates much of my previous post, and I don’t want to risk giving a fine product a bum rap because of my own obtuseness.
So the faux pas I committed was flipping over my support core over without bothering to put it’s cover right side up. Why does this matter? The top and sides of the cover are made of a relatively stretchy cotton/poly Terry cloth, while the bottom part of the cover is made of what looks like a mix of canvas and plastic, and is not stretchy at all. By putting the canvas/plastic part of the cover on top, I made my support core quite firmer - the drum effect. I also negated the advantages of the HR foam, which could no longer conform to my body. Since I’m a hopeless tinkerer, I also loosened my fitted sheet and mattress protector after correcting my first error, and while the impact is not as pronounced, it is noticeable. Anyway, previous problem solved.
The moral of the story is not to behold the mote in your comfort layer without considering the beam in your support layer. Both are important for pressure relief.
In a post on this forum, some wise man pointed out that people tend to put the blame on their mattresses for problems with their body. In that regard, I would add brain dysfunctions to the list of possible culprits. Sorry about that!
I mentioned that I was a tinkerer and a tweaker - that’s half the fun of a DIY, after all. Could I test your patience with yet another question, Phoenix?
Is it possible to have a 2 inch latex topper cut in half, that is, made into 2 one-inch layers? (I was thinking about approximating MFC’s flip-topper with the materials I have - replacing the Energia with one inch latex, which I would add to my 2 inch memory foam topper in its original cover; the latter seems loose enough to accommodate another inch of foam.)
If possible, do you have any idea where I could get that cut done, and how much it would cost?
Thanks a million for setting up such a wonderful site. You’re getting pretty close to cult status, I would say.
Dodo
Hi dodo,
Thanks for the update and you are bringing up some very good points that are often overlooked.
I think that the effect of the cover on a mattress is perhaps one of the most overlooked parts of a mattress and most people only end up focusing on the foam materials. The bottom of a one sided mattress often has a non skid surface and as you discovered it’s not really designed for sleeping on and the difference between the top of a cover and the bottom of a mattress can have a significant effect on the feel and performance for all the reasons you mentioned. It’s always great to have another reminder of this 
Questions are always a “good” thing and are also part of the “fun” of running a forum
[quote]Is it possible to have a 2 inch latex topper cut in half, that is, made into 2 one-inch layers? (I was thinking about approximating MFC’s flip-topper with the materials I have - replacing the Energia with one inch latex, which I would add to my 2 inch memory foam topper in its original cover; the latter seems loose enough to accommodate another inch of foam.)
If possible, do you have any idea where I could get that cut done, and how much it would cost?[/quote]
While it’s not really possible or practical to do this yourself because it takes more specialized equipment … there may be somewhere close to you with a slitter that could do it for a fairly nominal charge (I don’t know what they would charge but it wouldn’t be very much). Posts #5 and #7 here have a few suggestions that could probably slit it for you.
Thanks again for the kind words … although I’m not sure how I feel about “cult status”
Phoenix
dodo,
Just wondering about your 2" memory foam topper and how it has been working for you. I see that you want to experiment with your comfort layer and perhaps add an inch of latex. Did you find that you need a bit more softness?
[quote=“lilac2” post=38052]dodo,
Did you find that you need a bit more softness?[/quote]
No. It was more about curiosity and tweaking for the fun of it, since I have a spare topper. The problems I had were related to a mistake I made with my support layer, as detaiiled in my previous post. I still find two two-inch toppers piled on each other way too soft: I tried it for a few nights, latex over MF, and vice versa. These configurations were acceptable only if I put a thick wool blanket between the toppers to firm things up, and made my bed military style to get it even firmer. Latex over MF suited me more, but was softer than my previous innerspring, which was a medium.
In memory foam, at my BMI, I would definitely start with two inches. If for some reason you need more, it’s easier to add than to slit foam. For latex, I might go for 3 inches.
For the rest, nothing has changed since my last reply. I still really like Aerus 5 foam. Actually, even the latex would probably have worked out for me if I didn’t have a particularly finicky right hip, so I think body shape, sleeping position and individual physical particularities should really be taken into account. By the way, my finicky hip gets along fine with the Aerus 2 inch.
Hope this helps,
Dodo
Hope this helps
Hi lilac2,
No, I didn’t need more softness, I was just curious about the possible result.
I still like the Aerus 5lb as much as before. I probably could have slept comfortably on 2 inches of latex - my partner certainly did - were it not for my finicky right hip. Said hip loves Aerus, though.
All goes to show individual particularities trump all theories.
Hope this helps,
Dodo
Hi Dodo,
I just wanted to thank you for your research and your posts. We just entered the minefield of buying a new mattress and after many hours online, discovering MFC and subsequently your comments and this site, we are going to look to purchase a configuration of high resilience foam base and Aerus memory foam topper - we found your comments about the experience of the Aerus topper particularly helpful as your concerns regarding latex vs memory foam were very similar to ours.
I will report back when get our new mattress combination so that other people may also benefit from our experience!
Many many thanks to you and this amazing website resource.
Max
Hi mxb,
I’m glad you found us … and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing and of course your feedback once you’ve received it and have had a chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix
Hey Phoenix,
It’s been about a year since my purchase of the mattress mentioned in this thread (the component system sold by MFC Canada under the name Flip top bed), so I thought I would provide an update.
Long story short, it’s all good. The winter was so cold here, and the mattress so comfortable, I could have hibernated on it (so much for memory foam getting hard as a rock in cold weather).
More to the point, since one person’s comfort is another person’s pain, I have noticed no deterioration whatsoever in the core, topper, or covers. These are quality materials.
While I was initially disappointed about not using one of the toppers I ordered, I now realize the chances of figuring out exactly what combination of core and topper ILDs were for me were pretty slim. Thus the usefulness of the component design. Anyway, I’m a satisfied customer, and would like to thank Mario for his excellent advice (particularly his insight about the “bounce back” of latex: now that is experience talking). I would also like to thank you for your tireless work and timely feedback. Sleep long and prosper!
- Dodo
Hi dodo,
Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your comments and feedback after almost a year … I appreciate it
It’s great to hear that your mattress worked out so well for you and with the quality of the materials you should be sleeping well for many more years!
Phoenix