Hi GreenDean,
[quote]Being a new owner of the Freedom, I felt I should add one additional comment to the excellent description provided by Phoenix!
Much like you and your partner, we also have different firmness preferences. Out of the box, my first impression of the Freedom was that it was nice, but just a tad firm. On the other hand, my partner’s first impression was that it was nice, but a little too soft… So what I ended up doing was a side-to-side swap (there are 6 total slabs of latex in our King size), such that my side is now Soft/Soft/Firm, and her side is Med/Med/Firm, going from top to bottom. So far I’m very happy with this arrangement, as I am able to rest on both sides without shoulder pain for the first time in years. Despite the 6" thick soft layer, I feel supported/aligned on my sides and back. The Med/Med/Firm side is also quite comfortable and VERY supportive, and if I wasn’t as much of a side sleeper with wide shoulders, I would probably prefer that. Overall we are both very pleased (and sleeping much better), especially considering this was less than half the price of a latex mattress we were considering locally.
So to summarize my comment, at least in the King size Freedom, there are even more layer combinations to work with than just rearranging top-to-bottom, which may be a consideration/advantage you were not aware of. This type of side-to-side mixing of layers may be unorthodox, but since the mattress didn’t come with instructions, as far as I know it is fair game and hopefully won’t pose a problem with durability. I guess time will tell![/quote]
Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback and for adding the additional information about the Freedom mattress. As you mentioned a side to side split configuration (which they have available in the king size) is certainly a great way to accommodate two people that have different needs or firmness preferences. There is more about split firmness mattresses in post #2 here but it’s certainly “fair game” and can be a significant advantage for situations like yours and it also won’t affect the durability of your mattress.
Phoenix