Hi paddyb,
[quote]Comparing like with like, which of the following Silentnight mattresses would be a better buy:
argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4598130.htm
argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4574642.htm
One has a memory foam comfort layer, the other a latex “pillow top”. I’m guessing the pocket springs and other internals are exactly the same.[/quote]
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint 1: argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4598130.htm | Archived Footprint 2: argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4574642
Unfortunately none of the descriptions of the mattresses you linked provide enough specific information about the materials and components inside them to make any meaningful comments about either of them. If you can find out the information here about any of the mattresses you are considering and post it on the forum then I’d certainly be happy to make some comments about the quality of the materials and the mattress “as a whole” and let you know if I can see any lower quality materials or weak links that would be a cause for concern.
Without this information it’s really not possible to make any meaningful comments about the the quality or durability of any mattress and if a manufacturer or retailer or manufacturer is either unable or unwilling to provide the information you would need to make an informed choice then I would avoid it because you would be a completely “blind” purchase which would be very risky.
A pillowtop is just a method of construction and not a specific firmness rating or “feel”. It describes a mattress that includes a separate layer or “topper” in its own compartment which is attached to the main body of the mattress with a recessed edge (like this) so that the “pillowtop” layer can act and compress a little bit more independently and would feel a little softer than if the same layer was inside the main body of a mattress. While “most” pillowtops are in a softer range … they come in a very wide range of firmness options and some of them that use firmer materials in the pillow top attachment that would be in a firmer range as well. There are also some “non pillowtop” mattresses that would be softer than some pillowtop mattresses if they use softer materials in the upper layers of the mattress.
The problem with most pillowtops that are sold by the major brands or in the mainstream industry isn’t so much the pillowtop design itself as the quality/density and durability of the materials inside it because pillowtops that use lower quality materials in the mattress or the pillowtop will tend to develop soft spots and premature impressions much more quickly because they often use thicker layers of lower quality/density materials. There is nothing about a pillowtop that would make it inherently better or worse than any other type of mattress. It would all depend on which type of mattress your careful testing indicated is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP and making sure that you find out the type and quality/durability of all the materials in the mattress to make sure there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” in the mattress before making any purchase … regardless of the design.
It’s true that latex in general is the most breathable and temperature neutral of all the different foam materials (latex foam, polyfoam, memory foam) but there are many other variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress as well.
While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range
Again in very general terms … the layers and components and fabrics in a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow and temperature regulation than layers and components and fabrics that are further away from your skin and mattresses that are softer will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer mattresses that use the same materials.
That’s certainly not an assumption that I would make and I would never buy any mattress where I couldn’t find out all the information that I needed to make an informed choice and to make meaningful comparisons between mattresses.
Phoenix