Good comments rjar, I too had similar thoughts. My lower lumbar on the 38 ILD was tender. Also a side sleeper. I think weight does play a factor so will say I’m 144 pounds. I am returning today to try the 28 ILD.
Craig how is your custom bed feeling? Any early comments you can share?
Hi KayJazz,
When you say your lower lumbar on the 36 ILD was tender, how was your feeling overall? Was it tender because your spine was being pushed up and so it was too firm for you?
I’m inserting This picture to show you how the mattress is making me feel sore in the morning. Mainly the middle image is what I feel in terms of pressure, I’m pretty sure it’s too soft. I have that 24/28/24 combination.
That being said, I sleep with a partner who is about 130/140lbs and he sleeps to be sleeping fine on the mattress; he’s very skinny. I weigh about 177lbs, with most of my weight around my hip area.
With the 36 ILD, did you feel like your tenderness was coming from the last image? your spine was being pushed upwards too much?
Also how did your shoulders feel?
I’m just wondering if the 36 will be too firm for me as well. I’m trying to think the best combination for comfort layers and core layers; I don’t want to have to keep returning the mattress! Maybe I should go back today as well…
We are on our way to the Mattress Factory now. I don’t think the 36 ILD pushes upward. Will use the pictures you shared when at the store and let you know.
Well we have been sleeping on our Mattress Factory mattress for several days now and I can easily say it is the most comfortable thing I have ever sat/laid on. We decided on the 28/34/28 combo after trying out softer and firmer variations and I believe this is certainly the right one for us (both side sleepers).
The above combo seems to cushion and support us without an excessive amount of sinking into the comfort layer. Oddly the biggest surprise for me has been the ease of getting out of the bed. In fact, it is almost too easy when rolling out since the edges of the bed are not possessing the box spring type rigid support I accidentally launched myself the first time. Now that it is a known quantity I actually use this force to my advantage at let the mattress launch me a bit 
Anyway, we two side sleepers found this combo to be ideal, with no lumbar or shoulder problems at all, but personal preferences may vary of course.
Craig
Thanks for the update Craig - good to hear you got the right combo for your needs as it’s not always the easiest of decisions. 
Yesterday I returned to TMF/The Mattress Factory to see what ILD options might be better suited as the 36 ILD (using Dunlop 6"-36 for the core and 2" - 36 Talalay comfort layer on either side of the core) was too firm for me.
Peter laid a 28 ILD on top of the all 36 ILD to help me get a sense if perhaps a 36 Dunlop core and 28 Talalay comfort offered a better PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). After repeated testing of each bed for well over an hour, I opted for the all 28 ILD (28 ILD 6" core and 28 ILD 2" Talalay dual comfort layers). The 28 gave me that bit of cradling feeling and overall my body felt better.
The pillow options - personally that too seemed to make a difference for me on how the mattress felt overall. I opted for the latex pillows (much better than the foam, contour pillow). I suggest when trying a bed that you also try different types of pillows.
I have read many comments about Dunlop being firm and Talalay being softer, yet I was told that a 36 ILD for Dunlop and Talalay were the same. The link below helped me better understand why.
rjar - continue on the quest to get that perfect latex bed. I should get my 28 ILD later this week and will leave an update.
Thanks to Phoenix and everyone posts on this awesome site - a huge help.
K
Hi KayJazz,
This is “partly” correct but is also “partly” incorrect.
The ILD of a material is not the only specification that has an effect on pressure relief and the sensation of softness (see post #4 here).
If you sink into a mattress layer exactly 25% they would be the same but in most cases different parts of the body or different people will sink into a layer either more or less than this. A material that has a higher compression modulus (gets firmer faster with deeper compression) will feel firmer if you sink into it deeper than 25% and softer if you sink in less than 25% compared to a different material that has the same ILD.
It’s also not the case that all ILD measurements are done in the same way because they can use different perentages of compression to measure ILD and they may also use different layer thicknesses as well which will all affect the ILD rating. There is more about the variations in ILD and how it is tested in post #6 here.
There is also more about the difference in “feel” between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here.
Phoenix
so this place has 36i ld/28 ild dunlop only and only 24 ild/28 ild talalay? that is not much of a choice.
Nope, they can do custom, depending upon what you want.
what is source of their dunlop and talalay latex? is talalay latex synthetic?
28ild dunlop is not soft. what customization when he only has 2 latex mattresses to try? you cant customize unless you try it otherwise it is just guesswork.
Hi needhelp,
Many manufacturers keep the source of their materials confidential for competitive reasons and don’t disclose this to their customers but they could certainly provide the type and blend of any latex in their mattress which is the information that would be important to know.
Both manufacturers of Talalay latex (Latex International and Radium) make two basic versions. One is 100% natural (it has no synthetic rubber in the formula) and the other is a blend which is approximately 30% natural rubber and 70% synthetic rubber (although it can vary to some degree). They will tell you which one they use but I believe it’s the blended Talalay. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.
Softness and firmness are very subjective and relative to each person’s perceptions. In a comfort layer 28 ILD would usually be considered medium but 28 ILD would be on the softer end of the range if it was used as a support layer so softness/firmness also depends on the function of the specific layer.
If you have tested a specific combination then you can use your testing to decide if you need more support or more pressure relief than the mattress you are testing and use this as a reference point for any changes to the mattress. If a manufacturer can also make changes to the mattress after a purchase then you can also use your own actual sleeping experience to confirm that the design is suitable for you so knowing the options you have after a purchase can also be an important part of your research and your personal value equation.
Phoenix
I am only asking the company/companies from which they source their latex why would it be confidential information? does not make any sense at all
how can you test when you only have 2 mattresses and just a few combinations to make a decision? laying in store and sleeping at home for some days may be entirely 2 different experiences.
Hi needhelp,
Because this is a very competitive industry and there are many cases where a manufacturer may not want to disclose their sources for competitive reasons. In most cases their sources would be meaningless for their customers anyway. While some manufacturers will provide the sources for their raw materials or components … it’s the type and blend of latex that is important to know … not the manufacturer’s sources.
This is all part of each person’s personal value equation and your “in store” testing in combination with your ability to make changes after a purchase based on your sleeping experience are all parts of each person’s personal value equation that may be more or less important to different people and are part of the reasons why different people buy from different businesses. There are some people who buy mattresses online that have never tested a mattress that is even similar to the one they purchase and are quite comfortable doing so.
Your experience on a mattress in the showroom can also be a good reference point for a mattress that would work well for you even if it isn’t exactly the same (your testing and discussions with the manufacturer may indicate that you need a little more firmness in the support layers or a little more softness in the comfort layers for example in which case it would be easy to change the design you are testing in the direction that you believe would be better for you)
I would look for the retailers or manufacturers that offer what you are looking for and have the options that are important to you which may be very different from what is important for someone else. There is no right or wrong here … only different choices and options that some people are more or less comfortable with than others.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix-
It has been 3 months now that we have had our latex mattress from Mattress Factory, and it is amazing! I just wanted to update my original post and say that it was the best purchase ever! We got the 28/36/28 medium firmness mattress. My neck problems, and my husband’s sciatic issues are so much better. We do not wake up sore or in pain. I am a side sleeper and really recommend the medium mattress. It is so incredibly comfortable and feels like nothing else. So I highly recommend Mattress Factory in Fort Worth. They make quality products (and I was told it is all-natural latex, not synthetic, not a blend) and they have fast turn around. Three days from purchase to delivery.
My other recommendation is My Organic Sleep website for latex pillows- we got the dual zone all-natural latex pillows with organic cotton cover. These are very comfortable and I credit them with relieving my constant neck pain. They do not sag or lose firmness like other pillows. They took about a week to get used to, and have a slight smell (which the mattress does not) but this smell dissipated after a week. The best pillow I have ever used. Oh, and very reasonable at $120 for two.
Thank you for your mattress forum and all the info on latex!
Hi DandS,
Thanks for the update … and it’s great to see you are doing so well with your mattress (and your pillow)
Phoenix
Hello all, just keeping everyone posted on what’s been going on. I upgraded from the 24/28/24 combo from the mattress factory to the 28/36/28 combo and it’s definitely better on my back than the previous bed. I paid another delivery fee and unfortunately I think it might be too firm now! I want to avoid having to return this bed entirely so I’m thinking of purchasing a mattress topper. I don’t know what material I should go for and how thick. Do you have any suggestions to what I can do to get the perfect feel?
I’m so close to having the mattress just right…
Hi rjar,
Thanks for the update and that’s good news because it’s certainly easier to fine tune a mattress that is a little too firm and needs some additional pressure relief with a topper than it is to change a mattress that is too soft which usually requires the removal and replacement of some of the foam layers or a replacement of the mattress itself.
Before you consider a topper I would make sure you have slept on your mattress for a while because of the adjustment and break in period that are part of any new mattress purchase and there are also other factors that can affect the feel and softness of your mattress (see post #2 here).
If you do decide that a topper would be helpful then post #2 here and the posts it links to have some information and guidelines that use your assessment of your sleeping experience to help you make the best possible topper choice.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
I’m hoping you may have a some more guidance for me. My first mattress from The Mattress Factory/TMF was a 36 (core & comfort) and that was a bit too firm as it was causing some lower lumbar pain. I switched to an all 28 ILD (core & comfort) and being a side sleeper wake each morning with hip pain on that side. I tried the quilted cotton topper purchased from TMF, however, that didn’t help much. Thoughts as I really would like to stay w/a latex bed, however, I am not having the best of luck finding the perfect PPP.
Hi KayJazz,
There isn’t really any way for me to know for certain outside of generic suggestions because I can’t feel what you feel or see you on the mattress. In general your best course of action would be a more detailed conversation with a manufacturer that can cover much more ground than the more limited depth of information that is possible on a forum.
Having said that … there are some general suggestions in post #2 here that talk about some of the more common “symptoms” on a mattress and some potential solutions.
The first step would be to decide whether your mattress is too soft or too firm in either the comfort or support layers and whether your hip pain is from pressure points or because your hips are sinking into the mattress too far and flexing the hip joint out of its neutral alignment.
If your comfort layers are too firm and causing pressure points then a topper or a thicker or softer comfort layer can be helpful.
If you are sinking down too far into the mattress and are having alignment issues but the pressure relief is good … then a firmer support layer may be helpful.
Phoenix
Thanks again Phoenix.
Post # 2 was helpful. I feel the 28 core/comfort may be to soft where my hips are sinking too much and I no longer have a neutral body alignment. I’ll need to work through my next steps.
Hi KayJazz,
Based on your experience that makes sense to me. It’s always a good idea to separate comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment as two separate functions so you can use your sleeping experience to try and identify the firmness of the support layers that you would likely do best with for support/alignment (probably firmer based on your symptoms) and the softness of the comfort layer that you would do best with for comfort/pressure relief (possibly the same?) as “separate but connected” issues so that you end up with the best possible “balance” between them.
I’m looking forward to hearing about what you decide to do and the outcome of your conversations with Peter.
Phoenix
