First latex mattress

[phoenix]

Hi browser,

For “support layers” I’m thinking a 7" sleep ez mattress in its wool cover. Would a ST over MT or FT
within the encasement work in this situation (ST topper over mattress) or is it still a case of sketchy support and I should go more toward M/M layers inside the mattress?

While it may be more than you really need to know (and it may lead you deeper into the “rabbit hole” of choosing a mattress based on specs) … “support” is often misunderstood and many people believe incorrectly that “firmer is better” or “more supportive” when the real goal is to keep the spine in good alignment and this requires the type of contouring support that allows some parts of the body to sink in more and some parts of the body to sink in less and this will vary on an individual basis. There is more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support/alignment” and “comfort/pressure relief” and “feel” and how they interact together.

Again … when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of information and guidance about your firmness choices will be a more detailed conversation with the online manufacturer or retailer you are working with. The only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good match for you in terms of PPP will be based on careful testing or your own personal experience.

Am I right in thinking that the wool encasement offers more protection to the latex mattress than stretchy knit in the long run?

There is more about the pros and cons of a wool quilted cover vs a more stretchy knit cover in post #6 here.

Latex can oxidize faster with exposure to air and ozone and ultraviolet light along with other substances that can damage it (see here) and it’s always a good idea for a latex mattress to have a suitable cover to give it the best possible protection and to help maximize it’s useful lifetime. A mattress cover can also have a significant effect on the feel and performance of a mattress. There is more in post #3 here and post #3 here that will give you some sense of the effect of different types of covers on latex but assuming that the covers you are considering are suitable for a latex mattress I would personally prioritize the properties, feel, and performance of a cover over it’s effect on the latex.
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Phoenix