Hi SuperJ,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own so your comments wouldn’t get mixed in with another members topic or start drifting outside the scope of the original topic you posted in.
[quote]I’m curious if you have any more insight about the Ikea toppers and Matrand. I purchased a Matrand latex before I discovered this site and feel it is substantially too firm (mostly for my wife who is a side sleeper). Her hips and shoulders don’t sink in far enough to be comfortable, or achieve good spinal alignment. I find the same thing when on my side (mostly with my shoulders), but I can fall sleep on my back very comfortably on the Matrand.
I am still within the grace period for an exchange (but apparently you only get one so I want to be very careful if I do excise that option). Was trying to keep my total under $600 but would stretch up to $1000 if it was worthwhile.
Matrand 12cm latex + foam (18cm total) (synthetic) $450cdn
Myrbacka 16cm latex + foam (24cm total) (synthetic) $600cdn
Morgangava 18cm latex (20cm total) (80% natural) $1000cdn[/quote]
There is more about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price or course and the options you have available after a purchase).
While I can’t speak to how a mattress will feel or how different mattresses will compare in terms of comfort and PPP for someone else … outside of “comfort” and PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress always depends on knowing the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you can find out the information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to confirm that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
The Matrand uses a little under 5" of synthetic latex on top of about 2" of 1.7 lb polyfoam so there are no obvious weak links that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress relative to more “average” weight ranges (lower 200’s or less).
The Myrbacka uses a thicker layer of synthetic latex on top of 2.2 lb polyfoam so with the higher density base layer and thicker layer of latex it would have a slight advantage over the Matrand and would be a more suitable choice for higher weight ranges in terms of durability . It also contains some wool in the quilting which can help with temperature regulation (and of course also adds to the cost of the mattress).
The Morgongava is an all latex mattress and is also two sided so it would be the most durable out of the three mattresses. There is more about the pros and cons of a two sided mattress in post #3 here. It also contains wool in the quilting as well.
A microcoil topper is a durable component and can be a good choice if you prefer the more “springy” feel of microcoils. You can read more about microcoils in this article and in post #8 here and post #2 here.
The Tromsdalen topper is also a high quality material and like all latex would also be a durable choice compared to other types of foam materials (such as polyfoam or memory foam).
If a mattress is too firm then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness and pressure relief although the only way to know whether a mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there is always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
If a mattress/topper combination turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP then it also has the advantage that it allows you to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (the upper layers or a sleeping system tend to soften or break down before the deeper layers) or if your needs or preferences change over time and a topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it.
Ikea’s memory foam is only 3 lb density so outside of any heat issues you may have with memory foam it would also be a much less durable choice than the two other toppers you are considering.
Most of the major brand mattresses also use lower quality materials in their comfort layers (which are the weakest link in most mattresses) which can compromise the durability and useful life of their mattresses and I would avoid them as well (see the guidelines here).
Phoenix