Hello,
I am having a tough time figuring out which topper to try to help with pressure points at my hips and shoulders. I am a 175lb, 5’10" male (weight is a little concentrated at my mid section) sleeping on a tight top inner spring mattress. I am happy with my body alignment on the bare mattress, although after using it for 2 years w/o a topper the foam is shot and I feel the springs under my mid section.
*I have had a 2" blended dunlop topper (soft, ILD?) which worked OK for the pressure points but felt dead and as if something were missing. No problems with alignment, no real pain after 1.5 years of use.
*I had a pair of 1" soft Talalay (ILD 20-22) which felt amazing climbing in, but my mid section sank more than my shoulders and messed up my alignment. I also was really aware of feeling the mattress under my hips.
*I currently have a 2" natural dunlop topper (ILD 20) that works with the pressure points but feels stiff and unforgiving (like it has too much rebound and bounce).
I am thinking 2" of natural Talalay will give me more support than the pair of blended toppers I had, and yet feel a little softer and more forgiving than the natural dunlop topper. However I am wondering if I should be looking at a medium (28ILD) blended Talalay topper instead (so my hips don’t sink as far).
My other thoughts are that 3" of the same blended ILD20 Talalay would only make alignment worse since the mattress was stopping my hips from sinking even further, but I don’t know what would happen with 3" of a softer Talalay - could that be soft enough for my shoulders to sink more, and the extra inch keep my mid section from sinking too far?
As I mentioned in your other topic … you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress/topper combination and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion about which topper would be the best “match” for both you and the mattress you are using it on (the specifics of the mattress can make a significant difference in the topper that will work best for any specific person) in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own personal testing or sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I would also keep in mind that if the top layers of your base mattress have softened or compressed and are “shot” that a topper may not be the best solution because a topper will generally have the best results on a mattress that is still in good condition and that doesn’t have any soft spots or impressions in the sleeping surface and just needs some additional softness and pressure relief. A topper will tend to “follow” any soft spots or impressions underneath it and the mattress may not provide suitable support for a topper so a topper may be a partial or temporary solution at best and in some cases can even make things worse.
If you were sleeping “symptom free” and feel rested when you wake up in the morning and weren’t experiencing any pressure points or alignment issues then it may be worth considering keeping what you had. The “feel” of a mattress is the least important priority after p0sture/alignment and pressure relief and your body doesn’t really “feel” what it’s sleeping on when you are asleep … it only feels whether your spine and joints are in good alignment and whether you have any pressure points in all your sleeping positions over the course of the night.
This may have been because of the soft spots or impressions in the mattress itself in combination with a softer Talalay topper. Did you experience any physical “symptoms” on this combination?
If a 2" Dunlop topper works well for you in terms of Posture and alignment and Pressure relief but you like the “feel” of Talalay better then as you mentioned it may be worth considering a 2" talalay topper (same thickness) that is in the range of about 24 - 28 ILD since Talalay tends to feel a little bit softer than Dunlop in the same ILD. A natural Talalay and blended Talalay topper in the same ILD will be very similar to each other and most people wouldn’t notice much if any difference with only a 2" or 3" topper.
A thicker topper will isolate you from the feel and firmness of the mattress underneath it more than a thinner topper but as you mentioned it would allow your hips to sink in more than a 2" topper of the same type and firmness on the same mattress but the only way to really know whether a 3" topper would be a better choice for you than a 2" topper would be based on your own personal experience.
I would also keep in mind that your primary support comes from the deeper layers of your sleeping system and the upper layers are more for “comfort” and pressure relief.
Since the 2" Dunlop topper is “in the range” that seems to work well for you in terms of thickness and firmness and the only issue you have with it is its “feel” if I was in your shoes I would be tempted to choose a Talalay topper that was just a little firmer and the same thickness which would “approximate” your Dunlop topper but with a different “feel”.
I would also keep in mind that when you are buying a topper that you haven’t tested in person on a specific mattress that the return /exchange policy for the topper may be a more important part of your purchase so you still have good options available just in case the topper doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Thanks again, Phoenix. I ordered a 2" med/soft natural Talalay topper from Flexus.
With the 2" natural Dunlop, I was waking up painfully stiff - no pressure points, but it was not comfortable and I was in a different kind of pain in the morning. It seems to have broken in in the one spot I’ve been sleeping. It is comfortable there now, but uncomfortable in any other position/location.
With the 2" of natural soft Talalay, I didn’t have pressure point pain and I didn’t wake up stiff - I would say I felt the most rested on this combo, but I was concerned that after a longer period of time I would develop lower back issues because of the position.
So I think the 2" of slightly firmer Talalay is the right call.
I think you are right about the mattress in general - maybe it is time to start exploring new beds.
As you know I think highly of Flexus and they are certainly a reliable supplier. I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback about how your new Talalay topper works for you
