Hi If It Wasnt For the Foam,
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.
Phoenix