Hello jethrodesign,
I bough the same Ultimate Hybrid mattress in Cal King at the beginning of January, and I am going through some adjustment as well. As a bit of background my wife and I have always preferred an ultra firm mattress, and we wanted to experiment with something slightly softer to help relieve pressure points.
Everyone’s idea of firm and soft and comfort is very different, of course, but maybe my observations can help you along the way.
• Any discussion of this of the mattress has to begin with the coil spring used. I’m told it is the Combi-Zone, Quantum Edge by L & P.
From L & P’s site - "The center third of Combi-Zone features firmer coils, providing extra support to the back to aid spinal alignment"
• By most standards, the center third of the mattress (with the small diameter coils) is quite firm. IMHO, you will never get a super soft plush feeling mattress, with only 3" of latex over this coil spring. (On the other hand, it offers excellent support, for those who need it)
i.e. if you use a very soft foam latex pad for the top layer, it will not be enough to isolate you from this stiff innerspring. If you use an ultra firm latex pad on top, it might isolate you from the inner spring, but then you have an ultra firm top layer.
• We initially ordered the 3" top layer in 28 ILD latex. As soon as we took it out of the box, we knew it was going to be too soft for us.
We set the 28 ILD on the floor and lay down. The 28 ILD did not isolate us from the floor; i.e we could easily feel pressure points from the floor. When we put the bed together it was much the same experience, the 3" ILD did not insulate me from the stiff center rows of coils in the innerspring. (When back sleeping, I had pressure point issues on my tailbone from too much contact with the stiff center coils, however my shoulders felt good when side sleeping…due to softer rows of coils at top and bottom of innerspring)
• The 3" 28 ILD top layer was a lose-lose for us…it was not thick enough or firm enough to isolate me from the stiff center coils, and it was too soft for my wife, who had poster-alignment problems, resulting in new back pain. (She never had back pain on our old ultra firm mattress) Just goes to show how individual needs and preferences will vary.
• The next step was to exchange the #28 ILD top layer for a #36 ILD top layer. This improved my pressure point problem by +/-80%, and fixed my wife posture-alignment problem. I still have a slight pressure point problem only tailbone (I can’t make it through the entire night on my back, and my wife and I don’t have quite enough deflection (or compliance) for our shoulders when side sleeping). So I need still need a little more in insulation from the innersprings for my lower back, and we both need a little more padding (or deflection) under the shoulders. We are looking at adding a 1" or 2" firm topper next.
Although it is counter intuitive, I had to go to a firmer top layer to reduce pressure point pain in my lower back
So I think the key to optimizing this mattress is figuring out whether your discomfort is
a) “pressure point related” i.e. feeling the very firm center coils though the foam layer
or
b) “posture-alignment” related, i.e the foam are not keeping your back sufficiently supported and aligned.
As different as everyone is, I can tell you two things about the combinations you have tried.
-
Placing just a 3" 19 ILD top layer over this Combi-Zone innerspring, would not provide enough isolation from the firm center row, for anyone looking for a super soft-plush feel. People of average and above body weights are just going to “blow through” the super soft 19 top layer and feel the very firm center rows of inner springs below. I know this combo would cause pressure point problems for my wife and I, and perhaps many people with back problems.
-
If we put a 2" #22 ILD topper over a 3" #19 ILD top layer we would experience way too much deflection, and both my wife and I would have alignment-posture problems, resulting in lower back pain.
Do you know if your discomfort stems from “pressure points” or from posture-alignment issues?
----> One test would be to lay sideways at very top or bottom of the bed. (avoiding the firm middle rows of coils) If this feels better, then you might need more isolation from the firm center portion of the innerspring. This means adding firmness or thickness to the foam layers between you and the innerspring If this feel s worse then your discomfort may be posture-alignment related (from too much deflection) and you need less or firmer foam between you and the innerspring. But in either case I can see how the super soft #19 ILD top layer could be causing problems in this set-up.
So if you are experiencing discomfort with this bed, the key is finding a foam combination that is thick and firm enough to isolate you from the innerspring, but not so thick and soft that it causes posture-alignment problems (from too much deflection.)
Everyone is so very different, but I think a 2" #22 ILD topper over a 3" #19 ILD will give you a lot of deflection, and in my unique case, might still not isolate me from the firm center section of the innerspring, since 19 and 22 are so soft.
Bottom line is if you can’t get satisfaction from any combination of toppers, you might have to go firmer than the 3" #19 ILD. for example a #22 topper over a #28 or #32 3" top layer will provide more isolation from the firm innerspring and while providing less deflection than you currently have.
Another idea that we are considered is putting a 1’ firm layer of polyfoam directly on innerspring, to provide an “insulation layer”…e.g. lots of manufactures use an insulting layer over the innersprings.
Good luck, let us know how you it goes!