I am very bad at buying mattresses.
I am 190cm / 91kg or 6’2 / 200lbs
As a side sleeper, I’ve been trying to find a mattress that doesn’t kill my right shoulder and right knee.
These are the last 2 mattresses I’ve tried:
Pocket spring + memory foam hybrid: Memory foam is definitely NOT for me, I sink in too much and my entire spine is misaligned. It’s the only foam I’ve tried that offers proper pressure relief, but overall I’d rate memory foam as the worst experience. I’ve returned this for a partial compensation.
Pocket spring + dunlop 7-zone latex: I’m still waiting to see if the break-in period softens it up, but so far it’s nothing like what I experienced at the store. It’s too firm to make my shoulder feel comfortable. My entire right side is aching in the morning.
What on earth did side-sleepers sleep in, before the memory foam/latex craze?
Everyone online seems to be suggesting that once you get a mattress (that won’t suit you at all and won’t be comfortable), you should also purchase a topper to make the mattress you’ve just bought comfortable. This whole process is nonsensical to me. Why is it so hard to find a soft yet supporting mattress that won’t require an additional topper to accommodate me?
Besides memory foam or latex, what type of mattress and what sort of comfort-layer material should I look into?
Thanks in advance and forgive my irritated tone. I’ve just about given up.[/size]
If you can find a company that Carrie’s Kingsdown mattress they have a test they run that helps you find the comfort level of bed you need for your pressure points. It reads where your body height and weight applies the pressure at the most. Hopefully this helps
Ishmael, I’m very sorry to read of your pain and subsequent frustration. I hope the zoned mattress breaks in for you soon and that your right-side pain is eliminated during this period. Is there anything about either mattress (the memory foam or your current one) that has been working for you?
Pillowtops and innersprings! I very much agree that it is a bit absurd to purchase an uncomfortable mattress to remedy with a topper instead of just choosing the right mattress for your needs out of the gate.
Also, before you throw latex out, I’d be interested to know how thick the comfort layer is on your current mattress and how soft it is. You may actually enjoy latex if you can find the correct depth and softness/firmness from your comfort layer.
But beyond foam hybrids, we can go back to basics You may be interested in looking at something like what Gardener offers in their Traditional Collection. These use natural fibers (cotton) as opposed to foams.
Thank you for the detailed reply.
I will give my mattress time to break-in though I’m not very hopeful.
All I can find about my mattress is this: Douceur Multi-pocket spring 7-zone system, Dunlop latex. The entire mattress is 27cm thick, double-sided. I don’t know the particulars of the comfort layer thickness on either side.
A couple of questions:
Pillowtops are innerspring mattresses with an extra comfort-layer that makes them plushier and softer. Is that the case? For a side-sleeper, would that be preferable to a plain innerspring mattress in the Soft category?
What kind of base should go along with such a mattress? A board base such as this https://i.imgur.com/R6i8Otj.jpg?
My current bed base is just a straight surface with no slats. https://i.imgur.com/ywBDENx.jpg
It’s a very hard surface that I’m suspecting is the culprit and reason the mattresses I buy end up firmer than the store.
Is it possible for you to take your mattress off the base and place it on the floor to see if this softens up your sleeping experience at all, reducing any of that shoulder and knee pain?
Yes, this base is ideal for a latex hybrid, assuming the slats are no more than 3" apart.
I tried to find your mattress to see if I could uncover the thickness/ILD of the latex. Unfortunately, without that information it’s hard to know how/if this factors into the pain you’re experiencing. It remains a mystery to us whether or not the layer is too thin or too dense, etc.
Yes, they include an extra layer of padding quilted/tufted/sewn into the top to help add softness/plushness to an innerspring mattress. I’m a side sleeper as well and sleep more comfortably on a pillow top as opposed to a plain innerspring, as there generally isn’t enough mattress material to adequately support my recessed areas. But, you may find that a springier, softer innerspring is adequate for you. Have you been able to do any in person testing?
Hi again. I’m sorry for the lack of proper information.
‘Douceur’ seems to be a small romanian company that exports a bit, mostly to the Balkans.
As far as I have seen they don’t provide a proper website that displays their mattress collection, just a .pdf that isn’t in english.
I’m planning on testing a few pillowtops as soon as I get rid of the current mattress. Is this slatted bed-base also suitable for a pillowtop, or should I look for some other type?
Last question: is cotton the ideal material for this extra layer? What does yours use?
A pillowtop mattress would do just fine atop a slatted base.
Cotton and wool are common, popular natural fibers in pillowtop mattresses. They allow for great comfort as well as good temperature regulation. It is also not uncommon for bigger brands to use synthetic materials and foams. Mine is very uncommon, and has a bamboo layer.
If you do look into pillowtop mattresses that are using memory or polyfoam in the comfort layer, don’t forget to review our Durability Guidelines so you can review whether or not the mattress in question will be durable enough for you.
I wasn’t planning on bothering anyone with yet more questions but…:
I’m looking at mattresses online and while they are clearly labeled as pillow-tops, the spring type in the description is “pocket-sprung”.
For instance "Pocket Springs Pillow-top 7 Zone 1,9 mm "
No local shops are selling innerspring pillow-tops, was wondering if that’s just my country or the general trend in the market (particularly the X-zone seems to be all the rage).
I’m also wondering if these are ‘proper’ pillow-tops like those one finds in hotels and resorts and how a pocket spring pillow-top would compare in quality to an innerspring pillow-top
Again, thanks in advance for the continued support with my issue
I think this is a regional thing, as I would have no difficulty finding an innerspring pillow top in a US or Canadian retailer.
Beds with pocketed coil systems do differ in terms of feel in comparison to traditional innerspring beds. Innerspring beds offer a more generalized support from the coil system, while it is my understand that pocket springs offer more targeted support. I believe pocket springs tend to have a more firm “uplifting” feel to them.
In terms of quality, I imagine they are similar (innerspring vs pocket springs) assuming the materials in the comfort layer are of adequate durability. I’m unsure how they would compare in terms of comparison to hotel mattresses. Often times, hotels have their own brand of mattress or use mattresses that allow them to frequently exchange the top layer without having to replace the entire mattress. You may find this article, “Best Hotel Beds: Where to Buy That Hotel Mattress You Loved!” interesting, it cites 14 popular hotels and their mattress manufacturer partners (source credit: cboardinggroup.com, a business travelor’s blog not affiliated with this forum).
Ishmael_1, Oh how I understand you, exactly the same problem and similar in physique ( I weigh 103). If you find something perfect for you, please answer me here, ok? thx
Hello, I’ve seen your comment and will update with more info about my experience as soon as my slatted bed base is delivered.
So far I think the main reason for my predicament was buying pocket coils and memory foam mattresses, and putting them on a rigid platform to boot.
My impression is that these two ‘new’ technologies serve the mattress industry more than they serve the customer, and I’m staying with the classic bonnell set-up.
I’ll see how my bonnell mattress works with the slatted base and get back to you in a few days.
I’m curious about this too (how well the bonnell springs work for you) because I don’t ever remember this many people having mattress issues back 30 years ago and everyone seemed to have the 2-sided flippable bonnel mattresses back then (aside from the occasional water bed).
I am brand new to this forum and trying to learn about mattresses. I was reading the information section of the website and it said that there are 4 types of innerspings, with pocket coil being one type, specifically the best type. But your post makes it seem like an innerspring mattress is different from a pocket coil mattress. Can you explain please?
Yes! So, there are a number of “styles” of coils. If you look at the Leggett & Platt page as an example, there are open coils which are your innerspring coil and there are comfort core or pocket coils which are encased.
You can also see that between open and pocket coils, there are various models available.
