Hi rictorjr,
[quote]I purchased an Eastern King from Arizona Premium Mattress with a soft/medium split core and 3" 19 ILD topper. I have the medium as I am 5’11" 215. Wife has the soft at 5’3" 135. My medium side seemed too firm and my wifes was way too soft ( I was hammocking). I was still having back problems so I threw another layer on[/quote].
In most cases … the “cause” of lower back issues is in the softness of the support core (a softer support core will allow the heavier parts of your body such as your hips/pelvis to sink down too far) and/or the thickness and softness of the comfort layers (which can “allow” the same heavier parts of your body to sink down too far before being “stopped” by the firmer layers) so your description of your more subjective perceptions (seemed too firm) seems to contradict your actual experience (still having back problems) although it would depend on the type of back problems you were having and their location.
I agree with jkozlow3 that the best way to “fix” a mattress that has a support core that your symptoms indicate is too soft would be to change the support core to a firmer version rather than adding a topper which is generally used to improve pressure relief (not to firm up the support). If the cause of any issues you are having is a support core that is too soft then adding layers on top of the mattress isn’t usually an effective solution because you would be making changes to the wrong layers and “pushing” the softer layers that used to be on top of your mattress deeper into your sleeping system which can have the opposite effect than what you are hoping for. If anything these types of issues (lower back pain or discomfort) would be more likely to be “fixed” by reducing the thickness of the comfort layers (so you are closer to the firmer layers underneath them) or by using a firmer support core but of course this also involves a tradeoff because the mattress could also be a little less pressure relieving.
If a mattress is too firm and needs some additional pressure relief but provides good alignment then this is where a topper can be effective and in this case adding a topper that is “just enough” in terms of thickness and firmness is generally the most effective solution so that there is less risk of compromising the support and your alignment on the mattress. Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help with choosing the thickness and firmness of a topper that has the best chance of success.
There is more about some of the different “symptoms” that people may experience on a mattress and some of the possible causes for them in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may help you with the detective work that may be necessary to identify the types of changes and tradeoffs that may be most effective for you.
Probably not enough to make a significant difference … and I wouldn’t “wait for it” to happen.
There are no “rules” that apply to all people so a mattress design that doesn’t work for the majority of people can work well for the minority of people even if it doesn’t match “theory”. If your sleeping experience indicates that your wife’s side works well for you in terms of PPP and you have tried it for long enough that you are confident that it’s an ideal configuration and that your experience isn’t an anomaly that will change over a longer period of time then there would be no reason not to exchange the layers on your side to match hers.
It would certainly be worth trying and if nothing else comparing your specific experience and “symptoms” on this combination relative to the other combinations you have tried can provide some useful pointers about the configuration that may work best for you.
I would certainly try all the options you have available before making any further changes or exchanges and I would also have a more detailed conversation on the phone with Arizona Premium so you can discuss your experience with them in more detail and take advantage of their knowledge and experience to help you decide on the type of changes that would have the greatest chance of success.
The first step though is to identify the most likely cause of any symptoms you are experiencing on a mattress so you don’t just follow a “trial and error” or “random” process and make well thought out changes to the design that have the highest odds of success based on the specific symptoms you are experiencing. When you have tried a second configuration for long enough to be confident that what you are experiencing is likely to also be your experience in the longer term then I would carefully assess the specific difference in between the two configurations in terms of comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment and which symptoms were reduced or which became worse so you can use the comparison as a pointer to identify the specifics of any further changes that may be necessary to bring you closer to your “ideal” configuration.
Phoenix
PS @ jkozlow3,
I’d never asked about the ILD of the 4" layer in the PLB foundation but 14 seemed fairly low to me so I confirmed today that it’s 19 ILD which is still on the soft side but would certainly make a difference in the “feel” and performance of the mattress and also means that your 3" 19 ILD topper under the mattress may be closer than you thought.