Hi pix530,
[quote]WOuld be 6" soft good option? Or 8" soft would be better for us?
Or should we look at medium?[/quote]
I don’t have any specific suggestions because you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress would be the best “match” for you 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).
There is more in post #2 here about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them.
[quote]What really surprised me the fact we can get 100% natural Aprico Dunlop latex 6" in king size for less than $1000.
Additional supersoft topper would almost double the price. Worth it?[/quote]
Whether it was worth it or not would depend on which of the mattresses they offer would be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP. Post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value, but the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is always how well you will sleep on it. A 6"mattress with a single layer will generally be firmer than a mattress that also includes an additional layer of softer latex on top of it. Most people tend to prefer an additional comfort layer on top of a firmer support core although your own careful testing and experience (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) will be the best way to decide between them.
When you look back on a mattress purchase many years from now you will remember much more about how well you slept on it and how long you slept well than you will about the differences in prices that are relatively small in terms of the cost per year of ownership when you consider the length of time you will be sleeping on it.
Both Talalay and Dunlop come in a wide range of firmness levels so whether one is firmer than the other will depend on the firmness of the specific layers you are comparing but if you are comparing two layers that are the same thickness and firmness then Dunlop will usually feel firmer than the Talalay because it’s a denser material and will get firmer faster as you sink into it than Talalay. The choice between Talalay and Dunlop is a preference choice rather than a “better/worse” choice and some people prefer one over the other. There is more about how they compare in post #7 here but the best way to know which type of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own personal experience.
Thanks too for mentioning North Shore Linens and their line of latex mattresses and I’ve added them to the Vancouver list here since they certainly have reasonable prices for their latex mattresses.
Phoenix