Hi! We have been intensely pouring over your articles and forum posts gathering as much info as we can. What started as simple testing out of mattresses at our local department and retail stores has now turned into info overload and two people who prefer different bed types.
Some background… Me, 30’s, approx 155 lbs, 5’4. Mostly side sleeper…stomach sometimes… only issues have been hip pain in the past after sleeping on a super firm innerspring.
Husband, 5’7 approx 180 lbs side and back sleeper
After some testing here are our likes.
Me: icomfort genius firm. I like the way it cradled me… How dense it felt. Was instantly relaxed. We then went to Verlo in West Chester PA and I tried and liked Barrow model memory foam bed. That had 6 inch Acella-Flex support and 3 inch gel foam. The gel layer is 4 lbs per cubic ft. Tried latex but it felt too springy and did not cradle me. It didn’t feel as comfortable as foam.
Hubby: likes Verlo Virtue which is 5" 36 ILD Talalay blend core, 2" 24 ILD Talalay blend support layer, topped with 2" 19 ILD Talalay blend comforter layer. This is the latex I tried as well that didn’t wow me. I wasnt in pain but not as comfortable as the two beds I prefer.
We are thinking of ordering a SleepEZ bed… And I really want to love latex but just haven’t yet… So we were thinking of splitting the top layer so I can have memory foam and he latex but then keeping the bottom two as latex… Thoughts? Advice?
There are really only 2 ways to decide on the layering configuration that is best for you.
The first is with local testing on mattress where you know the specs and you can make an apples to apples comparison with a mattress you are considering.
In many cases this isn’t possible either because you can’t get the information you need to use the mattress you are testing as a reference point or because the materials are completely different (such as the iComfort line or the Verlo memory foam which are both memory foam mattresses and are not really comparable to a latex mattress at all) or because the options that you have tested aren’t the same as the options that are available from the manufacturer you are working with.
In your case you are looking at two completely different materials for each of you and this presents some difficulties.
When you are looking at two completely different comfort layers with a very different type of response on each side of a mattress then there would be a considerable and very noticeable transition in the middle of the mattress between the latex and the memory foam. If this was OK for you then you could always order a 9" mattress and use a 3" latex top layer on your husband’s side that you and Shawn believed was the closest to the comfort layers that your husband tried and then use 3" of memory foam on the other. I do know that SleepEz has Sensus 5 lb memory foam available but this may be firmer than the 4 lb memory foam you tried in either the iComfort Genius or the Verlo. They may have other types of memory foam available as well which would be closer to the 4 lb memory foams you tried. Another alternative (and I don’t know if this is a possibility and you would need to talk with SleepEz) would be to order your own 3" 4 lb memory foam layer for your side and use this instead of the top layer that would normally be included for your side of the mattress.
Another option you would have is to order a 6" latex mattress and then use a different 3" topper on each side of the mattress. This would introduce some variables and unknowns though because you would need to choose a topper that was reasonably close to the comfort layers that each of you tested and liked. I would probably choose a good quality 3" 4 lb memory foam topper on your side which would have the best odds of being similar to the two memory foam mattresses you tried and a 3" latex topper on the other that was in the range of 19 - 24 ILD. The 19 would be “somewhat” similar to the 2" of 19 ILD and 2" of 24 ILD that you tried on the Verlo (softer overall but also thinner which may make them roughly comparable) or 24 ILD (which would be a little firmer). The difference in the support layer between the memory foam mattresses you tried (which use polyfoam) and the SleepEz (which uses latex) would also change the feel and performance of the each mattress for your side compared to the polyfoam/memory foam mattresses you tried.
Either way … the best idea would be to talk with Shawn about your options because he is much more familiar with the options they have than I am and would give you the best suggestions possible within the limitations of what they have available.
I don’t think either of these memory foam/latex splits would be ideal because of the significant differences between the two types of materials but like all things connected with mattresses your own preferences may override any “theory” and make any tradeoffs that were necessary worth it.
While “choose your own layer” mattresses are very flexible in terms of the layering that is possible … there are also some limitations in what is possible in practical terms and when you are looking at this kind of unusual combination it would be best to talk with them directly to see what they would suggest and have available.
My husband has been suggesting split but what you are explaining was my biggest fear with a split … that because the materials are different, and not just a different level of softness within the same material, that there would be a noticeable split in the middle.
I am hoping that if I try more latex configurations that perhaps I might find one I like. We have a Greendesign not too far that carries the Savvy Rest line and then we have Magic Sleeper in Pottstown as well that is a bit of a drive but perhaps worth it to try.
Also, we will definitely talk to Shawn at SleepEZ …
Thanks for the advice
If you vary the firmness side to side I would definitely suggest a full sheet top or mid layer if possible.
We run a medium top full width over a split soft middle with layer 3 being the wild card and there is a definite difference. It’s not bad, you just know that the feel is different as her side conforms/sinks much further. The difference being that layer 3 is ex firm versus medium.
Disclaimer: I’m not an expert, but rather a very discerning consumer.
We had the same issue when trying the all-latex beds (at a SavvyRest dealer); my DP felt they weren’t “soft” enough, not enough cradling on top. He likes to sleep more “in” the bed; I’m used to sleeping more “on top” of the bed. But when we tried the 3" talalay topper as a separate layer in its own separate cover, that made all the difference for my DP. It felt much softer and cradling, and I was still okay with the support. We then bought the “same” combo from SleepEZ. They are very comparable, especially the lovely cover. I will say the “same combo” from SleepEZ does feel a bit softer than the SavvyRest, at least with this particular combo. We’re happy with ours so far. Good luck!
We had the same issue when trying the all-latex beds (at a SavvyRest dealer); my DP felt they weren’t “soft” enough, not enough cradling on top. He likes to sleep more “in” the bed; I’m used to sleeping more “on top” of the bed. But when we tried the 3" talalay topper as a separate layer in its own separate cover, that made all the difference for my DP. It felt much softer and cradling, and I was still okay with the support. We then bought the “same” combo from SleepEZ. They are very comparable, especially the lovely cover. I will say the “same combo” from SleepEZ does feel a bit softer than the SavvyRest, at least with this particular combo. We’re happy with ours so far. Good luck![/quote]
Thanks! So there is hope for us. Hopefully we have time to go try a few more this weekend
I think this would be particularly true with a slow response material like memory foam and a fast response material like latex. It may still be worth the compromise though depending on how strongly each of you feels about your favorite material. If it was an issue where the benefits didn’t outweigh the downside … you would at least still have the option of changing one side to the same material as the other.
As Sleepy1 also mentions … there are many different versions and layering combinations of latex (or a topper in her case) that can have a different “feel” and this may be part of it as well. It may be worth seeing if there is a dealer near you that sells Pure Latex Bliss (they have a retail finder here) and they sell very soft latex toppers which can be added to most of their mattresses (although in some cases this could lead to a comfort layer that was too thick and soft for best alignment).
Since you mentioned West Chester … some of the better options I’m aware of in the area (assuming you didn’t have to travel far to go there as well) are listed in post #2 here which should give you some more testing options.
And of course feel free to let us know how things go.