Help with latex mattress configuration

Hi Phoenix,

Long-time reader, first time poster. :slight_smile:

My wife and I are finally able to purchase a new bed. We’ve been to a few stores to try things out, and I’ve spent more than a few hours reading up online. I’m starting to go crazy, and would appreciate your input.

We have our hearts set on a latex bed. Our local store sells blended Talalay, and we can afford a total of 8 inches. Problem is the showrooms we’ve been to have limited stock, so it’s made finding the right combination difficult. The first store we went to suggested a simple 6"" 36ILD. The second store suggested a 6"" 36 ILD support layer, with a 2-3"" 24 ILD comfort layer. This setup was much more comfortable than using the 6"" base by itself (obviously), and although ideally we would have preferred the 3"" top, we can only afford the 2"" one. Still, compared to our current mattress, it felt amazing.

On your website i’ve noticed that you’ve recommended 3 layers - Firm bottom, medium middle, and soft top. I’m wondering if you think we might benefit from something similar. Our local store basically sells by the inch, so the configuration is up to us and doesn’t affect the price.

I’m around 175lbs, my wife around 145lbs. Mostly side-sleepers (75%), and back-sleepers (25%).

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi Teemhaydre,

Welcome to the site :slight_smile:

[quote]On your website i’ve noticed that you’ve recommended 3 layers - Firm bottom, medium middle, and soft top. I’m wondering if you think we might benefit from something similar. Our local store basically sells by the inch, so the configuration is up to us and doesn’t affect the price.

I’m around 175lbs, my wife around 145lbs. Mostly side-sleepers (75%), and back-sleepers (25%).[/quote]

I’m not sure where you read this but I don’t make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or materials because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that 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 that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer any specific questions you may have along the way that I am able to help with, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress is the best match for you based on your own careful testing or personal experience and on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

There is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you actually sleep on your mattress.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses in terms of comfort and PPP, durability and the useful life of a mattress. and the overall “value” of a mattress relative to your other finalists.

I would be very cautious about buying any mattress that isn’t a good match for you in terms of PPP because no matter what the price of a mattress … there would be little value in purchasing a mattress that you don’t sleep well on.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you so much for the quick reply!

I read the section about layering and the differences between differential and progressive construction and that was a big help.

I suppose all we need to decide now is if we want to go with a 2" 24ILD top with a 6" 36ILD bottom, or 3" top with 5" bottom. Would you expect to see a substantial difference in the support layer with a one inch difference? We haven’t been able to try a 5" bottom anywhere so not sure how different it would feel. Any thoughts?

Also, our local shop (West Coast Foam in Parksville, BC) individually covers each mattress section in percale. Is that pretty standard or would you recommend having them both covered together?

Thanks!

Hi TeamHaydre,

I would keep in mind that the thickness of a comfort layer or of a support layer by itself is only one of many factors that can affect whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP because every layer of a mattress will have some effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and on the mattress as a whole. With some designs you may do best with a 3" comfort layer while with other designs you may do better with a 2" comfort layer.

Whether an inch in a support layer will make a difference or not will depend on how sensitive you are and where you fall in the range between “I can sleep on anything” and “princess and the pea” and on the type, thickness, and firmness of the other layers as well. If they are an identical type of material and firmness level and if they both have exactly the same comfort layer on top of them and the same type of cover then an inch difference in thickness between deeper support layers will usually make much less of a difference than an inch difference in comfort layers that are closer to the top of the mattress.

There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.

Unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and specs and different layering combinations and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you … I would tend to avoid using individual specs such as layer thicknesses or ILD numbers or other complex specs to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you and focus more on your own actual testing and/or personal experience. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you may not fully understand then the most common outcome is information overload and “paralysis by analysis”.

I would always keep in mind that the only way to know whether a mattress “as a whole” will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP with any certainty will be based on your own careful testing or personal experience.

There are many manufacturers that do this and many that don’t so it’s not “standard” either way. There is more information about the pros and cons of wrapping individual layers with a thin fabric in post #2 here.

Yiou are certainly dealing with one of the better options in your area (see post #2 here)

Phoenix