Help with Latex Topper

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Good day!

I am looking at a Talalay latex toppers. We have a 5 or 6 year old Tempurpedic. Do not remember model and my husband cannot recall if he got the firm or medium (he was debating between the two) but it has been feeling too firm for us as we get a bit older. We always now look forward to sleeping in nice hotels with plush beds as we tend to have such a great sleep. We do not want an entire new bed though at this point, as we paid a lot for this one (it was about $4K at time for a Queen). That is money we can spend on diving, ha ha. So, we are hoping to solve the issue with a latex topper. I have taken to folding up a spare down comforter on my side undermeath me to reduce the pressure on my hips, shoulders. Not the best solution!

There are no noticeable indents/soft spots, etc in our mattress. We just find we are more restless in our sleep and getting pressure points in our bonier parts. Little more stiffness in lower back, etc as well. My husband is forever changing pillows to find the perfect one to improve sleep but we are starting to think the mattress might be part of the problem.

I am a side & stomach sleeper (latter in part due to firmness of bed). Never back. 5’4", 122-125 lbs, curvy, wider shoulders for my size. I am pretty athletic and I love feeling a soft bed when my muscles are sore. My husband is 5’10", 175 lbs, muscular. He does have wide shoulders/upper body. He is a combo sleeper primarily back & side. He does not like tooo soft he says but he always seems to love the plush beds we stay in when traveling and sleeps very well. I do not know whether to go around 19 or 24, or 2" or 3"! We want to add more comfort and more of a cloud feel without losing support of our bed underneath. I know it is very personal but any suggestions would be welcome.

We live in a smaller city in Canada with limited options so we have to order online. We are looking at BB, mattresses.net or Plushbeds at this point. Ay other suggestions? Do not want to spend over $400 or so as we also need to consider shipping/duty.

Thank you!

2

Hi DiveCat,

If your mattress has no soft spots or dips and all it needs is some extra softness and pressure relief then it would be a good candidate for a topper.

The topper guidelines in post #2 here and the posts in links to can help you make the most suitable choice.

I would also keep in mind that a topper will reduce the ability of heat to reach the memory foam underneath it which means it will be firmer than it would if you are sleeping on it directly so you may need to “compensate” for this by choosing a little thicker than you otherwise would.

In most cases … “just enough” in terms of thickness and softness is the leas risky choice in terms of negatively affecting support and alignment on your mattress and exchanging one issue with another.

Given that an average thickness for a topper on a mattress that already has some softness in it would be “in the range” of 2" or so … a 3" topper (to offset the firmer memory foam) may work well for you unless the surface of your mattress already has comfort layers that are already thick and soft.

Both 19 ILD and 24 ILD are both in the soft range but you may do better with the lower ILD and he may do better with the higher ILD. If I was in doubt … and choosing a slightly thicker topper … I would probably tend towards a compromise that was a little firmer than softer because it’s less “risky” in terms of alignment. You may be able to choose a split topper for each side as well and then have them glued together in a single cover if a manufacturer was able or willing to do this for you.

Some of the better sources I know of are listed in post #4 here (also linked in the topper posts).

Phoenix