Help with mattress core identification

[beanbag]

Could somebody help me in identifying a latex mattress core? I believe it is a Durolux 3 zone core. I was just wondering if anybody knew what was the ILD specs for this mattress. I called Latexco in southern california, but the person there refused to help me since I was a customer and not a business. I can’t seem to get reliable info over the internet, but I was hoping to get one of those 31-35-31 cores, but I keep seeing those referred to as “firm”, whereas mine seems to be called “medium”.

[phoenix]

Hi beanbag,

I’m not familiar with the actual label but as far as I know A.D.X. latex was a 7" 3 zone blended Dunlop core made by Latexco. It came in a medium version and a firm version.

I’m also not familiar with the specific ILD’s that each one used but it may be worth calling Ken at Mattresses.net who may be able to give you more specific information since they used to carry this.

Durolux is Latexco’s current blended Dunlop latex core and also comes in zoned versions.

Phoenix

[beanbag]

Ken said it was a 31-35-31. I found that kind of odd because everybody else is calling that kind of ILD “firm” on ebay. I guess I will wait to see if anybody from Latexco responds. Also, this mattress really does measure out to 6", and not 5.5" like on the mattress.net web page. In any case, I found this core to be too soft when used with my topper.

However, I remembered one tip I read from an ebay seller that said that because of the way dunlop latex is made, one side is a little firmer due to particles settling. So I flipped the core over, and now I think it is a bit too firm!

To go back a bit, I got this from mattress.net, along with their usual 2" 22ILD topper. When I used it with the soft side up, my experiences were that while sleeping on my back, the feel of the mattress “disappeared under me”, which I suppose is a good thing, but after a while, I noticed that my hips seemed to be sinking in, and the next morning I woke up with a slight back ache. When sleeping on my side, the pressure felt pretty even (namely, even the narrow part of my waist felt a slight pressure), but I think my hips were still sinking a little bit.

With the core flipped hard side up, the bed has more of a taut feel. When rolling or moving around, I can feel the more abrupt transition to the core. My hips don’t sink in anymore, but I can feel a slight poking from my hips and a little in the shoulder when side sleeping. When back sleeping it feels more like that “on top of the mattress” feeling.

So now I am wondering what I can do about this. I figure two possibilities are:
a) core soft side up. Use only a 1" soft topper, or a slightly harder 2" topper
b) core hard side up. Add an extra 1" of transition layer of maybe 26 or 28 ILD

I’m glad I got room in my mattress case in order to insert more stuff.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[dndndn]

Hi beanbag,

I’m guessing here and thinking your topper is talalay, which you may have done because you prefer the feel of talalay… But if the mattress is too soft with that topper, you might try removing the topper for a bit. That way you can ensure it’s not too soft period (if it is, you can completely rule having soft side up out).

It’s also possible that the soft side is simply ‘broken in’ if you’ve always slept on one side, and the firm side softens somewhat as you use it. And a combination of that plus latex being of differing densities on each side is possible too.

Also, I may be mistaken, but 1" talalay can be a bit more challenging to find. SLAB carries if I know. It’d probably be easier and potentially cheaper to get a firmer 2" layer. Again, do double check that because I could be totally wrong on it.

[phoenix]

Hi beanbag,

Ken said it was a 31-35-31. I found that kind of odd because everybody else is calling that kind of ILD “firm” on ebay. I guess I will wait to see if anybody from Latexco responds. Also, this mattress really does measure out to 6", and not 5.5" like on the mattress.net web page. In any case, I found this core to be too soft when used with my topper.

I would keep in mind that firmness and softness are completely subjective and each person’s experience on a mattress can be completely different from someone else. there are some members on the forum that have tried mattress that some people would find “ultra firm” and completely unsleepable that for them are still too soft.

However, I remembered one tip I read from an ebay seller that said that because of the way dunlop latex is made, one side is a little firmer due to particles settling. So I flipped the core over, and now I think it is a bit too firm!

This is correct because of the way that molded Dunlop is made and the latex particles can settle when they are being manufactured and the actual ILD’s can also vary across the surface (see post #6 here). The difference between the top and bottom though is not usually dramatic, especially with 2" of soft Talalay on top of it … and if using one side of the Dunlop core is too soft for you and the other is too firm then it would normally mean that you are much more sensitive than the norm and much smaller changes in a mattress would have a larger effect on you than most people. In cases like this I would tend to use the firmer side up and sleep on it for a few weeks to give your body time to adjust and then consider adding a thinner layer if you still need some extra firmness. There are also some suggestions in post #2 here that may be helpful for fine tuning a mattress that is too firm.

So now I am wondering what I can do about this. I figure two possibilities are:
a) core soft side up. Use only a 1" soft topper, or a slightly harder 2" topper
b) core hard side up. Add an extra 1" of transition layer of maybe 26 or 28 ILD

If you go with “A” I would tend to sleep on the soft side of the core first and then add a layer using your own experience and the topper guidelines here as a reference point. If you go in the direction of B do need an extra inch of Talalay latex then SLAB and KTT Enterprises both have this available. I would also keep in mind that your mattress cover and any mattress protector or even your sheets and bedding can also have an effect on how the mattress feels.

Phoenix

[beanbag]

The mattress is brand new.

I tried laying on just the soft side without a topper, and the surface feel is definitely too hard. So maybe it means that using this core soft side up is still salvageable? I thought that it was considered bad to have a softer layer below a firmer layer, such as if I use this core hard side up.

I was also thinking that compared to talalay, a dunlop core would be softer if you compress it less than 25%?

1" latex toppers are not that hard to get, either via ebay, or mattress.net even sells one, albeit 22 ILD.

A more pressing issue I need to deal with is that I can see the mattress bulging out between the slats on my bed frame. I figure I will add a thin layer of very firm poly foam on the bottom. Or maybe paperboard or pegboard. I think this may actually make the bed a tiny bit firmer.

[phoenix]

Hi beanbag,

I tried laying on just the soft side without a topper, and the surface feel is definitely too hard. So maybe it means that using this core soft side up is still salvageable? I thought that it was considered bad to have a softer layer below a firmer layer, such as if I use this core hard side up.

I’m not sure I understand what you are considering here. I’m assuming that your 6" core is an individual layer that you can use either way up that you wish with or without another layer under or over it?

If this is the case and the softer side of the 6" core is too firm for you then it would just be a matter of adding a comfort layer on top of it that was the best thickness and softness for you in terms of PPP.

I was also thinking that compared to talalay, a dunlop core would be softer if you compress it less than 25%?

If the ILD of both layers were the same and the ILD had been tested in the same way on the same core thickness then in theory this would be correct although it may not “feel” that way in practice because different parts of the body will sink into a mattress in different amounts and all the layers of a mattress interact together and simultaneously so it’s usually not possible to accurately identify how much each individual layer of a mattress is compressing. It’s usually much more effective to go by your own experience rather than more technical information when you are deciding on the best choice for individual layers.

1" latex toppers are not that hard to get, either via ebay, or mattress.net even sells one, albeit 22 ILD.

1" layers of Dunlop are certainly more common than 1" layers of Talalay which are a little more difficult to find.

A more pressing issue I need to deal with is that I can see the mattress bulging out between the slats on my bed frame. I figure I will add a thin layer of very firm poly foam on the bottom. Or maybe paperboard or pegboard. I think this may actually make the bed a tiny bit firmer.

It’s usually a good idea to use slats that are a maximum of 3" apart (less is better) because this will reduce the amount that the latex can sag through the gaps. The mattress cover will also make a difference with this. If there is too much sagging then your ideas can certainly help and a bed rug like this or one of the slat conversions here (which has no flex at all) or even one of the Ikea slatted bed bases here (which has some flex which may change how the mattress feels and performs) can provide good support and airflow under a mattress and are also economical.

Phoenix

[beanbag]

It turns out that the holes on the “soft” side of this core are deeper than the “firm” side, so that would explain the difference in feel when I flipped it over.

I also noticed that the bed felt softer towards the sides vs the middle (where there is a slat reinforcement beam down the middle). I put a piece of paperboard under one side to reduce the mattress bulging between the slats. That firmed it up a little bit, but still not as much as center. So I guess there is still a bit of sag coming from the slats.