Help with mattress selection - latex/hybrid

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Hi MU experts,

Like many folks here, I am searching for a mattress after a long time! Needed some help in picking the right one. First some background about us, our journey and current shortlists.

About us: I am 5’7, 150lbs, side sleeper 80% and 20% back. Spouse is 5’2, 125lbs, semi-stomach sleeper (but over last few weeks she has transitioned to sleeping on side more :slight_smile: )

Mattress journey
Last year January, I bought a Casper (from Costco) and about 30-45 days in, both of us started getting back pain and my back pain has lingered since then (improved with PT).
We returned the Casper and went back to sleeping in our 15yrs old innerspring firm Sealy (which is very firm). Recently I get up daily with a lower backpain or a neck pain (depending on how I slept that night). Trying out various pillows for the neck pain problem!

It was anyway time to change our mattress, and we initially started search on traditional innerspring and visited the usual big name stores and didn’t look at latex. We tried memory foam (Temperpudic) and didnt like the slow sinking feeling, so eliminated it.

Then discovered this website …god sent! We visited local stores (in Seattle area, as recommended in this forum) and tried out few latex mattress and they were really good. Felt super comfortable. We narrowed to medium to firm mattress worked well for us.

Our current short lists:
• Woodland Park Latex - 6in firm Dunlop botanical latex for core layer, 1in firm latex on both sides. Cotton cover with wool fire barrier and 0.8 inch latex sewn into the cover. Fill weight is 85kg/m for firm. Locally manufactured in Seattle. Return policy is not so great i.e. only store credits or exchange (90 day sleep trial).
• Ergovea - 6in firm support core Dunlop latex, 2inch plush pressure relief layer, cotton cover. Return policy is only store credits or exchange (30 day sleep trial)
• King Koil Natural Orchid firm 14.5inch: This is a hybrid with Talalay latex and coils. They were very comfortable to sleep!. But from a large manufacturer, not sure King Koil quality and also from Macy, which has a not-so-great policy for exchanges/returns. Not sure on the size of the latex (not available on the website)!

Few questions:

  • Our existing 15yr firm mattress has no sagging etc! I was wondering if I should try getting a latex mattress topper? could that be a easier/simpler option? Would provide a similar experience to a hybrid?
  • Will full latex will indent after few years etc, and should I go for latex/coil hybrid.
  • Not clear if I should have a top layer of Talalay or Dunlop etc.

Any help is appreciated. What should I be looking for, or questions I should be asking or other mattresses I should consider.

I have read good things about SleepEz on Sleeponlatex, but cannot try them out. Any suggestions on them?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

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Hello Dilbertzulu, and welcome to the Mattress Underground!

So much of this is personal preference, so it is good that you want to try mattresses out. Alternatively, if the mattress you choose has components you can swap to make it firmer or plusher, that can work well also.

If your firm mattress has no sagging, a topper may work. Some people feel that Dunlop is denser than Talalay - again, good for you to try that out.

Whether latex or latex/coil hybrid will indent is probably dependent on quality of materials. Look at the length of warranty - that could give you a clue about what the quality of the mattress is. Also, I see that you are looking at some more ‘clean’ options with organic latex, etc. Holy Lamb Organics is one of our partners and they are located in the Seattle area. You may want to look them up.
We ship all over the country and our staff is used to talking with people over the phone to help them get the best mattress for their needs. Feel free to call us for further info. or for some help. They can help with pillows too.
Best of luck with your search!

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Hi dilbertzulu, and welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile:

Sorry for the delayed response! And thanks to @TheCleanBedroom for your input! Unfortunately, your experience with the Casper is not surprising. Like the Sealy - which sounds like it held up for 15 years! - most of the ‘big brand’ retailers are pretty thin when it comes to specifications, densities, and materials used in their products; while some consumers may enjoy these big box mattresses, this makes it almost impossible to assess their suitability or durability for any sleeper…and any memory foam of insufficient density, or which was made with inexpensive ‘fillers’, the foam can break down prematurely, causing the foam to form ‘peaks’ and ‘valleys’ which often cause neck, back and muscle pains and can even cause alignment issues.

Remember, any mattress you both choose will be based on your Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) - thanks for providing those! - and your PPP (Posture & alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). As you and your spouse are lower BMI sleepers, and aside from what sounds like mattress-caused neck and back pains, you don’t mention any other health issues, so you have a variety of options for comfortable and supportive sleep.

As you can see comparing the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, latex is one of the most durable materials you can have in a mattress. The difference in ‘feel’ between Talalay latex rubber and Dunlop is that Talalay is considered ‘bouncier’ - like the difference between pound cake and angel food cake; some sleepers prefer one, some the other, all a matter of preference.

The latex mattresses you listed are all fine, as latex is latex as long as you find the correct firmnesses for you and your spouse. Some of those trial periods are not as great - it can take days to weeks to ‘break in’ a mattress and for your body to acclimate as well. Any good latex of proper density should not ‘soften’ unduly for sleepers of your size.

One option, once you do a little in person testing and decide whether you want Dunlop or Talalay, all-latex or hybrid, and what firmness is best, is to take a look at the Trusted Members of the site. Many of who carry different types of latex mattresses at a variety of price points…these have all been vetted for quality. transparency in materials and construction, great customer assistance and generous return and exchange policies with good trial periods. Giving them your Stats and PPP and mattress history, along with the feel you are looking for, they can help you find a perfect sleep solution. Wishing you success on your journey!

~ Basilio

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