I’ve been sleeping on 2 to 3 inches of padding for decades now, and currently I’m sleeping on a Thermarest self=inflating camp mattress… The problem is that Thermarest doesn’t make their mats wide enough. I need a twin size mattress for my platform.
Lately, I’ve been considering replacing it with a natural latex mattress about 3 inches thick, but I won’t really know until I’ve tried it whether it will be an acceptable alternative…
I wonder why no one has made a self-inflating twin size mattress for home use.
Hi frank snigley,
The thickness of a mattress is really just a side effect of the design and is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress and by itself also isn’t particularly meaningful (see post #2 here). In some cases higher weight ranges will sometimes do better with a mattress that is a little thicker than lower weight ranges but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well the mattress “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) than anything else.
[quote]I’ve been sleeping on 2 to 3 inches of padding for decades now, and currently I’m sleeping on a Thermarest self=inflating camp mattress… The problem is that Thermarest doesn’t make their mats wide enough. I need a twin size mattress for my platform.
Lately, I’ve been considering replacing it with a natural latex mattress about 3 inches thick, but I won’t really know until I’ve tried it whether it will be an acceptable alternative…[/quote]
There certainly aren’t may people that would sleep well on a mattress that was only 3" thick which is more in the range of a topper than a mattress but of course each person is unique and just because your sleeping system wouldn’t be suitable for most people doesn’t mean that it isn’t suitable for you.
If you decide to purchase a 3" topper to sleep on (3" isn’t thick enough to legitimately be called a mattress) then the better online sources for latex toppers I’m aware are listed in post #4 here.
You may need to do some trial and error to find which firmness for a latex topper is most comfortable for you to sleep on or most comparable to your Thermarest so the exchange/return policy for the topper you purchase may also be an important part of the “value” of a topper purchase and the risk involved in purchasing it.
It would probably be somewhat difficult to make a mattress that is thick enough to legitimately be called a mattress that is also self inflating (the foam in your thermarest is what inflates the mattress to a certain point and then you can add air if you want it firmner than that) but there are certainly many air mattresses or cots that can be easily pumped up with either an air pump or manually. A few of them such as here are also “self inflating” but they use a pump. While I don’t think that most people would find most of these particularly comfortable either (air isn’t the best mattress material) … you may also be an exception with these as well.
Phoenix