WOW! I just have to say it!..WOWā¦
What an incredible amount of information you have provided on a subject so important to our welfare and health!
I have been researching bedding for sleep for quite a while before tripping on to this site, and I have to say, over the weeks and hours I have spent in a plethora of other sites, this ONE site has provided more information, in a (mostly) unbiased format, than all the others combined! All in an easy, step by step method that will lead to the promised land! A bed that can provide a great opportunity to sleep thus leading to a more healthy, active life. Free from drugs that help one sleep on a totally inadequate surface, and even then fighting thru aches and pains the next day. I know the story well. Bought a āhigh end mattressā less than 3 years ago on the āstoryā of a salesman that promised me 20-25 years of comfort and support. Here I am today struggling to decrease back pain thru a chiropractor and the āhigh end bedā is mostly to blame! No MORE stories for me. Now Iām armed with the knowledge to go out and make a high dollar decision with confidence. Thank you so much and I believe my journey to finding the āgoldenā bed will be fruitful.
Iām planning to start my field tests soon, and would like to know places in central Ohio, (Columbus, 43026), to visit where I can talk facts with educated people that realize what Iām looking for. Thereās an OMF down the street from me, and I plan on going there tomorrow, but would like to broaden my search just in case THE bed is not there for me. Thanks again and Iāll be waiting your reply.
Hi mcvicker,
Thanks for the kind words and comments ā¦ I appreciate them all 
Some of the better options or āpossibilitiesā Iām aware of in the general Columbus, OH area are listed in post #2 here.
Good luck with your testing and Iām looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing and of course any feedback or questions you may have along the way.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for the reply!
Iām considering 3 of the mattresses from Rocky Mountain. Keep in mind this is just based on countless hours of reading your mattress forum last night. I have not been able to go to Lake mattress and physically try any out yet, due to the severe weather we have had. I will however, get there before I pull the trigger and purchase!
Could you please compare these 3 for me, with the most important thing being, pressure point relief, longevity, and comfort! I will be purchasing an adjustable frame to accompany this.
- The Cloudcroft 12"
2" of pressure-reducing Bayer Ultracel Supersoft Foam
4" of five pound Bayer Softcel Memory Foam
6" of Talalay latex base for ultimate lower and upper back support
CoolMax by DuPont
European box pillow top
Reinforced edge support for sitting
Increased memory foam comfort
12 inch mattress profile
- Rendezvous 14" ( is this to high for an adjustable frame)
2" of Bayer Softcel Supersoft Foam
4" of five pound Bayer Softcel Memory Foam
1.5" of Bayer Ultracel Convoluted Foam
1" of Firm Talalay Latex
5.5" of Bayer Ultracel Extra Firm Polyurethane for Lumbar Support
European box pillow top
Reinforced edge support for sitting
NASA engineered Bayer Memory Foam & Support Foam
Breathable microfiber imported damask
14 inch mattress profile
- Talalay natural latex 9" ( is 9" enough for longevity )
1" of pure organic Juma wool under a cotton/bamboo cover.
2" Crest of Talalay latex,choose from 24,32, and 40 ILD
6" of 100% certified-natural Dunlop latex.
Cotton/bamboo cover for superior comfort and enhanced coolness.
Iām confused about how these 3 compare to each otherā¦is the rendezvous overkill? Is the natural latex not enough?
I really appreciate your help and advice!
Hi aitta3,
Comfort and pressure point relief are the parts of mattress research that you will need to do (either with personal testing or more detailed conversations with a manufacturer) because I donāt know all the ācomfort specsā of each mattress, I canāt feel what you feel on a mattress, and I have no personal experience with any of these mattresses (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). A knowledgeable manufacturer or retailer that has your best interests at heart is always the best source of guidance about comfort or support choices when you canāt test a mattress in person because they know more about their mattresses and which ones have the best chance of fitting different body types, sleeping styles, and preferences based on āaveragesā than anyone else.
In terms of durability post #4 here has the information I would need about each mattress to make any meaningful comments or identify any potential weak links in any of the mattresses.
1) The Cloudcroft 12"
I would want to know the density of the 2" supersoft foam but if itās 1.8 lbs density or higher (which I believe it is) then there would be no obvious weak links in this mattress.
2) Rendezvous 14" ( is this to high for an adjustable frame)
I would want to know the density of the 2" supersoft foam and the 1.5" convoluted foam but if they are also both 1.8 lb density or higher (which I believe they are) then there would be no obvious weak links in this mattress either. Because of the thickness of the mattress and the firmness or āstiffnessā of the polyfoam base layer this may not work as well or conform as well to an adjustable bed so I would make sure you ask about this because they will know more about the specific properties of all the materials and how well it will work on an adjustable.
The 9" Talalay natural latex
There are no weak links in this mattress and because itās all latex it would likely be the most durable of the 3. The thickness of the mattress has more to do with how the mattress will feel (along with the type of latex and the firmness of each latex layer) than it does with durability or longevity. A 6 inch mattress and a 12" mattress can both last just as long as each other if the materials are the same (there is more about the factors that can affect the relative durability of a mattress in post #4 here).
Phoenix
Hey there Phoenix,
Completed first day of field testing and felt great, thanks to all the info provided herein. Felt I was treated with more respect, knowing the lingo of mattresses has something to do with that I suppose. Had some interesting experiences, and would appreciate your professional opinion on value and durability.
Stop 1, Mattress Mart, where the owner Kevin was there since his guy called in sick. He was patient with me, allowed me all the time I wanted to do comfort testing and support testing, and answered questions with the facts.
Pure Bliss Latex, 'The Best mattress in the World' (yes, that's its name), Is an all latex mattress, with 6" of HR NR talaylay latex core for support, then 3' of 17 ILD NR Talalay latex combined with another 3' of 19 ILD talaylay latex for comfort. Felt very cushy, (which I like), allowing plenty of 'sink-in' for shoulders and hips for my preferred side position. No pressure points detected there or when flipping over onto my back. no discernible gaps in the lower back, or armpit area or waist when on my side. Spinal alignment with zero deviation, (according to Kevin), on my side or back. (I did not detect any gross deviations myself, and have to take his word for it otherwise). In all, very comfortable and supportive. The only thing that caught my attention was in dealing with prices. Originally marked @ $4200.00, but 'on sale' for $3800.00. I am interested in an adjustable frame, which he had, originally $1800.00, but he sells for $1300.00. So total for both $5100.00 plus tax. First, he said he'd take the mattress and the adjustable frame down to $4,000.00 plus ~$300.00 tax, and would throw in 2 latex (chopped up) pillows and a superior mattress cover, (all total value ~$450.00), then, if I paid cash, (which I always do), he would deduct the $300.00 tax. So, all that for $4,000.00. Is this a good value, and will the support be durable, (lasting for 10 years or so)?
The "Beautiful" mattress had the same support core, and the 2 comfort layers were both talaylay NR latex with a 19 ILD rating. It wasn't quite as cushy as the other, so did not pursue pricing, but the sale price was listed as $3600.00. I felt the same support as the other, (and expected to since they had the same cores.
I also checked out the Anatomical Global Gel memory foam, which I felt was supportive, but not as comfortable as the latex, (plus I read somewhere that the gel memory foams were not as durable as the straight forward memory foam, which kind of turned me off). Anyway, when shifting from side to back, needing more push out of the nice cradle it did produce, felt a twinge in my back due to the effort needed. So I crossed it off my list. (I have a long history of lower back problems).
Stop 2, the OMF, and salesman Jason, also very knowledgable, friendly, and patient.
Serenity plush, which has 6" of HD polyfoam core, ILD rating 28-32 (?) for support. Then, 2" of 8 lbs memory foam with a 10-16 ILD rating on TOP of 2" of 5 lbs memory foam with 8-14 ILD rating, and sandwiched between the two layers, a 1/2 inch 'breathing layer, (2 thin plastic pieces separated by millions of perpendicular plastic like strands, when pushed with a finger, collapses easily and springs back but when pressed between two palms, will not collapse). Also, the 8 lbs memory foam was perforated, (much like latex), which caused a more cushy feel than the non perforated (regular) serenity mattress. (otherwise, both constructed of same materials. I liked the cushy feel of the plush, and somehow, when changing position, seemed less of an effort than it did on the AG gel mattress. Support was good, (once again relying on them for visual), with no discernible deviation in spinal alignment, and I personally felt none either. The regular serenity was not quite as 'cushy', but just as comfortable and supportive, but did take more effort to change positions. Price with an adjustable base, for regular serenity, $2600.00. The Plush, $2800.00. (actually quite impressive as I had tried the Temporpedic Could Supreme 11", which felt very similar, but priced $2750.00...with no adjustable base).
Serenity Latex, a dual sided mattress with a 6" 26-34ILD 2.5 lbs polyfoam core, and 3" of talaylay latex composed of 1" of 16-22 ILD 3 lbs density latex on top of 2' of 21-27 ILD 3.25 lbs density latex. Support felt was excellent, with no discernible shift in spinal alignment on sides or back, and very cushy feel, filling all gaps adequately. Price with adjustable base, $2900.00.
So, I am sold on the latex mattresses. Both tested had good support and comfort I was looking for, but will the different cores make much difference in durability, and if so, how much? BTW, I'm ~ 6' 230 lbs, stocky build with an lowly enlarging abdomen as the years go by. I spend ~ 8 hrs sleeping, and ~1 hour reading/watching tv on bed per day. (although, with my bed being more comfy than my easy chair now, that may well increase).
Also, is Kevin 'making' me a great deal, or can I get even better value elsewhere with similar designs?
The OMF gave me ILD ratings which were 'ballpark', (i.e.: 16-22). Is this acceptable or could my support/comfort differ on which ILD I end up with?
I didn't see any sections about adjustable bases. I did feel some pressure changes with the various angle changes, support was pretty consistent though. Do you have any info on an adjustable bases effects on mattresses, and how they may affect durability issues?
Overall, feel ready to but, or do I keep testing, is there something even better out there, support/comfort/durability or price wise? It all felt so easy this time......
Thanks for checking....I'll wait for response.
Hi mcvicker,
I switched your posts (and my reply) to a new topic to keep them all together (the topic it was in is more of a ācatch allā topic).
I would be aware that these mattresses are not 100% natural Talalay but blended Talalay (which is a little bit more durable in softer ILDās than the 100% natural and has a 20 year warranty vs a 10 year warranty but is also less costly).
You can see the specs of the Worldās Best Bed (to the best of my knowledge) and the Beautiful in post #2 here (assuming that they had a blue cover). If they had a white cover and didnāt have use Active Fusion fast response then they would be version 2 which is here (but doesnāt include the WBB specs). Their description indicates they are version 3 but the pictures have a white cover which would be version 2. Some of the confusion arises because PLB calls their blended Talalay ānaturalā and their 100% natural Talalay āall naturalā so many retailers believe they are selling one when they are actually selling the other.
When you are testing a mattress that have thicker and softer comfort layers such as the WBB and the Beautiful I would pay particular attention to testing for alignment to make sure that your hips/pelvis arenāt sinking in too far relative to the other parts of your body. The mattress itself uses high quality materials (blended Talalay is one of the most durable foam materials) and has no weak links in its construction.
The āvalueā of a mattress is relative to what you are comparing it to, on the size of the mattress you are considering (which I donāt know) and on your personal value equation which is all the parts of a mattress purchase (not just the mattress) that are most important to you. In terms of āraw material valueā (which has nothing to do with PPP or how the mattress feels and performs) you can compare this to other blended Talalay latex mattresses that use a similar amount of latex and have a similar stretch knit cover (a quilted cover, especially if it includes wool, is more costly). The Active Fusion Talalay fast response is also blended Talalay but has some gel added to the mix to help with cooling and is slightly more costly (although Talalay latex is already one of the most breathable and temperature regulating of the foam materials).
The list of online manufacturers that are members of this site that are included in the tutorial post are useful for making value comparisons and if you look at their sites and compare the WBB or the Beautiful to other mattresses in the same thickness range (@12" or so) and use the same type of latex (blended Talalay) you will find that the WBB is significantly more. In other words ā¦ the WBB is more costly than other similar mattresses that may be available to you that use the same materials and a similar cover but may have a different design (layer thickness, ILD, etc).
The Beautiful has the same amount of Talalay latex as the WBB but it uses different layer thicknesses so in terms of āraw materialā value it would be the same as the WBB but of course it would be less valuable to you because of the difference in PPP.
There are also a few retailers in post #32 here that sell PLB mattresses online that may have better pricing that you could call to make some value comparisons as well for the same mattresses (once you confirm which version they are selling).
While the PLB mattresses are a fair bit more costly than other similar āall blended Talalayā latex mattresses, how well a mattress āmatchesā your needs and preferences is a significant part of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase regardless of the cost. If one mattress has a much better āraw materialsā value than another one that uses the same materials and components but the mattress has a different design that isnāt suitable for you in terms of PPP then it would have little value to you if you canāt sleep well on it so a mattress that is significantly more costly may be better value to you over the course of its useable lifetime than one that is significantly less if the difference in PPP and any of the other parts of the purchase are more important and āworth itā to you.
Overall these are more costly than other similar mattresses but only you can decide if they are āworthā any extra cost.
I would also make āmattress to mattressā and āadjustable bed to adjustable bedā comparisons rather than comparing a mattress and adjustable base to each other as a set because you may not be making āapples to applesā comparisons. An adjustable bed is more of a commodity and all of them perform similar basic functions (although some have more features than others). While you will often receive a discount for buying an adjustable bed as a set with a mattress ā¦ I would compare the discounted price of the mattress and adjustable bed separately with other mattresses and other adjustable beds because you may be able to buy the same or a very similar adjustable bed with the same or similar features elsewhere for a lower cost and adjustable beds are much more of a simple features vs cost comparison than a mattress.
Post #3 here and the adjustable bed thread it links to may be helpful and will also give you some sources to make some good āvalue comparisonsā for adjustable beds.
[quote]Serenity plush, which has 6" of HD polyfoam core, ILD rating 28-32 (?) for support. Then, 2" of 8 lbs memory foam with a 10-16 ILD rating on TOP of 2" of 5 lbs memory foam with 8-14 ILD rating, and sandwiched between the two layers, a 1/2 inch 'breathing layer, (2 thin plastic pieces separated by millions of perpendicular plastic like strands, when pushed with a finger, collapses easily and springs back but when pressed between two palms, will not collapse). Also, the 8 lbs memory foam was perforated, (much like latex), which caused a more cushy feel than the non perforated (regular) serenity mattress. (otherwise, both constructed of same materials. I liked the cushy feel of the plush, and somehow, when changing position, seemed less of an effort than it did on the AG gel mattress. Support was good, (once again relying on them for visual), with no discernible deviation in spinal alignment, and I personally felt none either. The regular serenity was not quite as ācushyā, but just as comfortable and supportive, but did take more effort to change positions. Price with an adjustable base, for regular serenity, $2600.00. The Plush, $2800.00. (actually quite impressive as I had tried the Temporpedic Could Supreme 11", which felt very similar, but priced $2750.00ā¦with no adjustable base).
Serenity Latex, a dual sided mattress with a 6" 26-34ILD 2.5 lbs polyfoam core, and 3" of talaylay latex composed of 1" of 16-22 ILD 3 lbs density latex on top of 2ā of 21-27 ILD 3.25 lbs density latex. Support felt was excellent, with no discernible shift in spinal alignment on sides or back, and very cushy feel, filling all gaps adequately. Price with adjustable base, $2900.00.[/quote]
OMF has some good quality and value mattresses available and their Serenity mattresses (both the memory foam and the latex versions) also use high quality materials and have no weak links in their design. The memory foam versions would be very much an apples to oranges comparison vs a latex mattress but they are in a good value range compared to other similar mattresses (again you can use the online lists in the tutorial post to make some āvalue comparisonsā). There are more comments about the Serenity memory foam mattresses in this topic (and I would also make sure you test them on an adjustable base if thatās what you plan to use because they are normally on a box spring which flexes and this will change the āfeelā of the mattress. Itās always important to make sure that you test a mattress on a similar base to what you plan to use.
You can see some comments about the Serenity latex mattress along with some of the differences between a latex/polyfoam hybrid and the pros and cons of a two sided mattress in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
ILD specs are ācomfort specsā and not really relevant or important to know when you are testing a mattress in person because with good testing your body will tell you what you need to know about PPP much more than knowing the firmness/softness or ILD ratings of any individual layers. Itās the quality of the materials that you canāt āfeelā when you test a mattress and that are the important specs to make sure you find out.
Hopefully this will help
Phoenix
This is good information. Please tell me a local manufacturer direct retailer and recommended layer. Iām in Atlanta Georgia. I sleep on my side. Iām a 170lb 5ā5āā woman.
Hi Nxwhite,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!
The better options and possibilities Iām aware of in the Atlanta area are listed in post #2 here.
Iām looking forward to your feedback and finding out what you end up choosing.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Your information is invaluable and this site is a fantastic resource - only wish Iād found it years ago. In 2008 my wife and I purchased a Regeneration 2 from Sleep Country Canada. I broke my lower back in a snowboarding accident in 2007 so was upsold by the salesperson on the benefits of foam, rubber latex, etc. The mattress sounded like a good choice that would last us for years. As you know, it was a terrible choice weāve suffered with for years. The massive indentations have gotten progressively worse, the saving grace being that they are now 2.7" and weāve been successful in submitting a warranty claim. So now we have an 1800 dollar credit for a king mattress at Sleep Country Canada (which Iām sure would have bought a lot more 6 years ago). The dilemma is this: we donāt want to spend additional money at Sleep Country which we feel (and your posts validate) would get poor value in return. I think our strategy will be to use the 1800 credit and no more, with the expectation that when the mattress invariably breaks down, we make our next purchase elsewhere. So for 1800 at Sleep Country what should we get? The iComfort Oracle (I think itās their Genius) fits price wise and felt OK, but after reading here, Iām sure will disappoint. Are there any value options at Sleep Country? If not, what would be the best choice?
Hi ajeckler,
I switched your post to its own topic so itās easier to find and keep any related posts together.
There are too many unknowns, variables, and preferences involved for me to know which of their mattresses (or which mattress/topper combination) would be best for you in terms of PPP and your own personal testing would be the best way to assess this (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I also donāt know the specs of most of the mattresses at Sleep Country so I canāt really make any meaningful comments about them in terms of quality (if they can provide you with the information in post #4 here about any of their mattresses and you can post them here Iād certainly be happy to help you assess the quality of the materials and help you identify any potential weak links).
Having said that ā¦ post #2 here and the posts it links to has more information about the approach I would take if I was also caught ābetween a rock and a hard placeā and needed to make a choice there when under normal circumstances I would be unlikely to choose any of them.
If the Oracle has the same specs as the Genius then there would be 2" of 1.3 lb āsupport foamā underneath the 2.75" of gel memory foam which is a very low quality/density material which can soften under the heavier parts of the body relatively quickly resulting in the loss of support. Some of the other iComfort mattresses may be better choices and have less lower quality materials in their design.
Phoenix
I appreciate all the information provided here. I now know more than I ever cared to about mattresses. Thanks for the guidance.
Hi Blazi,
Youāre welcome ā¦ and I hope you have the chance to let us know what you end up deciding
Phoenix
I would like to echo the gratitude for the knowledge on this forum. I found a local family shop on the members list that will hopefully earn my business today.
Hi javec,
Welcome ā¦ and Iām glad you found us
Iām looking forward to your feedback after your visit.
Phoenix
Wowā¦great info on this site. I thought that I was doing above-and-beyond research the last week, reading for hours on the internet largeāchain sites and Googling reviews from Yelp and āindependentā review sites. I visited 4 large-chain retail stores and thought I had narrowed it down amongst the Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Stearns and Foster, etc., lines. I did my butt testing on 30 different mattresses and I had my wallet out and ready to go. Then I did my final searches of buyer reviews for my finalist models and I got blindsided. It seems like every major brand of mattress has major issues with 20-40% of buyers, at least. Reports of $1000-2000 mattresses sagging in as little as 2-12 months??? āWarrantyā seems to be mostly a joke. The mattress industry is polluted and very enigmatic. I found out why the chain stores give you āfreeā mattresses if they canāt beat a priceā¦no one has the same mattress, technically!
I thought the independent mattress makers were the rookies with inferior product. I need to look at this subject in a different way, after reading some of the info in this site. Very enlightening site and forum. Thanks a million!!! The research goes onā¦
Hi Erion929,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum!.
Thereās a lot of information here but hopefully it will help you āresetā how you look for a mattress :).
Iām looking forward to finding out what you end up choosing ā¦ and of course any questions and feedback you have along the way.
Phoenix
If only I had come across this forum a year ago when I dropped a good chunk of change on a Simmons world class innerspring. My g/f (at the time) had to have a soft mattress (rated a 6/plush on their comfort scale) so I caved and now have had back pain for a year. The good news is my son loves itā¦he can have it! Anyway, Iāve always preferred a firmer mattressā¦the last time I remember not waking up with back pain was in my college days sleeping on a $200 futon. Kind of ironic how my problems only started after spending thousands on more fancy āname brandsā.
Iāve been soaking up as much info off this site as possible and after testing some floor models around town, Iāve decided to go with one of the DreamFoam mattresses. Iām just not sure if I want to go with their new āfirmā memory foam (Aria) or one of their laytex combos. I was only able to find one laytex retailer where I live, but they are 100% laytex (3 layers) and use Dunlop natural laytex. Iām not sure how much different this is than the Talalay, padding layer only in the DreamFoam, but I really liked it. Firm and supportive but had a softness and top layer comfort to it that memory foam lacks. At least the firmer memory foam I preferā¦I tested 2 Tempur-pedics and preferred the firmness of the Contour Signature vs the Cloud (too soft/too much sink for me). The Contour Signature was rated medium-firm which led me to believe the DreamFoam Aria may be comparable. On the other hand I really liked the laytex I tested and if it helps as much with back pain as memory foam, I may go that route. Iām just a little worried about longevity/durability as it seems a lot of reviews mentioned sag and break down after a year. I donāt know if their memory foam would have the same issues or not, but Iām pretty average in sizeā¦5ā10, 180 (stomach and back sleeper). Iāve tried calling DreamFoam a few times, no luck yet but hopefully someone will answer soon so I can talk to a rep and get their opinion. If you have any feedback in the meantime, please let me know what you think.
Thanks again for all of the extensive information on this site, itās absolutely amazing!!!
Hi ginnywop,
Iām glad you found us this time around
The choice between latex and memory foam is more about preference than anything else (see post #2 here) and your own personal experience is really the best way to know which type of material you tend to prefer.
I donāt know the density of the gel memory foam in the Aria but even if it was higher density memory foam, latex would be a more durable choice (latex is the most durable type of foam material).
You can read a little more about the difference in āfeelā between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here and more about a latex hybrid vs an all latex mattress in post #2 here. The firmness and thickness of the layers in each mattress would also make a significant different in how they compare in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) although much of the initial āfeelā of a mattress comes from the upper layers.
Firmness ratings are very subjective and can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (more so with memory foam because it can vary with temperature and humidity and the specific properties of each type of memory foam) but they know more about the specifics of the mattresses they make than anyone and would be able to give you the most accurate information about how the Aria or any of their mattresses compare to any of the mattresses in the Tempurpedic line in terms of PPP.
One type of material isnāt inherently any better than another for back pain. It all depends on the specific design of a mattress and how well it keeps you in alignment in all your sleeping positions much more than which materials it uses. A mattress that works well for one person (or helps their back pain) may be completely unsuitable for another (and make their back pain worse) because of differences in body types, sleeping positions, or individual preferences.
The weak link of a mattress is almost always in the upper comfort layers which are generally the first to soften or break down and latex is the most durable of all the foam materials (polyfoam, memory foam, latex foam) so it would be more durable than a mattress that used memory foam in the comfort layers and used the same base foam. There is more about the variables that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here and the posts it links to and post #20 here would also be worth reading.
If there are visible impressions in a mattress that are deeper than the warranty exclusion then it would be a defective mattress which can sometimes happen (even with high quality and durable comfort layers such as latex) and it would be replaced under warranty. In most cases though when you have high quality and durable comfort layers then any āsaggingā that most people mention would be āvirtual impressionsā which are generally from choosing the wrong firmness level in the first place (too soft) where the heavier parts of their body (such as the pelvis) are sinking into the mattress too deeply or with higher weight ranges where they are compressing the base layer more deeply and they may have been better off choosing a mattress with either more latex on top or a higher density base foam (at a higher cost).
If you were in a higher weight range or had an unusual body type or weight distribution where you sink into the base layers more deeply then it may be a good idea to consider higher density base foam or thicker latex layers but you are not in a weight range where this would generally be an issue.
Stomach sleeping is especially prone to alignment issues from a mattress where the comfort layers are too thick or soft (or in the case of some types of memory foam becomes softer over the course of the night) and the ābestā choice is generally to use comfort layers that are ājust barely thick and soft enoughā to relieve pressure when you sleep on your side so that the risk of alignment issues that can cause pain or discomfort from your pelvis sinking down too far when you sleep on your stomach (and causing a āswaybackā position) is reduced.
If you arenāt able to test a mattress in person before you buy it (or a mattress that a manufacturer has confirmed would be very similar to a local mattress you can test in terms of PPP), then itās always a very good idea to make sure you have a more detailed conversation with any online retailer or manufacturer so that they can give you some guidance to help you decide which of their mattresses may be the most suitable choice for you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Phoenix
Thanks for all of the extra information Phoenix, I REALLY appreciate it! After the additional research, Iāve decided to go with their laytex hybrid model so now I just hope Chuck can dial in the right firmness for me. Iām thinking a 3 or 4 but may opt for a 4 since I do sleep on my side from time to time (or maybe this is a product of tossing and turning all night!). The price point/value is too good to pass up and if it doesnāt work out, Iām not breaking the bank. If it does, Iāll probably invest in a more expensive latex core down the road. Now I just need to choose a protectorā¦thinking the Luna will be a bit better than the Sleep Tite one that comes up as the first option to package together (based on reviews). Thin, breathable and not crinklyā¦I donāt want it to affect the feel of the mattress. Thanks again for your help!