Hi doctorx0079,
Welcome back and thanks for the post.
We are very understanding of the difficulty of selecting something appropriate when there are not enough “good” latex mattresses to try out and compare at traditional retail. It is really hard to gauge what would be best, but at least you were able to try the Serenity latex at Original Mattress and compare its feel to different mattresses and materials.
I did take a look at the Original Mattress serenity link, and this is one of there two-sided latex mattress, made with 4.5" poly foam core and 3" of Talalay on top and bottom. They don’t list the ILD of the Talalay on each side, did you happen to ask the sales associate this question?
As you may or may not know, Sleep on Latex is one of our trusted members that I think very highly of and consider them to compete well with the best in the industry. In this way, we are partial to our members based on their quality, value, service, transparency, and use of high-quality materials. Additionally, you can also check out other many members on our site who have many years of latex experience and some offer topper exchange programs. Here is the list of TMU members that sell latex or all-latex mattresses.
I am not sure what you read since you’ve found us but you’d need to understand the difference between pressure relief and support, you can read about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
When assessing any product, also be sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness, etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
I hope this gives you a good start in selecting an appropriate firmness choice for a new latex mattress. I look forward to learning about your decision and any other questions you may have.
Phoenix
Note: I have moved both your posts in this thread to better keep track of your progress.