How to tame a topper

[phoenix]

Hi DoDo,

What makes my decision difficult is I can’t quite pinpoint the problem with the latex topper. I have the impression it is too soft, so that I go through it with the heaviest parts of my body (hip, particularly hip joint, and thigh to much lesser extent). Im comfortable on my back, but on my side, the hip area gets sore after a while. However, theoretically at least, MF is way softer than any latex. So why do I get the impression that the MF cushions me against the foam core where the latex does not? In a nutshell, there is my dilemma: is the latex really too soft, or is it too thin/hard? Am I “bottoming out” or feeling the hardness of the latex itself?

I would agree with most of djgoldb"s comments.

While the only way to know how any mattress/topper combination will feel for any particular person is based on their own personal experience because it can vary depending on the body type and sleeping style along with the sensitivity of the person on the mattress … a 28 ILD comfort layer would feel firmer to most people than most memory foam layers in the same thickness and I would guess that you are feeling more of the firmness of the comfort layer itself and that 28 ILD is probably too firm for you if you are used to memory foam. It may be worthwhile either adding a softer latex layer or replacing your layer with a similar thickness in a softer ILD.

I would also agree that while Energia is a high quality material … it has a different “feel” than latex.

There is also more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to that can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success.

I would also treat the choice between Dunlop and Talalay as a preference choice rather than a better/worse" choice because both types of latex come in a wide range of firmness levels. There is more about the choice between Dunlop and Talalay in post #7 here.

While I would be tempted to add an inch or two of latex to your mattress to provide the additional softness and pressure relief that you appear to need (depending on whether you think you need a “touch to a little” or “a little to a fair bit” of additional pressure relief) and given your lower weight I would tend to consider something in the 14 - 19 ILD range … when you haven’t tried a particular combination in person then the return/exchange policies of the retailer or manufacturer you are dealing with would probably become a more important part of the “value” of a topper just in case your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for when you actually sleep on it in “real life”.

Phoenix