Hybrid or all latex advice for our specs

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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Hi there, TMU community! I would appreciate guidance on potential latex build / buy for us.

Background: Coming up on 20 years with a Sear-O-Pedic (yes, Sears!) plush pocket coil pillow top queen. Solid plywood foundation. Severe dips, springs no longer uniform, pillow top smooshed thin. Well past time for new.

About us: Me: ~230lbs, 6ft, side sleeper, age 55, hip pain (bursitis) and back pain from my cuddly dad-shape belly. Wife: 5ft, ~160 lbs, age ~55, back sleeper.

Key criteria: comfort, longevity, simplicity (prefer a few quality components rather than gimmicky bells and whistles) - quality over quantity. Natural with less chemicals is a plus.

RN, I’m leaning toward DIY or customized “build-a-bed” from SleepEZ / LMF, APM, SOL, PSS, etc. I like the ability to dial-in layers and to swap out individual components in the future rather than the entire mattress.

I’m intrigued by latex due to longevity. And the memory foam “sinking in” feeling sounds like a nightmare to us both. It seems some like latex, some don’t. We can’t find many local mattresses with latex to try, except for Naturepedic. We plan to visit their showroom to see what we think in-person.

For me, thinking firm-ish due to weight, but soft-ish due to side sleeper / hip pain. So, leaning medium. Wife wanted plush 20 years ago, wants firm now. I’m thinking medium as well?

Question: Should we do all latex or latex over springs?

  • Option 1: Hybrid: Standard Coils + 3” Med Talalay
  • Option 2: 3” Firm Dunlop + 3” Med Dunlop + 3” Med Talalay

I’m thinking springs + topper would be better at cooling and also edge support. But, maybe I’m wrong?

Are there other pros/cons to consider for us?

Any guidance appreciated! Trying hard to stay under $2k, all-in.

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Based on your info I would go with option 2. Latex does not need extra edge support because of it’s well known durability. It also breathes very well however if you would like maximum breathability I would change the middle layer to firm Talalay. The pros are better relief from motion transfer and cons are it’s a bit more expensive than the coil option. You should come in just under budget, at least with our components.

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Thanks, Ken! Much appreciate your perspective. Thank you!

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Hi WallyDog and thanks for reaching out on this! Our Hybrid is an enclosed mattress that quilted on both sides and is adjusted by flipping it, and the Organic mattress has a zippered cover that is adjusted by unzipping the cover and rearranging the layers. Aside from that, the Organic line is fully customizable and fully adjustable. So you can customize the mattress before purchasing so that it’s as soft as you’d like, as firm as you’d like, has as much contour and pressure relief as you’d like, has as much support for your back as you’d like, etc., whereas the Hybrid has limited options for customizing the mattress. Furthermore, if you start with a certain setup and find that it’s too soft, you can unzip the cover and rearrange the layers to get a firmer feel out of the mattress, or you can exchange a layer to make it softer. Additionally, latex mattresses typically last 20 years. If, in 5 or 10 or 15 years you decide you want a softer or firmer mattress you would only have to buy a new layer instead of an entirely new mattress. Aside from that, the Hybrid has a bouncier and springier feel, and feels more similar to a traditional spring mattress. The Hybrid is an outstanding value and has an incredibly low return rate (all of our mattresses do, actually), and is ideal for people that already know they prefer the feel of a mattress with springs in it. It also has enhanced edge support compared to all latex mattresses. Although there’s no good way to compare the two mattresses directly, I’d say the Hybrid feels closest to our all latex mattress in the following configuration: medium Talalay over medium Dunlop over firm Dunlop, which would be our 10" organic. The feel would not be similar, but the overall firmness would be comparable between the two at that point.

It sounds like you already know most of that, but just figured I’d chime in to make sure.

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That all makes perfect sense. I appreciate the additional thoughts and guidance. Thank you, Shawn!

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Hi Ken! How does the firm Talalay middle layer offer increased breathability? Is it Talalay being more breathable than Dunlop?

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Exactly, Talalay has always tested as more breathable than dunlop. Dunlop makes a good base layer however.

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Do you typically recommend two Talalay layers on top of one Dunlop layer, or one Talalay layer on top of two Dunlop layers? Pros/cons?

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Depends on if you want to spend the extra money on the talalay. Talalay is supposed to be better all around but it costs a lot more. I believe a medium talalay layer would interpret as a touch softer than a dunlop medium layer.

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I got to lay on a latex mattress for the first time today. My experience was that Talalay of the same firmness was noticeably softer than Dunlap. I still have much to learn, though, and need to own something on trial and figure it out.

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Yes,even if both are labeled 36 ILD, Talalay and Dunlop still don’t feel quite the same, and the reason has more to do with how they behave under deeper compression than the surface firmness number. ILD only tells you how the foam responds at about 25% compression, but when you actually lie on a mattress you’re compressing it much more than that. Talalay has a lower secondary compression modulus otherwise known as secondary support factor, typically measured at 65% compression, so it stays more linear as you sink in, it doesn’t ramp up in firmness as quickly. Dunlop has a higher modulus, so it starts out similar but then firms up a lot faster as you go deeper.

That’s why Talalay tends to feel more buoyant and pressure-relieving even at the same ILD, while Dunlop feels denser and more supportive. With Talalay, you get a more gradual, even pushback the whole way through the compression. With Dunlop, it kind of “catches” you, the resistance builds quickly and you hit that firmer support sooner. So even though the spec sheet might say 36 for both, in actual use Dunlop will usually come across as firmer and less forgiving.

Modern manufacturing has made both types more consistent, but it hasn’t changed this fundamental difference because it comes from how the material is structured. Talalay is more uniform and airy, which is why it compresses more evenly, and Dunlop is denser and naturally more progressive. So the gap isn’t about outdated production, it’s just how each type of latex behaves under load. When comparing Dunlop to Dunlop most will feel quite the same these days as a handful of dunlop from Sri Lanka is made by companies that use quality processes that ensure consistent results. There are poor quality versions out there. So, it is wise to be cautious who you buy from. Most of the US manufacturers tend to use those 5 or 6 companies that put out quality Dunlop. Claims of superiority are mostly exaggerated. When it comes to Talalay, Vita and Global are the primary two world suppliers and both do a quality job.

Hopefully this helps sum it up on a more basic level.

Maverick

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It depends on the weight of the person and favorite sleeping position. Those who are mainly side sleepers or under 200 lbs typically do better with 2 layers of Talalay at minimum. Either 6" + 3" or all 3 3" Talalay.

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Is 6" of latex ideal? Been thinking about 4" and an 8" coil base vs 5-6" and a 6" coil base. Hard to find anything with Talalay locally.

@Arizona_Premium

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I prefer taller coils and shorter foam layers. 4" of space to work on the top is enough imo. If you’re buying coils to do diy, 8" springs in general will be higher quality. That’s not always the rule but if you’re buying just a spring layer the sources you can get the 8" springs from have better springs than you’d get in 6" height.

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Thank you! TPS comes highly recommended, and I like what I’ve read about the unit. I think that’s the plan, but still don’t understand why one might go 6" latex base instead of coil base. That being said, the more I read and converse with folks, the more I hear 6" coil = a bit more firm and lends toward a better bed for back/stomach sleepers, while 8" coil = a bit less firm and creates a more conforming feel that’s great for side sleepers. We’re combo, but I’d lean side-sleeping setup if I had to choose one.

Any thoughts on TPS vs other coil units, or even coil vs latex base? Appreciate your input!

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I like the 8" quadcoil in the 15.5g because it really does seem to feel a bit different to standard coils. The way the pockets are connected makes a difference. Ive never tried a latex base so im not sure if it feels different than an all foam base.

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I appreciate your insight and time! I know we’re going 8" Quadcoil. Now need to decide on 3", two 2" or even another size of latex layer.

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What i would do is put 2" of medium latex in the mattress encasement with the 8" springs. You don’t need a real expensive encasement to do this, there are affordable 10" encasements, I’ve seen some cotton ones and bamboo ones on walmart.com for 60 or less. That will make the mattress secure and then on top, in a topper cover you can put 2" of soft latex. Sleeponlatex only charges $30 more to put their toppers in covers.

Only thing with the encasement is you have to make sure it’s not overly tight.

If you wanted to go full luxury, you could do the arizona premium mattress bamboo wool encasement, 2" of medium blended latex, then 3" of super soft blended latex on the top in a topper cover. This build would be similar to the box top avocado green, which costs $3000. Their bolsa edge elite spring system is good as well and costs a bit less than texas pocket springs. I think your total build cost would be about 1300 for that.

I like a thick layer of super soft latex on top because it’s so plush, that it’s not at all trying to support your body. It’s purely there to make the bed feel amazing, and give pressure relief. You sink through that super plush layer into the medium latex and that’s where your support comes from.

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Yeah on arizona premium mattress i just added the 8" bolsa edge elite, the bamboo wool cover, and a 2" of medium blended talalay to my cart and with the 5% off code “MU5” it came out to 800 before shipping.

This would feel basically like a standard model of a well known brand latex mattress. Blended talalay is better than standard imo because the blended part is done to increase durability.

Just those put together in the 10" cover would feel good. Then if you want to add a plush top layer you could get either a 2" or 3" blended super soft latex in a bamboo wool topper cover. I’d get 3" personally because you’ll be sleeping on this for years, and itll be basically equivalent to the highest end version of the avocado green mattress.

The specifics rely on what your preference is. If you just want to top of your bed to feel soft, you can do 2" of soft in the topper cover on top. If you want it to be ultra soft which means very little space before you reach the medium layer, 2" of super soft. 3" of super soft will kind of surround your body in softness and still not cause misalignment. That’s why it’s my favorite and also why i think they do that with the most expensive avocado beds.

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as usual very informative!

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