Hybrid / Talalay Comfort Issues

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

First, I want to thank the website as it’s been a plethora of information I used when shopping for a mattress.

A few months ago, I purchased a hybrid mattress consisting of the L&P Combi Elite with 3" of medium Talalay (Global); the cover is zippered organic cotton w/ wool. Before purchasing, I also tried 3" of soft Talalay but thought it was a little soft as I felt not enough support under my buttocks / lumbar area.

The mattress it was replacing was an older 6" Talalay mattress that was losing it resiliency.

I am 5’8" and 190 lbs. and mostly a back sleeper although I do roll on my side from time to time.

I’ve now been sleeping on it for 2 months now and note the following:

Overall the mattress is relatively comfortable if not a little firm in some places. When I end up on my side, I do notice pressure points on my shoulders / hips.

I tried using the PureCare Aromatherapy 5-sided mattress protector from my prior mattress but felt it changed the feel of the new mattress not for the better as it firmed it up even more. I’ve been sleeping on the mattress without the protector.

In the same breath of the mattress protector, I also notice that different sheets completely change the comfort. Anything but very thin sheets noticeably firms up the mattress.

I’m looking for some guidance as to some options.

Maybe either ditch the L&P Combi Elite coils and do 3 layers of 3" Talalay or do a 6" Talalay core and 3" Talalay comfort layer or take the topper route either with 2" or 3" of Talalay,

As I’m coming up to the end of the 90-day trial I need to make a decision on which path to take.

Thanks in advance.

2

Hey SoCal Yogi,

Welcome to the TMU Forum :slight_smile: ! Thanks for your kind words regarding the site and for your question.

Congrats on your new hybrid mattress purchase :slight_smile: ! With two months of sleep trial period in, sounds like your body is still making some adjustments after moving from your previous all-talalay mattress to your new latex hybrid. For those consumers who may be following your post and are curious about the different type support cores available, Phoenix’s article, “Different Types or Categories of Mattresses” offers a good summary. The innerspring/ latex hybrid is one of the more popular options available, and to your point, the support would feel a bit different than that of a talalay mattress, which has more of a springy, “uplifting” feel.

You don’t mention the brand/ size of your mattress, so I wasn’t able to research its dimensions. I did look up the PureCare Aromatherapy 5-sided mattress protector and from the site, its dimensions are:

5-Sided Mattress Protector Size Chart:
• Twin: 39" x 75" (Fits Mattresses up to 15" deep)
• Twin XL: 39" x 80" (Fits Mattresses up to 15" deep)
• Full: 54" x 75" (Fits Mattresses up to 15" deep)
• Queen: 60" x 80" (Fits Mattresses up to 17" deep)
• King: 76" x 80" (Fits Mattresses up to 17.5" deep)
• Cal. King: 72" x 84" (Fits Mattresses up to 17.5" deep)
• Split Cal. King: 72" x 84" (Fits Mattresses up to 15" deep)

My first question is if your current mattress protector is a carry over from your previous mattress, and the “feel” of it “firms up” your new mattress, could it be that the sizing of the mattress protector isn’t compatible?

Same question regarding the sheets; an amount of snugness could possibly change the feel somewhat.

Just curious here…was there a reason for changing from all latex to a hybrid mattress, as it sounds like you’re leaning towards moving back in that direction. Looking forward to hearing what you decide.

Thanks,
Sensei

3

Hi Sensei,

Thanks for your quick reply.

The Hybrid bed is a Queen and the finished size is just shy of 12" high being the 8" Quantum Elite coils, 3" of latex and the cover.

My original 6" Talalay mattress was purchased back in 2007 and was primarily used in the quest bedroom. It was maybe used 30 days out of the year. For the past 6 years or so it was used daily and flipped and rotated monthly. Initially, the mattress was great but overtime, the past 2 years, I noticed that it felt a bit “dead” and wasn’t as “springy”. I really expected the mattress to last more than 12+ years before replacement given its light use originally.

When I began my search, I looked at 100% latex and hybrid options. Surprisingly, the two mattresses I really did like were 2 sided all Talalay, 6" medium core with 1" comfort on the top and bottom with the second one having the same core but with 2" comfort layer on each side. What steered me away from these options were the traditional stitched closed construction and it was more than I wanted to spend.

After researching on TMU (analysis by paralysis), I decided to go the route with a zippered cover allowing future replacement of the comfort layer.

I wasn’t able to locally try a zipped cover 100% Talalay with a 6" core and single 3" comfort layer so I have no reference point. I was able to try the triple 3" latex layers (Talalay, Talalay, Dunlop) in multiple configurations but nothing really stood out. The Hybrid (Quantum Elite) with the Soft Talalay was just that; I felt my lumbar not supported enough; the medium Talalay was better which is the one I currently have.

Another interesting observation I noticed again last night. I was sitting on the mattress with my legs crossed looking at my iPad. I noticed a pressure point under my buttocks.

Regarding the mattress protector, it was always big on the original mattress since it was only 6" in height with the protector fitting up to 17" deep. Used on the new mattress, it doesn’t seem tight as it’s not difficult to put on or take off, but it definitely firms up the feel and I feel like I’m sleeping more on top with less spring.

For the one set of sheets I mention they are also a carryover. I measured the pocket from the side stitching and it’s just shy of 15". Overall, they do fit tighter on the mattress but also a heavier cotton so I’m sure that directly impacts the feel hence they are out of the rotation.

Thanks again.

4

When sitting is it too firm or too soft? I notice with latex Dunlop and Talalay med firm 29 ILD that seems too firm when sleeping but too soft when sitting .Med firm feels too firm for me when sleeping but I’m hoping it will become softer. I feel like I need zones for my bed split into head/shoulders, waist and feet. I need support for my waist so I feel the med firm is good. But I want softer for my head since I do occassionally sleep on my side. I’m going to cut up my top 3inch Dunlop layer and use a soft Talalay 1" topper cut into 3 layers.

5

Years ago we had a mattress with 3 3" latex layers and 3" of memory foam on top. The memory foam was at the end of its comfort life so we tried sleeping on the next layer, 28 ILD blended Talalaly. It was almost soft enough for me but not soft enough for my wife. Years later (just recently) we replaced another layer of memory foam with 3" of soft (20 ILD) Dunlop latex. I was concerned it would not be comfortable for my wife, but she likes it. We are not small people. So while some people might do fine with a medium-firm comfort layer of latex I think many people would not, especially if they are side sleepers.