Hybrid vs All Latex for slide sleep with disc issues

Talk To The Experts Arizona Premium Mattress
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My wife and considering either a latex hybrid or an all-latex mattress and would be grateful for feedback for our situation.

  • We are looking for a king-sized mattress. Questions are in red.
  • I’m mostly a side sleeper (I have acid reflux). I also have bulging discs in my neck and minor back issues, so proper conformality and support is important. I manage these issues pretty well, but I want to make sure that our next mattress accommodates my body well in case the situation deteriorates.
  • My wife sleeps in all positions, but mostly side.
  • I’m 5’9" 175 pounds, she’s 5’5" 145 pounds.
  • I am always hot. She is always cold. She currently uses a heated mattress pad on her side of the bed. Would this be a bad idea on top of a 3" blended latex comfort layer?
  • The Leggett & Platt coils are 8" tall and are zoned. The Quantum Edge coils are 6" and not zoned. Would non-zoned coils be better for side sleepers our size? Maybe it depends on the comfort layer(s)?
  • We don’t have strong feelings about 100% pure latex vs blended latex from your store.
  • We are getting rid of a 16 year old Stearns and Foster (RoseSummer) bed that has become VERY saggy in the middle. It was great in the store, but quickly seemed too hard after we slept on it. Rather than return it, we softened it up using two 1.5" latex toppers. That worked for years, but the indentations are now severe and uncomfortable.

For pre-built mattresses, manufacturers (including APM) seem to always have a substantial wool layer between the comfort layer and the cover. Is this a code requirement for pre-built mattresses to comply with fire-retardant rules? Wool would seem to be less conformal than latex. It looks like a DIY mattress can be built without this layer using your Organic Cotton Zippered Mattress Cover.

Coil core vs latex core: I’m under the impression that the differences between the two are subtle (for most people) when building mattresses using materials from your store. When referring to a “coil” below, I’m referring to a quality coil like the Leggett & Platt Combi-Zone or the Quantum Edge Elite Bolsa. Are my assumptions below correct?

  • Would one be significantly better for side sleepers?
  • A latex core will last somewhat longer than a coil core. How much longer for a couple our size?
  • A coil core is springier than a latex core, which may not be as good for movement isolation from your sleeping partner, but is somewhat better for sex. Both qualities are important to us, but we’re okay with a compromise, especially if the difference is subtle.
  • A coil core will be cheaper than a latex core, especially for a king-sized mattress.
  • A coil core will have somewhat better edge support than pure latex.

Which configuration do you think would fit our needs best?

Mattress #1 (11" hybrid L&P)
8" Combi-zone L&P
3" Blended Talalay (19 ILD)
Cotton mattress cover

Mattress #2 (9" hybrid Quantum Edge)
6" Quantum Edge Elite Bolsa
3" Blended Talalay (19 ILD)
Cotton mattress cover

Mattress #3 (9" All Latex)
6" Blended Latex (28 ILD)
3" Blended Talalay (19 ILD)
Cotton mattress cover

Mattress #4 (11" 3-layer hybrid Quantum Edge)
6" Quantum Edge Elite Bolsa
2" Dunlop (medium 28-33)
3" Blended Talalay (19 ILD)
Cotton mattress cover

#4 is a modification of another plan that I saw posted here. I replaced the LP with the Quantum Edge. The Quantum Edge is shorter, so the whole stack isn’t as hard to fit sheets. The Quantum Edge isn’t zoned, which might be slightly better for side sleepers, though it may not matter with the 2" middle layer in this stack.

I suspect that the largest difference between the options above is mostly cost.
Any advice that you can give would be appreciated. Thank you!

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Good questions. The Quantum Edge is used on many different configurations from Leggett and Platt including both our Bolsa and Combi zone. I can tell you out of all the configuration listed the most popular choice in our showroom is the #3 however with the #32 core instead of #28. It’s so popular we call it our Goldilocks model. It’s at least an 8-1 preference over our hybrids. Your #4 config I can see working well also but only if you like the extra bounce of a coil system. Side sleepers really gravitate to the all latex design simply because its more conforming than a coil system and thus better pressure relief. A latex core should hold up very well for close to 2 decades or even more. The soft top layer will take all the wear and tear and need to be replaced more often, around every 8 years given your weight. The coils will give you 10-15 years of solid service.Talalay latex still has some bounce to it so don’t discount it for extra curricular activities (says the guy with 5 kids who sleeps on all Talalay). Let me know if you have any other questions.

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Ken,
Thank you for the quick response.

You’d recommend the 6" core made from #32 Talalay over a Dunlop core for us?

Your comment suggests that internet buyers tend to choose hybrids because they are familiar with springs, while showroom buyers who actually try out the beds tend to choose the models with latex cores. My wife has been leaning towards the hybrid because she’s familiar with coils, though she seems now more open to a latex core after your comment. Are we interpreting your comment correctly?

We’re zeroing in our our purchase. Would you recommend ordering without the cover first? Or does this seem like a pretty safe combo? What’s the lead time these days?

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I’m sorry but I don’t remember all the details of our phone call as far as my recommendation but yes, in store our all latex designs outsell our hybrids 8-1. You do not need the cover initially so that gives you time to get the feel where you want it then get the cover. The cover itself will firm up the feel ever so slightly so keep that in mind.

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4 Year Follow up

I thought that I’d follow up almost 4 years after our purchase

Quick Summary

  • Me: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this mattress!
  • My Wife: It’s complicated, but we made it work

Summary: I have a neck with a herniated disc and multiple bulging disc, and moderate back problems. I almost always sleep on my side.

We started with the following stack (King Size) in August 2021:

  • 3" Blended Talalay Latex (19 ILD)
  • 6" Blended Talalay Latex (32 ILD)

I immediately loved it and slept fine the first night. My wife woke up sore after the first night. We decided to give it a few more weeks, but she still complained about back pain. She REALLY didn’t like it. It didn’t seem soft enough for her.

I then ordered a 2" Super Soft Blended Talalay Latex topper (14 ILD) for her to try on her side of the bed, but I didn’t realize that she had already ordered a thin feather mattress topper. I tried the 14 ILD Latex topper on my side and she tried the feather topper. She initially concluded that the bed was acceptable with the feather topper. I tried the feather topper and didn’t like it at all. It felt like lying on a bean bag. It wasn’t cushy and conformal like the latex foam, however, my wife thought that it was better than sleeping directly on the 19 ILD layer.

In my opinion, the combination above with the 2" topper is incredible! I call it the “cloud.” When I first lied down on it, I thought, “Oh, no, it’s going to be too soft for my back.” I’ve slept on beds that were too soft, I was worried about this combination. However, I’ve experienced ZERO back pain. I suspect that it’s fine because the really soft layer is only 2" thick, and the underlying layers give proper support. The super soft top layer makes it like I’m sleeping “in” the bed rather than “on” the bed. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s absolutely amazing. I really miss my “cloud” when I sleep on a hotel mattress.

My wife initially wasn’t interested in trying the supper soft latex topper, so she continued using the feather topper. However, she eventually concluded that she still had some residual back pain. I suggested that she try my 2" super soft latex topper. She placed it under her feather topper rather than replacing it, and she found this combination acceptable. I then ordered a second 2" Super Soft Blended Talalay Latex topper (14 ILD) so that we could have this layer on both sides of our king.

Here are our final layers:

My side:

  • 2" Blended Talalay Latex (14 ILD)
  • 3" Blended Talalay Latex (19 ILD)
  • 6" Blended Talalay Latex (32 ILD) (2 x 3" layers)

Her side:

  • 1.5" Feather topper
  • 2" Blended Talalay Latex (14 ILD)
  • 3" Blended Talalay Latex (19 ILD)
  • 6" Blended Talalay Latex (32 ILD) (2 x 3" layers)

My wife briefly tried the 14 ILD topper without the feather topper, but I she’s used the feel of the feather topper.

My only complaint with my stack is that it’s a bit warm. I suspect that the supper conformal support traps heat a little more than a firm mattress. However, it’s not a big deal. It’s incredible for both side sleeping and back sleeping. I feel my body relaxing as soon as I climb in.

I’m been a little curious as to whether my wife wouldn’t have had back pain if the middle/bottom layer was 28 ILD instead of 32 ILD. I suspect not. I suspect that the she was more bothered by the surface layer.

Note: With my original purchase, I bought the mattress cover for the 9" stack. I bought separate covers for the 2" toppers. Knowing what I know now, I would have purchased a single cover for the 11" stack. I should have taken Ken’s advice and delayed the purchase of the covers.

I hope that maybe someone might benefit from our experiences.

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Thanks!

Did you buy your mattress from APM?

John

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Did you buy your mattress from APM

Yes.There were no problems with delivery. I would use them again and would recommend them to anyone.

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Thank you for the feedback. We can still make you a cover for 11" if you want to send it back to us so we can rework the zipper to accommodate the extra height. $50 labor plus shipping each way. Still cheaper than buying a new one.

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Thank you! Getting the cover reworked sounds tempting.The biggest advantage of buying the correct cover the first time would have been cost savings, rather than having to buy 2 additional 2" covers.

Would having a single cover rather change the feel of the bed? There would be only a single layer of fabric over the top of the mattress, rather than 3 layers (top of the 2" topper + bottom of the 2" topper + the cover over the main mattress). I wondered if I might like it even more with fewer layers of fabric.

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Reworking the cover to include all layers would firm it up just a bit.

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