Hi yukoncornelius,
I wish I could as well or that there was some algorithm that could predict this but unfortunately nobody has a crystal ball that can predict which specific mattress you will sleep best on with any certainty based on specs or “theory at a distance” and I would be very skeptical of anyone who claims that they do. It just doesn’t exist.
If you’ve read the tutorial you will see that I specifically recommend “against” trying to become an expert and to focus instead on learning “just enough” so that you can recognize and find the experts that already know what you would otherwise take many weeks or even years to learn.
While I understand that you may believe this … it certainly isn’t factual or correct regardless of your belief.
As I mentioned … I would also take mattress reviews with a big grain of salt.
While there are many different types and blends of latex … outside of defects all of them are very durable materials relative to other types of foam. Dreamfoam uses blended Talalay latex in their comfort layers which comes in different firmness levels or ILD’s (you can see the different firmness levels here) which is how they adjust the firmness of their mattresses. All the firmness levels are the same type and blend of Talalay latex and one isn’t any lower quality than another although softer foam layers will tend to be less durable than firmer foam layers with any type of foam material. There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.
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Again this depends entirely on the quality and durability of the materials. If there is more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality and less durable materials in the upper layers of a mattress then the thickness of any lower quality comfort layers can certainly make a difference but with higher quality materials it wouldn’t.
Any mattress that is a good match for you in terms of PPP (regardless of whether it would be a good match for anyone else) that also uses good quality and durable materials would certainly be worth considering regardless of the specific design. Some mattresses that may use 2" of some type of foam material on a specific type or firmness of innerspring may work well for you while other mattresses that use 2" of a different type or firmness of foam or the same foam on a different innerspring may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on.
I can only repeat what I’ve said before about making specific mattress suggestions because once again the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial)or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
There is also more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (either locally or online) that can help you assess and minimize the risks involved of making a choice that isn’t as suitable for you as you hoped for in post #2 here.
Foam density (at least with polyfoam and memory foam) is the most important measure of its durability not firmness and any density of memory foam or polyfoam can be made in a wide range of softer or firmer versions.
Unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and specs and different layering combinations and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (or a relatively small percentage of people overall) … I would tend to avoid using individual specs such as layer thicknesses or ILD numbers or other complex combinations of specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you and focus more on your own actual testing and/or personal experience. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you don’t fully understand then the most common outcome is information overload and “paralysis by analysis”. Choosing a mattress based on complex combinations of specifications would be among the least reliable ways to choose a suitable mattress.
I would certainly agree with you that the Roma mattress would also be a great quality/value choice and that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress and assuming that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP and that you like the “feel” of Dunlop latex it would certainly be well worth considering.
While the choice between different types of mattresses is a preference choice and not so much a “better/worse” choice (see this article) … there are certainly many others that prefer innerspring mattresses in general as well so you certainly aren’t alone in your preference.
Phoenix