Hi all,
Is there such a thing as an innerspring mattress with a latex topper? If so, would the heaviness of the latex affect the innerspring?
Also, I’m having trouble finding a good innerspring without any foam. I did a search on the site and on several websites and I’m not seeing much. Any suggestions? This is for a 5 year old.
Thanks!!!
Hi coolmonk,
Yes there are quite a number of mattresses that are a latex/innerspring hybrid (with latex as most or all of the comfort layers). A few examples includes one of the members of this site Baybed and Mattress (which uses a component design where you can choose the individual components and latex layers) and another manufacturer that is mentioned fairly often as well called Berkeley Ergonomics but there are many others as well. The heaviness of the latex would pre-compress the springs slightly more than a lighter foam but this would have no negative effect on the durability of the mattress. A forum search on innerspring/latex hybrid (you can just click this) will bring up a few more examples as well.
Almost all innersprings have some type of foam in the comfort layers (either polyfoam, latex foam, or memory foam) although you can also find some mattresses that only use natural or synthetic fibers and no foam at all. These tend to require more specialized construction methods (such as tufting) to prevent the fibers from compressing and shifting and can be very costly compared fo mattresses that use foam. One lower cost example that uses wool, cotton, and innersprings and is good value is made by My Green mattress that is also one of the members here but it’s unusual to find this type of mattress in this price range.
You can see a few more examples of innerspring / natural fiber mattresses in post #4 here. Some of these are hand built ultra premium mattresses and cost upwards of $50,000.
Phoenix
Thanks again, this is great stuff!
One more question. My other daughter (10 years old) has an innerspring with a pillowtop built in. Can I still put a wool topper on that? Is that advisable?
Hi coolmonk,
You can add a wool topper to any mattress but it’s a matter of preferences and whether it was “advisable” or not would really depend on the reasons why you wanted a wool topper.
Some of it’s advantages are that it can add ventilation and helps regulate sleeping temperature to a mattress that needs it, it provides some softness under pressure points (depending on the thickness of the wool), can add some water resistance to the mattress and protect the mattress underneath it from stains, and if the wool and any cotton around it is processed without harsh chemicals it’s a very healthy sleeping surface. Some of the disadvantages of a wool topper are that it can affect the feel of the mattress (which can be a positive or negative depending on what it is used on) and thick wool toppers can develop some impressions as the wool naturally compresses by about 30% which some people don’t like (although it is not a sign of poor performance or the wool degrading which it is with polyfoam). Wool can also be naturally “refreshed” by letting it air out in the sun but it’s a little more difficult to clean than a mattress protector or some toppers where a cover can be removed and washed in a machine. There is more information about wool toppers and some good sources in post #3 here.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix. Just curious, if you were going with the innerspring from My Green Mattress, would you put a 3" latex topper or in or a 3" wool topper for a 5 year old (hoping to use it for many years)? It seems that a quality wool topper and a talalay latex topper from say Brooklyn Bedding are around $300. Will the talalay topper be as cool in the summer and warm in the winter?
Also, does the option above sound better than going with a 7 " NATURAL LATEX MATTRESS from Sleep EZ? I’m thinking in the end the prices will be very close, but unsure about blended Talalay.
I know it’s about personal preferences, but would you be able to tell me what the real differences would be between these 2 choices? I greatly appreciate your thoughts!
Hi coolmonk,
I’m not sure you will need a topper at all for this mattress for a 5 year old and the only real reason to add one would be if for some reason the mattress wasn’t suitable by itself and you needed to make it softer.
If you did decide to add a topper (and I would order just the mattress first so that any topper choice was based on actual experience) then wool (or any natural fiber) would be more breathable and temperature regulating than any foam including latex. Even though latex is the most breathable category of foam … all foam is more of an insulator and less breathable than wool
You’re right it really is a matter of preference so while I can’t tell you what to choose or which may be “better” for you (that’s a matter of your own “personal value equation” and preferences) … I can certainly share some thoughts about the pros and cons of each that may help you decide.
Both are great value but if budget is your primary consideration then of course the Pure Eco is the most economical choice.
If temperature regulation is a primary consideration then natural fibers (especially wool) are more breathable and temperature regulating than any foam including latex and while the 7" natural latex has some wool in the cover … it wouldn’t be as breathable as the Pure Eco (but it also wouldn’t sleep “hot” either because it does have some wool and latex is a more breathable foam).
If you like to snuggle with your kids on their mattress … then latex would probably be more comfortable for you than a natural fiber/innerspring because of the response and natural resilience of latex.
In terms of durability then latex would likely have the edge over a fiber/innerspring mattress.
If flexibility of design and some of your longer term options are a primary consideration … then the 7" natural latex would probably be a more flexible choice because you could add an extra softer layer as part of a 3x3 latex design and put it inside a new cover and “re-use” the latex layers. You also have more options for re-arranging the layers if needs or preferences change than with the Pure Eco. Of course both would have the option of adding a topper if it becomes necessary to add a softer comfort layer when they get older.
If you did decide to add a latex topper to either one (which really isn’t necessary with either at leas for now) … then you would lose the benefit of sleeping directly on the wool with either mattress unless you also added a wool topper as well.
If you did decide to add a wool topper then it may be worth considering the lower cost of the 6" SleepEz special here which has a stretch knit cover without any wool quilting and then add the wool topper on top of this.
Hopefully this can help you identify the pros and cons which are most important to you and make the final choice that is the best “fit” for your needs and preferences. They are both great options IMO.
Phoenix