Hi Rob,
There are so many variables and unknowns that unfortunately there is no formula or “theory at a distance” that someone can use to know which mattress or design will work best for anyone else. Only your own personal experience can know this. Nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) so it’s not possible for anyone (including me) to make specific suggestions or recommendations for someone else.
[quote]The manufacturer suggested a pillow top; against your advice I agreed. 2 inches of #19 ILD talalay latex were combined with another agent(natural/synthetic…??) In an attempt to provide a more pressure relieving mattress.
The manufacturer suggested a pillow top; against your advice I agreed. 2 inches of #19 ILD talalay latex were combined with another agent(natural/synthetic…??) In an attempt to provide a more pressure relieving mattress.
During the first two weeks, I felt that the mattress was too soft. It did not seem to provide the support that I needed. The pressure relief was there. My body then adapted to the configuration. The mattress felt very good for two months. It had a very nice buoyant quality.
The characteristics of the mattress have completely changed over the past month. It feels very firm and the pressure relieving qualities have been lost. My wife and I are both experiencing in our shoulders and sides. I assume that the non-latex material that was added to the pillow top is either compressed or broken down resulting in less comfort.[/quote]
I’m not sure what the reason is for the change over the last two months (I would need more details about the topper to guess) but a 2" topper of a little bit softer latex than you had would be “in the range” of what would normally be successful “on average”. You can see the topper guidelines I use in post #8 here and in post #2 here.
It may also be worthwhile checking some of the other suggestions in post #2 here which may also account for some of the changes … particularly if you have a mattress pad or a quilted cover in the mattress which may be compressing slightly and adding to the overall firmness of the mattress. In general foams will soften over time (a little faster during the break in period and then more slowly after that) and fibers will become firmer as they compact and compress.
This would depend more on the ILD and type of latex than on the blend. If you are referring to Talalay then if the ILD’s are the same then blended may be a little bit more pressure relieving than 100% natural but the difference in a single layer would be small (many people wouldn’t notice if the ILD’s were the same) and can easily be compensated by different ILD’s. Dunlop tends to feel firmer than both because it is a denser material that gets firmer more quickly as you compress it more deeply but this can also be compensated for by changing the ILD.
The problem with most pillowtops is not the pillowtop itself but the type of material that is in it. A pillowtop mattress that uses lower quality less durable materials (which is the norm with most mainstream mattresses) can soften and impress fairly quickly which can lead to the loss of comfort and/or support but I don’t see any issues with a pillowtop that uses high quality durable materials if it’s a good match for someone in terms of PPP. The recommendations are about the quality/durability of the materials in a pillowtop … not about mattresses that use a pillowtop style of construction.
I wish it was possible to be specific but unfortunately as I mentioned there is no formula or theory that someone can use to give specific recommendations to someone else. Each person is unique with different needs and preferences. My goal is to help with “how” to choose not with the specifics of “what” to choose but hopefully the links to some of the guidelines and suggestions will be helpful.
Phoenix