Hi Miya,
While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
There are many variations of each type of foam material (latex foam, memory foam, polyfoam) but in very general terms latex is generally the most breathable and “temperature neutral” of all the foam materials followed by polyfoam followed by memory foam. While only a minority of people that sleep on memory foam have temperature regulation issues … the ones that do are a higher percentage than with other types of foam.
Wool is also a great temperature regulating material and in most cases if you are using a wool quilted mattress protector (vs a mattress protector that has a semi breathable membrane) and sheets that are made from natural fibers (such as cotton, silk, or flx linen) then the odds would be much lower that you would have temperature regulation issues even on a memory foam mattress (particularly if the memory foam is more breathable than some of the older formulations) but you can also add a wool topper if your mattress protector and sheets aren’t enough to keep you in a comfortable temperature range and that would probably be the “best possible” solution with a particular memory foam mattress.
Wool and other natural fibers are generally better in terms of temperature regulation than foam materials including latex but your latex topper may have been too thick to “allow” the feeling of the memory foam underneath it to “come through”. In very general terms … the properties and firmness of materials and components that are closer to the top surface of a sleeping system will tend to have a bigger effect on the overall “feel” and firmness of a mattress than materials that are deeper in the sleeping system, thicker layers or toppers will contribute more of their feel and firmness to the overall sleeping system than thinner layers, and a thinner layer would “allow” more of the feel and properties of the layer(s) underneath it to “come through” than a thicker layer.
The only way to know whether any combination of layers and components will be “temperature regulating enough” for you will be based on your own personal experience but I would agree that in general terms you are looking in the direction of having more breathable and temperature regulating materials closer to your skin which for most people would certainly improve temperature regulation compared to sleeping directly on memory foam with less breathable and temperature regulating materials between you and the memory foam. The latex core would probably have less effect on temperature regulation than the layers that are closer to your body so it may not make as much difference as you would hope for although it would certainly affect the feel of the mattress compared to a polyfoam support core that would be more typical with memory foam mattresses.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.
Having said that … if you are only looking at mattresses that contain memory foam comfort layers with some latex underneath it then there are a few options listed in post #2 here that may be helpful.
Of course I can’t speak to how any of these mattresses would feel for you or whether they would be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) and I would always keep in mind that when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).
There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel” that may be useful as well.
For those who decide to take on the challenge then I would either use the specs (if they are available) of a mattress that you have tested and confirmed is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP as a reference point or blueprint and try and “match” every layer and component in your reference mattress as closely as possible or use a “bottom up” approach (see post #2 here).
I certainly think highly of Arizona Premium and as you know they are a member here which means that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. As you mentioned they have a good return policy as well and the cost involved in returning a component or a mattress.is very reasonable.
While their slow recovery latex would be more breathable than most memory foams and has slow recovery properties that are similar to memory foam as well … it would also have a different “feel” and it will probably be firmer than most memory foam layers as well. Once again though the only way to know for certain whether you will like it or not will be based on your own personal experience.
Phoenix