Hi Phoenix,
First, I want to say thank you for providing such a wealth of information on your site. It’s been extremely helpful to me in my endeavor in buying a latex mattress in Portland, OR.
I have a couple issues I hope you can assist me with.
The history --I bought a dunlop processed ‘botanical’ latex queen size mattress from The Mattress Lot in Portland- (It’s a small, locally owned business and I wanted to patronize them rather than a big box store) -that was labeled a ‘medium’ bed with an ILD of 28. The manufacturer of this ‘Woodlawn Plush’ is a company called 45th Street Bedding. It has a 6" dunlop core with 1.5 comfort layers (they say of the same ILD). I saw a video from a retailer in Seattle (Bedrooms & More) about the Woodlawn Plush and they said that the top layers were Talalay and that it would be ideal for a side sleeper. I found out that the information about the 1.5 layers being Talalay were incorrect and the store owner (the son of the family who owns it) took the videos off their site. They were cool about the mistake and contacted me to remedy it despite that I didn’t buy it from them.
So, the owner of the Lot’ who sold me the bed felt that it could be too firm given my physical issues (I have 2 herniated discs-L3-5) and a nerve entrapment in my left shoulder, which is the side I sleep on. Having done so much ‘theory research’, I was sure it would be ok, and thought I could always buy a topper…fast forward to today.
Issue No. 1. The bed is killing me! It’s way too hard and my arm and hand went numb one night while sleeping. My left shoulder was pretty sore and painful for a week or so throughout the day. It’s also causing pain in my upper back (thoracic region, despite not having any injury there)…BUT, my lower back is fine. I’m 46, 5’4, 166 lbs and mostly sleep alone
Also I’ve heard latex requires ‘breaking in’ but just as often, I’ve heard that it retains its shape and doesn’t change really…kind of confusing.
–Do I exchange the bed for a softer blended latex bed? (The owner said both he and his wife have slept on it for 2 years and really liked it).
–or Do I buy a wool topper (that they say is best with Latex) and hope that spending even more $ will relieve my shoulder pressure points and still offer necessary support for my lower back?
I paid a whopping $2K for the bed and I’m broke! (but I will get the topper IF it is the actual best course to take and better ‘value’ in the long run).
*forgot to mention- I tried this bed out 3x in the store and it seemed fine. Also, I’ve been sleeping on it 3 weeks.
Your issues are fairly typical of a mattress where the comfort layers are too thin and/or firm. As far as durability and softening … all foams will go through an initial break in period regardless of type and this will be followed by more gradual softening over time. Latex will do this less than other foams both initially and over time because it is more durable than other types of foam. It will also depend a great deal on the firmness of the latex and the weight and sensitivity to changes of the person. You can read more about the relative durability of different materials and the many factors that are involved in post #4 here. In other words … it’s a matter of degree and the other variables involved.
I certainly wouldn’t pay any attention to any other person’s experience on a mattress to decide on what may be best for you even if they are the owner. Each person is unique in their needs and preferences. Your own careful and more objective testing will be the best way to help you predict how well it may perform for you. Post #1 here has some links to information about how to test mattresses. In addition to this … your own experience is a fairly clear “pointer” to needing a thicker/softer comfort layer (thickness and softness work together and both contribute to the pressure relieving qualities of a mattress). If you can exchange for a mattress that has a thicker softer comfort layer than your own and it works well in testing then this would be well worth considering. Adding a topper is another option (post #2 here has some guidelines for choosing a topper) although actually testing a topper on the same mattress as you are sleeping on is a more reliable way to choose than going by “theory”.
–or Do I buy a wool topper (that they say is best with Latex) and hope that spending even more $ will relieve my shoulder pressure points and still offer necessary support for my lower back?
I would be a little hesitant with a thicker wool topper unless once again you have tested the specific topper/mattress combination in person. As great as they are … they will tend to compress and become firmer over time and if there is not enough soft latex underneath them they may well not be soft enough for you. You can read more about wool toppers in post #8 here. I think a shredded latex topper or a softer solid topper would probably be a better choice in your case.
You are probably past or at least close to the end of any break in period or initial adjustment to a new sleeping surface to it’s likely that your experience is a good baseline and more indicative of what you would feel in the long term. In other words … it’s time to make some changes whether this involves an exchange for a new mattress with a thicker softer comfort layer or a topper on top of the one you have.