Latex for Futon Lounger?

Hello,

I intend on getting a Futon Lounger that will be used for everyday lounging and sleeping and was wondering if it was possible to build a futon mattress out of latex pieces that will work with a lounger? I don’t intend to fold the lounger in couch mode but use it in lounge and sleep positions. If it is possible, I was thinking of 1, 3" med Dunlop and 1, 3" soft Talalay on top. I was wondering if anyone has any better recommendations for latex firmness. I am 5’ 7", 137lbs and tend to be a side sleeper but also sleep on my stomach and sometimes my back. I am currently sleeping on a 70% waveless hardside waterbed and am comfortable but I could use a little more support. Here’s a link to the Futon frame:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-FUTON-LOUNGER-MISSION-BEAUTIFUL-UNFINISHED-WOOD-/141005942692?pt=US_Futons_Frames_and_Covers&hash=item20d49befa4
Any help is appreciated!

Hi Madbugger,

[quote]If it is possible, I was thinking of 1, 3" med Dunlop and 1, 3" soft Talalay on top. I was wondering if anyone has any better recommendations for latex firmness. I am 5’ 7", 137lbs and tend to be a side sleeper but also sleep on my stomach and sometimes my back. I am currently sleeping on a 70% waveless hardside waterbed and am comfortable but I could use a little more support. Here’s a link to the Futon frame:
www.ebay.com/itm/FULL-FUTON-LOUNGER-MISS...&hash=item20d49befa4
Any help is appreciated! [/quote]

I’m not clear if you are planning to buy a component mattress with a suitable cover (which is an important part of a mattress) with the layers you mentioned or if you are planning to purchase individual layers and a cover separately and build your own DIY mattress. Either way, latex is very flexible so it could certainly make a good choice for the application you are considering but if you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own 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).

Unfortunately there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict whether any mattress will be a good match for you based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) and the only reliable way to know whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience.

If you are planning to buy a full size component mattress (that fits your futon lounger) then there is more information in post #2 here about the different ways to choose a mattress that is a suitable “match” for you in terms of PPP either online or locally that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved in each of them.

The mattress shopping tutorial also includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and several of these sell a two layer component mattress where you can choose the type and blend of latex in each layer that would be very similar to the design you are looking for.

If you aren’t certain that a particular combination of layers will be a good match for you based on either testing a specific mattress or a mattress that is close to identical that you can use as a reference point then the options you have after a purchase to either exchange or return the mattress or individual layers would become a much more important part of the “value” of a purchase so that you have good options available just in case the layers you choose don’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

Phoenix