Latex guidance

[phoenix]

Hi distracted12,

I’ve been spending some time (and will spend much more!) poking around the site and forums here - and can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the info and discussion! I have a much better, though still limited, understanding of this whole mattress thing. Incredible amount of information! Having said that, I’d still appreciate a little help.

If you haven’t read it already … the first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information and step by step process and guidelines that can help you with “how” to make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones. Many of your questions will be answered there but of course for any that aren’t you are always welcome to post them on the forum

I can also make some comments here that may be helpful.

We’ve been sleeping on a Sealy Posturepedic Reserve Tressel for the last 6-7 years. We bought this mattress because we knew that pillowtop mattresses break down so easily. We thought we’d get a mattress that was a little firmer than we thought we’d want and then we’d add a topper that we could easily swap out as it either broke down or our needs changed. We tried sleeping on just the mattress for a while, and decided we definitely needed something to make it more comfortable. That’s where we had a problem. My partner has multiple sclerosis, and heat can be a real problem for people with MS. We quickly found that most any toppers we bought locally and put on the bed were immediately too hot for her.

Non pillowtop mattresses can break down very quickly as well and this has more to do with the amount or thickness of lower quality materials in the comfort layers than the design of the mattress. A pillowtop mattress that uses high quality materials will be more durable than a tight top that uses thicker layers of lower quality materials. One of the “risks” of buying a mattress/topper combination that you haven’t tested in person for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is that it can be almost as difficult to choose a topper that is a good “match” for a particular person on a specific mattress as it can be to choose a new mattress that doesn’t need a topper and already has a suitable design and uses higher quality and more durable materials in the comfort layers.

We ended up getting the 2" Blueflex Gel Memory Foam topper that I found online. It wasn’t perfect, but it was tolerable as far as heat retention.

Gel memory foams can be “somwhat helpful” in terms of sleeping temperature but the benefits of gel tend to be partial or temporary and once temperatures have equalized then the memory foam itself is still a more insulating material than other types of foam. There is more about gel memory foams in post #2 here and the posts it links to and there is also more about the many variables that can affect sleeping temperature relative to each person as well (outside of just the type of foam in a mattress or topper) in post #2 here.

Now, a few years later (and older!), we’ve realized that we’ve been suffering through bad sleep for some time now. We are in our mid-40s, both about 5’8" and 160lbs and both side sleepers. I believe (and I could be wrong!) the topper we have just compresses and we “bottom out” onto the mattress below, which is too firm. Neither of us feel aligned when laying either on our backs or sides. I’ve got a lot of pain in my hip and shoulder and can’t stay in one position for long at all, and I wake up every time I have to change positions. She has lots of leg pain due to MS, some back and some shoulder pain.

The type, thickness and softness of a topper can all have a significant effect on how it feels and performs on a particular mattress and if a topper is both thinner and softer then you can “go through” the topper more and “feel” more of the firmness of the foam layers underneath it. In some cases a 2" topper may be too thin and the transition between the topper and the mattress may be too sudden and a 3" version of the same topper may work very well. This may also become more noticeable as the topper softens with use.

Which brought me here. We finally decided ENOUGH and I started researching where to go from here. I don’t believe the mattress itself is in bad shape - and wonder if a latex topper would offer enough transition. Was thinking in the case of having such a firm (in my mind) base, that maybe a 3" topper would be the best shot at this. I guess I’m looking for any guidance I can find. It seems silly to get rid of a perfectly good mattress if we can make it work. I’m curious to know how firm our mattress (comparably speaking) is, but it’s several years old now and I’ve not been able to find any info. Regardless, I suspect it’s too firm for us, so getting by with just a topper may be a long shot. I’d hate to spend $300-600 on a topper and then realize that we actually need a full mattress.

If your mattress is still in good condition and has no sagging or soft spots then a topper can be an effective solution to add additional pressure relief or softness but after 6 or 7 years the odds are also quite high that with only a 2" topper where you would also be compressing the materials under the topper more than you would if the topper was thicker that the materials in the comfort layers of your mattress may have also developed some soft spots or sagging as well (visible or otherwise) and if this is the case then a topper would be a less effective solution because a topper will tend to “follow” the soft spots in a mattress. You could test this by putting a heavy object on different parts of your mattress (including where you tend to sleep and where you don’t) to see if there is a noticeable difference in how far it sinks in with different parts of your mattress. I would also be aware that there is no “standard” definition for firmness ratings and different manufacturers will rate their mattresses differently than others. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that is “much too firm” for one person can feel “much to soft” for someone else. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to (see post #15 here). In the end … this can be very subjective and how firm a mattress (or mattress/topper combination) feels to you will be much more important than how a manufacturer “rates” their mattress or someone else’s perceptions.

I’m also curious to know more about the blueflex gel memory foam topper we’ve been using - I keep saying that I think it’s all “squish” - but I’d be curious to know where it may compare (though distantly) to latex foam ILDs. I realize the two materials are different and not necessarily comparable in that sense.

Latex and memory foam are very different materials and have such a very different response to temperature and pressure and there are so many factors and “specs” involved that affect the firmness or softness of a material (see post #4 here) and so many different versions of each material that there really isn’t a meaningful way to compare latex to memory foam. There is more about the differences between memory foam vs latex in post #2 here.

The most important factor in the quality of a memory foam material and it’s durability relative to other versions of the same material is its density. I didn’t see any reference to the density of the blueflex topper but some calculations based on volume and weight appear to indicate that it’s in the 3 lb range which means that it would also be less durable than higher quality memory foam toppers and it may have also developed some soft spots under the heavier parts of your body as well.

It may also come down to each of us preferring a different feel, and if so, that will also mean going with a whole mattress replacement, with some split layers. That should be fun to figure out…

It’s not uncommon that a couple has “needs” for pressure relief and support or have different “preferences” as well (which is about “feel”). The first part of post #2 here has more information about some of the ways that can accommodate a couple with different needs and preferences. You could even use a different topper on each side of your mattress.

I’d be happy for any suggestions or comments to help me sort out what we need. The older I get, the more I realize how important a decision it is! And to think, I used to think nothing of sleeping on the ground. Getting old…

Unfortunately … you aren’t alone in the effects of “aging” and almost everyone will find that their needs and preferences will change significantly as they get older. Of course bragging about the additional “wisdom” that age provides is a good way to convince ourselves (and our kids) that the aging process and slow deterioration of our bodies is “worth it”

If you have tested your mattress and if you decide that it’s a worthwhile option then post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to should be helpful in choosing a topper (or toppers) that is the most suitable choice. I would also keep in mind that the return or exchange options that are available from a manufacturer or retailer you are considering can also reduce the risk of making a topper choice that is “less than ideal”.

Phoenix