Hi, can someone please weigh in on whether two 2-inch ILD 14 talalay comfort layers will have as much “support” as a single 4 inch core of the same material. I read on this site that this combination will be softer than ILD 14, but what about the support?
I am looking to combine 4 inches of ILD 14 talalay with 6 inches of medium firm or firm talalay, and at some point maybe modify it with a middle layer. My local vendor only has the ILD 14 foam in 2 inch thickness. Should I use two of these or insist that he order a 4 inch core from the factory? By the way, these are graphite infused and feel great. If anyone has experience with the graphite talalay, please let me know what you think about it.
While I think you already read it, here is some information about using a solid piece or two piece to approximate the same thickness:
There would be little if any practical difference between two 2" comfort layers and a single 4" comfort layer if they were all the same type and blend of latex and the same ILD (you’re considering 14 ILD talalay) and were inside a tight fitting cover. Two 2" layers would respond a little more independently and because the elasticity of the top 2" wouldn’t be connected and “pulling back” on the bottom 2" when it compresses and “in theory” it may act a little bit softer but in practical and real life terms most people wouldn’t notice any difference in terms of performance or firmness.
Also in “theory only” … two 2" layers that were exactly the same ILD as a single 4" layer could be less durable over the course of a long lifetime because they will act more independently and abrade each other slightly but I don’t think that any difference would be significant or even measurable in “real life” terms and the other factors that affect durability (see post #4 here) such as the firmness of the layers would play a much bigger role. It certainly wouldn’t be a concern of mine.
Multiple layers would have more options for fine tuning though both before and after a purchase. If you found that have tow 14 ILD layers was too soft, you could replace one layer with something a bit firmer feeling. The main advantage of having more layers in other words is that for those who need it, it can provide more options to customize the layer combinations either before a purchase or by rearranging or exchanging layers after a purchase. While this is attractive to some people … it can also add some complexity that may not be necessary or may not justify any extra costs involved in having more layers for others.
Outside of a mattress with more layers having more options to customize the mattress, if a mattress is a good match for you, then one isn’t inherently any better than the other.
The object of the upper layers of a mattress are more for initial comfort, as opposed to “support.” There is 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.
The theory behind adding graphite to the latex is the increased heat transfer of the graphite, and the benefits that graphite provides to the latex through its anisotropic properties. It is claimed that the graphite adds durability to these softer ILDs of latex. In an overly simplified explanation, the thin graphite “coats” the latex cell structure and is flexible while still imparting strength.
After finding what looks to be a great encasement on your component list (diynaturalbedding.com), I do have another latex question:
What is the ideal thickness for support layers? A high-end manufacturer who I am trying to emulate uses 4 inch base + 4 inch support + 4 inch comfort, where base is very high ILD and support is medium-high ILD. With that in mind:
Would 6 inch base + 6 inch support + 4 inch comfort be excessive?
Would 6 inch support + 4 inch comfort and no base be sufficient?
My local supplier has Global Talalay cores in 6 inch or 2 inch thickness, so I am trying to build out of combinations of what is available.
The thickness of a mattress is just a side effect of the design and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful because whether a thicker or thinner mattress would be better or worse for any particular person will depend on the specifics of the materials (type, firmness etc.) and on all the other layers in the mattress. Thickness is only one of many specs that are used to make different mattresses that perform and feel differently and that makes a mattress suitable for one person and not another. There is more about the effect of thickness in post #14 here. Regardless of how thick or thin a mattress support layer may be … the most important part of the “value” of a mattress is how suitable it is “as a whole” for your particular body type, sleeping positions, and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) regardless of how thick it may be. There is certainly no reason that at your weight you would “need” more thickness than either of the mattresses you are considering but you may still “prefer” a mattress that is thicker or thinner depending on the design.
The only way to know whether any specific mattress design or combination of layers and components is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP with any certainty will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
I can’t speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress.
When you can’t test a mattress in person (doing a DYI, for example like you are) then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced supplier that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of the properties and “feel” of the materials you are considering 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.
Overall, when building your own DIY mattress out of separate components that are purchased from one or several different sources 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).