I converted to an all-latex DIY mattress, mostly sourced from the Latex Mattress Factory.
First I started with a 9 inch build - 3 inches firm Dunlop, 3 inches medium Dunlop, and 3 inches soft Talalay.
This caused HORRIBLE pressure points (and significant back pain for my partner), so I added another 3 inch soft Dunlop topper from Sleep On Latex. I ordered from SOL for this layer due to their claims that their dunlop is livelier than other brands, more like a dunlop-talalay cross, which I would agree with.
First I layered it underneath the talalay layer, but while it felt better than before, I still had HORRIBLE pressure points (and my partner still had back pain, albeit better than before). I realized that the bouncy nature of the talalay felt like it was “pushing back” against my pressure points and aggravating them. So I tried layering the new dunlop layer over the talalay instead. This felt immediately softer but still caused bad pressure points (and back pain for my partner, though better than with the talalay on top).
So then I purchased a 3in thick wool topper and put it on top of everything.
The bed feels pretty soft now but I STILL feel pressure points in my shoulders and hips! With 9 inches of comfort layers! I don’t know what to do. Do I need to swap out one of my support layers for something softer? I don’t want to compromise support for myself or my partner. I haven’t slept on the wool topper yet but I can feel the pressure points just laying here and testing it out. The latex underneath is simply too firm.
I am a 145 pound female side sleeper with super bony shoulders. My most severe pressure point is where my back meets my armpit, the edge of my scapula. My partner is a 180 pound male back sleeper.
Please help me, I am lost at this point. 
Would it be better if I did 2 inches of firm latex and 4 inches of medium for the support layers?? Should I take out the firm layer and just do the 3 inches of medium as my only support layer? Or 6 inches of medium? I am unsure how thick the support layer has to be. My impression was that is was necessary to have a firm “base” upon which the rest of the bed sits. I do have a bedframe with ample slat support – there is only 2.8in of space between each slat – so maybe the firm layer is unnecessary?
In order to help we really need heights of you and your partner (so we can get an approximate BMI). We also need your partner’s body type (esp important if they are bony or curvy). Once we have those it should be easier to give some recommendations on how to fix your issue.
Me:
- 145 pound
- Female
- 5 feet 9 inches tall
- carries most of my weight in an hourglass distribution (w/ bony limbs and extremities),
- double jointed & I think my shoulder pops out at night when I sleep on it, which redirects the pressure from the tip of the shoulder (where I assume others get these pressure points) to the joint where it connects with my body.
Partner:
- 175 pounds
- Male
- 6 feet 1 inch tall
- Slim build, but carries weight in his midsection & thighs. Not very bony though, has more consistent meat all over him than I do.
Thank you so much for your response! We have now slept on the bed w/ the topper for 2 nights. My partner is sleeping like a baby. I am still getting minor pressure points in the shoulder area & hips, so I have to shift multiple times throughout the night. Right now I think the bed is just a tad too firm. But I’m also worried in 6 months when the wool has compressed more, that the pressure points will become more severe.
Also worth mentioning is that the 2 “soft” latex layers on my bed are both 19 ILD. The “medium” layer is 28 ILD. The “firm” layer is 38 ILD.
So the bed config is as follows - ​
3 Inches: Wool Topper
3 Inches: 19 ILD Dunlop
3 Inches: 19 ILD Talalay
3 Inches: 28 ILD Dunlop
3 Inches: 38 ILD Dunlop
Maybe I need to get a 14 ILD talalay layer in there somehow? I tried a bed once with a 2 inch 14 ILD talalay layer and liked it.
Sounds like you are making some progress so I’ll give a few comments that should be helpful in achieving what you want. First its important that the foam on each side is separate except for the top layer (this can be split too but many prefer the feel of a single layer if you spend time together in the middle of the mattress). The reason you want these split is because once you have found a setup one partner likes this allows you to make changes to one side without affecting the other. Second you always want to keep the mattress design as simple as possible (fewer layers, less complex, etc). This makes things easier to troubleshoot and usually cheaper to maintain when things need replacement later.
Your mattress is getting quite tall now and the majority (9") of it of it is basically comfort layers. I suspect the issue you are running into is that your shoulders are not able to travel into the mattress enough for you to get comfortable since your body is traveling through the comfort layers too. Dunlop and talalay are both great bedding materials but its important to note that they have very different characteristics. In your case travel is an issue and this is a situation where talalay excels (likely why your partner also had back pain with the initial setup).
Normally I would have suggested something like this (all talalay):
3" Soft (19 ILD)
3" Med (28 ILD)
3" Firm (32 ILD)
3" XFirm (36 ILD)
Then if you didn’t have enough travel you could zone the medium layer and zone the medium layer in your shoulder area with either 14 or 19 ILD to allow more travel. You could try to adjust what you have by getting rid of the 19ILD dunlop and adding a 28ILD talalay below the 19ILD talalay and then zone your shoulder area as suggested above. I do have a concern that the 38ILD dunlop layer is very stiff for your needs but you could start with that and then slowly replace support layers to help with travel in the shoulder area.
Hi,
Thank you again for your response. After sleeping on the bed a few nights, I have found that I get pressure points both where my shoulder connects to my armpit AND the tip of my shoulder depending on how I sleep. Also the wool is already compressing and causing worse pressure points if I sleep in a compressed spot.
So, what I am hearing is that I need to add more medium layers to the bed so as to prevent myself from bottoming out into the 38 ILD layer? Is that why this configuration feels so firm to me despite all of the comfort layers?
If I replace my 38ILD bottom layer with a 32ILD layer will that be enough support? I really don’t want to remove my 19ILD dunlop layer as it is the most comfortable layer in my whole bed right now
Since it appears your problem is mostly centred around your shoulders (not enough travel), I would try a simple zoning experiment to confirm this. Put the firm dunlop first, then on the next layer slide the medium down in the bed (just let it hang off the bed, don’t cut the foam) so that you can put the soft talalay where your head and shoulders would be. Last put your soft SOL (20ILD) dunlop you like on top.
So like this:
20D
19T / 28D (soft at head/shoulder, transition just below armpit)
38D
If that feels alot better but you still feel some pressure on your shoulder or hips then I would add a 28T layer above the 28D and then try the same experiment above with the 28T layer and see if that hasn’t fixed your pressure issues.
So like this:
20D
19T / 28T (soft at head/shoulder, transition just below armpit)
28D
38D
Also can you post a photo of the manufacturer label from the soft talalay layer? I want to make sure it’s actually soft talalay and not something else. Talalay of the same ILD should have more travel than dunlop (even the one from SOL…. I have it tested it myself) so it would be good to know what’s going on with that also.
The soft talalay layer is from “The Latex Mattress Factory” who is a member of this site, this is the product: Talalay Latex Mattress Topper | Shop for Talalay Latex Toppers Online - Latex Mattress Factory
I will try the experiment and get back to you!