Latex mattress ILD configuration help

[phoenix]

Hi COJ,

I live in Montreal and have visited Literie Laurier, Futon d’Or, Dauphin, Matelas Personnel and Literie Provinciale. Problem is that they have 1 or 2 floor models available for testing and they all seem to be in the same ILD firm 36 and Futon d’Or has 35-42 very firm with toppers ranging from 19 (plush) to 28 (medium). To complicate matters, all the different retailers have different opinions on what is suitable for someone in my situation.

You are fortunate to live in Montreal because there are some good options available to you there. You’ve probably seen this but post #276 here may be helpful.

Most people have a range of mattresses that would be suitable for them in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) although how narrow their range may be will depend on to a large degree whether they are closer to the “princess and the pea” or the “I can sleep on anything” end of the sensitivity scale. It’s also the norm that different manufacturers (or people) will have many different opinions about what works best for different people and there is certainly no consensus in the industry (see post #8 here) because designing mattresses are as much an art as a science but your own careful testing and personal experience will always “trump” any theory. Most manufacturers will tend to attract people that tend to do best with the mattress designs that they offer and those that don’t do as well with their specific designs would tend to purchase their mattress elsewhere so the feedback from their customers will tend to “reinforce” what they believe is best because their customers that would choose a different mattress would likely look elsewhere.

1. Should I go for an extra firm 6" 44 ILD core? I’m worried the 6" 36 ILD with a softer topper will be too soft/similar to my current bed. I can make a bed softer but cannot make it firmer. The combination possibilities are driving me batty given the fact that I can’t physically try them. 6" 36 ILD + 2" 28 ILD? 6" 44 ILD + 2" 19ILD. Help!!!

I would go with the choice that your testing indicates is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). Unfortunately nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in choosing a mattress to rely on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” to decide which mattress is the best "match’ for you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). If you can’t test a specific mattress or combination of materials in person then the options you have after a purchase to either make changes to a mattress or exchange the mattress (or individual layers) of return the mattress itself would become a much more important part of the “value” of the purchase and your personal value equation so you can use your actual sleeping experience to decide whether you made a suitable choice. There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here.

2. One manufacturer is suggesting a 6" firm core + 2" medium buffer core + 1" softer topper all enclosed/glued together. I read your post about Progressive/Differential construction. Should I instead try the 6" + 2" and if that doesn’t work get a 1" seperate/top of mattress topper down the line?

These are all choices that would really be based on your testing or personal experience. There really isn’t a way to use theory to predict which combination of materials you will do best with but if you are uncertain about which direction to go then it’s always easier to soften up a mattress that is too firm with a topper than to firm up a mattress that is too soft which would generally involve removing and replacing layers.

3. Seeing as they can custom build a bed should I get a reversible combination? Wouldn’t the bottom layers get compressed/damaged by the firm middle core? Is this even worth-while in a latex bed? Only 1 manufacturer recommended this.

While latex is the most durable of all the foam materials … a two sided mattress will be more durable than a one sided version of the same mattress … even with latex. There is more about the pros and cons of a two sided mattress in post #3 here and the posts it links to. I would also keep in mind that after about 10 years or so of sleeping on a mattress that your own needs and preferences may change so a mattress that has many more years of life left in it may not be as suitable for you to sleep on and may need to be replaced or changed even if it is still in great condition.

4. Some glue the latex together saying otherwise it would shift and may degrade the latex while others don’t ?
5. Some have zippered covers while others have conventional enclosed ?

I would agree with brass and you can see my comments about glued vs unglued layers and component mattresses vs “finished” mattresses with zip covers in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

6)Aside from Dauphin who uses zoned Dunlop, they all have Latex Intl. as a supplier, all Talalay. Its unclear what percentage of natural latex though aside from Futon d’Or who say theirs is 92% pure (also Latex Intl.) Is this all the same/should I be concerned about this?

Latex International makes two types of latex. One is blended Talalay which outside of any filler or other substances that are needed to foam and manufacture the latex uses about 30% natural rubber and 70% synthetic rubber. The other is 100% natural which only uses natural rubber. 100% natural doesn’t mean that there is only natural rubber in a material because there are other chemicals that are needed to make the latex (see post #18 here) … it only means that all the latex in the core is natural rubber and that it doesn’t have any synthetic rubber in the formula. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses that use different types and blends of latex but in the end the type of latex would be a preference and budget choice (latex cores that use a higher percentage of synthetic rubber are generally less costly than cores that use a higher percentage of natural rubber). There is also more about Dunlop vs Talalay latex in post #7 here but your own testing and experience will be the most reliable way to decide which one you prefer. With latex layers I would want to know the type of latex (Dunlop or Talalay) and the blend of natural vs synthetic rubber rather than the specific formula or chemicals they use to manufacturer it which is proprietary and won’t be available to you.

Phoenix