During my search for the perfect mattress, I’ve done a lot of reading on this site. Thanks so much for putting this together - it is most helpful. I’ve decided on a latex mattress, since I currently have a Tempur-pedic, it is old, and I am always too hot when sleeping, especially in the summer.
When looking at the different member company offerings, I see that most are one-sided - meaning a core layer on the bottom and one or more comfort layers on top, with a top covering. A very few companies have two-sided mattresses. I assume that means the core layer is in the middle, with one comfort layer on top and one on the bottom, and the covering is equivalent all around. I don’t recall this being discussed in any of the tutorials, but I could have missed it.
At first glance, this seems to make sense and offer some flexibility, since you could get different firmness comfort layers and flip the mattress to change between them. So then I wondered if latex is bi-directional. When the mattress is created, is it poured into a mold? Does it then have an intended up and down that would be the preferred way of orienting it for sleeping? I remember reading about progressive firmness of latex. Is the progression top to bottom, or outside to inside?
Bottom line - is a two-sided latex mattress a good idea?
I did some more searching and reading in the forum, and found other topics about this subject, so forgive me for duplicating. These posts are helpful - here and here.
Still searching and reading - here is another good post on the subject.
I am still curious if a latex layer (core or comfort) has a directionality to its progressiveness (ie an up or down) based on how it is created.
Hi will.i.am,
You’ve found the posts I usually use as a reference for questions about two sided mattresses (post #3 here and the posts it links to).
In most cases a two sided mattress has the core in the middle and then has the same comfort layers on each side. With this type of construction you could use both sides because they are the same. You will sometimes find two sided mattresses that are finished and suitable for sleeping on both sides where each side is different but you would lose most of the benefits of having a two sided mattress with this type of mattress because most people would only use the side that they prefer and the other side may not be a good “match” for them in terms of PPP.
If you mean can you use a latex layer in either direction or flip it from top to bottom then yes. Talalay latex is more consistent from area to area and from top to bottom in terms of its firmness while Dunlop latex that is poured in a mold will usually be a little firmer on the bottom than on the top but it can still be used with either side up. There is more about ILD variances between materials in post #6 here.
The latex cores themselves are either poured in a mold or on a belt and then individual layers are cut to the thickness that the manufacturer wants to use in a particular mattress design. The mattress itself is a series of layers or components that are placed on top of each other with a cover around it. Different layer thicknesses, firmness levels, types of materials and components, the order of the layers, and different types of cover are all ways that each mattress can be customized to be suitable for different people. If the mattress is two sided then it can be used either side up. If it’s one sided then you can’t flip it but in most cases they can be rotated (as long as they are symmetrical from the head to the foot which is the case with most mattresses) so that you can sleep on different parts of the surface which can lengthen it’s useful life.
All foam materials get firmer as you compress them more deeply but they will get firmer at different rates (this is called compression modulus). The progressive firmness you are probably referring to is a common form of layering or mattress design where the firmest layers or components are used on the bottom of a mattress and then the mattress uses progressively softer layers as you go up to the top. This allows for softer comfort layers on the sleeping surface for better comfort/pressure relief and firmer layers deeper in the mattress for better support/alignment.
It can be yes but I think the posts you linked cover the pros and cons of one sided vs two sided so each person can decide whether it’s something that they would prefer. There is no “right or wrong” answer here. For most people it would probably depend on how well the mattress matches their specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP, whether they are comfortable with flipping the mattress every couple of weeks at first and then every 3 months or so after that, on whether the additional lifespan of the mattress was worth the additional cost of a two sided mattress vs one sided, on the type of mattress, and on the other mattress options they had available to them. With latex it may not be as important to some people because latex is already a very long lasting material but even with latex a two sided mattress will extend the life of the mattress.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Thanks for your very informative reply, as always. You’re saying then that there is no progressiveness within a layer of latex, but between the multiple layers. A latex layer is consistent enough to use it either side up. And it is true that once you find the right configuration, you probably don’t want to flip it.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the advantages of the one-sided mattress outweigh the advantages of the two-sided. I will continue my search in that direction.
Thanks.
Hi will.i.am,
There would be some “progressiveness” in a molded Dunlop layer where one side was firmer than the other but in most cases (depending on the thickness and position of the layer in the mattress) it wouldn’t be enough to make much difference with which side was up in a two sided mattress and in a one sided “finished” mattress you wouldn’t have the option to change it anyway. A layer that was the same firmness on both sides would also become progressively firmer as you compressed it but each side would be the same. If you had a component mattress with a zip cover and were using individual layers of Dunlop inside it then you would have the option to try either side up to see if one way is a better match for you than the other.
If the mattress is one sided then you couldn’t flip it anyway even if you wanted to. If the mattress is two sided with the same design on both sides then flipping it regularly would be important to realize the extra durability of a two sided construction. In a two sided mattress where each side was different then most people would probably decide which side they preferred and leave it there without flipping to the side they didn’t like as much.
Phoenix