Latex Mattress: Vendor and Comfort Questions

[phoenix]

Hi Maconi,

Pamper was too firm. Nature felt alright, softer but still not quite there. We both really liked the “World’s Best Bed”. It was really soft and felt like it still had enough support. Having said that I could go even softer, but I dunno if I that would be best accomplished by taking the core down to 32 or the pressure relief layer down to 22 or so.

The WBB and the Beautiful are inherently risky constructions depending on body type and sleeping position. The comfort layers are very thick and soft whichn means that the pelvis can “travel” further than the upper body which is lighter which can lead to back pain. To make it softer yet would increase the risk further and softness itself has many meanings or types so it depends on which type of softness you are most sensitive to (see post #15 here). For most people there is a “bias” towards “comfort/pressure relief softness” and against “support softness firmness” when they are testing mattresses in a showroom and they can pay the price when they take the mattress home and actually sleep on it over the course of the night. It really depends on whether you are in alignment and on how evenly you sink into the mattress.

Thickness also has an effect on softness so adding the foundation with an additional 4" of latex will also make it feel softer (although how much will vary by person). Of course adding a topper or using softer comfort layers yet will also add to “comfort/pressurerelief” softness.

In most cases “just enough” is a better guideline for softness and if you don’t have specific pressure points then it’s probably soft enough and therest is preference and “feel” which can increase the alignment risk for your choice.

However, now my issue is how do I recreate that with APM or BB (2 less inches to work with and 1 less layer). The World’s Bed Bed was nice, but not for the price tag lol. I suppose if I wanted an exact 1:1 copy I could just buy additional toppers when purchasing the mattress. I’ve already contacted APM and BB for their opinions/to see what their solutions are, but I was wondering if you had any insight from your experience.

You probably can’t because it would need a great deal of experience and knowledge that could take years of ongoing study and experience. You can see a post I wrote just before yours here to get some sense of the complexities that can be involved to “translate” one design into another as soon as you make the first change in design when every small difference can have a compounding effect (or in some cases cancel each other out). This is where mattress design and theory is as much an art as a science. Your best odds are longer conversations and working with a manufacturer that is willing to make an educated guess at how closely their mattress may approximate another mattress and then accepting the risk that smaller differences can sometimes make a surprising difference in what you perceive on a mattress. APM sells the PLB so they may have some sense of how certain layering will compare or “translate”.

Another option you have is to buy every layer in the same type, thickness, and ILD as the PLB from a supplier such as Sleep Like a Bear and then buy an unquilted stretch knit cover that would be similar to the PLB cover and then the only difference would be the effect of the fire barrier.

Another thing, is the “Active Fusion” that different from normal latex (as in would a “21” in their Active Fusion feel more like a 19" with normal latex?)?

No … it’s the same blended Talalay latex that has phase change gel added into it and would be similar to the same ILD in Talatech (although some have said it’s a little stiffer).

In most cases ILD differences in the same material less than about 4 in thinner layers would be difficult for most people to detect in blind side by side testing.

Phoenix