Latex mattress

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Phoenix,

Would you enlighten me on the advantages or disadvantages on having a latex mattress with 3 or 4 different layers of 3" latex compared to having a 6" core and a 2" top layer.

I realize that the multiple 3" layers have more flexibility in the firmness but I was wondering what’s your cut on this topic.
After trying both, I felt like the multiple layers almost had a “bottoming out” type of feel when you bounced down on the bed, like you could almost feel the individual layers and it wasn’t a smooth or gradual transition from soft to medium to firm or any of those types of combinations. The 6" core did not have that feeling for me at all.
I tried all different levels of firmness with the 10,000 and 13,000 at sleep ez and found it in all of them to have this “bottoming out” feeling. When I tried the 6" core with 2" topper at a different store I didn’t seem to have that feeling.
Is it possible it’s a blended vs 100% natural difference I’m experiencing?

After taking the 2 hour drive to PHX and driving from store to store I have to say my judgement could be off because I’m overloaded/overwhelmed with info. Have you experienced this bottoming out feeling in the multiple layered latex?

Just in case it matters…I was referring to Talalay blend at SleepEZ & the 100% Talalay at AZ premium. Although I believe I also tried the 100% Talalay at SleepEZ with similar bottoming out feel.

Thanks

2

Hi tigerpants,

That’s a very broad question that could take many books to answer.

Different mattress designs that have different features and options including using different types of latex, different layer thickesses, a different number of layers, different firmness levels for each layer, different covers and quilting materials, and overall different designs are how manufacturers make mattresses that are suitable for different body types, sleeping styles, and personal preferences.

If you are interested in some of the “art and science” of mattress theory and design and the differences between different types of mattress construction then there is more generic information about different types of layering in the “putting the layers together” section of the site, more about matching mattresses to different body types and sleeping positions in the “your sleeping style, preferences, and statistics” section of the site and in the tips and tricks page here.

There is also more about primary support, secondary support, and their relationship with pressure relief in post #4 here and post #2 here, and more about some of the different specifications that can affect the outcome of a mattress design in post #2 here that may help you “imagine” the effects of different types of layering although there are so many variables involved that the only way to confirm whether any design is a good match for you is your own personal testing (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) or your actual sleeping experience.

There is also more about the pros and cons of thicker mattresses in post #14 here and more about the potential benefits of having more individual layers in post #2 here and the differences between having two 3" layers vs a single 6" layer in post #2 here.

It would most likely be a combination of many reasons that are part of the design of the mattress and one of these could be different types or blends of latex yes.

In some designs I did (such as relatively soft comfort layers over very firm support layers where you feel too much of the firmness of the deeper layer or with thinner mattresses that compress from softer to firmer more quickly) and with others that were more suitable for my specific needs and preferences I didn’t.

Arizona Premium and SleepEZ both use Radium Talalay but there is more about blended Talalay vs 100% natural Talalay in post #2 here. 100% natural Talalay in the same ILD will tend to be denser and more “supportive” while blended Talalay can be a little more pressure relieving so this may be part of the reason for your experience.

I think that it’s much simpler to just recognize that “this mattress seems to be a better match for me than that mattress” because it can be a very complex process to learn enough about all the many variables that are part of mattress materials, theory, and design to be able to reliably figure out “why” one mattress feels different from another with all the complexities that can be involved.

Phoenix

3

Thanks Phoenix,

About a week ago we stayed at a Casino hotel with a super plush bed. I fell asleep on my stomach and in the morning I had a horrible pain as if my back was arched backwards all night. The bed did not feel “supportive” at all. The place has been opened less then 5 years so the mattress was most likely not old. I’m usually a side sleeper but I occasionally wake up on my stomach. So, with this in mind we tried out the latex stores in Phoenix while laying on our stomachs as well as our normal sleeping positions.

For some reason the blended Talalay and the Dunlop we tried, didn’t seem to support us when we laid on our stomachs.
When we rolled onto our stomachs, I felt the same “backwards” nonsupporting feeling. I assumed that if I were to fall asleep on my stomach on the mattresses we tried, I would most likely wind up with similar back pain I felt at the hotel that night.

It seems that when laying on our stomachs on the 100% Talalay we were still supported and our backs didn’t arch the way the blended and the (3) 3" layers did. Does this sound ridiculous or possibly inaccurate?

We both really liked Ken and the 100% Talalay mattress we tried there.
I’m going to buy it in a couple of days so I hope to post my support of the latex style mattress in the future.
One crazy downside that I can’t understand is why Ken is running a 3 week turn around time on the mattresses. Almost all other latex mattress companies have them ready to go the same or maybe the next day. Why do they take 3 weeks?

Thanks again
-Justin

4

Hi tigerpants,

If you spend time sleeping on your stomach then a “super plush” mattress probably wouldn’t be the best match for you in terms of PPP and would likely result in sleeping is a swayback position with a hyperextended lumbar spine which can certainly cause back pain.

[quote]For some reason the blended Talalay and the Dunlop we tried, didn’t seem to support us when we laid on our stomachs.
When we rolled onto our stomachs, I felt the same “backwards” nonsupporting feeling. I assumed that if I were to fall asleep on my stomach on the mattresses we tried, I would most likely wind up with similar back pain I felt at the hotel that night.

It seems that when laying on our stomachs on the 100% Talalay we were still supported and our backs didn’t arch the way the blended and the (3) 3" layers did. Does this sound ridiculous or possibly inaccurate?[/quote]

I can’t feel what you feel so I don’t know for certain but your experience is certainly possible. It would most likely be from the design of the mattress and the relative firmness of the layers though rather than the type of latex. In any case … this is the reason for careful testing and I would certainly pay attention to what your body is telling you on any specific combination of materials and firmness levels.

Most likely it’s to help keep his inventory and costs down but you would need to ask him these types of questions. There can be a wide range of wait times between different manufacturers.

You are certainly looking at a high quality/value choice and assuming you pull the trigger in a couple of days … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Phoenix