Hello, I tried posting this in the general mattress questions, but nobody seems to be able to answer there, as I’ve had no responses. So, I figured best to come here and see if someone can give me some advice.
I like the formability of memory foam, but want a cooler experience with maybe a tad of bounce. I like that latex is a more breathable and cooling material, but don’t have the budget to make a full latex mattress.
My current thinking is that a 6" poly foam base layer, then a 3" dunlop latex topper, then a 3" memory foam topper, would give me what I’m looking for. The latex being between the foam should allow more air flow, I would think, and the memory foam topper the sinking in that I’m looking for.
My concerns are that putting the latex between two layers of foam would just render the added breathability it provides useless, and so I’d just be wasting my money on the latex in that scenario. If that is the case, then I’d probably just opt for another memory foam layer in lieu of the latex, but then I’d be worried about overheating.
So, I’m looking for anyone with experience in building their own mattress, to weigh in on if my approach would work like I think it would, or if it’s missing the mark. Any assistance is appreciated, glad I found this place.
Hello, latex and memory foam blend person.
My quick recommendation is to sleep on latex because of the breathability factor than pure latex provides. I would also recommend it so you get the pushback support from latex vs memory since it’s more a supporting material and doesn’t push back. I’m also a fan of sleeping on natural materials. You could also consider getting a wool mattress pad for hot and cold weather since it pulls away moisture and is one of the most breathable natural materials out there. Good luck designing your own bed. Sleep well.
Hello yvesalive, I appreciate your response. Unfortunately, that is not really the information I am looking for, but thank you for taking the time to try to help.
Have you researched High Resilience (HR) polyurethane foam? HR foam is the highest grade of poly foam available and weighs from 2.5 to 3 lbs per cubic foot. To qualify as HR foam it must have a support factor of 2.4 or higher. The support factor is important and gives the foam resilience which gives it springiness (rubberized foam). This unique quality is derived from it’s exclusive chemical formula that contains a rubber compound and gives the foam a different cell structure than other polyurethane foams.
This formulation makes the foam more durable in all ILD’s and is suitable for use in any layer of a mattress including comfort layers. It’s more expensive to produce than HD foam, and that’s why will you rarely see soft HR foam used in the comfort layer of a mattress, except in those made by smaller manufacturers. Because of the lower profit margin most large manufacturers tend to use low density poly foams and convoluted foam instead in the comfort layers and sell it with an attached “story” in order to maximize profits! An example of such a story is the use of convoluted foam in a mattress. They claim it’s superior, because it creates an air flow system, which make the mattress cooler… Just be careful before you buy into this type of marketing, and investigate the drawbacks of convoluted foam.
On the other hand, some of the best HR foams, can compare to the quality of latex because they have a high density & good support factor, and therefore will last for numerous years.
As a rule, the higher the density of the foam, the more supportive it will be. Standard poly foams will have a support factor under 2.4, HR foams will have a support factor above 2.4. The higher the density of the foam, the better it’s ability to provide support.
A word of caution about HR foam. It’s among the most commonly mislabeled foam. Often, any poly foam that has a density of more that 2.5 lbs and sometimes lower is labeled HR. You will never be told that it does not have the required support factor of 2.4 or higher to be labeled high resilience. The Internet is filled with false claims of HR poly foam, because most people cannot tell the difference. A good way to find out if you are getting HR foam is to ask for it’s support factor (or compression modulus).
This may be just what you’re looking for!
[quote]
I like the formability of memory foam, but want a cooler experience with maybe a tad of bounce.
[/quote] In our experience all memory foam sleeps hot no matter what you place it over.
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Thanks Mario! That was very thorough and informative. I was leaning towards just eliminating the latex, and the information you’ve provided has given me the push to do just that.
I read somewhere that using a box spring with a memory foam mattress makes the mattress feel more firm, versus using a platform as a base, would you say this is accurate? And if so, is it really that much of a difference, or is it negligible?
We do not recommend using the old style box springs made of coils for foam or latex mattresses. They do not offer sufficient support and will cause the mattress to deteriorate faster than expected. The good news, is that most companies these days no longer use coils but make them using wood slats instead. These types of box springs / foundations are excellent for polyurethane foam and latex mattresses and will provide years of optimal support for any type of mattress.
Did I answer all your questions?
Please let me know if you need any further information.
Got my mattress all assembled and it is super comfy so far. The only step I have left is adding more support on the ends of my Full sized box spring to fully support the Full XL sized mattress I’m using on it. I’m happy with the result and am thankful to all the kind people on these boards who answered all my questions. I’m curious to see how the mattress will hold up, but only time will tell.