Hi Mina.
Taking off the cover, as SleepEZ suggests would make the mattress plusher and conforming, but how much plusher will depend on how tight the cover was around the layering and how compressed and/or densified the wool in it as this will have an effect on the overall comfort and how the foam underneath contours around your body. The wool in the quilted cover will compress to a degree over time and it will have some effect on the foam underneath it as it becomes firmer.
As you probably know by now it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in each of their sleeping positions n terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … it may be worth revistiong the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here .
From what you describe, you may wish to reevaluate your pillow as if this is too high it will affect he curvature of your lower back to a certain extent and this in combination with your hips bottoming out could create some muscles tension and /or the alignment issues that could result in the stiffness/soreness you are experiencing. Generally speaking and because you have two sleeping positions, I would tend to lean towards a design that prioritized your primary sleeping position (not sure if it is side or back for you) and I would keep in mind that side sleepers generally need a bit more pressure point relief on the surface to accommodate the wider dimensional variances between the shoulders and the hips and the waist. I would also tend to prioritize alignment/support over pressure relief. Pressure point relief that is fairly close but just a little off is much easier to fine tune with a plush mattress pad for specific pressure point relief for example than fixing support/alignment issues and the back symptoms that can come from them. When you roll on your back you would need a firmer upper layer to support your back and keep it in neutral position throughout the night.
There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
These posts are the “tools” that can help with the analysis, detective work, or trial and error that may be necessary to help you learn your body’s language and “translate” what your body is trying to tell you so you can identify the types of changes that have the best chance of reducing or eliminating any “symptoms” you are experiencing (at least to the degree that any symptoms are from your mattress rather than the result of any other circumstances or pre-existing issues you may have that aren’t connected to a mattress).
I’ve personally spoken multiple times with most of SleepEZ’s team and I got to know and appreciate their hard work, experience and straight forwardness … they don’t shy away from recognizing when they believe that they reached the limit of what a specific mattress or design has to offer to a specific customer. Even though they always take into account customer’s history, unique needs, preferences and sensitives and make the best possible recommendation, it may be just one of those rare cases that they reached the limit of how they can help.….and just by chance that something was lost in the communication and after you reevaluate your pillow, it’s worth calling again…and discussing it. They are much more familiar with their own mattress designs and materials than anyone else (including me) and based on “averages” of many customers, they would be the best to help you find an alternative option to fine tune the mattress based on your history, unique needs, preferences, and sensitiveness.
Just to add more perspective it is good to keep in mind that individuals with multiple sensitivities and/or complex medical issues may need to keep the expectations of success reasonable because there may be no “perfect” mattress and “best possible” may be the best outcome (see post #1 here ), but again only you would be able to tell if you are one of those people that may need to settle for the “best possible”.
I hope this brings some more info to help find the “perfect” rather than the “best possible” mattress.
Phoenix