Hi shell,
The first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between different mattresses.
Unfortunately nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone else to know which mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP based on either specs (yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” so for this part of your research you will be reliant on either your own personal testing or on more detailed conversations with an online retailer or manufacturer that can help “talk you through” the options they have available that would have the best chance of success based on the information you provide them and on the “averages” of other people that are similar to you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
There is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress (local or online) in post #2 here that can help minimize the risks involved with each of them.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
The tutorial post also includes a link to a list of the members here (in the optional online step) that sell mattresses online and if you prefer latex over other materials then many of them sell latex mattresses that use different types ad blends of latex and have a range of different designs, features, options, price ranges, and return or exchange policies that may also be well worth considering in addition to any local options.
[quote]In the past few days I’ve tested a PLB (Pure Latex Bliss), an OMI (Organicpedic) and a Savvy Rest (actually several of all three). The salesman told me the PLB was the “blissipedia” model with ILDs of 24, 28, and 36. The OMI mattress was the “Duo” model and had all Talalay layers and was configured, top to bottom, soft-soft-medium. The Savvy Rest (I believe the “Serenity” model) I changed around several times and the most comfortable configuration was soft talalay-medium dunlop-soft dunlop (top to bottom).
My biggest problem is that on NONE of these beds did I ever feel like my spine was completely straight and I had twinges of pain, although my back muscles are a bit of a mess right now. I just cannot get enough support under my rib cage and waist line and I don’t know how to do that and still feel enough pressure relief in my bony hips.[/quote]
I don’t know of a PLB mattress called “Blissipedia” or that uses the ILD’s that you listed. You can see the specs of their models that use blended Talalay in post #2 here.
I would make sure that you are using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post when you are testing mattresses rather than just testing for the overall subjective “feel” of a mattress (which can lead to some unsuitable choices) because you may be attracted to mattresses that are too soft for you which may “feel” very comfortable but may not provide the support/alignment that you need.
There is also more about primary and secondary support and their relationship to pressure relief and firmness in post #4 here and in post #2 here that may help you visualize what good support/alignment and pressure relief “looks like” and may also be helpful.
With your much lighter weight it’s possible that you may need softer comfort layers than “average” and that were used in the mattresses you were trying (perhaps as low as 14 ILD) to provide the contouring, pressure relief, and secondary support you need but with deeper support layers that are “firm enough” to keep you in good alignment.
When someone has more challenging circumstances or finds it more difficult to find a mattress that is a good “match” for their body type and sleeping positions or because they have a narrower comfort or support range that seems to work well for them then zoning may be helpful because the firmer zones under the heavier parts of your body can allow you to use softer comfort layers with better pressure relief with less risk to alignment. There is more about zoning in post #11 here and the posts it links to.
A topper can be a good choice with a mattress that is too firm and only needs some additional pressure relief or “comfort” but it’s not generally a good option to “fix” a mattress that is too soft or that allows the heavier parts of your body to sink down too far and in many cases it can even make these types of issues worse.
A component latex mattress that also has an option for side by side split layering can certainly have some advantages (including the ones you listed in addition to being able to fine tune the mattress by rearranging or exchanging layers) and there are many manufacturers that make these (including several of the members here that are on the online list). There is also more information in the first part of post #2 here that talks about some of the ways that a mattress can accommodate a couple that have very different body types or different needs and preferences in a mattress.
Phoenix