Latex Topper Questions

I purchased a “quilted duvet” styled Dunlop topper that was on sale from Arizona premium mattress last march. It was only molded on one side to look like it had duvet square gussets. It did not come with a cover. I got the 3" queen size. I initially stretched a mattress pad over it and the mattress but I’m guessing that the topper added too much height because the pad had very little give. After only two weeks I noticed that the topper had definite signs of wear. In the spot where my hips sink in( I’m 6 feet tall, 250lbs and a strict side sleeper in the same spot on the bed) the topper seemed to lose its firmness, and little pucker wrinkles that remind me of a deflating balloon in the areas I laid on. I took off the pad and turned the topper to another side. I found that the topper held up a bit better when it wasn’t covered with the restrictive pad. I have had to turn and flip the topper three times now. I’m not sure if this is normal wear for it. I am not able to actually see impressions or sagging on the non gussetted molded side, but it’s the side that has the hills and valleys to look like a duvet that has noticeable puckering and a loss of firmness when I push in spots with my hand. I flipped it so that side is down and the topper is smooth on top. I find that if I move to the center or other side of my bed there is a difference in firmness. I just cannot sleep in any other spot on my bed other than the one I’m in. My dimensions make it so that no matter heads or footboard my hips are at the same one foot circle. So basically I can only turn the topper around instead of flipping to get virginal area.

Ok…what is the expectations in wear for a topper of this type and quality?

What brand mattress pad/cover should I buy to protect it that fits and still allows it to be springy?

Hi rellwood,

Yes … this would be normal for any softer foam …particularly with higher weights. As you mentioned the mattress pad could also be part of this … particularly if it’s waterproof and adding to the humidity in the topper which may affect the recovery time of the material with continuous compression. Dunlop latex also has natural variations in the firmness levels across the surface and from top to bottom as the result of using natural latex and the Dunlop method of manufacturing itself which is less consistent in terms of ILD (firmness/softness level) than Talalay.

If it’s 100% natural Dunlop then after the initial break in period (in the range of 90 days or so) then you can expect it to maintain it’s properties for a very long period of time with only minimal impressions or further softening.

I’m not sure if you are looking for a mattress protector (to protect the mattress from body oils and fluids and have the least effect on the “feel” of the mattress possible) or a mattress pad (which is designed more to change the feel and softness of the mattress although some of them can also be used as a protector as well) but assuming that you are looking for a mattress protector then post #89 here has more information about the different types that are available and the pros and cons of each.

Phoenix

Hey Pheonix,

The topper is a dunlop natural latex with an IDL of 25. When you said there would be variations of firmness from top to bottom do you mean from head to foot or from the top to the bottom width wise (3")? The areas that seem to vary in firmness are the spots where I tend to compress the most. Also, it doesn’t seem to be getting worse now. As you mentioned the 90 day break in period, I wasn’t expecting that time to have any kind of breakdown whatsoever, so when after only a couple of weeks there was significant loss of support I was truly upset. I was able to put a five pound object in one spot and saw it stayed higher on the bed and the area surrounding it was smooth, while on the space where I sleep, it sunk in more and the topper puckered and wrinkled around it. Plus there is a pucker and wrinkle pattern across the top where I sleep. This is only on the side that has the “pillows” I guess the manufacturer of the topper supplied a mattress company with these toppers to insert into their mattresses, but the mattress company has gone out of business. Now they sell these inserts as toppers. so they were never really meant to be used as a topper alone.

Regarding the pad. I am asking for a cover of sorts. If I had purchased a memory foam topper it would have come with a terrycloth or knit cover with a zipper to contain the topper. This topper is bare. Although it doesn’t move around on the bed, i am still concerned with keeping it from ripping or tearing when I adjust it when changing the top sheet that covers it. The zippered knit or bamboo covers that I can purchase tend to be a bit pricey. I was wondering if you knew of a specific cover or pad strictly for protection but not waterproofing that has been known to work well with latex toppers?

I’m sorry, I totally rambled here…

Hi rellwood,

It could be both as well as between the top and bottom of a Dunlop topper (see post #6 here).

All foam materials will go through an initial break in period where they will lose any “false firmness” in the material before softening more slowly over a longer period of time. Both the initial softening and long term softening would be less with higher quality and more durable materials but the firmness of the material and the weight and body type of the person using it will also make a difference.

All foam materials will also soften temporarily with use overnight to some degree and with higher humidity conditions or warmer temperatures inside the matttress the foam can take a little longer to recover (Dunlop more than Talalay).

Yes … this is the reason for the lower price but there would be little difference in using them as the top layer of a mattress or as a topper.

If you are looking for a cover that surrounds the topper to protect it from breaking down as quickly with exposure to ozone and ultraviolet light (which are some of the things that can degrade latex prematurely along with the others listed here) then mattresses.net sells covers and there are some other sources for covers listed in post #4 here which can help protect the topper from substances that can degrade it and from damage from tearing as well. Covers that are more stretchy will have less effect on the “feel” of the latex than a woven cover but they may be more costly.

Phoenix

I also bought the Dunlop ‘quilted duvet’ look topper from Arizona Premium Mattress. I see this is an old thread, but I wish I had seen it prior to purchase. I actually found this review by accident via google after I purchased. I have a lot of respect for Phoenix, his tireless reserach, efforts to help, and his sage advice. I eagerly went to the APM to check out this soft-looking unusual dunlop topper. HUGE dissapointment all the way around. Communication was very poor, and frankly I felt my purchase was too insignificant to matter. Emails largely ignored/ or partial replies given. I am sure others must have had better customer service, but that was not my experience. As this was the only place to buy this ‘clearance’ item (that has been sold since at least 2013, per the prior post). The King topper came seamed down middle which was not shown or noted in add. I have dunlop that size tht is not seamed. The seam was not neat, the latex had been faded by light and the topper was dirty in areas. It is firm feeling, not what I would call soft. It looked like the rounded areas of topper would not wear well (based on how edges looked) so I decided to put face down in my DIY bed below my top layer. I definitely would not use on top of a bed, with or without a cover (my opinion).
You would do better to just get a layer of dunlop if that is what you want to use. I bought the rest of my foam from The Latex Mattress Factory. EXCELLENT service. Tom volunteered samples, very responsive.
I will leave a complete review about that in TMU (when I figure out where).