Just happened on this forum-- what a fantastic resource!
I have a question concerning latex mattress toppers. I am outfitting a twin bed in our guest room. I am concerned about offgassing, so my plan was to buy a basic, firm mattress with minimal padding, then supplement with a latex topper above. Accordingly, I recently purchased this very basic Sealy “cushion firm” innerspring (I know Sealy is not recommended, but I had no time to look through boutique stores, and the price was right on this one :S ).
The mattress has 14ga coils plus 2" of foam padding; it is rated “medium firm,” but is identical to the “firm” version except that the “firm” version has an extra layer of foam padding on top. The mattress will mostly be slept upon by a tall and heavyish (200#) person, for about 4 weeks per year. I’m not sure whether she’s a back or a side sleeper, but she does have sciatica issues.
My questions:
Based on what I’ve seen, I probably want a Dunlop-processed latex topper with ILD >20, for the extra firmness under a heavy body and extra support over the breadth of the mattress. Does that sound right?
Given the extra weight, do I need to go with a 3" topper, or will 2" still do?
I’ve looked through this list of topper retailers, and quite like the spindle factory for price. Is there any reason why their toppers seem to be so much cheaper than many of the others’, even with comparable specs?
A decision like this would mainly be based on “PPP” so its tough for others to answer. If extra firmness is what your looking for then the medium (27-33 ild ) from Spindle would be it. I beleive the Firm (34-42) would be better used in the lower levels of a mattress. I wouldnt count on the topper providing you with much support considering support would come from the lower levels which in your case would be the mattress itself. Count only on it mainly in terms of pressure relief.
I beleive Spindle only offers 3" toppers.
Spindle sells a synthetic dunlop which i beleive is the one you are considering resonably priced and is lesser in cost then his 100 percent natural version. Also it is what he considers a “raw piece” mainly just a piece of latex and no cover and I beleive it is (He does also) recomend that you put it in a cover.
Here is a quote directly from his page …
[quote]We sell direct to you. No middleman. Spindle and you make the mattress.
Our web-based approach bypasses the mattress stores and their prices and high profit. The money goes into your pocket instead of the mattress store’s pocket.
Her sleeping position would certainly make a difference because side sleepers generally need thicker softer layers than back sleepers.
I would treat the choice between Talalay and Dunlop as a preference issue more than a “better worse” issue for any weight … especially with a topper. While Dunlop may feel firmer than Talalay in the same ILD … they both are available with a wide range of ILD’s so a Talalay topper can also be firmer than a Dunlop topper that has a lower ILD. There is more about the difference in “feel” between them in post #7 here.
This will depend on her sleeping position, weight distribution, and her preferences (and mostly on how much more softness and pressure relief the mattress needs based on her own perceptions). The topper guidelines in post #2 here though and the post it links to will help you guess which thickness and ILD you think she would do best with (and I would ask her about her sleeping positions before you buy it). It also links to a list of some of the better topper sources I’m aware of.
If you don’t know or can’t find out then the odds are higher that she would be a side sleeper than a back sleeper (more people sleep on their side than any other position) and given that there is only about 2" of foam in the mattress (assuming that’s correct) and her larger body size then a 3" topper may have better odds of success.
Outside of any differences between different retailers or manufacturers based on different business models … it would depend on which of their toppers you are looking at (they have both synthetic latex and 100% natural latex) (NOTE ADDED: they now only sell 100% natural). Synthetic latex is less costly than natural latex and Dunlop is less costly than Talalay in the same blend. (Note: Spindle is now only using 100% natural continuous pour Dunlop in their mattresses)