Hi frankma,
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or the exchange return options that are available to you).
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (see this article) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. The best way to know which types of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general will be based on some local testing of different types of mattresses to see if you have a preference of one or more types or materials or mattresses over others.
Depending on which type of “latex hybrid” you are considering … there is more about all latex mattresses vs latex/polyfoam hybrids in post #2 here and there is also more about innerspring/latex hybrids vs all latex mattresses in post #13 here and the other posts it links to.
A topper can be a useful “backup” plan if you purchase a mattress that is too firm without one but one of the “challenges” of buying a firm mattress and then adding a topper when you can’t test the mattress/topper combination in person is that choosing a suitable topper that is a good combination for you and the mattress you are using it on (different mattresses will affect the choice of topper that works best for a particular person) that can be almost as challenging as choosing a mattress that doesn’t need a topper in the first place because the only way to know whether the combination will be a good “match” for you will be based on your own personal experience (see post #2 here).
It can also be more costly than just buying a mattress which includes the same materials as the topper as a layer inside the mattress itself and you would be avoiding the risk of having additional materials in your base mattress that you may not need or that may be lower quality foam (that can soften or break down more quickly) or that may be softer than what would be ideal for a transition layer under a softer topper. At the very least I would make sure that the topper has a good exchange or return policy so there would be less risk of buying a topper that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for in combination with your mattress. I would also make sure that you can find out all the specifics of the materials inside the base mattress so you can make sure it meets the quality/durability guidelines here and that there are no weak links in the mattress.
Having said that … if you do choose a suitable mattress/topper combination which turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) then it does have the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is likely because a sleeping system will tend to soften or break down from the top layers down) or if your needs or preferences change over time and a topper can also help extend the useful life of a mattress underneath it as well.
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of whether anyone else has the same criteria or would make the same choice.
The first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Different people can have very different criteria and opinions about whether one mattress is “worth it” compared to another one because each person’s experience is unique so it would really depend on how much of a difference you feel in “real life” terms of “comfort” and PPP between two mattresses and on whether any differences between them are enough to justify any difference in their price (regardless of whether anyone else that has different criteria or has a different experience on the same mattresses would make the same choice).
Phoenix
