Layered latex configurations ???

[phoenix]

Hi Indylady18,

Hey Phoenix, flobeds is the only one I did not actually speak to, just filled out the on line questioner and yup, the soft soft medium was the recommendation…I thought it was goofy too and they are on my list to call. Maybe that was just an error on the web site form.

The medium would be the bottom layer with the softer layers on top of it but I also wouldn’t have a great deal of confidence in an “automated firmness picker”. It may give you some generic guidelines but I would make sure you talk with any online manufacturer in person to choose the layers of your mattress.

I cannot seem to find the ILD for the bed though.

When you are testing a mattress in person the ILD’s of the layers isn’t important to know and can actually be more of a distraction than a help. ILD is a comfort spec and your testing is a much more reliable way to decide on whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of softness/firmness and PPP than the comfort specs of the mattress.

Having said that … the PLB specs to the best of my knowledge are in post #2 here.

So I think I should configure a layered bed with comparable specs as PLB Beautiful…or if I should just go with PLB since I was able to try it and I like it.

That would entirely depend on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. While both ways you would be using good quality materials and there would be no weak links in the mattress … I would be aware that when you are trying to “match” one mattress to another then even seemingly small differences in layer thicknesses, the type and ILD of the latex, the design of the mattress, and the type of cover and quilting can have a surprising effect on the “feel” and performance of a mattress (see post #9 here). The only way to “match” one mattress to another with any certainty would be to use exactly the same type of layers in the same firmness level with the same design and with the same type of cover as the mattress you are trying to match. While you may be able to “approximate” it (and any differences may turn out to be better or worse in terms of PPP), and in most cases a component mattress gives you options to rearrange or exchange the layers to do some fine tuning based on your actual sleeping experience … the only way to know how close you came to another mattress (or whether the other mattress is even a good “target” would be based on your own personal experience.

Although after only 20min on these soft beds I have an ache in the small of my back. They felt so comfortable, I’m wondering if the ache is just because I have not laid on something so soft and comfy before. Should I be concerned?

I would be cautious yes because a mattress that has comfort layers that are too thick and soft can be more risky in terms of alignment. In many cases what you feel after testing can be an indication of what you may feel even more after sleeping on a mattress over the course of the night and these are the types of “signals” that I would be cautious about.

Phoenix