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Hi kregan1013,

The latex would likely be a 6" support core and the 32 ILD (indentation load deflection) would be the level of firmness of the foam. This would be considered in the medium range.

Memory foam is one of the three main categories of foam (memory foam, polyfoam, and latex) and as a category it tends to sleep the warmest of the three. This is because it has less open cells and because you will tend to sink in more deeply into memory foam and it closely forms itself around the shape of the body so acts as a better insulator. There are dozens if not hundreds of different types of memory foam though each with a specific combination of qualities. Tempurpedic tends towards the warmer end of the memory foam range compared to other memory foams of similar density.

As a general rule … lower density memory foam will tend to be more open celled and breathable, faster reacting, and cooler. They give up in durability however what they gain in other qualities. There are some types of denser memory foam which are more open celled and there are also other methods that are used to help memory foam sleep cooler (such as punching holes in it). There is more about the different qualities of memory foam and some of the tradeoffs involved in post #9 here and there is more about the different parts of what makes a mattress sleep warmer or cooler in post #2 here.

It is not uncommon for people to choose slightly lower density memory foam (in the 4 lb range) in the top layer of a mattress in order to gain some of other qualities they are looking for and are willing to “trade” durability for these qualities. As a general rule though … if someone is more than 200 lbs I would think carefully about using memory foam in densities under 5 lbs unless the layer was quite thin (so the softening would have less of an overall effect on the mattress).

Even for those who tend to sleep hot … using natural fibers in your bedding (sheets, mattress protector, any toppers or mattress pads) instead of synthetic polyester and a more breathable mattress ticking (cover) or certain specialty fabrics such as coolmax can help reduce temperature. Different types of additions to foam such as gels (which absorb heat through convection like a marble countertop) or phase change materials can also slightly reduce sleeping temperature if they are close to the surface of the mattress and not underneath other thicker layers.

There is certainly a lot to learn for those who tend towards more detailed research but I personally believe it is more effective to find someone who already knows what you want to know and willingly shares it. Post #15 here has some thoughts about this which in essence says that the more the person who is giving you guidance knows … the less you have to know.

Hope this helps

Phoenix