Looking for a pillow top feel in latex...

[phoenix]

Hi cmsivley,

Hypothetically speaking, if one were to get the luma sleep system with a firm support layer and a medium firm comfort layer but still desired additional quilted “plushness” without retaining heat, what type of materials would you recommend in a mattress topper? From reading your posts, I think either 2 inches of polyfoam or alternative down sound like the best options (since I wouldn’t want latex or memory foam in the added mattress topper). My goal would be to create that quilted puffy cloud feeling but I don’t want anything that will make it hot.

You’d have a system using a total of 4.5" of latex at that point, and then you’d potentially be thinking of adding some more plushness on top, if I understand you correctly. When adding extra plushness, remember that all materials are insulators to some extent, and the more you sink in the less of your surface area is exposed to heat exchange. Down or down alternatives can be quite comfortable, but some can be quite insulating as well. Polyfoam tends to be quite breathable, provided you don’t get too soft of an IFD. A wool topper (There is more information about wool toppers and how they compare to various foam toppers, at least in very general terms, in post #8 here and in posts #3 and #6 here and there are some additional comments about wool toppers and a list of some of the better sources I’m aware of in post #3 here) can also be quite comfortable and is very good at being more “temperature neutral” and is also good at assisting with humidity regulation, but it may not be as plush of a comfort as you desire. You’d want to avoid memory foam, as you mentioned, but latex, especially Talalay latex, is quite breathable, but again depending upon the ILD you choose may create too much “insulation” for your preference.

Overall, it’s not really possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials. There is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose different materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.

Phoenix