Hello,
I’m a 43 year old, single, male, back sleeper. I’m 5’7" ad weigh about 170 lbs. I’m very sensitive to heat, and I get hot very easily. I’ve found that I like a firm foundation, with a thin soft top layer. I discovered this, when I tested some brand names at a local mattress shop.
I’m out of time, and need to buy something soon. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find cheaper material that also fits the standards I want. I’ve found a lot of toppers on Amazon and Ebay, but I worry I don’t know enough to ask the right questions that will help me match latex from different manufacturers.
I’m trying to keep the design simple. I left out the ild and density, because I don’t have all the specific densities/ild for each different maker.
top 3" talalay
middle 3" dunlop
bottom 3" dunlop
top 2" talalay
middle 3" dunlop
bottom 3" dunlop
Thanks in advance
Hi unslept,
Welcome to our Mattress Forum! 
Thanks for sharing your stats with us and the DIY constructions that you are considering for your DIY
You are on the right track with selecting an all latex build for your bed and you are not far from a good decision. Still, I wouldn’t give into a false (or legitimate) sense of urgency. First, a few points to reinforce your choices thus far.
• Your component selection meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the durability guidelines here. If the latex bed as a whole is inside a suitable range in terms of comfort and support for you (and isn’t “on the edge” of being too soft, or you are not going to gain too much weight) then it would be reasonable to expect that it will last for many years. Latex in general is the most durable of all the foam materials (polyfoam, memory foam, latex foam)
• Latex is also the most breathable and “temperature neutral” of all the different types of foam materials but the firmness of a mattress and how much you sink into it can also affect sleeping temperature as well. While it’s also not always possible to track down temperature regulation issues for any particular person on a specific mattress because there are so many variables involved (including your room temperature and humidity, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range) and some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking mattress temperature regulation issues potential causes ~ Post #2 here (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) and the posts it links to that may be helpful.
• At your 28 BMI and as you are mostly a back sleeper, an 8" to 9 "mattress thickness should be more than enough to give you both support and the “light comfort” you seek. Depending on the latex ILD both combos could work for you.
• Dunlop for the support/transition layers and Talalay for comfort is also a good choice. Talalay latex has a high and Dunlop a higher support factor in the range of 4 while Talalay latex has a support factor of about 3, so between them, they offer a range of flexibility and qualities that other foams cannot duplicate (most other foams are less than 3 support factor).
Here are few things to keep in mind while you are assessing your two options.
• For better questions, I’d start is by reading post #15 here and the posts it links to.
• To “match” latex from different manufacturers you’d most likely need a decoder ring and flashlight and even so, it may not be as meaningful as your personal experience with each of the materials and how they are combined in a mattress. The ILD rating is never an exact number, and how it is represented in ILD is determined by the foam manufacturer (what ranges they decide to produce) or even how the reseller wants to advertise it. Most ILD ratings have a counterpart in “word ratings” ranging from X-soft to X-firm and this is usually enough to help make an appropriate layering combo for your particular needs. This is to say … try to find the type of latex, SBR, Blended, Natural, and firmness ratings. (ILDs and source of the rubber could be helpful in case you are closer to the “princess and the pea” end of the sensitivity scale than to the “I can sleep on anything” end of the scale)
• I’d make sure to contact a vendor/manufacturer that is knowledgeable and experienced and have a more detailed conversation on the phone so that they can help “talk you through” the options they have available and help you choose. Many of our Trusted members offer DIY options at very competitive prices. On top of my head here are some slicked experts that can offer personalized guidance whether you buy from them or not.
[indent]o Deborah at DIY Natural bedding
o Ken at Arizona Premium mattress company is very skilled at helping consumers with their DIY
o Shawn and Rodger at Latex Mattress company and its sister company SleepEZ can help with building a DIY as well.[/indent]
• As you are an “oven range” type of sleeper it’s worth mentioning that the temperature regulation for equivalent latex firmness/ILDs for the 8" vs 9" mattress thickness. You’ll sleep slightly cooler on the 8" as you’ll be sleeping more on the mattress vs sinking in and trapping heat on a thicker construction.
• Again, for the same firmness/ILD latex layers the difference between a 2" and a 3" comfort layer can be quite dramatic and also depends on a person’s weight, shape, and sleeping positions. Back and stomach sleepers will notice it less (Side sleepers are more likely to go “through” a thinner comfort layer) and feel more of the properties of the layers below it.) The thinner a layer is … the more you will feel the properties of the layers below it.
• If you’ll sense that you’ll be moving slightly in the higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) it is good to keep in mind that In some cases higher weight ranges will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges or a lower BMI (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) than it does on just the thickness itself.
I hope this is helpful as you advance with your DIY project. Keep us posted
Phoenix
Phoenix had some great comments so just to build on those I would suggest your build will really depend alot on your body shape (esp bum area since you prefer back sleeping and like a firm mattress). Dunlop is very supportive but not as conforming as talalay so if you have any significant curves in the rear (like I do) you will likely end up with some hip/lower back pain from the dunlop (since it won’t conform enough to come up and support the small of the back like talalay will). Typically for someone your size/BMI I would suggest a 22/32/36 ILD combo but only you can answer if dunlop or talalay will work best for the support layers. Other than that I’d probably go the 2" comfort layer route since you do prefer it more firm and are primarily a back sleeper. Let us know how you make out.