Mattress comfort layers - latex

[Yodwinder]

[quote=“Phoenix” post=77246]
Designing and building your own mattress can be a lot of fun but can also be quite frustrating and involves a lot more knowledge of how different materials, layers, and components interact than many people suspect and I would do some more DIY research by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process.[/quote]

I tend to DIY and over complicate everything I do so I know what I’m getting myself into here. I also don’t have any illusion about this being cheaper than going pre-built, though if it was I wouldn’t complain.
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@"Phoenix" post=77246

I am not sure what the reason is for going with a 15" thick mattress , but the comfort layers in your DIY come to a total of 9" of Talalay latex layers with ILDs between 15-24. This would be much too plush/soft and may compromise your posture and alignment.

The reasoning behind 15" is really just for the aspect of fine tuning and was actually inspired by the 16" offering from Foam Sweet Foam, though they include the wool in the cover in their measurement. I am not dead set on a 15", it just seemed like the option with the most flexibility for customization now and in the future. The misalignment and lack of support, however, is exactly what I was worried about. I had a feeling that would be the case, but I wanted to be sure before I purchased anything.
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@"Phoenix" post=77246

So the key is to make your best choice in terms of the latex type and properties you are looking for (I would identify the qualities that are most important to you) and to choose the thickness that would solve the specific reasons you are looking for this material in the first place … be most suitable for your body type, sleeping positions, preferences, and the layering of the mattress it is going on, … and has the best combination of and tradeoff between cost and quality that you are comfortable with. A good starting point for a comfort layer is 2" (even less in some cases depending on what you are trying to achieve) and then add thickness if you have specific reasons to do so and if your mattress design has enough “room” to add extra thickness without compromising support and alignment.

The most important qualities would be as much plushness as I could reasonably get while maintaining proper support and alignment. We are both side sleepers, and occasionally back, though I feel that has more to do with how “hammocked” the current mattress is. Typically we are almost strictly side sleepers.

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@"Phoenix" post=77246

While I understand what you “mean” by “bottoming out”, I want to comment that you won’t be compressing the stacked foams to their minimum thickness. All of the foam layers of a mattress work together, not individually or sequentially, so you’re desiring something in the transition layer that matches better with the “compressed ILD” of the uppermost layer so that this transition from the comfort layers to the base foam isn’t so abrupt, if I understand this correctly.

You are correct, the perception of an abrupt transition, or lack thereof, between layers is what I was looking to avoid.

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@"Phoenix" post=77246

While you wouldn’t have any reason to be concerned with “bottoming out” even for lower ILD ranges (especially for very small +/-5 ILD variations in firmness), your intuition is correct in that generally speaking you will “feel” more of the upper layers than the deeper layers within the mattress… Unless you are the “Princess and the Pea” type it is not very likely that you would feel much difference between the Dunlop and Talalay or the zoning all the way down through the 9" of top layers. Dunlop, of course, has a different “feel” and performance than Talalay and is less lively or springy. You can see a comparison between them in post #7 here. With thinner comfort layers some people would notice more of a difference than others with transition or support layers that used each material if the top layers were the same type of latex. I am not privy to your conversation with Arizona Premium, but I agree with their response to you… and it would make sense that they would advise you to skip the third comfort layer and go for a 12’ maximum.

For example a 6" of base/support system and a 4-6" comfort/transition layer system could give you all you need. It is very rare that anyone would need more than 12" thickness. The example below would be a more balanced design for an average person of your weight range that desires a thicker mattress.
6" of 35 ILD Support base
2-3" of 28 ILD transition
2" of Soft Latex (24 ILD)
1" of Plush Latex (19)
Optional 1" of 15 ILD (if you really think you want the top to be ultra-soft)

This is where the advice differs and the waters get kind of murky. Arizona suggested simply removing the #3 layer which would have been the Puralux topper, and opting for the Rejuvenite topper for layer #2. That would have left the layers at 15/19/31-35. That is greatly different from your suggestion and would seem like it may run into the aforementioned issue of lack of alignment and support due to the 19 ILD essentially amounting to the “transition” layer, instead of your suggestion of a 28 ILD foam.

I also wanted to use the 3" copper topper because of the heat conductance/dispersion effects, though I don’t know how much of an impact it would truly make as I was unable to find much in the way of feedback on that particular product. With your suggestion of using 1" of 15 ILD on top of 2" of 19 ILD, I am afraid that 3" of 15 ILD may cause the same “hammock” feeling that I am dealing with now. At the same time, if I went for the 19 ILD copper and put a 1" 15 ILD topper on it, it entirely defeats the purpose of the copper.

This is currently my revised build:

1. 3" Copper Topper - 15 ILD
2. 2" Blended Talalay - 22 ILD
3. 2" Blended Talalay - 28 ILD
4. 6" Blended Talalay Core - 36 ILD
5. Bamboo/Wool cover - 14"
6. Copper Mattress Protector

That brings it down to 13" and the layers are more balanced while still retaining the copper topper as the uppermost layer. Again, if you feel that 3" of 15 ILD would be truly detrimental, please let me know and I’ll explore other options in lieu of that. Also, due to the lack of a 13" cover, I chose the 14" as not to “pre-load” the layers with the 12", though I do worry about the layers sliding. Would be interested in your opinion on that as well, don’t really care to straighten layers every night before bed.

Thanks!