Mattress hunt in Ottawa

[phoenix]

Hi Morning Person,

Thanks for all the great feedback from Ottawa … I appreciate it

It’s surprising to me that there are so many firm latex mattresses and so few with softer comfort layers.

Matelas Lapensee:
We checked their showroom and they did not have a full latex mattress on the floor. I think they specialise on coil mattresses. However, they offered to make a full latex mattress for us, but that would be considered a special order with no return options. If we go in that direction, I’d rather work with a more experienced online retailer, that offers exchange options.

That would probably be a wise idea if you can’t test it first in person unless you are completely confident in what you wanted.

www.hardymattressfeatherottawa.ca/
2. The second mattress was according to staff one 8" dunlop latex slab of medium firmness for $1699 CAD. However, after examining it a little further, we figured out, that it is a mattress that can be used from both sides and that had 3 layers bonded together. I assume a 4" layer in the middle with 2" on each side. The staff told me that the ILD for this mattress is 75 ??? And that their latex mattresses range from 70 to 95 ILD.

The numbers you were given are the density of the latex which would indicate that they are Dunlop. If they are 100% natural Dunlop then you can see the approximate ILD’s that would correspond to the densities in post #2 here. If they are 100% natural Dunlop they would be a good quality material and a two sided mattress would be a bonus in terms of durability as well (although latex is already the most durable foam material) but some careful testing for will tell you more about whether they are suitable for you than the ILD. While the layers themselves would have an ILD … the mattress as a whole wouldn’t (ILD only applies to foam layers not a complete mattress).

www.Sleepersonline.com:
I could not find or reach that company. I don’t think they are still in business…

They are still showing up on Google searches so this must have been fairly recent. Thanks for the heads up and I’ve removed them from the Ottawa list.

1. We found a 2" dunlop topper (ILD22) at mattresses.net that will pretty much be what we tested in the store (hopefully). Mattresses.net also offers a 3" dunlop topper (ILD25) for only a little more money. Can anyone guess if a setup with a slightly firmer 3" dunlop topper (ILD25) would feel about the same or if there is a chance that it feels completely different? We liked the two-topper setup with ILD 20-22 at obasan as well.

Latex isn’t made in exact ILD’s and most Dunlop has a variance in their ILD’s across the surface and from top to bottom so a Dunlop layer that is rated as a specific ILD wouldn’t be exact (see post #6 here). An ILD difference of 3 would be fairly insignificant and most people wouldn’t notice it and it would probably be less than the normal ILD variance of a Dunlop layer across the surface. Most (but not all) people wouldn’t notice much if any difference with a 3 ILD variance but they would probably notice a difference between a 2" topper and a 3" layer in roughly the same ILD. The mattresses.net 3" Dunlop topper also has “pillows” on the surface which would make it functionally softer than the same ILD topper without the “pillows”.

2. Would the 3" setup be more durable than the 2" setup?

No … if it’s the same material there would be no significant difference in Durability.

3. If we get a mattress protector that encases the complete setup (topper+mattress) would you guys recommend a separate cover for the topper or could the cover be “naked” under the protector?

While you may be able to “get away with” just a protector and probably wouldn’t notice much difference for a number of years … I would cover any bare latex layer with it’s own cover to help protect it from damage and substances that can degrade the latex (see here) and prevent premature oxidation which can shorten the life of the latex.

4. How important is the rotation and flipping of latex mattresses, and what frequency is recommended? Would we have to flip/rotate both parts of our mattress or only the topper?

Latex is the most durable of all the foam materials so flipping and rotating is less necessary but “necessary” or not … I would flip and rotate any two sided mattress (if the materials are the same on both sides) or rotate any one sided mattress (if the materials are symmetrical from head to foot) because it can extend the life of any mattress (see post #2 here).

5. Are there any other sources for dunlop toppers?

Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to have some suggestions about choosing a topper using your sleeping experience as a reference point and also links to this post which has some of the better component or topper sources I’m aware of including Dunlop latex.

Phoenix