Mattress just arrived!

[phoenix]

Hi buttercupbetty,

To answer your question, our 3" dunlop comfort layer is 75.39D. I think soft is considered 70-80. Karl says that it’s the softest that Latex Green offers, although perhaps he could ask them to “hand-pick” a 70D. Even then, he doesn’t think I could tell the difference,

You can see the softness and ILD ratings for Latex Green in post #2 here. As you can see your top layer is more in the medium range than the soft range and for most people Dunlop will feel firmer than Talalay because it gets firmer more quickly as sink into it more. Lighter weights will generally perceive a specific ILD’s as being firmer than than someone that was heavier so firmness and softness are also subjective. It may also be worth trying turning the layer over because Dunlop generally has a slightly firmer and softer side because the latex particles tend to settle more than talalay when the latex is produced. The density/ILD of your top comfort layer is certainly “firmer than average” than most people of your weight and sleeping positions would normally choose although much of this also depends on preferences and physiology and all the other factors that can lead to one person making different choices than another even with similar body types and sleeping styles.

When you advise caution about adding a topper that’s too thick, do you distinguish between a fluffy wool topper and adding another “plate” to the interior of the mattress cover ? (when we get a cover :)) From reading your other guidelines, I realize that going to soft could generate alignment issues. But toppers are usually not returnable, so seems hard to guess before purchasing.

This would apply more to a more resilient latex layer than a wool layer because wool is less resilient and you will tend to sink into it more evenly. It’s not too likely you would have alignment issues even with a softer Dunlop in your comfort layer and too firm or too thin in the comfort layers can also lead to alignment issues because your shoulders may not sink in as much as they need to if the comfort layers are too firm or the latex may not “fill in the gaps” in your sleeping profile as well as a softer layer. Comfort layers that are too firm can also lead to rotational alignment issues (which is just as important) if you tend to “twist” away from pressure in either your upper or lower body. The pillow you use can also make a difference in upper body alignment and pressure issues and different mattresses often need different pillows to maintain the best alignment.

And Phoenix, when you say “you add components and see how they affect the feel and performance of your mattress”, I’m guessing that you’re recommending ONE AT A TIME? So we pick whatever cover we like, buy it, sleep on it for a week…and then see what fine-tuning our mattress might need?

Normally I would suggest a DIY construction that uses a specific mattress you have tested and works well for PPP as a reference point and then “copy” it to the best of your ability but if you are working blind and don’t have specific reference points you have tested then I would build your mattress from the bottom up and use your experience sleeping directly on the 6" core as part of your guideline for choosing the thickness and firmness of the top layer (along with your “best judgement” about how much more softness you need for good pressure relief). Once you have slept on the top two layers (6" plus your first attempt at a comfort layer) then I would use your experience with those layers to decide whether you need one more layer (if your comfort choice didn’t quite work for you and couldn’t be exchanged for a different ILD) or whether it’s “close enough” to choose a cover or other components that you want to add to the mattress (keeping in mind how different covers will affect the “feel” of your mattress). A wool topper would be more of a “cush” layer for feel and to relieve more specific pressure points rather than re-distributing your weight along the entire body profile. It’s not as “supportive” as a latex layer. It will tend to soften up firmer layers but it can also make softer layers feel firmer because it can reduce the amount that a soft top layer compresses and contours to your body.

You can see an example of a “bottom up” and "one step at a time approach in this thread.

Even with this approach though you would be working blind to some degree without specific reference points of mattresses you have tested where you know the specifics of the layering and that were suitable for you in terms of PPP. When you are building your own it usually involves some trial and error and in some cases some “mistakes” to gain the personal experience and reference points you need to choose the best combination of layers.

Phoenix