Mattress selection for low BMI's

[phoenix]

Hi Tali,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

I am trying to figure out what sort of mattress would allow for a good amount of sinking DOWN for someone with a current BMI of 22 (likely to go down to 21 or even 20 over the next year or so). I’ve been having lower back pains for a while, and from reading your analysis on the functions of a mattress I realized that while adding a 3" memory foam topper to my mattress has improved the comfort, it is not improving the differential support that I need as someone with much wider hips than waist - I sink down to the firm support layer (coils), and don’t feel “properly aligned” regardless of the sleeping position I try.

It sounds like you’ve been doing some reading on the forum – that’s excellent! You may have run across this article already, but just in case, there is some information about reasons for low back pain in post #2 here that may be helpful. The most common reason for lower back pain is a mattress that has comfort layers that are too thick/soft or a support core that is too soft. It’s possible that the support in your current mattress could be inadequate for you, and adding the memory foam just made it a “more comfortable” poor support. It could also be that adding too much memory foam on top allowed you to sink in too much to have poor alignment. It could also be that your current support core is too “firm” for you, and the transition from comfort layers to support is “too abrupt” for your preference. There really are a myriad of variables that could be involved. It’s good that you are tuned into having good alignment, as that is one of the keys for time spent in the deeper phases of sleep.

I’ve been looking at latex mattresses, since I never loved the feeling of the memory foam, and the soft talalay latex sounds like the sort of thing that I would like for my comfort layer. I’m just unsure what to use for the support base. I’ve been thinking of using layers, with 5-6" of medium latex (Talalay and/or Dunlop), but I’m not sure if there’s a good way to predict what might work best before actually sleeping on it. I understand that laying down on a mattress is the store is not necessarily the best predictor of the feeling at the end of the night, so I wonder if there’s a better way.

Latex certainly is a durable material that is supportive while being point elastic, and can allow for good alignment while still helping provide a good “comfort cradle” for your surface comfort.

While testing out a potential mattress in a store won’t necessarily tell you how you’ll feel in the morning, it will certainly tell you more than not being able to test out a product at all, and it is the most accurate and reliable indicator to see if you have an affinity for a particular type of foam, support system or combination. Attempting to predict how much you will like something by testing dissimilar products in person (for example, testing an innerspring mattress with polyfoam and 1" of latex and then attempting to apply that opinion as to how you might feel on an all latex mattress) is futile, but if you’re able to find local retailers offering all-latex products or combinations of pocketed spring and latex, it can give you a clear indication if you have a preference for one support system over the other, or not. If you provide you zip code, I’ll see if I am aware of any retailers in your area who might offer such a latex product.

Unfortunately, there is no algorithm that could possibly take into account the personal unknowns, individual body types, sleeping styles, personal preferences, somatotypes, health issues, differing masses, levels of fitness and flexibility.…you get the idea. Researchers have tried, but it’s just not possible. Post #15 here does talk a bit more about softness, pressure relief and alignment and how they relate and can be perceived differently by various individuals.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article ). The best way to know which type of materials or which type of mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own testing and personal experience because different people can have very different preferences.

And when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels and the options they have available to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

Additionally, I just discovered this very budget-friendly mattress: www.wayfair.com/Brooklyn-Bedding-Ultimat...ttress-BKBD1031.html . It has 3" of Talalay, which is what I wanted, over 6" of 1.5 lb support foam. I realize that this foam would be considered a lower quality material, and likely a weak link, but I was wondering if there’s a chance that it would be exactly the sort of support that would work for someone with my statistics. The manufacturer is Brooklyn Bedding, which is a member of this site, although probably not for this line of mattresses…

Brooklyn Bedding does make this item, and it would be considered a more basic, or “budget-friendly” item, you’re correct. I don’t know the density of the polyfoam used in the upper layer, but the 1.5 lb. polyfoam core is something I would only recommend in a more budget conscious purchase, and if you are comfortable with the potential trade-off in performance. With any online purchase, you’d want to be aware of the return/exchange policy, and with Wayfair it doesn’t seem that their mattress exchange policy applies to Brooklyn Bedding products, so you may wish to take that into consideration if considering this mattress. Brooklyn Bedding sells through other channels, like amazon, so you may wish to investigate that as well.

As far as appropriateness, I wouldn’t be able to predict if you would enjoy this item or if it would allow enough of a comfort cradle for you while still be able to provide adequate support, or if using a polyfoam support core would be personally preferable to a later or innerspring unit. That information can only be accomplished through your own personal testing.

In the end, I can’t predict what your husband might like based upon sleeping well on a waterbed (although it sounds as if he might more easily adapt to a surface you like, based upon the information you provided), any more than I would be able to predict what might be best for you, but I think you have a good start based upon some of your initial comments of knowing that you don’t like the feel or memory foam, and your idea of testing out latex in an upper comfort layer might be worthwhile to investigate.

You may have already read this, buy choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in (latex) that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

If you test out any particular items locally, I’ll be interested in learning of your reaction and any questions you may have about them, or other more specific questions that you might have.

Phoenix