Mattress support cores - latex

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Information About Latex

Advantages of latex over other materials when used as the core of a mattress.

    • The first of these is its durability. It will easily outlast other types of foam and even quality innersprings. Latex mattress cores have been known in many cases to last over 20 years before needing replacing.
    • A second advantage is in its point elasticity. This means that it is not only very elastic (will return to its original shape) but that it can be compressed in a very small area without affecting or compressing the area beside it. This gives it the ability to instantly form a pressure-relieving cradle that takes on the exact shape of the body. This means that in its softer ILD’s it has a pressure-relieving ability that is superior to most other materials and very similar to that of memory foam.
    • A third advantage is in its high resilience. This is its tendency to “spring back” to its original position and gives latex the ability to support the more recessed parts of the body that have larger gaps (such as the lumbar area) that need to be both filled in and supported.
    • Perhaps its greatest advantage though … and this is not as often mentioned in an industry that talks mostly about ILD or the level of firmness when describing foam and other materials … is connected to a specification called support factor (also called compression modulus or comfort factor). What this means is that latex has the ability to be soft and conforming when it is initially compressed and then become firmer more quickly than other materials when it is compressed more deeply. This means that even a relatively soft latex (28 ILD and higher) can be used as a mattress core where its upper softness can help to form a pressure relieving cradle while its deeper firmness can still provide excellent support (the ability to prevent heavier parts of you from sinking down too far) and keep your spine aligned. This also gives it the ability to adjust itself to different sleeping positions, body weights, and body profiles as you change position in your sleep. Because of these advantages, many consider it to be an ideal material.

While all materials can be measured using these specifications, latex is among the highest in every category, including some we haven’t mentioned such as breathability and motion isolation. As its properties are becoming better known, it is also becoming more widely popular.

It is available in a wide range of firmness levels, typically from 14 (super soft) to 44 ILD (super firm), and in different varieties (Typically Dunlop and Talalay) and in natural or blended versions (as well as a less desirable completely synthetic version) which makes it possible to choose a support or comfort layer that is suitable for any set of sleeping conditions, body profile, weight distribution, and sleeping style, and using any layering method of mattress construction.

Latex by itself makes an excellent support layer material but it can also be combined with other materials in the support layers to enhance their qualities for those who are on a budget. It can also be used underneath any other material used as a comfort layer and is suitable for both differential, progressive, and zoned constructions.

The disadvantage to latex as a mattress support core.

Its only disadvantage is in the fact that it carries a higher price than other materials however in this website, and through our forum, you will quickly learn that latex, along with other high-quality materials, is available for much less through alternative sources than the larger and dominant manufacturers and retail outlets would like you to believe. These smaller manufacturers who sell locally, regionally and online, and smaller, more service-oriented and specialized retail outlets, exist in the hundreds across the USA and Canada and are just waiting to be “discovered”.

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I recently purchased a 10 inch all natural organic Dunlop latex mattress. It is arriving in a couple of days with a 30 day sleep comfort guarantee which means in 30 days I can switch one time to a different model. I do not know the specific ILD of each layer but I do know that it is comprised of 5 2 inch layers. From bottom to top, 2 inches firm, 2 inches medium, 2 inches soft, 2 inches soft, 2 inches soft. I have some experience with latex as my children have basic 6 inch firm cores with 2 inch soft mattresses. I find them wonderful but a bit too firm. I know latex keeps “pushing back up” and that it is inherently supportive. I really wanted to try a softer mattress and chose this very plush latex. I still feel nervous that it isn’t going to be supportive enough in the long haul. I can’t get over only a 2 inch firm layer. I am much more used to the idea of at least a 4 inch firm core on any latex mattress. However, I took the advise of the storeowner who said they have never had a comfort return on the model I chose, whereas with many of the firmer models people feel in the end they are too firm.

This is a great store and I am confident the exchange if necessary will be hassle-free. I guess I’m just looking to confirm that it is actually “ok” to have only one 2 inch firm layer and 1 2 inch medium layer at the core of a latex mattress. Is this really true? Do you think I will know within 30 days if it isn’t supportive enough?

Thank you,

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Thirty days is enough to get a good guess of comfort. If you body is not used to latex, expect a week of your body adjusting. Keep in mind too that the latex may be slightly softening in those early weeks. Once the adjusting is done, then presuming you have been mostly comfortable so far, you can test the real comfort.

Your medium chunk with only 2" of firm support definitely is on the soft side of firmness choices for adults, but certainly not unheard of.

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Hi geeshan,

Congratulations on your new mattress purchase! :cheer:

I would give a “ditto” to the comments of diynaturalbedding. Give yourself some time sleeping upon the product and don’t worry too much about how you think the product will feel, but instead focus upon the actual comfort you experience once you have it set up in your home. And be sure to give yourself a chance on the product and use the 30 day period for making a decision upon an exchange to really give yourself and the mattress a complete analysis.

Yes, this certainly would be a softer overall combination, but you’re using good quality materials and if it works as part of your own personal PPP, that’s all that matters.

Phoenix

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Thank you

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Hi geeshan,

You’re welcome!

Phoenix

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Hi, so it’s been a couple of weeks now since we got the 10 inch dunlop mattress with 2"firm, 2"med, 2+2+2"soft layers. I am 115 pounds and my husband is 200 pounds which I guess is an issue as we have different sleep needs. For example, we have a mattress in the camper which is firm foam and a 3" natural memory foam topper. To me the bed is rock hard and my arms go numb, but for him I guess he is heavy enough that he sinks in to it and he loves it.

Our new latex bed, I love it, I think it’s adequate support for me. My husband has lower back pain in the morning which tells me it is not supportive enough for him. He also has very numb arms every night/morning so he isn’t getting adequate pressure point relief. This is the part I find confusing because it is such a soft bed, why does he get numb arms? Our camper bed is hard, but sinky/dense and I get numb arms. How can a soft bed and a hard bed give different people numb arms?

We are running out of time to do comfort exchange, I have a couple more weeks. The comparable mattress configuration that I would switch to is 4"firm 2"med 2"soft 2"soft again all Dunlop. I did like the feel of this mattress in the store and so did my husband. I figure if that one is too hard for me then it’s easier to soften it up with toppers as opposed to the soft one we have now never being supportive enough for Michael and not being able to correct that. Maybe the solution for both of us will be the firmer Dunlop mattress with a 3 Inch Natural Talalay topper in medium ordered from say, Arizona. Maybe this will give me the softness I need as well as give Michael the pressure point relief that he needs. Or maybe the firmer mattress will just be good enough on its own.

I feel like it’s a leap of faith to just trade in for the firmer, I only get one trade and then I’m stuck with it. I guess I’m asking for advise on whether or not my theory of getting the firmer mattress leaves us with a safer option for softening it up as opposed to staying with the softer mattress and not being able to firm it up adequately. I hope this made sense, thanks.

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Hi geesahn,

I’m sorry your husband is having some issues on your new mattress, but at least you did have the foresight to purchase something that allows for an exchange and customization.

Your husband seems to be describing issues that are common for someone who either does not have enough support or who has too many plush comfort layers on top of the mattress. This certainly could lead to issues of the low back/hips/heaviest parts of the body sinking in too deeply and causing low back discomfort. This can also cause issues in the shoulder region, where the shoulders are sinking in a bit too much and there is not enough “surface support” provided for the torso, thus putting more pressure upon the shoulders and this can also place undue stress on that region. Additionally, if your husband is sinking in deeper than normal, his pillow may now be too thick and this could also be contributing to his shoulder issues.

In general terms…the deeper layers or components are all about primary support and alignment. They “stop” the heavier parts of the body and in particular the pelvis from sinking down too far. The upper few inches of the mattress are all about pressure relief in all sleeping positions and side sleepers need thicker and softer, back sleepers are in the middle and stomach sleepers need the thinnest firmest comfort layers of all the sleeping positions because otherwise the risk of sleeping in a swayback position can be quite high. The comfort layers also provide secondary support which is the lighter support that fills in the “gaps” in the sleeping profile (such as the waist on the side and the small of the back when you are on your back) and helps to maintain the natural curvature of the spine. The area in between the top few inches and the deeper support layers are the “transition layer or area” which helps with both.

Don’t forget that “support” is the means and alignment is the goal. “Support” … particularly under the heavier parts of the body such as the pelvis … is important (which is all about the deeper layers) but when you have that then the comfort layers need to “just barely” accommodate the pressure relief needs of the most pressure prone position (usually the side) so that you are as close as possible to the firmer support layers. “Just enough” but no more is the key with pressure relief. This is part of the reason why choosing a mattress based on the cushy kind of “comfort” that people are attracted to in a showroom can often lead to back issues over time.

Comfort is what you feel when you first lie on a mattress … and is mostly about pressure relief, while support is what you feel when you wake up in the morning … either with or without back pain or discomfort … and is mostly about alignment.

Lower back issues generally come from a mattress that has upper layers that are too thick and soft and/or support layers which are too soft which can allow the pelvis to sink down too far relative to the rest of the body. This tilts the pelvis which changes the natural curve of the Lumbar spine and can lead to lower back issues. A mattress that is too soft can also allow the hips to sink down too far which flexes the hip joints out of their neutral position which can also lead to joint soreness or back soreness if the muscles are working to keep the back and hips in alignment.

As we briefly discussed in a previous post, your current configuration is definitely on the plush end of the spectrum, especially for someone who is 200 pounds. Your proposed revised configuration would certainly address both deep support issues and a reduction of the very thick plush comfort layers, while still providing quite a bit of surface plushness.

With a component system (I’m not clear if your mattress is one where you can unzip it and exchange layers, or if you are exchanging it for a different “finished” mattress), you always have the option of purchasing different foam layers over time. You are correct that the addition of a topper over a firmer product is a much easier way to customize a product, as there is very little you can do to “firm up” a mattress that is too plush with top-of-bed products.

I hope that information helps. I’m looking forward to learning of your decision and the results of that.

Phoenix

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Which would be a better made latex bed both are all Talay, One from Ok Mattress, # 242 being, 2" firm, 4" med and 4" soft, with a 10 yr. warranty. Quality Bedding Co. has 6" 20 ILD, with 3" memory foam. His warranty is 20 yrs on the bed and the memory foam will need to be replaced 6-7 yrs. Which is the better made bed assuming the quality of the latex is the same.

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Hi ea.myers,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I’m sorry, but I missed your post from a few days ago, but I see you’re asking about one the same beds again, so let me combine my response to both of your posts in this one reply.

When considering a new mattress, I can’t help with “what” to choose, but I certainly can provide guidance as to the “how” to choose. The first place to start your research (if you haven’t already) is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

Outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.

Unfortunately they don’t provide any meaningful information on their web site regarding what is inside of this mattress. It has a 6" polyfoam core, on top of which is 2" of memory foam and then topped with 3" of memory foam, but no densities are provided. If you’re able to find out the information about what is inside of the mattress that I linked to above and post it back here, I’ll be happy to comment upon the componentry used.

Unfortunately they have no web site for me to look for specifics about their mattress, so you’d again need to find out the information of exactly what is inside of their mattress, specifically the type of latex used (Dunlop or Talalay, and the blend) and the density of the memory foam used. Latex is generally the most durable, and a high quality material.

There is more information about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the main adjustable bed topic that it links to that can help you choose an adjustable bed based on price vs features comparisons and also includes some retailers that you can use as good sources of information about the features of the adjustable beds they carry and as pricing references as well (in post #6 in the main adjustable bed topic). Of course there are many other sources as well and prices can change on a regular basis so I would also include some internet searching in your research. I would also keep in mind that online advertised prices are often price controlled so make sure you call the stores you are considering to find out their best prices rather than just looking at websites.

I don’t know why they wouldn’t want you taking pictures of their products, as they provide little meaningful information either online or in-store, but they are one of the types of stores that I recommend to avoid anyway. The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

Again, you’d need to find out the blend of the latex in order to compare (synthetic, blended or all-natural) for each mattress. The OK Mattress, being all-Talalay, would use good quality and durable material. I doubt that the Quality Bedding Co. uses a 6" Talalay latex core that is 20 ILD, as this would be extremely plush ILD and is normally used as a very soft upper comfort layer. And you’d need to know the density of the memory foam used. This mattress would have a very different feel form the all-latex model form OK Mattress.

If you can post back with the information I mentioned, I can do my best to provide more commentary for you on those mattresses.

Phoenix

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Hi ea.myers, like Phoenix said no one can tell you which mattress you should get. I’m not the expert like Phoenix but I want to briefly share what I learned with you. My original configuration on our mattress was 2"firm, 4"med, 4"soft and it was way way way too soft. It was ok for me at first but my husbands lower back was very sore every day. I was achy too, it just wasn’t right. What I learned through my research is that your soft comfort layer should be just what you need to provide pressure point relief and as thin as possible so you hit the support layers (firmer) before sinking in too far. We switched to a firmer latex mattress 4"firm, 4"med, 2"soft and it is absolutely amazing, amazing for my husband, amazing for me and just simply the best mattress we have ever had in our lives. Ours was Dunlop but I imagine a Talalay with similar firmness would be even more comfortable. I agree with Phoenix, 20ILD does not seem possible for a 6" core - way too soft. Memory foam is a very very different feel than latex, a whole other ballgame so you probably need to try out lots of beds and figure out what you like. Personally, memory foam dehydrates me and I prefer 100% natural materials which is why I went with latex.

Everyone is different but I just wanted to share that the configurations you mentioned were too soft for us. Make sure you can do an easy comfort exchange wherever you purchase from.

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I just ordered a customized latex mattress and am now second guessing my choices. I’m 5’ 7" and 115 pounds. A previous mattress caused me to have hip and shoulder pain forcing me to become a back sleeper, but I like to sleep on my side. So it was recommended to me to go with 3" soft, 3" medium, 3" medium all Dunlop with the possibility to exchange one of the medium layers for soft if that was too firm. When ordering I got my layers confused and said soft, soft, medium. He suggested I go with firm on the bottom because the soft, soft, medium would probably be too soft. But now I worry the 6" of soft will be too much and not provide enough support. Is this a good combo to try or should I see if it is possible to change the order? I’m afraid it is already set to ship.

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Hi! I can only share my experience and you and I are pretty much the same size. I am a side sleeper too. So my kids have a 6 inch firm Dunlop core with a 2" soft topper. Great for kids, very supportive. I find it comfortable but I do feel the firmness right underneath that soft layer. I suspected for myself that it would be better to sink into a medium layer after the soft layer as it would be supportive but not pressing into me. I was right for sure. Then the mattress I was talked into at the store for myself was 2" firm 4" med 4" soft. It was way too soft and I exchanged for 4" firm 4" med and 2" soft. It is amazing. I did try a configuration of 3"soft, 3"med, 3"firm and I really liked that also. I am not an expert but I do think 6"of soft is way too soft. A mattress manufacturer on here responded to my original problem that my configuration was on the softer side of normal but not unheard of. Yours sounds even softer. If you have a comfort exchange then you don’t need to worry too much but if you don’t I would definitely switch.

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Hi CFT221,

While no one can predict how a mattress will feel to you because of the multitude of individual preferences and differences involved, a combination of soft Dunlop / soft Dunlop / medium Dunlop (assuming all 3" layers) would be a very soft combination and outside of “normal” recommendations, even for very plush products. The original recommendation to you of soft Dunlop / medium Dunlop / medium Dunlop would still be a quite plush configuration, but could be a good starting point. It gives you the option of going to the soft Dunlop / soft Dunlop / medium Dunlop should you find the combination too hard (which again would be a very plush combination), or if you found the combination a bit too soft you could go to a soft Dunlop / Medium Dunlop / firm Dunlop, which tends to be a very popular combination (but of course that is a general statement). There are some companies offering configurable systems who won’t even recommend anything softer than a soft Dunlop / soft Dunlop / firm Dunlop combination out of fear of lack of deep support.

In situations like this, I would start with the guidance provided you from the manufacturer with whom you are dealing, as they will have the best data to reference regarding their products and how they tend to react to people with similar requests / needs/ somatotypes. During a phone call with any company you can also confirm any exchange/return policies, should your initial configuration unfortunately not turn out as well as you had hoped.

I’ll be interested to learn of your decision and progress.

Phoenix

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I ended up switching both sides to soft, medium, firm. Both my husband’s and my weights are just outside of the manufacturer’s range for this combination (I’m about 5 lbs under and he is 5 lbs over), we decided this would be a good starting point and we would have the pieces that would allow us to test medium-medium, medium-firm, firm-medium and firm-firm under the top soft layer. We have the option to exchange one layer, which should be all we would need to do, if we need to exchange any at all.

Thanks for your input!

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Hi CFT221,

I think that you made a wise choice! I’ll be interested in learning about your new mattress and how they layers are working for you once you’ve had a chance to sleep upon it or a while.

Phoenix

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I am looking to get a king size organic pure latex mattress for my wife and myself. Options before me:

    • 6" latex base soft; medium; firm; 2" 20 lb latex layer on top; 1" wool. -90 day test period
  2. -4"40lb; 2"30lb; 2"30; lb: 2"20 lb - no test period
    I weigh 300 lbs and am a side sleeper

Looking for recommendations.
Questions:
a) In option 1, would soft be too non supportive for my weight?
b) can i use my existing box spring. It is rock solid on its sides and firm coiled spring in interior. I would place 3/4" plywood on top?

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Hi denlor2,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Most people that are looking for an “organic” mattress or materials are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification and they usually aren’t aware that an organic certification isn’t the same thing as a safety certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications such as Oeko-tex, Eco-Institut, Greenguard Gold, C2C, and CertiPUR-US in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are also some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.

I’m sorry, but your descriptions of the mattresses you’re considering aren’t complete, and I think that you may have ILD confused with density.

With your first mattress, I can’t tell the actual configuration of the mattress from the information you’ve provided. You’ll want to list the thickness of each layer, the style of latex (Dunlop or Talalay), the ILD/plushness (if available), and the blend (synthetic, natural, or blended) for sake of comparison.

With your second mattress, I think you may be listing the ILD instead of the density (lb/ft3) of the product. Assuming this, it seems this mattress has a 4" core of 40 ILD (firm) latex, followed by two 2" layers of 30 ILD latex, on top of which is a 2" layer of 20 ILD latex. You don’t list the type of latex or the blend.

Having a higher BMI presents special challenges and generally requires firmer materials (in the support layers especially). This could be firmer latex. The same overall guidelines apply with higher weights though that PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) along with using high quality durable materials that will maintain their feel and performance for longer periods of time are the way to make the best choices. Heavier people in general will need firmer and thicker comfort layers and firmer support layers than those who are lighter and because no materials will last as long with much higher weights the quality and durability of the materials and components is even more important than normal. I wouldn’t “rule out” latex mattresses for a higher BMI, and I would base your choices on your own personal testing (if possible). Post #3 here has more information and suggestions about heavier weights that is worth reading.

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, options, and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else. Their detailed knowledge of their mattresses and how they fit with higher BMIs, along with a customer base of many people that they can use as reference points, and any exchange, return, or any options they have available to customize a mattress after a purchase can help lower the risk of an online purchase.

As I listed previously in my reply, I don’t have enough information about this mattress to offer any sort of educated analysis of the product. If you can post back with more complete details, I’ll do my best to help with answering this question.

You’ll always want to contact any manufacturer with whom you’re dealing to become familiar with their warranty requirements for a foundation. Some people do place a thick piece of plywood over an old coil box spring, but this can still have the potential for sagging over time. If you do so, you may also wish to consider the use of a coir bed rug or something similar on top of the plywood to allow for air circulation. And also check to make sure that your bed frame has the proper center support.

Phoenix

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The first option is a Sleeponlatex 9" natural latex king size mattress. The specs only say a 6" firmer base and 2"softer layer on top. Plus 1" wool cover. You are right I have mixed up densities and firmness levels and I am more concerned with safety than being organic. The second option is a natural latex memoryfoamcomfort mattress. Both options are Dunlop processes. The second option is 4" 40 ILD 2" 30 ILD and 2" 20 ILD. The second option is unglued layers; the first option is glued layers. Are their sideways and or lengthwise movement problems with unglued layers to your knowledge? I was leaning to the second option in case we wanted to change a firmness level in one of the layers after purchase, but one retail outlet tells me there are movement problems with unglued layers. Not sure if this was just sales talk to convince me to buy their solid mattress or not.

The first option comes in soft medium firm and extra firm. With my weight I woukd assume a medium would be preferable to soft, but sales person seemed to be suggesting the soft.

Any help you can provide in guiding me through this whole new world of mattress choices would most surely be appreciated. I have an older Marshall pocket coil firm mattress that was great, but now I suffer from hip and knee arthritis, so am looking I guess for firm support but soft upper area to relieve pressure points. I know if I goof up I can always buy a topper after the fact to remedy more softness or more firmness, if need be, but would prfer to get things right at the outset.

20

Hi denlor2,

Thank you for that information – it is very helpful and clears up the specifications for me.

The Sleep On Latex is offered in three different overall comfort designations of Firm, Medium and Soft. The Firm uses a 6" core of 44 ILD and a top 2" layer of 30 ILD. The Medium uses a 6" core of 34 ILD and a top 2" layer of 20 ILD. I am unsure of the specifications of the Soft model – you’d want to confirm that with them. The latex used is 100% natural Dunlop. My concern would be at your BMI of an item being too plush or not having enough deep support or enough layering overall to provide adequate comfort, but as you stated the addition of a topper is always a possibility.

The Memory Foam Comfort Presto is I believe the model that you are describing, and that does have the ILDs as described earlier (4" of 40 ILD Dunlop, 2" of 30 ILD Dunlop and 2" of 30 ILD Dunlop, with an additional 2" of Dunlop available at no charge). Their Dunlop is GOLS certified 100% natural. This model has layers which are configurable, as opposed to the Sleep on Latex, which is not (as you mentioned)l and the larger amount of latex may be preferable for someone in a higher BMI range.

Both Sleep on Latex and Memory Foam Comfort are members here of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration.

Latex itself is quite “sticky” and has a high coefficient of friction, so the layers tend to stay in place quite well (they’re also held in place with the mattress encasement). It may be that once in a while you have to “put a wave” through a layer to assist with alignment, but it’s not that common and personally wouldn’t be a large concern. Component-style systems like this have been around for quite some time and layer movement is not a large complaint.

I only see Plush, Medium and Firm listed for Sleep on Latex, but they may have an Extra Firm option not listed. While I always suggest a detailed phone conversation with any manufacturer you’re considering to acquire their advice, my concern would be the same as yours with a “too soft” configuration, and you’d want to find out the specifics of those layers before making a choice.

I agree, it’s always preferable to try your best to get the finished product at the comfort you prefer.

Phoenix