Thank you Sensei. Your recommendation to go firmer seems to bear out in testing today. I was able to get a rough approximation of this build by testing:
1.5" 19 ILD unblended natural talalay (said Vita on the side)
1.5" 19 ILD (yes, two layers of the same thing)
6" 32 ILD Core unblended Talalay
No coverā¦since Iām going for the stretch cover (probably?) and really didnāt care for their stretchless one.
This build felt a hair too soft. Even though my shoulder jammed a little, my hip seemed to sink in a little too much, creating a stretch on my side that quickly became painful. I realize that 2 1.5" layers is not the same as 1 3" layers but for an overall ideaā¦the build was too soft.
I could also try:
1.5" 32
1.5" 32
6" 32 (so yes, all 32, but broken into some layers)
This felt too firm, but like I was getting the right support. Made me think something in between on the comfort layers could be perfect.
Without any encasement, the Talalay really felt like Jello. I almost felt like my own breathing might wake me up! Wrapped in their unstretchy, wool-backed and backing-backed cover, the Jello disappeared (right along with the pressure relief!) It made me question if full pressure relief is really ideal. I donāt care for the pressure under my shoulderā¦but I didnāt care for that unsupported weightless feeling either, actually. Maybe the thinner cover isnāt ideal.
I did wonder if a firm layer on the bottom would be enough to get the hip support, or if a firmer comfort layer was in order.
I feel discouraged at being able to figure this out āat a distance.ā
I ALSO found another quality issue on the Zenhaven that I wonder if it would qualify as a āweak link.ā I can now feel through the top fabric that the top layer (and presumably lower layers) are constructed with the same flaw as the topperāessentially a twin sized piece of latex glued adjacent to a thin strip of latex to make a queenā¦or probably more likely, two twins that were glued together, then chopped off on one side instead of a little off each side, so the seam runs right down the middle of where I sleep.
Iām not sure how much to worry about this. I would just guess that glue doesnāt last as long as latex, and this is literally the point of the bed that is stressed the most. I could see where a middle seam wouldnāt matter as much, but right under the sleeper? I donāt like sleeping in the middle or the wall side, and because of the zoning I canāt turn the bed the other way.
True to what I was told, the Zenhaven is also starting to soften up a bit. Iām wondering if itās going to get TOO softā¦oy. I know itās flippable, but Iām not real sure about the setup in flipped mode. Whatās it calledā¦differential or somethingā¦when the hard latex goes over the soft?
I am very on the fence. The part of me that wants to preserve my sanity and move forward into a life where I am not considering my mattress for multiple hours a day is ready to just keep the Zenhaven, which works fine. Some day when I am visiting a place with a good bed builder, I will build in some time to test and build my next mattress. Emotionally, I have a lot of guilt returning a mattress that was already warrantied once and could be tossed in a landfill (literally sick to my stomach). I do like that I have the toppers, they make me feel like I have ain inexpensive (relatively) replaceable part that protects the bed while letting me get a bit of that raw latex goodness.
The, thereās the part of me that wants to get my moneyās worth, make a great long term investment, and put my trust in a manufacturer like SleepEZ. But doing all the design and swapping at a distance on top of a chronic pain condition that makes returns hard and knowing whatās me or the mattress is rather dauntingā¦especially with no guarantee Iāll be good on what I get in the end. I know I can sleep on what I have nowā¦way better than on what Iāve had in the past!
Trialās up Monday, so I must decide by then.
SleepEZ cover samples arrive Tuesday (argh!). Wish Iād known that was an option sooner!
