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 cover…since I’m going for the stretch cover (probably?) and really didn’t 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 idea…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 don’t care for the pressure under my shoulder…but I didn’t care for that unsupported weightless feeling either, actually. Maybe the thinner cover isn’t 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 “at a distance.”
I ALSO found another quality issue on the Zenhaven that I wonder if it would qualify as a “weak link.” I can now feel through the top fabric that the top layer (and presumably lower layers) are constructed with the same flaw as the topper—essentially a twin sized piece of latex glued adjacent to a thin strip of latex to make a queen…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.
I’m not sure how much to worry about this. I would just guess that glue doesn’t 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 wouldn’t matter as much, but right under the sleeper? I don’t like sleeping in the middle or the wall side, and because of the zoning I can’t turn the bed the other way.
True to what I was told, the Zenhaven is also starting to soften up a bit. I’m wondering if it’s going to get TOO soft…oy. I know it’s flippable, but I’m not real sure about the setup in flipped mode. What’s it called…differential or something…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, there’s the part of me that wants to get my money’s 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 what’s me or the mattress is rather daunting…especially with no guarantee I’ll be good on what I get in the end. I know I can sleep on what I have now…way better than on what I’ve had in the past!
Trial’s up Monday, so I must decide by then.
SleepEZ cover samples arrive Tuesday (argh!). Wish I’d known that was an option sooner!
