Hi Phoenix, Thanks much for all the great information. I went to Portland (Maine) Mattress Makers yesterday, introduced them to your site and they were impressed-they have been in existence for about 20 years. I am interested in purchasing one of their mattress toppers–I am not able to return the Serta bed I recently purchased. It is a firm feeling continuous coil bed which has the support I need, but creates pain on my pressure points coming from the comfort layers. For now, I will need a topper as a new bed is not in the budget. They have two that are made onsite:
Dunlop 2" super soft, probably 22-23 ILD
Memory foam 2" only 3 lb density
Both are encased in about an inch layer of poly foam 1.8. Cost is about 400 for latex, 300 for memory foam. Do you know of other online retailers who sell quality toppers? The Dunlop was very comfortable and the owner is totally transparent about all products.
I am leaning towards the Latex, although I would prefer a medium density, but because my existing bed is so super firm, the soft one he makes may work. Any thoughts?
It can be somewhat difficult to choose the best topper for a mattress because how it feels and performs will be a combination of your topper and the upper layers of the mattress that are below it in your mattress. A mattress can be very firm but still have some very soft layers in the upper layers (the firmness can be the result of “going through” the top layers and feeling the firmness of the layers below them).
There are some topper guidelines here which should be helpful in helping you make a topper choice that has the best odds of success. The post also includes a link to some good sources although it’s always “safer” to make a purchase of a topper that you have tried in person. The “safest” way of all to make a choice would be to test the specific mattress / topper combination that you are considering because how a topper feels and performs will change depending on what is underneath it but this is not always possible so you then need to make an educated guess about the topper you think would be best.
As you can see from the memory foam guidelines here … I would tend to avoid 3 lb memory foam for durability reasons although in a topper when it softens and degrades faster than a higher density memory foam it can be replaced without having to replace the whole mattress so it’s less “risky” in a topper than it would be in a finished mattress.
Dunlop latex will also feel firmer than Talalay latex at the same ILD because it is a denser material that gets firmer faster than Talalay when you sink into it. You can read a bit more here about the differences between them which may help you imagine the difference in “feel” although again personal testing is the most reliable way to tell how they both feel to you. Both are great materials.
A good “average” topper choice would be 2" in a relatively soft ILD (what feels soft for you will depend on your body type, sleeping style, and on the layers below the topper because they will also be a part of what you feel with a 2" topper).
A medium firmness / density Dunlop topper may be on the firm side for many people for use as a topper … especially side sleepers or those who are lighter … but again this will depend on your personal circumstances and preferences.
Phoenix, Thanks for your response; I did follow your lead on mattress.net found this, ----description below will run $239 plus shipping and extra if I want to purchase a cover - it comes “bare” as it is on clearance, but can also just have a sheet as cover.
3" Soft Natural Dunlop Latex Mattress Duvet Topper Clearance
Latexco’s west coast distribution center has approached us with a clearance deal on overstock 3" natural latex mattress toppers made with their famous duvet molds. This is a limited time liquidation internet special for those looking to soften up their existing mattress.
Their 3" natural latex mattress duvet topper has over 100 “pillows” in its design to give you that soft but supportive feel you are looking for, and all natural too! This dunlop processed latex mattress topper has a firmness rating of #25 ILD topper which is considered “soft” by most standards.
As I was going to purchase a 2" Dunlop super-soft topper locally for 459., and it had a foam wraparound cover- this sounds like a deal and quality improvement as the ILD is similar - Will the extra inch of latex make a difference in “sinking in” too much? If you remember I have a brand new “firm” continuous coil innerspring Serta mattress as support so there are no dips/sags or any other imperfections and not much in the comfort layers - just too “firm” for me. Thanks, I am almost there, I think!
I would strongly suggest that you use a good topper cover to protect the latex from premature oxidation and breakdown which can shorten its lifespan.
If you have talked with mattresses.net and you have reasonable confidence that the firmness and thickness of the topper and the type of latex (Dunlop is firmer than Talalay at the same ILD) would work well for you … then from a quality and value perspective this would certainly make a great choice.
There is always a risk when you are considering unknown combinations that you haven’t tested in person but some good local testing on similar toppers on similar mattresses to yours (if possible), the guidelines I linked, and more detailed conversations about your needs and preferences and any topper you are considering with knowledgeable and experienced retailers and manufacturers, and the details of any return policies (toppers are usually not returnable) can all add up to lowering the risk of “unknown” mattress/topper combinations considerably.
Every difference between two toppers will make a difference in how much you sink in and on how it feels and performs either for better or for worse. The topper at mattresses.net is 3" of Dunlop latex with no polyfoam while the local topper is 2" of Dunlop with some additional polyfoam (based on your description either an extra inch if the polyfoam is on one side only and a extra 2" if it is on both sides of the latex) so it is either 3" or 4". The polyfoam/dunlop combination would certainly be different from a topper that was only latex but only your own experience with a specific mattress/topper combination can know for certain if it would be better or worse in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences). At the very least I would test the local topper on a mattress that were as close to yours as possible so you have a reference point that is similar to the combination you would be sleeping on.