memory foam over latex

[phoenix]

Hi brass,

The other option I was considering was a 6" 36ild poly base, 3" 20 ild latex from FBM taking into account the past inconsistencies people have had with their latex. For people who know exactly what they desire, it can be a gamble. Since I’m not as picky (and don’t know what i’m missing getting 22ild instead of 28ild) it might be an ok option. Might even try that as is and see how sleeping on the latex feels before adding a memory foam layer.

It’s not only their ILD that may be inconsistent but the type of latex they supply is also not likely to be what they advertise (see post #2 here and post #2 here).

For those who may not know maybe this will put it into better perspective, many warranties don’t begin to kick in until there’s 1.5" of sag. Sounds harmless enough, but it’s far more than cosmetic. In my case, 1.5" to 2" of sag in spots equates to 5-6" of deep sagging under weight.

What many people call “virtual impressions” which is actually loss of ILD (vs loss of height) is the main reason that people need to replace a mattress when it loses comfort or support and as you mentioned is the reason that knowing the quality of the materials in a mattress is much more important than the length of a warranty (see post #174 here)

In the end testing mattresses in stores might help narrow down a feel so it can be very helpful. The 15-20min of sitting or lying on one doesn’t give much of a true indication though and like I learned for myself even if a mattress feels supportive and fantastic - it doesn’t hold much value if it quickly fatigues. I thought I had the best bed ever…for about 6mo. That’s why I think I’ve allowed myself to dig so deeply and try to understand and plan out options which will (hopefully) indicate better longevity. I’d rather have a bed that feels ‘pretty good’ and stays that way for at least a few years than one that feels ‘fantastic’ for a few months then leaves me feeling like I’ve wasted my time and money in such a short time.

This is where more objective methods of testing (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) can be very helpful and much more predictive of how a mattress will feel when you sleep on it than testing for “showroom feel”. As you know, this is also why it’s so important to make sure that the comfort layers especially are good quality and durable materials regardless of the type of materials you tend to prefer.

I’m don’t know where you live but if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know or any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of that may be reasonably close to you.

Phoenix