My latex dilemma continued~

[phoenix]

Hi Slumber_lover,

I switched your post to your previous topic so it would be easier to go back and read some of your previous history.

You helped me in 2013 when buying a latex mattress in Portland, OR. I did the textbook thing: bought a latex mattress that was too hard (a lovely 45th street bed-the Woodlawn Plush- purchased from the Mattress Lot in Portland) and exchanged it (after paying $200 for the exchange) for a way-too-soft latex bed from Restonics called ‘Orchid’. Now, I’m having back pain so bad that I need to buy another mattress…oops.

I’m sorry to hear that your Restonic didn’t work out as well as you hoped for. It sounds like you went from a mattress that was a little too firm (although it seems that it was starting to feel better for you after a few weeks of sleeping on it just before you exchanged it) and then “jumped over” the comfort/support range that may have been the best match for you and ended up with a mattress that was either too soft originally or was so close to the edge of being too soft that only a small amount of foam softening was enough to take you over the edge.

So, I just wanted your 2cents again, this time I’m going to Parklane. I’m stuck between the Woodstock (their ‘medium’ latex mattress and their Overton-their ‘soft’ latex mattress. They say that their talalay latex Woodstock is a core of 32 ILD with 1 inch of 20 ILD over an inch of 32 ILD. The softer Overton is also a core of 32 but with 2 inches of 20 ILD. I like them both Phoenix–the Woodstock feels more supportive on my ruptured disc but the Overton feels better on my left shoulder where I have nerve entrapment. My current way-too-soft latex mattress is great for my shoulder but the craps for my back. I’m leaning to purchasing the Woodstock because once again, I can make it softer but can’t make a too soft bed firmer.

As you know from your previous time here it’s very difficult to “fix” a mattress that is too soft without removing and replacing either comfort layers that are too thick/soft or a support core that is too soft … there are some suggestions in post #4 here that may be helpful and could be worth considering before you replace your mattress.

There is also more information about most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.

While this may not be all that helpful for your current circumstances … it’s very possible that all you really needed with your previous “too firm” was a topper that would have given you some of the additional softness and pressure relief that you needed. Some of the information in posts #2 and #3 here may have also been helpful at the time or may be helpful if you experience similar issues on another mattress.

As you know I can’t make any specific suggestions because I can’t feel what you feel on a mattress and your own careful testing and personal experience will be a much more reliable guideline about which of the two are a better match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) than any “theory at a distance” that I can provide. I would also make sure that you take lots of time testing both mattresses so that your body is completely relaxed and you can spend “enough” time on each mattress to “listen” to the messages and pay attention to any subtle cues that it tells you.

In most cases if you are testing two mattresses that are different firmness levels and both of them seem to work equally well and you really can’t tell which of them would be the best “match” for you then I would normally suggest going with the slightly firmer one because it would usually be less risky but in this case Parklane has a 90 day exchange policy and it seems that even the softer version may have slightly firmer layers than the Restonic you have now (although I don’t know this for sure because I don’t know the specifics of all the layers in your Restonic) so unless your careful and extended testing clearly indicates otherwise, because of your shoulder issues I would be tempted to go with the softer option because you can always exchange it for the firmer one and even then if the one you exchange it for is too firm you would still have the option of adding a softer topper.

Phoenix