Mr. Phoenix
Read through your chemistry lesson in earlier posts. Fascinating (at least to me) about cell structure and latex breaking down over time.
Thanks again for your previous advice. Have ANOTHER question about some foam.
I have been on the hunt for the 3" soft ILD talalay blend, for the top layer of my mattress. I have received a sample from foamorder.com that uses a âsoftâ version of dunlop called Natural Sense. The samples are --âN"25 soft and âNâ 28 med.
The N28 has more holes and seems softer, and I guess I can ask them about thatâŚbut my question to you is: do you know how this Natural sense Dunlop compares with the Talalay blend by Latex Intlâ I am describing my project in case you see an issue that I have missed:
I built our current mattress as follows:
Talalay N2@ (3") on top;
2" dunlop 26 ILD center ;
3" dunlop 36 ILD as base. (Underneath all at bottom is 2" of regular poly foam- firm to add height)
This 10" sandwich is in a stretch cover. It works very well, with the exception I could use extra comfort for shoulder. I am petite, and I think the Talaly is too strong to give at shoulder, and I am a side sleeper.
Shoulder was a problem in past with sleep number bed as they really do not giveâŚmore of a hammock effect and my arm went numb. It is better, but can get sore at times.
I plan to trade out the 3"(N2) layer I bought from Habitat a few years ago for a softer version.
Given that you patiently answer repetitious questions, I hope I have something new for you to ponder 
I tried to search it first, but did not find much on the subject. Thanks Phoenix!
Hi Princess and Pea,
[quote]I have been on the hunt for the 3" soft ILD talalay blend, for the top layer of my mattress. I have received a sample from foamorder.com that uses a âsoftâ version of dunlop called Natural Sense. The samples are --âN"25 soft and âNâ 28 med.
The N28 has more holes and seems softer, and I guess I can ask them about thatâŚbut my question to you is: do you know how this Natural sense Dunlop compares with the Talalay blend by Latex Intlâ.[/quote]
It can be very challenging to compare the firmness of one type of latex to another one partly because they have a different response curve and partly because softness is so subjective and can vary so much from person to person and partly because ILD ratings for Dunlop especially can have a wide range for the same âratedâ firmness level (especially for Dunlop) but as a VERY general comparison for the firmness of top layers that Talalay that is one step firmer (about 4-5 ILD) will feel ABOUT the same in terms of firmness as a Dunlop layer of the same thickness that is one step softer. In other words a Talalay layer that was about 28 ILD would feel similar (in terms of softness ⌠but not âfeelâ) as a Dunlop layer that was in the range of about 23 or 24 ILD. There is more about some of the differences between the âfeelâ of Talalay and Dunlop in post #7 here.
I would also keep in mind that this would only be relevant if both layers were rated accurately in the first place, were the same thickness, and had the same layers underneath them with a similar cover and quilting because every layer and component in a mattress can affect every other layer and component to some degree. These types of comparisons can vary widely depending on the accuracy of the ILD information for both layers, the differences in body type, sleeping positions, and perceptions of each person, and because ILD is not the only factor that can make a difference in the softness/firmness of a particular material so your own experiences and how you compare them may be different from others. There is also more about some of the uncertainties involved in using ILD alone to compare different types of latex in post #6 here.
Phoenix