I helped a family member purchase a 2" Talalay topper in 2019. I believe it was made by Radium as there are no tags on it and I understand Talalay Global toppers will usually have a tag on both halves. I’m interested in purchasing a new topper in the same firmness for my own bed but need help deciding on the ILD. The 2019 purchase was advertised as 19 ILD, but from what I can see Radium usually targets 17.5 or 21.5. From a previous conversation I know you’re currently using TG and was told the 19 ILD ranges from 19-22, although I see from TG that their ILD ranges are either 14-19 or 20-24.
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Can you confirm if you used Radium in 2019 and if so, if your 19ILD would have been the 17.5 or 21.5 target? I ask because I’m looking at a couple different options between natural and blended and different suppliers. APM for example has their Natural topper listed as Supersoft (15-19) or Soft (20-24) and I’m wondering which would be closer.
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If I order a new topper from you in 19 ILD, is it TG’s 14-19 range or 20-24 range?
Hello and thank you so much for the inquiry! It would’ve been either Radium or Talalay Global in 2019, but right now we have mostly Talalay Global in stock and it’s 20-24 ILD, although most of what they send is us 20-22 ILD.
Is the Talalay soft (20-22) Ild softer feel than a Dunlop soft (20 ild)?
Not exactly. There is a noticeable difference between Talalay and Dunlop, and it’s not really that Talalay is softer than Dunlop. Most people and companies say Talalay is softer just because that’s an easier way to explain it. You can actually have a soft Dunlop layer that’s softer or firmer than a soft Talalay and a medium Talalay that’s softer or firmer than a medium Dunlop, etc. The real difference comes down to how they react when being compressed. Talalay is bouncier and springier and is generally better at contour and pressure relief on your hips and shoulders. Dunlop is denser and firmer and is generally better at support and maintaining proper spinal alignment so our most common configuration is Talalay for the top layer and Dunlop for the bottom 2 layers. We will recommend Talalay for two or more layers for customers that have things like fibromyalgia, shingles, chronic hip pain, chronic shoulder pain, or anything where they’re sensitive to pressure, or for customers that just prefer a bouncier / springier feel. Outside of those circumstances, a combination of Talalay and Dunlop offers the best chance to be successful for the average person. Again, the best way I can summarize the differences would be to say that Talalay is better at pressure relief on your hips and shoulders and Dunlop is better at maintaining proper spinal alignment and avoiding back pain. However, Talalay can also be helpful in avoiding back pain because it provides more of what we call secondary support. Secondary support fills in the gaps between your body and the mattress. For side sleepers, this is normally the area between a person’s ribs and waist. For back sleepers, this is normally the area between the small of your back and the mattress. If these parts or your body aren’t being held up by the mattress, your muscles will work all night to hold those parts of your body up, which can lead to back pain. Aside from that, women tend to be curvier, especially around their hips, and having a top layer of Talalay can help avoid hip pain and keep the mattress from pushing their hips up, which can also lead to back pain. As such, most of our customers definitely benefit from having one layer of Talalay on top, and Dunlop for the rest of the mattress, but it’s completely up to you what you would like to order.
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Thank you for the detailed info. I am 5’ at 120 lb. Side sleeper. I have a medium firm mattress that gives me shoulder and hip pressure points. Do you recommend a 2" or 3" soft Talalay topper based on weight? I don’t like to sink in but at the same time the pressure points are killing me. Thank you again!
I wish I could say in advance whether you’d prefer a 2" or 3" topper, but the best I can do is provide information you can use to make a more informed decision. Please keep the following in mind when choosing a thickness for your topper: A 2" topper will make a noticeable difference but, depending on how much you want to change the feel of your mattress, may still leave something to be desired. The 3" topper will change the feel of your mattress the most, and if that’s the change that you’re looking for then this would be the best bet. The best way to summarize it would be to say that a 2" topper will make the mattress feel moderately softer and the 3" topper will make the mattress feel much softer.