Since LMF are much better experts in Latex then I am, my gut reaction is that the 3" Medium Talalay recommendation is reasonable, but I wouldn’t necessarily jump straight from 3" of 19 ILD to 3" of 28 to 32 ILD without at least considering a transition layer.
At 190 lbs and being a side sleeper, the fact that you are bottoming out almost immediately tells me the issue may not be simply surface softness. Your 3" 19 ILD is probably allowing your hips and shoulders to travel too far into the latex before the support underneath catches you. I think the 3" Medium latex is likely to prevent you from bottoming out, but maybe the goal shouldn’t just be focused on that. Although, that would probably be the first thing I’d try.
Looking at this a little out of the box, I wonder if a two layer latex build might make more sense than simply making the entire 3" comfort layer firmer. Something like 2" of softer Talalay in the 19 to 24 ILD range over 2" to 3" of Medium latex in roughly the 28 to 32 ILD range would be very interesting. Or just adding the Medium Talalay underneath the softer Talalay you already have.
The softer upper layer can give your shoulders and hips the pressure relief you need, while the firmer layer underneath gives you more resistance before you reach the coils.
I also wouldn’t rule out Dunlop. Talalay can certainly work well for a side sleeper, but the idea that Dunlop can’t provide adequate pressure relief for a side sleeper is too broad. The firmness, thickness, and combination of layers matter much more than simply whether the latex is Talalay or Dunlop.
Since you already have the 3" 19 ILD Talalay, you may as well use it. If you could put a firmer 2" to 3" latex layer underneath it, that would let you test whether the real problem is insufficient transition support rather than the 19 ILD comfort layer itself.
Granted, 19 ILD Talalay is pretty soft for someone at 190 lbs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong layer. The transition layer underneath it could be the missing piece. You just want to keep an eye on the overall height of the mattress. 6" of latex, 8" of spring support, maybe a base layer, and you’re already getting up there before we even get to the wool toppers.
I consider the wool toppers more of a finishing piece or final touch rather than something to use to solve the bottoming out. Once you have enough latex underneath you to keep the coils from saying hello to your body parts, the wool can be used to fine tune the surface feel.
I have a 3" organic wool topper, although we haven’t used it in a while. It was just awesome to sleep on. The only thing that was kind of annoying was the body impressions it allowed. I’d make the bed in the morning and it looked like there were two pods where we slept. Don’t get me wrong, there was no discomfort at all. In fact, the way the wool conformed to our bodies actually made the bed more comfortable. The bed just looked like something was wrong when I’d make it in the morning. Perhaps if your wool toppers are highly compressed, you might not have that issue.
I’d say first try to determine whether adding 2" to 3" of Medium latex underneath your existing 3" 19 ILD gives you the combination of pressure relief and support you’re missing. That seems like a more informative experiment than simply replacing the 19 ILD with 3" of 30 ILD.
You need to get the higher ILD anyway, so why not give the combo a shot. Try it for a few days, then remove the 19 ILD and try the firmer layer by itself for a few days. That should tell you quite a bit about whether the problem is the 19 ILD itself or the lack of a transition layer.
Like I always mention, take a good look at your pillow, and an eagle eye look at your foundation. If your slats are flexing, that is not helping matters at all. It is hard to fix everything above the foundation if it isn’t supporting everything above it.
Maverick
