Need advice for temporary latex topper

[kardut]

Back here again after being stuck on a mattress buying decision. Would love to give latex a try, but unfortunately there aren’t any showrooms within hours of where we live to actually experience sleeping on latex (plus, from what I’ve read, it can take a few nights or more to get accustomed to the feel).

So since our current mattress (Urban Mattress brand, coil and foam) is still in pretty decent shape, decided to try a latex topper as a trial before making a switch to a latex bed.

But now a little stuck on which topper to get. I think talalay would be most comfortable for us, but can’t decide whether to go with 2” or 3”, soft or medium.

About us — I’m 5’6”, 140 lbs, spouse is 5’9” 165 lbs. Side sleeper here, spouse sleeps on side and back (though would love something that encourages him to sleep on his side more since he snores on his back, lol!). My biggest issue is pressure on shoulders and hips, hubby tends to have back and shoulder pain. I should add that hubby is hesitant about going to latex, so hoping to find something that works without too much of a breaking-in period.

Bonus points if topper has a good return/exchange policy and, or course, if it’s reasonably priced, since this will likely be a short-term solution

Thanks again in advance!

[Sleeping_Organic]

Full disclosure, I am with Sleeping Organic. Using a topper as a trial before committing to a latex bed is a sensible way to do this, so here is what I would actually think about.

Go 3 inch, not 2. On a coil and foam mattress that is still in decent shape, a 2 inch topper tends to let you feel the bed underneath, and then you have not really tested latex, you have tested your old mattress with a thin layer on it. If the point is to find out whether you like latex, give it enough material to answer the question.

You can also use the 3 inch topper as a layer in your mattress if you decide to go with a latex mattress.

On soft versus medium, the fork is bigger than it looks. Our Talalay runs X-Soft 14-19 ILD, Soft 19-22, Medium 30-32, Firm 37-40, X-Firm 44. Notice there is nothing between 22 and 30. So “soft or medium” is not a small adjustment either way, it is a real gap, and that is true of most Talalay ranges rather than being specific to us. For a 140 lb side sleeper whose main complaint is shoulder and hip pressure, you are almost certainly in the Soft or even X-Soft end.

Which brings up the thing I think is the actual problem here. One topper cannot serve both of you well. You are 140 lbs on your side wanting pressure relief. He is 165 lbs, sleeps side and back, and has back pain, and back sleeping wants more support underneath, not less. Those pull in opposite directions and a single sheet of latex has to pick one. If you are on a King or Cal King you can buy two half-size pieces and each have your own. On a Queen you cannot, so you would be choosing whose problem to solve.

One thing in your favour though: you mentioned he snores on his back and you would like him on his side more. A softer top actually helps with that, because it is easier to settle a shoulder into. So the softer choice may serve him better than it sounds, just not for the reason you would expect.

On break-in, Talalay is the right instinct for a hesitant partner. It is springier and more immediate than Dunlop, which can feel dense at first.

Last thing, and I would ask this of anyone you buy from including us: what does an exchange actually cost, and who pays the freight both ways. Toppers are bulky and that is where trial policies quietly get expensive. Get the answer before you order, not after.

Brandon, Sleeping Organic

[kardut]

Thank you, Brandon — yours is one of the ones I have been looking at!

[Maureen1]

I have a similar question… The hybrid “luxury firm” mattress (described as a medium) I purchased is a little too firm for me. I am looking at toppers and the choice is almost as extensive as the mattresses! I am considering latex and debating between 2 or 3 inches and between soft and medium. If there isn’t much of a difference, I would prefer 2", so my sheets will fit better but will go with whatever makes most sense. I am a side sleeper, 135 lbs and sleep alone on a full size bed. I am at the 2 month mark with my current mattress and wake up each morning with lower back pain.

[Sleeping_Organic]

At 135 lbs and sleeping only on your side, I would look at X-Soft and Soft. Talalay X-Soft is 14-19 ILD against 19-22 for Soft. A lighter body does not compress latex very much, so the softer one would actually lets your shoulder and hip settle more.

On thickness I would gently push back on the 2 inch. Your bed is too firm, and a thinner topper lets the mattress underneath come through more, not less. At your weight that matters more rather than less, because you are not sinking far into it to begin with. Three inches does more of the work. If sheets are what is driving the 2 inch preference, deep pocket sheets are a great deal cheaper than a topper that does not go far enough.

One other thing, and it is against my own interest. You are two months in and waking with lower back pain every morning. If this mattress is simply too firm for you, plenty of retailers run 100 night trials, and it is worth checking whether yours is still open before you spend on a topper. Better to find that out now than in month four.

[Maureen1]

Thanks so much. Yes, I am 60 days in on a 120 day return period so I will probably wind up returning my mattress. The thought of looking for a new one though is almost too much to bear! I have tried dozens of mattresses (I think I have been to every bedding store in NYC) and I still managed to pick the wrong one

[Sleeping_Organic]

That is a hard spot, and more common than you would think. Ten minutes on a showroom floor tells you very little about how a bed feels at 3am in week six, so getting it wrong after dozens of stores is not a failure of effort.

If you do return it, two things worth carrying into the next choice. Write down exactly what went wrong with this one (too firm at the shoulder and hip, sore lower back in the morning) so you are shopping against a specific problem rather than a general feel. And weigh the return terms as heavily as the showroom impression: who pays return shipping, whether there is a restocking fee, and how long you get.

One reason layered latex beds come up so often here is that the comfort can be changed after purchase by rearranging or replacing a layer, rather than starting over. Whatever you land on, that ability to adjust is worth more to someone in your position than any spec sheet.