Need help with selecting latex mattress

[phoenix]

Hi wolfie,

The first place I would start is post #1 here which includes the information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices.

I am located in the Bay Area, CA, and I’ve visited the Natural Mattress Store here. They make mattresses with natural latex and the beds feel fairly comfortable. I like the fact that they are local. Also, I can’t seem to find many natural latex mattress stores around the area. I generally like firmer mattresses but felt that the company’s Awareness mattress soft or medium were pretty good. I also liked their Enlightenment mattress which was comfortable to sleep on the side, but it’s the softest mattress and very expensive.

You have some very good choices in the San Francisco Bay area and they are listed in post #2 here.

1. is there much of a difference between having 2 layer of latex vs. 3?

In a word … Yes. It would also depend on many variables including body type, sleeping position, and individual preferences but if everything else is equal … layer thickness can make as big a difference in PPP (Pressure relief, posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) as anything else including layer softness. You can read more about the potential benefits of thicker layers in post #14 here and about the potential benefits of having more layers in post #2 here. All of this is relative to each person though and there is no absolute answer to these types of questions where “it depends” is the most important part of any answer.

2. Is there a desired thickness of the latex per layer?

No. The only goal of any “design theory” is that a mattress provides you with your needs and preferences. How it does so (outside of making sure the material quality is good and durable) is much less important.

3. How does the firmness and feel of the mattress change if I switch some layers (e.g. for a 3 layer mattress, soft/medium/firm vs. medium/soft/firm vs. soft/firm/firm)?

Some reading of the overviews that are mentioned in the first post I linked and the other links should answer this but every layer will affect every other layer both in terms of pressure relief and in terms of support alignment. A firmer transition layer in the example you gave will reduce the amount or “cradling” in the mattress which can reduce pressure relief and will also increase the support (which means that your heavier areas will be 'stopped" from sinking in sooner) which may improve alignment for some people. Overall though … the results of your personal testing are much more important than the “theory” behind the mattress design. Everything boils down to PPP in the end and the design that produces it is less important than making sure that the mattress is the most suitable design for yu regardless of how suitable it may be for someone else with a different body type, sleeping style, preferences, or sensitivities.

Also, along with the mattress, I am considering to get an adjustable base. Do you know how the Leggitt & Platt compare to Ergomotion (e.g. Ergomotion 400)?

The adjustable bed thread here may be helpful to make comparisons between then and provide you with some reference pricing.

Phoenix