New latex mattress experience
I visited a couple of stores and tested several latex mattresses. Finally decided on a firmer core for better support and a softer comfort layer, the recommendation was for a 6"core with 36 ILD and 2" 28 on both sides. The showroom only had a 36" floor sample which seemed too firm, so I tested with a 2" 28 ILD layer on top of the mattress. I really liked this set up and asked how much different it would be from the final mattress given that I was laying on top of a layer of pure latex. The answer was there would be not much difference and I would love my mattress. And I really wanted to love my mattress after searching for it for so long.
The day I received it I was really happy to try it out. But it was firmer than I expected. I mean, really, really firm. For the next few days my body was hurting in ways that it never did before. And I had back pain for a long time, but the one on the hip and shoulder is new.
So I read about eliminating factors that could influence the few of the mattress - I released the elastic from the corners of the mattress protector and used normal sheets instead of fitted in order to prevent "drum"effect.
I read a little more about new mattresses and how they need to break in, so I carefully and uniformly crawled on the mattress now for several days.
I did call to see if by any chance I had the incorrect mattress delivered, as I read it had happened before. I inquired if there was anything on the label that could help identify if this was the correct mattress, but there’s nothing. Even on the invoice. This time I was told that the new mattress would not be like the floor sample - in hindsight, that’s kinda obvious now, but that information was not given when I inquired about the difference when I tested it with a latex layer.
I also read about giving some time for the body to adjust to the new mattress. Interestingly enough, just before I had it replaced I traveled for over a week and then a little over two weeks, averaging 2 nights per mattress and did not experience any pain in the morning. That was an encouraging unintentional experiment, giving me hope that I would adjust to the new mattress just fine.
So now I had it for 3 weeks and not much has changed. I read it could take up to a month for it to break in, so I’ll have to wait a little longer. But since I’m more than half way, I was wondering if it will suddenly change in the last few days or wouldn’t it be a more gradual process - and if the latter, shouldn’t I have noticed some change by now? Is it possible that a new 28/36/28 fells firmer than a floor sample 36/36/36 ILD?Other than waiting for a sudden change on the final week, I really don’t know what else to do - continue crawling on the mattress daily? The cost to have it returned and re-delivered, making changes to the comfort layers not knowing if it can get better is close to getting a pad with free shipping, so I also started considering this option as well, although not ideal given that I just had this significant purchase.
I was told I can change the comfort layers to 24ILD. I did some research and read somewhere in the forum comments that for a 2" layer it would be advisable to have a smother transition, so the 24/36/24 suggestion concerns me. It seems like 24/32/24 would be a smoother transition but would it still provide a firm support? Again, I would like to have a firmer support but with a softer comfort layer that feels like I’m “sleeping in” the mattress but with good alignment and support for my back pain. I understand we should not be too attached to ILD when testing but a) my in-store testing did not help as much as layers of latex and floor sample did not reproduce the experience with the final mattress b) the only cores available for testing are 28 or 36 so anything different would be an even bigger guess. The firm set up I have now is not the most comfortable but I’m afraid if I change too much in the opposite direction it may make things worse - from experience with hotels beds that are too soft it gives me the worst pain.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
The break in and adjustment period for a new mattress can vary with the person, on how different your new mattress is from your old one that your body is used to, and with the specifics of the mattress, so for some people it can be a matter of a few days (some people don’t seem to notice it at all) and for others it can take as long as a few months but for most people it would be a month or less. From the sounds of your experience and considering that latex is a very durable material that doesn’t soften as much as other materials I don’t think that another week will make a significant difference and it sounds like your mattress is probably too firm for you.
While anything is possible because firmness and softness is so subjective and is relative to the different perceptions of each person … if a floor sample was actually 36/36/36 then it’s very unlikely that anyone would feel it was softer than a mattress that was 28/36/28 in side by side testing in “real time” and it’s much more likely that the testing you did in the showroom wasn’t long enough or accurate enough to approximate your “real life” sleeping experience. Because our memory of firmness and softness is not particularly accurate and is also fairly subjective and relative … if there is some time between when you test a mattress and then test or sleep on it later then the time and your experiences in between can alter your perceptions of how soft or firm it is as well. It’s not uncommon for example to test mattresses early in the day and then go back and test the same mattresses later in the day or the next day after you have tested other mattresses and discover that the mattresses that you tested feel different than you remember they did because your frame of reference has changed with time and as you tested other mattresses.
The cover and the quilting of a mattress can have a significant effect on how a mattress feels compared to sleeping directly on latex layers and an additional softer layer on the bottom can also affect how a mattress feels as well. Some people are also more sensitive to differences between mattresses than others and there are also different types of firmness and softness that different people are more or less sensitive to as well (see post #15 here) so each person’s experience or comparisons can be very different from someone else. Some people will feel that certain changes make a “significant” difference and others may not feel the same changes at all.
Softness and firmness is always relative to the individual person so a mattress that feels firm to one person can feel soft for someone else depending on their body type, sleeping positions, and sensitivity so a 32 ILD support core with a 2" 24 ILD comfort layer may feel firm for some people (particularly if they are lighter) and can feel soft for others depending on their reference points for firm and soft and all the other variables that affect the sensation of firmness and softness for each person. In the final analysis your own experience is the only way to know which mattress feels firm or soft to you and “how” it feels firm or soft. The same would be true with the transition between the firmness of the layers. With a 2" comfort layer you would feel “more” of the relative firmness of the layer below it than you would with a thicker comfort layer (particularly with side sleeping) but this will also depend on the specifics of the cover and any quilting layers as well and the body type and sensitivity of the person. For some people it would work well and they would prefer the “feel” that comes from a bigger differential between the firmness of the layers and others may find that a softer support core would be preferable. These are all variations that can only be known based on your own personal experience.
I would keep in mind that there are different types of support and that firmer doesn’t necessarily mean more supportive or produce better alignment. There is more about primary and secondary support and their relationship to pressure relief in post #4 here and in post #2 here. I would also keep in mind that latex is a more “on the mattress” material than memory foam (which has a more “in the mattress” feel) although the softest versions of latex (in the teens) have a “somewhat” more “in the mattress” feel than firmer versions.
Because only you can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone else to know with any certainty what you will feel on any specific combination of materials based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) … the only thing that is clear from your comments and feedback is that you will likely need a softer comfort layer and possibly a softer core as well. If you have the option to try one first and still make further changes again I would probably start with a softer comfort layer and then if this is still too firm for you then switch to a softer core as well although this would depend to some degree on your weight and sleeping positions because higher weights will tend to do better with firmer materials and different sleeping positions also tend to do better with different combinations (side sleepers for example tend to need or prefer thicker/softer comfort layers). I would also keep in mind that a mattress that is too firm is easier to “fix” with a topper that can add additional softness and pressure relief than a mattress that is too soft which would normally require the removal and replacement of the layers that were too soft.
From what I’ve seen from other latex mattress designs, they place the firmer layer on the bottom, and then gradually lessen the ILD’s layers as you move up. So if you start off with a 36 ILD on the bottom, and then a 28, maybe then you go to a 19 for the top layer.
One thing you might want to try if the layers are not glued together, is place the bottom 28 ILD on top of the top 28 ILD, and see how that feels.
[quote]From what I’ve seen from other latex mattress designs, they place the firmer layer on the bottom, and then gradually lessen the ILD’s layers as you move up. So if you start off with a 36 ILD on the bottom, and then a 28, maybe then you go to a 19 for the top layer.
One thing you might want to try if the layers are not glued together, is place the bottom 28 ILD on top of the top 28 ILD, and see how that feels. [/quote]
I believe that their mattress is probably a two sided latex mattress with a tape edged cover (which is why there is a softer comfort layer on the bottom) and glued layers not a component mattress with loose layers and a zip cover.
Thank you for your feedback, Phoenix. I agree with the subjectivity in the testing and how it can vary even for the same person. In another attempt to see if my memory was tricking me, I went back and tested again. I really suspect the mattress I received is not as I ordered - this time there was one with the exact same configuration and it felt more comfortable to me. I also tested a 28/28/28 and it kinda feels a bit soft for me. I forgot to mention I’m mostly a side sleeper, occasionally sleep on my back, 5’5" and 150lb. We are now considering changing the comfort layers to 3" instead of two, so 3" 28/ 4" 36 /3" 28ILD. Hoping this will give a little more of the “sinking in” feeling without compromising what I feel gives me good support with the same core, just a bit thinner.
I really hope this will work better. You mentioned quilting and cover can also affect the feel of the mattress, I am just not sure if that it a possibility in my case.
I just want to add that after researching here I ended up ordering a LaNoodle pillow to replace my talalay one which I know think it’s too high for me. I had tested the shredded latex at the Sovn store and it felt ok. Though they have a great price, the strong smell was a concern for me. So I decided to go with the LaNoodle - after a long wait for processing and shipping, it’s finally here. Thanks for all the comments on this pillow.
@gme109 - Phoenix is correct, it’s a two-sided mattress so I cannot play with the layers on my own.
While firmness or softness can be very subjective … carefully testing a mattress for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) can be more objective and is the most reliable way to know whether a mattress is a good match or you outside of actually sleeping on it. For most people, careful and more objective testing on a mattress (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) can do a very good job of predicting your actual sleeping experience but this is different from testing a mattress for a more subjective sense of “comfort” which is much less reliable and can have a lower chance of success than random chance alone (see post #4 here)
This is a very common comment on the forum and it isn’t unusual for people to think this. In most cases it’s because our memory for “feel” or “comfort” isn’t very accurate or long lasting and as I mentioned in my earlier reply this can happen to anyone when there is some time between testing or sleeping on a mattress on different occasions when your frame of reference has changed. Of course it’s always possible that a manufacturer can make a mistake as well.
With your lighter weight and being a side sleeper I would keep in mind that many people would prefer a softer comfort layer than 28 ILD and while a support core of 28 ILD is more “in the range” for lighter body types … many people would do better with a little firmer support core as well. Side sleepers also tend to do better with a little thicker comfort layers although all of this can also depend on the cover and quilting in your mattress and on how the combination of all the layers and components work together because every layer and component in a mattress will affect the feel and performance of every other layer. Once again though … each person is unique and your own testing and experience may indicate that you will do better on a different combination completely.