Hey alikigia,
Sorry for the delayed response, things have been crazy everywhere as you mentioned, thanks for your patience.
[quote]“They say it’s 3” but I just received it and it’s really more like 1 inch."
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AG’s Alpaca/Wool MattressTopper is listed as being 3" in thickness (2" of Alpaca wool in between 0.5" layers of wool) My guess is that it has been compressed for shipping which would require some fluffing up and allowing it to decompress before use.
Alpaca is more durable and it has a much higher tensile strength than wool does. It is the second only to silk and some of the phloem fibers such as hemp, linen, flax, ramie.
[quote]I do have to say I like the feel of it over the classic 8 Essentia and it did in fact make it a bit firmer in the sense that it’s more of a stable sleep surface in comparison to the memory foam feel the Essentia has.
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I agree with your initial assessment of your new Alpaca topper as it has many superior qualities over a memory foam comfort surface. Both materials used in your topper are high-performing in terms of feel, temperature regulation, moisture wicking and as you have noticed comfort and “stability” vs the “memory foam” feel. When talking about memory foam … words like “stability” or “supportiveness” really mean degrees of softness. Memory foam is a pressure relieving comfort material not a support material. The support layers underneath the memory foam are the supportive part of the mattress. It responds very slowly to new and changing positions and some have described it as a little like “sleeping in sand”. Also it is difficult to control how far you sink into a memory foam layer as it may soften over the course of the night and what started out as correct spinal alignment could turn into a “hammock” position and a backache by morning.
I would hesitate to advice one way or another. This is truly a personal preference and you would need to run it by your Mattress buying personal value equation that are most important to you. This topper is of very good quality, durable, and performs well over time. Once you found a product that works well for you, I would certainly not encourage to return it for the benefit of a discount. From the ethical point of view also I’d bear in mind that many companies cannot resell used products such as this.
[quote]Avocado green could not tell me if the wool is pre compressed the people I chatted with online didn’t know what I meant. All I know is it’s 24lb for the king topper I bought
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I’d contact Avocado directly by email as you can get more details in an email.
Thicker comfort layers are usually recommended for higher BMI individuals. The difference between a 3" and a 6" comfort layer can be quite dramatic and also depends on a person’s weight, shape, and sleeping positions. Side sleepers will notice it more (they are more likely to go “through” a thinner comfort layer) and feel more of the properties of the layers below it. The thinner a layer is … the more you will feel the properties of the layers below it.
[quote]Just wondering if you would know about plushness and thickness relationship If there is any.
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The thickness of a mattress is much less important than the specifics of what is inside the mattress and which specific design is the best match for you in terms of PPP. There is more in post #14 here about the potential benefits of thicker individual layers or the mattress itself. 8" - 9" of latex is inside the range for the thickness of the latex layers inside a mattress that would allow for a suitable design for the large majority of people.
Now that some time has passed since you received your topper I’d be interested in any updates that you may have.
Thanks,
Sensei 