New Mattress - Needs new topper - How thick?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Well, my wife and I finally made the plunge and bought a new mattress. We did a lot of online research (on this site as well as others), visited some of the bigger mattress stores, and then visited a small manufacturer (B and L Bedding) in High Point, NC. At this store, we tested several mattresses, and found one whose firmness and feel we liked. We did some more research afterward, and then decided to order directly from B and L Bedding. The construction we decided on was 3" Talalay latex (ILD 34-40 range) on top of 6" of 2.5 lb high density foam. We were both surprised about how comfortable this firm latex mattress felt. We thought we would end up more in the medium range (and maybe our initial thoughts were right).

The owner was great. He showed us how the mattresses were put together, and then when all the materials for our mattress were ready to be assembled, he put the layers on top of each other, and had us come back to the shop to lay on what would become our actual bed, before he did the final covering and sewing. The bed felt great. We are both side sleepers, so we spent most of our time testing the bed laying on our right and left sides.

The owner and a helper delivered our bed a few days later and helped us set it up. When we laid on it the first night it felt much firmer than when we had tested it a couple of days earlier. It wasn’t the most uncomfortable bed we had slept on, but it was definitely very firm. I thought I might get used to it more over time. I have been sleeping on it a week now, and it still feels way too firm for both my wife and I, especially when we sleep on our sides. I’m not sure if the process of assembling, stretching and sewing the fabric made the latex react differently, or what, but the main point is that we are not as comfortable as we would like to be.

We have both decided that we would like to sleep on something a bit softer. I hate to spend more money right after I bought a new bed, but we plan on keeping this bed for a long time, so if a good topper brings great sleep, I would be willing to spend some money. I have looked at some of the latex toppers at SleepOnLatex, and I am looking for solutions to our problem. SleeponLatex sells 1", 2", and 3" toppers. Would 1" even make much of a difference? With the configuration we already have, would 2" of a softer topper be the right choice? Also, regardless of the firmness and thickness of a topper we choose, should we purchase the bamboo cover that SleepOnLatex sells for $99, or should we look for a cover elsewhere? Or should we look for a different topper elsewhere, or a different solution altogether?

Anyway, I look forward to hearing from Phoenix and anyone else who has suggestions for a good solution. Thanks in advance!

2

Hi kham,

It’s not unusual at all that a new mattress will feel firmer than the showroom model that you tested because there will be a break in period and you will also go through an adjustment period over the course of the first few weeks with any new mattress.

There is more about this and some other suggestions that may be helpful in post #2 here.

In general it’s usually best to “do nothing” with your mattress in the first few weeks (other than some of the other suggestions mentioned in the link) but if it’s clear that your mattress is still too firm then the first thing I would suggest is talking to B and L bedding about any options you have. Some manufacturers can change out the firmness of the comfort layers for a nominal charge but if that’s not possible then a topper can certainly be a good idea to add some additional softness and pressure relief.

If you do decide to add a topper then post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to has some general suggestions about choosing a topper and the type, thickness, and firmness of a topper that may work best for you along with a link to a list of some of the better online topper sources I’m aware of as well (including Sleep On Latex).

Phoenix

3

If your topper is an intregal part of your mattress system, make sure the topper you buy is quality. I bought one from Justad comfort about 2 years ago on ebay. We purchased a 4 inch thick 5.3 lb density 15 ILD memory foam topper (queen size) We love it! it is just as confortable as the day we bought it. We are basing our purchasing decision of a new mattress (extra firm) as the topper is the part we will sleep on. I can advise you, go to their store on ebay, they have very good information that will help you make an informed decsion. a good one will cost about 300-350.00 we went for the thickest one due to my size, I am over 200lbs. To me, it feels like a temprerpedic mattress, but at a fraction of the cost.

4

Thanks for the info Phoenix. I’ll try to post an update one way or another later in the year to let you know if we adjusted to the bed or bought a topper.

One question though: Does a 1" Latex topper of significantly different ILD than the top layer of a mattress really make much of a difference?

Also of note: just because, initially, my mattress was not as comfortable as I was hoping for, I don’t have anything bad to say about the folks at B and L bedding. I would just warn people that your latex mattress will probably feel firmer than the one at the store and even the very same mattress before it is put together. We were able to buy a king size mattress with 6" of 2.5 lb polyfoam and 3" of Talalay latex with a nice cover and a cloth-covered, very sturdy wooden foundation, and a new king-sized bed frame - all for $800. Brian delivered it to our house (about 30 miles from his shop) for an extra $50.

Keep informing people about mattresses. I appreciate the work you are doing.

Thanks again!

5

Hi kham,

While it’s not possible to be specific for any particular person because it will also depend on the type of material and its firmness, the mattress underneath it, and on the person themselves … the way I characterize it in the topper guidelines is that a 1" topper will make “a touch to a little” bit of difference in terms of additional softness and pressure relief.

You certainly did very well with the quality and value of your mattress and foundation and paid a great price. All that’s left now is to do any fine tuning that you need so that your mattress is just as good a match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) as the quality of the materials :slight_smile:

I hope you have the chance to share any fine tuning that you decide on and of course how it works out for you.

Phoenix

6

Thanks for the info mutty62. We’ll consider that if we decide to go with a topper.

7

While a 1" topper will make “a touch to a little” bit of difference when going soft over medium … If one was to put a medium 1" over a soft 3" piece of talalay would that help to firm up a mattress that is too soft? Or would it be better to consider 2 or 3 inches of the firmer foam?

8

Hi MrM1,

The only answer to your question is both yes and no. What you are suggesting is called a dominating layer (firmer layers over softer layers) and it’s used to create a certain “feel” that some people prefer who like the “feel” of a firmer sleeping surface so in this way it will “feel” firmer. There is more about the effects of dominating layers in post #33 here and the posts it links to.

On the other hand if you are looking to create firmer support for your mattress because the heavier parts of your body are sinking in too far and you are sleeping out of alignment then there is no effective way to do this by adding layers on top because firmer top layers will still bend into the softer layers below them so any benefit would be partial or temporary at best. The only effective way to make a mattress that is too soft (in terms of support) any firmer and more supportive would be to replace the comfort layers that were too thick or soft with firmer or thinner layers and/or to replace the deeper support layers with a firmer material. There is more about “fixing” a mattress that is too soft in post #4 here.

Phoenix