Hi Hobotrader,
I’ve been working on some upgrades to the forum and a few posts came though in the few times the forum was open and functional in that time (see this thread). My apologies to you for being one of the members that was caught in some of the backup restores that I had to do.
Yes. Of course this would be subject to your testing which is always more accurate than any theory at a distance. A comfort layer is more of an “area” of the mattress rather than a discrete layer itself. Because all materials are softer with initial compression and then get firmer with deeper compression … a “comfort area” can be part of a single layer. Dunlop latex has an advantage here because it has a high compression modulus which means that the rate it gets firmer is faster than other materials so it can be softer with initial compression but then “catch up” and pass the firmness/support of other materials as you sink in deeper.
If you spend much time on your side … you may also want to consider a mattress with a separate comfort layer (say around 2") or even add a topper if you need a little extra softness. The goal is “just enough” to provide the level of pressure relief that you need for your particular sleeping positions so that you have the best possible alignment… Latex also has the advantage of being very "point lastic"which means that it is very good at taking on the shape of the body and re-distributing pressure away from pressure points even in firmer versions. It has similar pressure relief to memory foam (in roughly equivalent softness levels because memory foam doesn’t come in versions that are firm enough to act as a deep support layer).
Dunlop comes in some very firm ILD’s yes (much to firm for most people to sleep on directly). It is not as widely available in softer versions as Talalay latex though.
Most foam mattresses are designed for use on a firm rigid foundation rather thn a box spring. The exceptions would be thinner versions (sch as a 6" mattress) which are sometimes designed for use on a more flexible box spring.If you test a mattress on a rigid foundation then it won’t be as firm on a more flexible box spring and will change its feel and performance. So you could use it yes but it may change how well it works for you. For some this could be an improvement (those who need a little more give under their thinner/firmer mattress in certain areas) and for others it could be a detriment.
I do agree though that keeping a mattress up off the floor is generally much better not to mention the potential risk to any weak areas of the back in getting on and off a mattress which is too low.
In most cases … the “weak link” of a mattress is in the upper layers not in the deeper support layers or the box spring or foundation. Of course the support system and foundation will play a role in the suitability of a mattress for your specific needs and preferences because all the layers interact together to produce pressure relief and alignment and are also part of the “feel” of the mattress which would be more of a preference issue.
Again … latex is ideal for this because it “resists” pressure or what people call “push back” more than other materials even though it relieves pressure because of its ability to take on the shape of the profile of the person on the mattress.
The only other issue that could come from a thinner than average mattress is that it also has less “room” or range of compression which also tends to make a thinner mattress firmer than a thicker version of a similar material. This would be more of an issue with higher weights (see post #14 here for more about this). Of course if the floor helps your symptoms then it would be nowhere near as firm as this and would provide much better comfort even in a relatively thin mattress. Even firmer latex though (possibly with a thinner comfort layer) would likely “fill in” the lumbar gap although this is where testing for support plays a role because it may not be “filled in” as firmly as you would want (it would be touching or compressing slightly but sliding your hand under the gap would be too easy).
You can be pretty certain that there is a significant amount of lower quality polyfoam in the upper layers regardless of what the support layers are made of (usually their innersprings which are good quality, synthetic Dunlop latex, or polyfoam). Some have more and some less polyfoam but almost all of them have the same “weak link” to differing degrees in the upper layers
I certainly share your thoughts and of course this is the one of the goals of this site to make people more aware of the smaller manufacturers that tend to build higher quality and value mattresses using better materials. It’s also very true that quality in the mass market retailers that mostly services the larger brands has gone down significantly IMO in the last two decades and buying a quality mattress outside of the “noise” of misleading advertising and marketing claims is a lot more frustrating and difficult than it once was because the better manufacturers don’t advertise nearly as much and are much less visible unless an educated consumer knows to look for them specifically.
I’m looking forward to your further “Toronto” feedback and of course any other questions you may have along the way.
Phoenix