We purchased a King size pocket coil with 2" talalay latex topper in 2011. The mattress was made from a local place that prides itself on quality craftsmanship. My wife loved the firm mattress. Within a year, my lower back was killing me. Sheās a back sleeper, Iām a side sleeper. Iām 5ā7" and 165lb.
It got so bad that I would switch to the guest room and sleep on a saggy but so nicely soft queen mattress that was at least 12 years old at that point.
I decided after much review and online searching to buy a 3" latex topper from the same company. I canāt recall the density of it now. That was in Jan 2016 and the back pain disappeared and was replaced with buttock pain (specifically the pyriformis muscle). I added a feather topper from Amazon but that did nothing.
I have finally convinced my wife to buy a new mattress and now donāt know what to get. I think an innerspring is the right choice as we slept on a memory foam mattress at a Air BnB and both hated it. Iām just nervous as everyone raves about latex and my 5" of Talalay did nothing for me.
Iām sorry you donāt like the comfort of your current mattress. From your limited description, it seem that you prefer a bit more surface comfort on top than your wife prefers, which can be quite common with side sleepers.
Without more detailed information it would be difficult for me to formulate the exact caused of your complaints, but it seems that your initial mattress may have been too firm and if the back pain was an alignment issue it could have been from the low back not being supported or contoured to enough. With the addition of the extra plushness, it could be that you have addressed one issue but perhaps now your comfort cradle is too deep and it could be exposing a flexibility issue with your outward rotators and perhaps your hips are sinking in too deeply. But this really isnāt anything I can diagnose via an online forum. There is some information about the many different symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the most common causes behind them in post #2 here that may be helpful.
I wouldnāt necessarily rule out using latex just because the two combinations you selected didnāt meet with your comfort requirements, just as you wouldnāt necessarily rule out memory foam because you slept on a particular one and you didnāt like it. It may very well be that you donāt have an affinity for memory foam or latex, but based on your limited comfort selections in each category I donāt know that youād need to necessarily make a broad-brush elimination of materials.
As for choosing a new product, Iād recommend starting over with the guidelines presented here on the site, as itās not possible for me to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first āruleā of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will āfeelā to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or ātheory at a distanceā that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
The first place to start your research again is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice ā¦ and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure youāve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for).
Outside of PPP (which is the most important part of āvalueā), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you canāt see or āfeelā and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase (these are the same two articles I linked to earlier in my comments about a higher BMI).
In its simplest form ā¦ choosing the ābest possibleā mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then ā¦
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of ācomfortā, firmness, and PPP ā¦ and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or āfine tuneā the mattress and any costs involved if you canāt test a mattress in person or arenāt confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your higher BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
Comparing your finalists for āvalueā based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
If you have other questions after going through this material or testing out products, post them back here and Iāll do my best to be assistive.
We bought the mattress from Gardner in Salem, MA and I was waiting to hear back about the ILD of our latex components.
I was informed that the 3" latex topper that came with our original pocket coil mattress is the same as the additional 3" topper I purchased later. Each has an approximate ILD of 19.
I looked at the bed after removing the sheets and noted indentations on my side where my shoulders and hip would be. Maybe a 1/2" indentation at both spots.
My wife and I swapped locations the other night and her side felt much higher, more supportive and firmer without any indentations.
As above, Iām 5ā7" and 165; sheās about 5ā4" and maybe 130
I think highly of Gardner Mattress, their products and the advice they provide (they are site members here), so they certainly would be a good resource not only for information on your old mattress, but also for guidance on something new, based upon your previous comments.
These would be considered āsofterā latex layers.
On a six-year old mattress, you would expect to have some small impressions through use in the comfort materials and the covering. Even without knowing the complete specifications of your product, this would be considered quite normal.
If you havenāt been rotating your mattress, it would be normal to have different wear patterns, not only from different sleeping styles, but also different somatotypes and BMIs.
I really donāt have any additional thoughts, as you havenāt provided any meaningful information about the actual makeup within your mattress, and the information here and in your previous post is still quite general, so my commentary will have to remain as such as well. Even so, it could be that you donāt have an affinity for the feel of latex, and as you mentioned, you may prefer a more ātraditionalā style of innerspring mattress, in which case Iād advise to start the process of shopping for a mattress over again by following the steps as outlined in the mattress shopping tutorial that I linked to in my previous reply. If you do visit Gardner again, they would also be a good resource for examples of better quality ātraditionalā innerspring products for you to sample and inquire about regarding the differences between such a product and your current configuration.
We visited Jordans Furniture today to try out mattresses and my wife and I both really liked the Pranasleep Karma Sky Super Plush. It seemed to offer a nice combination of softness and support.
From the tag, it has the following
Quilt:
100% Polyester Cover
FR Fibers
3/4" Super Soft HD Foam 2.5lb
2" Soft HD Foam 1.5lb
Support System:
Individually wrapped Coil Design
Patended wall wrap for max flex
15 gauge steel with 13.75 gauge edge
Twice tempered steel
T/480 F/690 Q/832 K/1056
Bottom Upholstery (below innerspring)
1" density foam 1.45lb
Foundation:
Solid wood slat foundation in 6" or 10" heights
King set is $3499
Greatly appreciate your thoughts on this mattress based on specs. Iām having a very hard time finding reviews anywhere on this brand and the Karma line in particular.
I just found a post of yours regarding the top layer of Prana mattresses (oddly, I hadnāt found it when searching for āpranaā but only did when searching āhd foamā).
I now realize this mattress would like have disappointed us quickly and am now looking at a drive to Worleys in MA.
