Picking a Mattress for US!

[phoenix]

Hi EmrysTuatha,

Thanks for the update and for the information about your conversation with Bob … he’s a great guy.

What concerns me is they sell mattresses and fireworks. Just a little odd to say in the least. There is a location in Lafayette, IN, so I will be taking a trip up there to investigate along with Holder Bedding this weekend.

They have updated their lineup and locations since I last looked at them and as you mentioned they now carry latex mattresses as well. I’ve updated their descriptions and added them to several of the lists where they have a location as well. Thanks for the heads up.

Bob was able to confirm that the latex was: SOFT C-0 with an approx. ILD of 11 based on a 25% compression test. He took the time to go over more of what this meant, and further confirmed that this same material can and does get ordered with an Active Phase Change spray applied as a top coat on the foam.

Again I would keep in mind that ILD measurements alone may not be a reliable way to compare the softness of different types and blends of latex partly because ILD can be tested in different ways and partly because there are also other variables besides ILD that can affect how soft or firm a material feels. For example the synthetic latex that Mountaintop makes will feel different from the 100% natural latex that they make even in the same ILD (the synthetic has a lower compression modulus and may feel softer to many people). There are also some general comments about comparing Mountaintop’s ILD ratings to Talalay in post #8 here.

I have come across a brand called Tencel (thanks to the Malouf products and Protect-A-Bed). Given it’s moisture wicking and cooling properties, I am curious how effective they may be at keeping me cool if I used a mattress encasement and sheet set made with this material?

The one thing I am not certain of is, the moisture wicking abilities of Tencel compared to Wool? Tencel is pretty much only compared to cotton and claims an approximate 50% greater capacity to absorb fluids than cotton, but there is nothing I can find that tells me the differences between it and wool. Do you have any light you can shed on that?

You can read a little more about Tencel in post #2 here. It is primarily used in fabrics (such as mattress covers and sheets and bedding) and it is very effective at wicking moisture and has a soft “hand feel” as well. It’s effectiveness in terms of temperature regulation would depend on what was underneath it and/or what it’s quilted to. For example a Tencel fabric (or any cellulosic rayon fabric) quilted to wool would be much more effective at temperature regulation than a thinner tencel unquilted fabric that was directly on top of latex.

Phoenix