Please help! I need some helps with choosing a latex thickness for my mattress.

[phoenix]

Hi nickie,

decided to buy a Sweda Solna latex mattress at Mattress Depot. There are no information on the internet I can find about their products, the only thing I know is they are a sub brand from Sound Sleep company based in Washington.

As you’re already aware, there is little meaningful information about this mattress on the Mattress Depot site, nor from the licensee making the product (Sound Sleep). I always advise to not make a mattress purchase until you know all of the information listed here about any product you might be considering. If you are able to find out this information from Mattress Depot I would be happy to comment upon what you find out.

The mattress appears to use some latex, and latex of any type is certainly a durable material, but it appears that there is some polyfoam quilting in the cover and I would want to know the type and thickness of the quilting foam or material. If all the other materials are latex and there isn’t more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality/density materials in the mattress (you could check the law label to confirm whether there is any polyfoam in the mattress) then there would be no weak links in the mattress but I would still want to know the type and blend of the latex to make more meaningful comparisons with other mattresses, and I’d also like to know what the support foam is under the upper latex foam layer (if it is indeed latex or something else).

Mattress Depot carries 3 types of these latex mattresses, the two that we were considering were Sweda Kalmar( 4 inches of latex layer, 4 inches of core foam, 2 inches of the base) and Sweda Solna( 5.5 inches of latex layer, 5.5inches of foam, 2 inches of base).

You’d want to learn the specifics of each foam layer of these items (as linked to above in the information you need to know) before making any meaningful evaluations of thee mattresses.

When we were in the store, the floor model of the Solna is newer so it’s firmer and denser, my boyfriend likes to sleep on a firm mattress so we thought we would like this one more so we got it. The store associate didn’t really explain to us about the differences in the floor models and what to expect with latex mattresses.

Ideally it is nice to have a floor model as new as possible, as it will give you an idea of what the mattress will feel like when new. I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to as “what to expect with a latex mattress”, as you did try out the model in the showroom. Is that correct? Perhaps you’re referring to a new mattress losing some of its false firmness and “breaking-in” a bit when it is new? There will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here ). This would typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress. Polyfoam will tend to experience more of this initial change in comfort versus latex.

We got it home and started breaking in the mattress for a few days, the mattress became really soft and bouncy, I can use both my hands pressing down and still not able to reach the hard layer, but I can press it down very easily.

I think what you are describing is the buoyant feel of latex, which is quite accurate. Latex is foamed rubber, so this “bouncy” feeling is quite normal, although it will lessen a bit over time. Being able to press down deeply in a specific area is referred to as being very “point elastic” (contouring very well to where the force is placed but not pulling too much from the surrounding area), and this is also normal for latex foam.

I weight about 105lbs and my boyfriend weight about 190, we both notice that when we lay next to each other, there is a huge sinkage and we kind of fall into one another in an uncomfortable position. If we sleep on the 2 edges of the mattress then it doesn’t bother our sleeps that much, otherwise I would still have a light back pain and discomfort in the morning but he feels fine.

You didn’t mention what type of a foundation and bed frame you are using under your mattress, so when someone describes a bit of a “rolling toward each other” the first thing I would advise to check would be that your bed frame has proper center reinforcement. After that, I’d make sure that your foundation it firm and flat and doesn’t flex, as this can also cause the sensation that you’re describing.

We were curious and went back to a different store, the associate at this store told us that the thicker the latex layer, the softer the mattress will be, because of that reason, the Solna is much softer

The thickness of a mattress is more of a by-product of the overall design, and by itself doesn’t determine overall plushness, but it would have an impact. The more important consideration would be the actual plushness (ILD) of the latex foam layers in question. While multiple layers of foam can work in unison and help distribute your weight over a wider area in a more gradual manner, 8" of very firm latex will still feel “harder” than 4" of plush latex. The softness of the Solna would be most dictated by the plushness of the latex used.

but because the floor models at the previous store didn’t get put out at the same time so it caused the confusion since latex mattress is always firmer in the beginning.

I’m not exactly clear what you referring to here – maybe that the floor models at two different stores of the same mattress feel different? That would be possible if one had been on the floor for a longer period of time and had lost some of its initial stiffness due to people trying it out versus a newer floor model.

When I tried the Kalmar in the store, I only needed to press about 3 to 3.5 inches and I already felt the hard foam, it’s definitely harder but I can’t really tell if it’s firmer or the latex foam was just thinner and the mattress was just harder.

Again I don’t have the complete specifications of the Kalmar, but it seems that it uses 4" of latex on top (versus the 5.5" in the Solna) so it stands to reason that with the same amount of force you’d be able to depress more into the product. But this doesn’t take into account the difference in the ILDs of the latex used in each mattress, as well as the difference in the base foam of each mattress. Without knowing any actual specifications of these mattresses I wouldn’t be able to comment upon your statements with much accurate insight.

Does anyone know if mattress manufacter actually put different densities in their latex layers depending on the firmness they try to archieve? Or density level is only different in memory foam layer?

ILD would be the main variable that is manipulated to change the plushness of latex foam (density and ILD have a pretty linear relationship in latex), but it is only one of several variables or “specs” that will determine how soft or firm an individual layer or a mattress “as a whole” will feel to different people (see post #4 here). Density in memory foam or poly foam would not be directly related necessarily to the harness of the foam, as there can be very dense polyfoam that is either plush or firm. All memory foam is quite plush (ILDs in the 10-18 range are common), but there is a point where you get into the7 lb+ density of memory foam where people generally comments that the foam feels “sinkier” than some of the lower density memory foams.

Is it better for us to exchange the Solna for the Kalmar to limit of sinkage? If it’s that easy to reach the hard foam core, do we have to change our mattress a lot sooner than if we were to keep the current one since it has a thicker latex?

You need to find out the complete specifications of these mattresses before making any meaningful evaluations or comparisons. The amount you sink in would be a function of the materials used, and whether or not you’d want to keep a particular product would come down to your personal preference of the comfort that mattress provided. Of course, you’d want to confirm that the materials used meet the durability guidelines here .

Is the pain just because me who is still adjusting to the new mattress? Or is it an indicator it’s too soft or too bouncy for me?

I can’t feel what you feel, so there would be no way for me to determine the reason for what you feel - I’m sorry. You’ve only had the mattress for 10 days, so that generally isn’t enough time for you to adjust to a new mattress or for the mattress to adjust to you.

The store associate kept saying the one we got is the best one they carry and it’s the best value for the money we spent.

As you’re probably aware, those statements mean absolutely nothing.

If you’re able to find out the information I mentioned above about the mattresses you’re considering, I’ll be happy to provide some better commentary about the componentry.

One other thing I’d strongly recommend is that you read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible mattress choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Phoenix