Good Morning!
So I’ve read and read and read and feel like I am ready to make a decision today on a latex mattress. One question remains: I am confused about the ILD measurements. When you talk about ILD numbers and how they are added up in each layer, how do I determine which ILD numbers represent the best durability?
I understand how they relate to comfort, but get foggy on the durability and wear element. Is there a simple answer for that?
Thanks!
Hi jbrennan,
ILD is just one measure of the softness or firmness of a foam layer and is a “comfort spec” and not a “quality spec” and is just one of the specs that affects how soft or firm a specific material or layer in a mattress feels by itself. When you are testing a mattress locally then the ILD of the layers isn’t important to know because with careful testing your body will tell you much more about whether a mattress “as a whole” is a suitable “match” for you in terms of PPP than the ILD of the individual layers and ILD itself is also only one of several factors or “specs” that will determine how soft or firm a layer or a mattress will feel to different people and can sometimes be more misleading than helpful (see post #4 here).
The specs you would need to know that would have the biggest effect on the durability and useful life of a mattress are listed in this article.
If you are considering an online purchase where you can’t test the mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specific options they have available based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences than anyone else.
Latex is the most durable of all the foam materials (latex foam, polyfoam, memory foam) so an all latex mattress (that didn’t contain any other types of foam) would certainly make a durable choice.
Phoenix
Thanks again for all of your help. After two more new stores and then back to retest our top two choices at Sleep Nation and Urban Mattress, we made the final purchase today! So excited to be done and even more excited for delivery. We selected the Therapedic Latex from Sleep Nation. It was a great value and the feel and PPP was spot on for both my husband and I. I feel confident in the selection and it was $2000 less than the other mattress that we had narrowed it down to. I must admit I struggled a bit with the vast difference in price, as we are ingrained with the idea that more expensive means “better”, and kept thinking that I should buy the more pricier one, as a result. However, after reading your informative site more times than I can remember, I am excited about the product and even more so, the savings!
Thank you again for the service you provide.
Hi jbrennan,
The assumption that the price of a mattress is related to the quality of the materials or its durability has led many consumers astray (that are looking at mainstream mattresses especially) and there are many people that have have learned the hard way with their own personal experience that all too often it isn’t true.
It sounds like you made a great choice … and congratulations on your new mattress 
I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix