Hi. thank you for all of your help so far. I’ve used your PLB specs to shop and I love “Beautiful” but I can’t really afford it. What do you think about adding a topper to the more affordable “Pamper” when I can afford the topper? Are there long-term disadvantages to toppers? I was thinking an advantage of a topper would be that I could get it using Celsion, or a blended Talalay, or a Dunlop for the durability and resistance in the long-run. But are there disadvantages because it is a topper that would counter-act the advantages of the better quality support layer latex?
I feel you have educated me well on latex mattresses and for that I salute you.
I still feel a little in the dark about toppers…any assistance in the matter would be particularly generous on your part.
Thank you thank you!
-jane
Hi latexhappy,
Adding a topper to a firmer mattress has several advantages and few disadvantages over a mattress where all the layers are inside a finished cover that can’t be opened (doesn’t have a zipper).
For example … the Pamper (that has 1" of 19 ILD talalay built in) with a 2" 19 ILD talalay latex topper on top would be very similar to a mattress that had a 6" 40 ILD talalay latex support core and a 3" 19 ILD latex topper inside the cover. A topper will be a little bit softer than the equivalent layers all inside the mattress because it can move independently of the rest of the mattress (similar but more so than a pillowtop which has “free” edges and more independent movement). A topper will also be be a little less durable than the equivalent layers inside a mattress because it wouldn’t have a mattress cover which will slightly reduce it’s compression (depending on the cover) and would be subject to more mechanical compression and wear.
The advantages would be similar to having a zip cover which would give you access to the inside layers of a mattress. These are that you can customize the sleeping system (mattress + topper combination) by choosing different thicknesses and softness/firmness levels for part of the comfort layer (in this case the topper). Toppers and zip covers with loose layers inside also gives you the ability to replace just the top layer of the mattress (which will be the first to wear out) without having to replace the entire mattress.
There are also many “pathways” and layering combinations that can provide similar degrees of pressure relief and support in a mattress and with a good choice of an appropriate topper it can be a good way to “design” a mattress for your needs and preferences. Modular designs … whether they are loose layers inside a zip cover or a mattress/topper combination are an increasingly popular “sleeping system” because of the flexibility and choices they provide. The separate 2" and 3" toppers that are made by PLB are part of their modular design (they can be added to any of their mattresses) but any topper will provide similar benefits and the PLB are more expensive than other similar topper options.
Bear in mind as well that for the price of a Pamper alone you could buy an all latex mattress with a zip cover that already has the comfort layer built in. Post #21 here will give you some alternatives here. There may also be local manufacturers near you that sell a mattress similar to the Pamper (or even just a 6" core with a ticking/quilting over it on either one or both sides) for less than the Pamper.
Phoenix
Thanks for the info about the zippered mattress. I will ask Charles at my store, Austin Natural Mattress, about getting the Pamper (at $2.5k) with the zip kit. From your advice, I’m surmising that the 2" is plenty as an additional topper.
Also, I wonder if a really good mattress cover would do the trick in “zipping” it all together, (topper plus Pamper)?
Hi latexhzappy,
The Pamper doesn’t have a “zip kit”. I was just comparing the benefits of a topper with other mattresses that use a zip cover with loose layers that can be removed and replaced. The PLB does have a removable cover but the latex layers inside are glued together so they can’t be individually replaced like a topper or a mattress with a zipper cover with loose layers inside.
The thickness and the ILD (softness/firmness level) that would work best for you in terms of pressure relief and alignment would depend on your body type, sleeping style, preferences, and sensitivities. The most accurate way to know (if it’s possible) would be with personal testing. The PLB toppers are mostly very soft (in the 14 - 15 ILD range) and since they are probably available locally you could test each of these to see which of these worked the best. If they are all too soft … then you you also have other options with talalay latex toppers that use firmer latex than the PLB if that’s necessary … or if your other options (from the list I linked earlier) have significantly better value.
You won’t need a separate mattress cover for the topper/mattress combination.
Phoenix