Quilted cover vs strech cover, maybe a thin layer of woll?

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I just got my DIY all latex put together, its on a nice slated foundation from Big Fig. Went with 3in 38ILD Dunliop, 3in 32ILD Dunlop, 2in 28ILD Talalay, and 2in 19ILD Talalay. Im 6ft2 200lbs side sleeper. Right now it just has a jersey mattress protector and a fitted cotton cover.

Ive tried laying on it for 20 minutes and it feels pretty good. It has a medium-plush feel like I was looking for. Only thing that is different is on my shoulder there is a bit of push back feel after a while. I feel like I am sinking in pretty decently, but it still pushes back a little more than Im used to. With my old solid memory foam pillow the loft used to feel slightly high at first then sinking perfect through the night. Now when I lay on it the loft starts out feeling almost perfect to slightly low, and will probably sink to slightly low through the night. I can just get a pillow with another inch of loft, not an issue, but maybe that gives a visualization for how things are when I am laying down. So I imagine that means maybe my shoulder sinks less, so my head is further away and I need more loft. Again thats fine, I probably shouldnt want to sink in as much as I did on my 15 year old plush hybrid.

So what Im wondering is what kind of mattress cover should I get with this bed as I describe things? I was originally planning to get a stretch cover to preserve the feel, but now Im thinking maybe I will prefer a quilted cover to put a little more material between me and the latex and help with the pushback. However I have also read that the quilted covers can create a “drum effect” which firms up your mattress and makes things worse. Maybe what I should really be considering is a thin wool topper and a stretch cover?

I plan to give my current setup a few nights sleep before making such a decision, but before that I could really use some help understanding how these covers will affect the overall feel of the mattress and what kind of cover I should consider to best help with pressure relief.

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Hey RTheory,

When transitioning from memory foam to a latex foam mattress, you may get similar pressure relief, sinking and side sleeping comfort, but you will acquire the push back. That sinking, swallowing, perhaps cuddling with no push back is mainly going to be successful with a viscoelastic memory foam. It will be at the exchange of longevity and durability.

You could go with a 3" talalay upper comfort layer, as it will add a bit of plushness to your mattress system.

Regarding your cover, the more stretchy the cover is, the softer by comparison the total setup will be verses a tight, non stretchy material. A non stretchy material will add to the firmness of your setup.

A thin wool topper on an already softer upper comfort layer, is going to make things more firm feeling, not less. A thicker wool topper will not change the feel so much as it will add a bit of pressure relief and a bit of contouring and a little sink, without push back.

I just changed my latex alternative foam topper Malouf Topper for this one 3" BSC wool topper. The first night, my wife who notices everything, had a much better sleep than she had with the other topper. For me at 220 it did not change the firmness of our very firm plank luxe, but I actually noticed a small bit of contouring and pressure relief on my hips, due to the 3" of fluffy wool, even after it started to compress.

So, you should consider a thicker wool topper (not that cheaper WOW Futon one on amazon made with merino wool either) if you want to get some sinking without pushback, and without the extra heat that memory foam will create.

I got the wool topper as I just wanted to try it and it is a very surprisingly nice addition on the mattress.

Good luck with what ever combo you choose.

Maverick

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Thanks for the reply. Yeah I was afraid it would be the case that the quilted cover would just make it more firm. The one I was actually looking at was APMs “Organic Cotton Zippered Mattress Cover” rather than their bamboo wool one.

Im having some trouble understanding why a 1" wool topper would just add firmness, but going thicker with a 3" wool topper will not change the feel much and will help with pressure relief. Instinctively I would assume the smaller topper would allow pressure relief with minimal change to plushness.

I dont know how to explain why, but in my head when I layed down I felt the only thing possibly missing was some kind of batting material on top. Which is why my questions are directed towards quilted covers and wool toppers. If there is another type of material which can be added to give a little more pressure relief without too major a change in plushness Im open to suggestions. A really thin layer of poly on top is another idea ive been considering, just really trying to improve my understanding so I can make an adjustment if needed. Help is much appreciated.

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Thicker toppers may have more material to compress under your body weight, providing a greater degree of softness and cushioning. Thinner toppers, on the other hand, might not compress as much, leading to a firmer feel. The compression of the material can affect the support it provides to your body.

Thicker toppers may have a lower wool density compared to thinner ones. Higher wool density can contribute to a more supportive and less yielding surface, making the topper feel firmer.

The quality of the wool and the overall construction of the topper can impact its firmness. Thicker toppers may distribute the material differently, affecting how it conforms to your body and the overall feel.

The underlying mattress also influences the feel of a topper. If the mattress is already firm, a thinner topper may amplify that firmness, whereas a thicker topper might provide a more balanced feel.

Many folks thing the thicker the topper is the more firm it will be. It is usually quite the contrary. That more balanced feel from the thicker wool topper keeps the firmness neutral for me. I have found this comfortable, as I like a firm mattress, but wanted to see if I would get some contouring a reduce pressure on the side sleeping hips. That was the exact result that was produced.

If it were 3" of latex on top of the mattress, it would feel a bit bouncy and pushy. We like a more muted feel. I had experimented with my horsehair pillow and wool pillow. I used each under my hip to about the shoulder at various times. The results were quite similar, although the horsehair pillow was more contouring, more pressure relieving and was springy ish with no push back. The wool was a bit more damping. I just could not find a horsehair topper that was in the stratosphere, so I opted for wool as the next best thing.

The batting material you imagine missing would be great for reducing the push back of the latex. If too thin it will just act like “skin” on the latex, if thicker, it will act more independently of the latex or layer below it.

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Okay that all makes sense to me now. Other things Im looking into is something like a 1in layer of Super Soft Foam from Foam factory, 1.5in Eggcrate Foam Toppers in poly or their supersoft, ect. Obviously there is likely a durability issue with these, but for about $25 each I figure it wouldnt hurt to try to fine tune things. Still would rather not waste the money if Im headed down the wrong direction. Im even seeing people using down and cotton toppers which I know very little about. Sometimes too many options can just make things more difficult

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Down, cotton and feathers can be very effective too. I wouldn’t count them out or underestimate their value to augment a mattress. In some ways, somtimes better and more durable than memory foam.