I’m hoping to get some general thoughts on the Platinum Dreams “Franco” mattress, which is a Restonic mattress sold by P.M. Bedroom Gallery in Minnesota (pmbedroomgallery-mn.com) and, more generally, on whether it makes sense to put a latex comfort layer on top of a memory foam layer – or whether that is more of a gimmicky marketing strategy.
A couple of specific questions…
What would be the advantage of having a latex layer on top of the memory foam layer? On that note, they also sell another mattress (the “Estelle” – not available on the website) that is identical to the “Franco,” except that it has a 2" latex layer instead of a 0.75" latex layer. This makes the comfort layer a total of 6". Does that seem too thick for a side/stomach sleeper?
Is 1.5lbs a dense enough foam in the support layer? I believe I read somewhere on this forum that the minimum density should be at least 1.8 lbs. What would be the main consequence if the support layer is not dense enough?
Also, the salesperson told me that the thought the latex layer was 100% natural Talalay, but I have not been able to verify that.
I personally like the feel of thinner layers of latex over memory foam and it helps to “modify” the feel of the memory foam and create a more lively and less “hold you in place” surface which still has the “sinking in” feeling of memory foam. It can also help to add to the breathability of the mattress surface layers.
Having said that … it appears to me that the 3/4" layer of 1.8 lb “engineered airflow latex” may not be latex at all but a higher quality polyfoam that has been “engineered” to perform more like latex. There is no latex that I’m aware of that is in this low a density range (even 14 ILD talalay has a higher density) and the specs are much more typical of polyfoam.
I would also hesitate to use 1.5 lb polyfoam in the support core. While this is certainly a less expensive option than 1.8 lb or higher and it can be made firm enough to be used as a support layer (any density can be made in a wide range of softness/firmness levels) … it is not as durable as 1.8 lb and will not keep it’s supportive qualities as long. This would be something I would only consider for a lower budget mattress.
A thicker latex layer would give more of the response and feeling of latex and the memory foam underneath would become “slower” because the heat would reach it more slowly. I would personally prefer the thicker latex layer but as you mention this may make the upper layers rather thick/soft and I would make sure I tested carefully for alignment. I would personally prefer a thinner layer of memory foam to make up for the extra latex but each person’s experience on a mattress would be the most accurate way to know for certain. this would be especially risky for someone who spent time on their stomach yes (and any 4" memory foam layer may have this risk depending on the height/weight/body shape and the time spent on the stomach).
While this is certainly possible … you (or the sales person) could phone Clare Bedding (who makes the mattress) to find out for certain. The “odds” say it is probably the blended talalay. They have been very responsive to my calls in the past and they seem to be good people (although I’m surprised that they are labeling what appears to be polyfoam as “engineered latex”.