Royal Pedics (prescription) Organic Cotton Mattress Review

[phoenix]

Hi bbunney13,

There are a couple of additional questions i have concerning ILD and component mattresses. SInce I basically live in two different areas I obviously have two different beds to sleep on. Both beds are the older traditional innerspring mattresses with box springs. The one in Las Vegas is in the guest room and is a cheap mattress and pretty horrible to sleep on. So I got the 3" topper from Arizona Premium mattress which is at 25 ILD. It helped a lot in terms of sleeping on that bed. It’s hard to tell if 25 ILD is right for me or not. If feels a bit too soft but that might me due to the underlying mattress. The one in Sacramento is a much better mattress and a very firm one so much that it offered great support but no pressure point relief. I added an Organic Textiles 2" natural latex topper rated at 26-28 ILD and that really helped with the pressure point relief and definitely feels a lot firmer than the the 3" 25 ILD topper. So what I don’t know is in terms of ILD and thickness, how much each measure contributes to how soft or firm it is. If there were both 25 ILD with different thicknesses, how much does the thickness contribute to the firmness verses how much the difference of 2-3 ILD can contribute to the differences. This may be comparing apples to oranges here.

ILD/IFD is only one of several specs that makes one material feel softer or firmer than another (see post #4 here) and the ILD or IFD of different materials or even different types of the same material (such as different types and blends of latex) aren’t directly comparable to each other (see post #6 here). The ILD or IFD of a single layer also isn’t particularly meaningful because every layer and component in a mattress or a mattress/topper combination (including the cover) will have an effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and component and on the sleeping system as a whole and putting too much focus on ILD/IFD or thickness or any other single specification (especially if it’s only a single layer) will most often be more misleading than helpful.

In other words … it’s only possible to know whether the sum of all the parts will be a suitable “match” for you in terms of PPP but it’s not possible to assess how much each of the many specifications of each layer or component (such as ILD, layer thickness, compression modulus, point elasticity etc) is responsible for what you feel.

While knowing the specs that can affect the quality and durability of the layers and components in a mattress is always important … unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and components and their specs and different layering combinations and mattress designs and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would generally be a very small percentage of people) … I would tend to avoid using complex specs to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you may not fully understand or only based on specs for a single layer that may not be as relevant or meaningful as you believe it is then the most common outcome is “information overload” and “paralysis by analysis”. Even the best mattress designers in the industry are often surprised at what a mattress they design “should have felt like” based on the specs when they design it and what it “actually feels like” when they test out their new design.

If you are testing a mattress locally then knowing the ILD’s or other “comfort specs” isn’t important because your body will tell you everything you need to know to decide whether a particular mattress is a suitable choice for you in terms of PPP.

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and any firmness level options they have to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.

Because your own personal experience is the only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP … the options you have available after a purchase to “fine tune” the mattress or to exchange or return the mattress (and any costs involved) can also be a more important part of the “value” of an online purchase just in case (and in spite of the “best judgement” of everyone involved) the choice you make or a specific layering combination doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

I can’t help but think that i would notice while laying on the mattress just how segmented the latex layers are. In looking at their video, it appears that the top layer is one piece of latex so that may make a difference. Having a tightly fitted cover may remedy this to some degree. But I will be discussing all of that with them.

With the solid top convoluted layer and the tight fitting wool quilted cover it’s very unlikely that you would feel any split in between the individual layers or zones and while you would feel the “effect” of the zones … I haven’t heard of anyone where this has been an issue.

Phoenix