Thanks for the wealth of detailed, hard-core information you provide! (And thanks to all the forum contributors as well.)
My husband and I have an 8-year old Duxiana bed. I think our bed is still in good shape, but the latex topper has lost its life. Though we flirted briefly with the idea of sizing up to a king as our multiple pets love to pile into bed with us, our NYC apartment does not allow for that, so Iâm just looking for a topper now.
Even without the pets, both my husband and I found the latex to be a bit warm, and I bought a wool fleece cover (not a topper) a while ago, which helped though I think it still could be better. My husband is 6â4" 180 lb., and moved around a lot in his sleep. (I think he sleeps mostly on his side or back but sometimes ends up on his stomach on top of a pillow.) Iâm 5â3" and 115 lb., and I sleep on both my side and back. My husband definitely prefers a softer âfeelâ and likes the feeling of sinking into a plush bed, while I prefer firmer. âŚWeâve had this same discussion around sofas⌠But since my husband has more aches and pains than I - he has a lot of lower back problems and elbow aches from athletic injuries - I will go with a softer feel.
I thought of looking beyond Dux as I didnât think it made sense to pay for the premium for âjustâ a topper, and I wanted more options. My husband and I actually tested out the Hastens bed just for kicks (beyond our budget!), and i was lulled by the firm-yet-soft feel plus the salespersonâs promised of how âcoolâ horsehair sleeps.
Looking around, I thought maybe it would make sense to combine two toppers: a 2-3" latex one like we have and then a 1-2" wool one on top for a more âpillowyâ feel plus better temperature regulation. I was thinking about buying the two from Holy Lamb when I found your treasure trove of info. Now it seems like maybe thatâs not the best idea, as (1) the wool will compact over time (tho I am OK with throwing it in the dryer occasionally to fluff it), and (2) maybe that would be too much topper?
I also saw your mention of Spindle, and they seem to have great prices on toppers. If I went with them, would i be better off with the âMediumâ firmness due to my husbandâs size? Then do you have any suggestions on improving both temperature regulation and âpillowy-nessâ?
I can certainly help with âhowâ to make some of the choices you hope to make by providing information about the pros and cons of different options that are available to you but unfortunately there isnât a formula that can predict how well any topper will work for a particular person on a particular mattress with any certainty because there are too many unknowns and variables involved to make specific topper suggestions and because softness/firmness can be so subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual perceptions as well as the firmness/softness of your mattress which will also affect how soft or firm your mattress/topper combination will feel as well.
The type of topper you choose would also be a preference issue because some people prefer the feel and response of different materials than others but there is more information about how to choose a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to that can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. It also includes a link to a list of some of the better online sources for toppers Iâm aware of as well.
There is also more information about wool toppers in post #8 here and the posts it links to which also includes a link to a list of the better sources for wool toppers Iâm aware of as well.
While itâs also not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system for any particular person because there are so many variables involved with this as well and there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials ⌠there is also more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
In many cases if you are sleeping warm on latex it can be from the type of mattress protector you are using or your sheets and bedding which can both have a significant effect on temperature regardless of the type of materials in a mattress or a topper.
Yes, there are so many variables. I did already read the posts you suggested, but I guess it boils down to the fact that I wonât âknowâ until I actually buy a topper and put it on my specific mattress!
Meanwhile, perhaps you could try to answer a more specific question: if I get the 3" medium topper from Spindle, do you think a 2" wool topper will end up firming it up or softening it? (And I know, sadly, that even this question may be tough to answer. The Wool Bed Companyâs 2" topper weighs 14 lbs and the Holy Lambâs 2" topper is 9 lbs, so the Wool Bed Companyâs must feel much firmer.)
This will also vary depending on the specifics of the wool topper, your weight range and body type and sleeping positions and your individual perceptions but it will likely have both a softening and a firming effect at the same time that would combine together. The surface âfeelâ and firmness would probably be a little softer than a medium latex topper but the wool topper would also reduce the ability of the latex underneath it to contour to the shape of your body so it would likely firm up the latex as well. You will feel the effects of both toppers at the same time (along with any influence that comes from your mattress as well) and which one would be âdominantâ would depend on the person because there are different types of firmness/softness that different people are more or less sensitive to that can affect how they rate a combination of materials âoverallâ (see post #15 here).
In very general terms wool toppers that are thicker or that contain more wool would generally feel softer but the breed used for the raw wool and the thickness and resilience of the wool fibers, the compression of the wool batts, the tufting or quilting of the topper, and the overall processing, construction and layering of the topper along with the amount of wool inside will all affect the feel and performance and the firmness of the wool topper so I would suggest a conversation with any retailer or manufacturer you are considering to talk about a specific topper and your experience on your mattress if you arenât familiar with a specific wool topper or with wool toppers as a whole.