I’m new to the forum but have read lots of the posts. I’m an “older” female side sleeper and I’m leaning toward a local manufacturer who provided the following information:
“The 1400 Stratus Latex mattress has a 4” hi-density polyurethane base and 7" solid Talalay latex. The 7" solid Talalay latex is constructed of a 6" 36ILD core and 1" 14ILD on top of the core.
The 1900 Natural Rest Latex mattress has 12" solid Talalay latex covered in our Outlast covering. The 12" solid Talalay latex is constructed of a 6" 36ILD core and then layered as follows, 2" 24ILD, 2" 19ILD, and 2" 14ILD."
Would the 1400 be too firm for side sleeping? If it is too firm would a topper likely soften it enough? What ILD? It seems comfortable in the store but I’d need to spend the night on it to see how my hips like it.
They do have an exchange policy but there is only the one other latex mattress that would be suitable, the 1900. Would it offer enough support? It’s nearly double the price but would be worth it for a comfortable supportive mattress.
I would appreciate any guidance you can offer. Thanks!
I really don’t know because firmness and softness is quite subjective and relative to each person’s body type, preferences, and individual perceptions. You can see more about making comfort choices in mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here but in “theory” and based on “averages” I would think that the 1400 would be on the “too firm” side for most people that were side sleepers.
While all mattresses have a break in period where the materials settle and lose any false loft they may have and fibers compress and covers stretch … latex will be less than other materials and it will maintain its firmness over a longer timeframe than other materials as well so most people side sleepers would probably need a topper with the 1400 to add some softness to the comfort layers. Your own personal testing and perception will be much more accurate than any “theory at a distance” though.
If you do decide to buy the 1400 then I would use your actual sleeping experience on the mattress over the first few weeks (not just a night or two) and the topper guidelines in post #2 here and the other posts it links to as a way to make the most “educated guess” about a topper that would be most likely to work well for you in combination with the mattress.
Again … there are too many variables and unknowns to use “theory at a distance” as an effective way to know if a mattress provides good alignment and your own testing along the lines of the testing guidelines linked in post #1 here is the best way to know how well a mattress matches your needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). “In theory”, it would be better for side sleeping for most people but because there is 6" of softer materials on top I would make sure you test it carefully for alignment because for some people this could be a “risky” construction.
All the materials in both mattresses are good quality materials (assuming that the 4" of polyfoam in the 1400 is on the bottom of the mattress which I’m sure it would be) and there are no obvious weak links so it’s really only the suitability of each mattress for your body type, sleeping style (there are many variations of side sleeping or the length of time people spend in other positions), and preferences that I would focus on along with how it compares to other mattresses you may be considering in terms of your personal value equation