First - excellent site, have learned a lot reading all the overviews!
So far, my only real experience with memory foam has been the purchase of a mattress topper from Costco to extend the life of a “luxury extra-firm” innerspring mattress from an “S” manufacturer. At first if felt like heaven (middle of winter) but by summer I was unbearably hot!
Since our “S” mattresses is way past it’s best before date (we estimate it is now 17+ years old!), suffering from waking up daily with back aches, it is time for a change.
Sleeping hot is a big issue for me but not for my wife who is known to sleep in flannel PJ’s even during summer! At first I was leaning towards the Loom and Leaf mattress as it claimed to be the coolest memory foam mattress on the market with it’s spinal gel layer and plant based naturally cool 5lb foam. However, after further investigation and lack of reviews post 120 days, I’m concerned that gel layers really just act as temporary heat sinks but do gradually get hot. My experience with a foam pillow with a gel layer side seems to confirm this. Cold at the start but quite warm/hot when I wake up.
The other mattress I’m contemplating is the Novosbed. The perforated top layers sounds like it should do a good job of getting airflow through the mattress and keeping things cool. However, I worry that compression from me on it would negate this airflow. The Comfort+ option with Novosbed is also favourable but I fear that this too would compromise the cooling properties of the first layer as you would covering it up with a topper…
I’m very close to pulling the trigger on either bed. The poor exchange rate is almost eliminating the Loom and Leaf from contention (and the lack of full disclosure on the support layer density likely below 1.8lb as described on this site).
There is almost nothing to lose from trying out the Novosbed for 120 days just as summer is about to start to test its true heat management capabilities…
Final question, what firmness to get? As stated above, we have slept on an “S” luxury extra-firm mattress for almost 20 years. Is it best to go with the Novosbed firm and “soften it up” with Comfort+ if we find it too hard or to go with the medium and “firm it up” with Comfort+. I’m a ~210lb stomach-side-back (in that order) sleeper (could be due to being unable to find a comfortable lasting position!) and my wife is a ~130lb side sleeper (who thinks she likes “firm” because as a kid that’s what the family doctor recommended to the family).
Long story short, any advice on what system actually works for memory foam for “hot sleepers”? Is there a system (Leesa’s aveno foam? Gel infused miracle I’m not aware of?) I should also look into? Is latex a better (but more expensive?) proposition?
Thanks again for this great and informative site.