I started my new mattress process expecting to buy a major brand at a local chain store. After not being satisfied with that experience, I hit the internet and found this forum. Loaded with great information, I went back out and searched for a better mattress experience than what I found with the chain stores. I found a better experience and product at Cape Fear Bedding with the Golden Mattress but it wasnât perfect. Being a guy who tends to tinker, I started looking seriously at the DIY route. I talked to many suppliers listed here and found that the Dunlop Latex from Sleep on Latex was the right place for me. Dunlop is not as bouncy as talalay but it isnât a sink in feel like memory foam either. It lightly cradles you but mostly you float on top of it like talalay but with slower bounce back. Talalay makes me think of jello while dunlop reminds me of a marsh mellow. Obviously that is just my take on the materials but if you havenât tried dunlop yet, donât dismiss it without giving it a go. It is also, generally, less expensive than talalay.
The process of ordering my latex from sleep on latex started with a couple of phone call conversations with Karl at SOL. He advised me to start with a firmer base and then add comfort layers as I go until I hit the sweet spot rather than try to order the whole thing at once and end up with a layer that doesnât seem right. Of course you can always still make a mistake going layer by layer but it minimizes the mistakes. I planned the delivery for while the wife was out of town for 10 days so i could get it setup as an anniversary surprise. I installed it on top of a slat bed frame with drawers underneath for additional storage.
I started with 2 6" twin xl in firm for the base. I might have gotten away with medium and would have needed a little less comfort layer but playing the odds, I went firmer. I also went with a 2 inch soft comfort layer in a king size. I figured it would be more comfortable too have a solid layer on top of the split base. As it turns out, the split base meshed together so well that I could have been happy with split layers all the way through.
The unwrapping process is not has hard as I expected but it is heavyâŚHEAVY. I would not recommend a full king 6 inch slap to anyone. Start with a split base. It was only like 15 bucks more and very worth it. The 2 inch comfort layer was easy enough to manage and I wouldnât think you need to have a split top for the comfort layer(s) unless you are going for a different feel per side. The 2 inch came cut incorrectly. It was mostly squared up except one of the corners was cut in 2 inches to far and tapered out to full with over about 20 inches on one side. I called Karl and let him know about the problem and they were able to work with me to correct promptly and I am very satisfied with the customer service I received from sleep on latex.
After letting it air out for 12 hours, I laid on the base layer by itself for 30 minutes and decided to forgo a night on just the firm. It wasnât going to work. I like a medium soft and the wife leans towards soft. The firm was legitimately stiff but to my surprise, it didnât cause soreness like laying on a firm innerspring mattress does in a matter of minutes. The mattress didnât really need aired out. It went to full size with in a couple hours and had little smell. So unlike the windows opened stink that Iâve seen some lament, I didnât find these products to be an issue.
I slept for a week on just the base layer and 2 inch comfort layer. It was passable. Had I been on a tighter budget, it would have worked. Deciding I wanted to get it âperfectâ I ordered another soft layer, this time in 3 inches. I had originally planned to go a week with just the 3 inches but the wife talked me into just tossing it on top of the 2 inches and go with a 6 inch base and a 5 inch comfort layer. As per usual, listening to the wife worked out. She has always like a softer bed, so I expected her to love the 5 inches while I would want to jump back to just the 3 inches. I didnât feel like it was too soft at all. It squishes down a bit but mostly it just feels supportive and comfortable. Iâm a side sleeper and I was getting should discomfort on our old worn innerspring mattress. When I sleep on something too firm my arm goes numb. When I sleep on something too soft, I get kinks in my back, shoulders, and neck. The dunlop doesnât feel nearly as âsoftâ as the talalay does and thus its subtle softness âfeelsâ like it is more supportive even if that is just perception.
Along with the new mattress, we also picked up 2 queen sized latex pillows from sleep on latex. They are talalay and are very comfortable, have a nice cover over the latex, and are reasonably priced. I am always looking for a better pillow and this is one of my favorites.
Speaking of Talalay, I also tried out a 3 inch soft layer from dream foam based on the positive feed back from here. It was a great layer and we decided to keep it for another bed, though we may end up using it at some point as well. You never know when youâll want something a little different. It is bouncier but it doesnât distract while sleeping. It isnât like a waterbed but it does âgiveâ more than the dunlop. Interestingly enough, it didnât feel much different having the 3 inches of talalay on the 6 inches of dunlop vs just tossing it on top of the whole setup. Yes it is softer but most of the feel at that point is the talalay and very little of the dunlop is directly noticeable. What was a lot more noticeable than I was hoping is the size of the mattress. Dreamfoam cuts their mattress toppers short of the size of the bed. I have to admit, that bothered me while sleeping on it much more than I expected. at 6â2", I am able to feel the edges at my head and feet and thus it is noticeable. I would probably get use to it but if you are concerned about dimensions, you may want to try a different vendor. The cover, the feel, and the speed of service from Dreamfoam was great but the cut may be an issue.
If you are considering going the DIY route, I strongly recommend considering the dunlop core as a starting point. Whether you add talalay, memory foam, or more dunlop as the comfort layer, the dunlop core has been great over the past month and seems like great bang for the buck.
As Phoenix has pointed out many times, DIY is not for everyone. You wonât always get it perfect with (we ended up with a talalay layer we really didnât need) and that may kill most of your cost savings or just take up time if you have to make returns. But if you get it right, you can build a custom setup that fits your needs better than anything off the self and you may just save a few hundred in the process. We did and it worked out great.
The next step is a new body pillow. Iâve shopped around and havenât been thrilled with the options so perhaps another DIY is in the works.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the threads I started here through my process, especially to Phoenix for the depth of information here, and Karl at Sleep on Latex for taking the time to work with me. You really helped me land on the right mattress.
