Hi Redneckrecycler,
You are going down a complex path that may involve some trial and error with no guarantee of success.
If the issue with your mattress is that your comfort layers are too thin or firm then adding a topper would help but if they are already thick/soft enough or if the issue with your mattress is that the support layers are too soft then it’s very unlikely that toppers will help. It’s also quite possible that both the thickness/softness of your comfort layers and the firmness of your support layers (which are fairly soft at 28 - 32 ILD) could both be an issue.
If you are committed to trying to “make your mattress work” then I would focus on a more symptomatic and visual approach (along the lines of the testing guidelines) that focused on your spinal alignment and the actual symptoms that you “feel” instead of trying to figure out how many inches you are sinking in or going by “theory” which can be far to complex and not nearly as relevant as your actual experience on the mattress. Post #2 here and the other posts it links to talk about the more common causes for different types of symptoms you may experience on a mattress and may help you identify what is happening but these are only general guidelines and only your own experience can really know whether a mattress or a mattress/topper combination will “work” for you or not.
Your mattress also isn’t designed to make changes to the support layers and if this is the underlying issue (which is quite possible) then a topper would only be a temporary or partial solution at best and at worst could make your symptoms worse.
[quote]So do I send it back and start over? Add a memory foam 2.5 inch 4lbs topper for $99 to tweak/test? Specifically compensate for the waist hip ratio under a lanoodle so as not to throw off hubby and give both our shoulders a touchy more wiggle room?
I apologize for babbling ,but I’m a little sleep deprived.[/quote]
This is of course up to you but if I was in your shoes I would be tempted to return the mattress rather than going down the road of toppers that can involve a lot of trial and error (and cost if there are no return policies) with no guarantee of success. If you do choose to experiment with a few toppers just to see if they make a difference then I would at least make sure that there is a good return policy that you are comfortable with (and they will often involve shipping costs as well) so you can return them if they don’t work out well for you on your mattress. The type of material you choose as a topper would be a preference issue.
I don’t know where you live but there may be some good quality/value mattresses available to you locally (if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know of any better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area) and it may also be worth considering one of the online manufacturers listed in post #21 here that sell component latex mattresses that are designed to allow you to customize the support and/or comfort layers (depending on the design) both before and after a purchase (similar to Savvy Rest) and also have a good return policy “just in case”.
Phoenix