Hi DakotaMagnum,
I completely understand this. The large majority of people buy their mattress locally and there are many people that are hesitant to make an online purchase regardless of any of the return or exchange policies that can reduce the risk and this is all part of each person’s personal value equation.
Latex is the most durable of all the foam materials but softer versions of any material will be less durable and soften more rapidly over time under higher weights and the areas of the greatest weight concentration. Having said that … there are only 2" of the 14 ILD latex (which is just on the edge of the guidelines of “around an inch or so” I would use if the 2" layer was a lower quality material) so because it’s not very thick and because latex is a more durable material the effects of any foam softening will be less than if the 14 ILD layer was thicker or the material was lower quality. Based on the overall construction of the mattress and the quality of the materials along with Chuck’s many years of experience and customer feedback I think you will be fine and I wouldn’t consider it a weak link in the mattress.
I also tend to cautious with comfort layers (of any type) that are quite thick and/or soft for people in heavier weight ranges because it can sometimes lead to alignment issues if the heavier areas of the body (such as the pelvis) sink in too far relative to the other lighter areas of the body. If careful and objective testing indicates that your alignment is good on the mattress in all your sleeping positions then this wouldn’t be an issue either. It’s a caution I mention to make sure you have tested the mattress carefully for PPP and not just for “comfort”.
A latex mattress has a completely different type of “feel” and response than other types of components so a desire to test latex to see how it feels for you would be the biggest reason I can think of to test an all latex mattress. The type of materials you prefer really are a preference issue and the only way to know how you feel about an all latex mattress would be your own testing or experience. This would be the biggest reason to choose any material or mattress design.
The materials and components in your mattress are good quality and durable and while an all latex mattress may last longer overall than other types of materials and components … the long term durability of a mattress is only one of many parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase and for me PPP would be more important than durability (although one doesn’t exclude the importance of the other). I would rather have a mattress that didn’t last quite as long but that I liked better or slept better than a mattress that lasted a little longer that I didn’t like as much or sleep as well. Latex is also more costly and there are certainly people who would prefer the “feel” and performance of the mattress you have over an all latex mattress.
In other words … if you have found a mattress that you really like and is a great choice for you in terms of PPP and if after reading about the pros and cons of latex in articles such as this it doesn’t seem that important to you to continue your research into other types of mattresses … then it probably isn’t.
Phoenix