Hi Clint,
I switched your post into a new topic of its own so your comments and questions wouldn’t get mixed in with another member’s topic that has different questions from your own.
[quote]I’ve narrowed the choices down to a few that are in my budget. What I am seeking guidance about is the thickness of the mattresses I’m considering. I fall asleep on my side or back and usually alternate through the night. I prefer a soft/medium mattress. I’m 5’9" and weigh 140 pounds and sleep alone. I don’t particularly care for the sinking/trapping qualities of memory foam, and like that latex is reportedly responsive in some ways like an inner spring.
I have come to understand that mattress thickness can be misleading given materials used for filler or structural components that don’t necessarily add to comfort. However, the mattresses I’m looking at are 6" or 7" of latex, which seems very thin. I know that this is a somewhat subjective question, but are mattresses that thin durable enough for everyday use for a slender person who is a side sleeper?[/quote]
The thickness of a mattress or the number of layers or the thickness of any individual layers inside it is really just a side effect of the design and the design goals of a mattress and is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress relative to any particular person and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful (see post #2 here). In some cases higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges or a lower BMI (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress “as a whole” matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) than it does on just the thickness itself.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
While again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase. I would certainly avoid any mattress that doesn’t meet the quality/durability guidelines relative to your weight range.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (and who won’t just sell you anything they can convince you to buy) and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
They don’t list the density of the memory foam and polyfoam layers so you would need to confirm that they meet the durability guidelines I linked earlier in this reply. If for any reason a retailer or manufacturer is either unwilling or unable to provide you with the information you need you need to identify any lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress I would pass the mattress by.
As you probably know SleepEZ is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
The Roma mattress contains 6" of latex and a cotton stretch knit cover that is quilted with 1.5" of polyfoam on each side of the mattress. There are no lower quality materials or weak links in this mattress that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress relative to any weight range.
The advantage of having a two sided mattress with a different firmness level on each side is that you have two different firmness levels in the same mattress which can increase the odds that one of the two sides of the mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP. You can also flip the mattress over and sleep on the other side if your needs and preferences change over time (either from injury, a change in weight, a change in preferences, or any other reason) and the other sleeping surface would be a better “match” for you either temporarily on a more permanent basis
This mattress contains two 3" layers of latex with your choice of either blended Talalay or Dunlop and your choice of firmness level in each of the layers. It also includes a wool quilted cotton cover and wool is among the most effective temperature regulating materials in the industry (in both directions) and can help keep you in a more neutral temperature range. There are also no lower quality materials or weak links that would compromise the durability or useful life of this mattress either.
This mattress would also allow you to rearrange the layers so you would have a softer or firmer sleeping surface similar to the Roma and it also has the advantage of being able to exchange an individual layer if you need to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress and you can also replace a single layer if one of the layers softens or breaks down sooner than the other over time (which is likely) without having to replace the entire mattress. There is also more about the pros and cons of a component mattress with a zip cover and loose layers vs a finished mattress with glued layers in post #15 here and post #2 here.
Phoenix