We purchased a very nice mattress from the Original Mattress Factory after visiting this forum. The think is well built, doesn’t sag, and gives consistent support.
It is also VERY firm. We have always had trouble with the top layers of pillow top mattresses compressing so we went the firm route and bought a topper. The current topper is a 4" memory foam from the Sleep Warehouse. It claimed to be a 5 lb topper purchased last March.
I weigh around 275 pounds (very tall), so I would prefer a firmer topper. The current topper is pretty soft and I sink into it. Not sure the ILD rating, Sleep Warehouse may have changed their 5 lb topper. Their current one is rated at 13.
Since I want something more firm that my back doesn’t sink into as much, would I be better with a 2" high quality 5 or 6 lb topper instead? Also any specific vendors with better toppers?
Considered latex, but my wife is extremely allergic to latex. Even the clean latex used in mattresses.
Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to have more information that can help you use your actual sleeping experience to choose the type, thickness, and firmness of a topper that would have the best chance of success. A 2" topper would generally feel firmer than a 3" topper of the same type and firmness (you would feel more of the firmness of the mattress underneath it). A thinner topper will also tend to have less risk of creating alignment issues.
Memory foam toppers can be somewhat tricky because the ILD of memory foam isn’t as meaningful or as good an indication of softness as it is with other materials. The ILD of memory foam also changes with temperature, humidity, and the length of time the memory foam is compressed (it gets softer as it is compressed for longer periods of time over the course of the night).
The density of memory foam is the biggest factor involved in its durability but it often isn’t an indication of how soft or firm a memory foam topper will feel (some lower density toppers are firmer than some higher density toppers). There is more about the many different properties of memory foam that can affect how soft or firm it feels in post #9 here and in post #8 here but the most reliable way to choose a memory foam topper is to have a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable retailer or manufacturer who can provide you with more information about how the memory foam toppers they have available compare to some of the other types of memory foam on the market.
If your wife has a type I latex allergy (the type where most people need to carry an epipen) then of course it would be important to avoid latex completely but if she has a contact allergy or sensitivity to latex then it may be worth considering because with a covered latex topper (which is always a good idea to protect the latex) along with your mattress protector and sheets there would be no contact with the latex. There is more information about latex allergies in post #2 here and most people with these types of allergies would be fine with a latex mattress or topper.
If you prefer faster response materials vs the slower response of memory foam then a high quality polyfoam topper may also be worth considering.