Nick sorry to hear you are still experiencing back pain. I’ll attempt to answer your questions. Maybe the mods will chime in with some more thoughts.
[quote=“nick7790 post=90897”]Well, the slabs finally came in on 12/24, ~7 weeks later. Vanessa kept me somewhat updated when my 36ILD was missing from their shipment.
The 36ILD was 60.5"x81"
The 28ILD was 60x78" (I did ask what the acceptable variance in here)
The 28ILD slab also appeared to be two slabs glued together, but one was heavily discolored/darker compared to the other half and my other Talalay slabs. Everything seems ok from a product standpoint as they both feel about the same, but not sure if this means that it has UV damage or has been sitting for a long time.
They only marked the 36ILD slab, so hopefully I got the correct pieces.[/quote]
What size is your mattress? King? If i’m not mistaken, the largest size mold for talalay slabs is queen. To make a king they glue together two twin XL pieces.
As for the size variance, any chance that this is just due to the elastic nature of latex? If you work the material toward or away from the center does it even out? See the wavy motion APM uses to adjust the latex in this video
Not sure what to say about the color without seeing a picture. Could just be a slight difference between batches.
I don’t doubt that you received the correct 28ild layer but if you want to independently confirm see if their is a tag or a product code stamped on the edges of the slab. If so you can match it witch product codes listed in other post or contact the manufacturer directly.
[quote=“nick7790 post=90897”]//
On the bad side, the first few nights were about the same pain level as what the ROMA + topper was (3" 19ild Tal + 1.5" foam + 3" 29ILD Dun + 3" 38ILD Dun). I’m waking up a few hours early with mid-back pain. My body might need a bit longer to adjust, but I think we need to do some modification. [/quote]
can you give more details on the discomfort you are experiencing? Does it come on relatively quickly or only after sleeping several hours? Do you feel any pressure points or numbness anywhere (hips/shoulders) or is just muscle pain in the mid back early in the morning? How do your hips and shoulders “feel” when sinking in to the current setup. Too much/too little? When in your sleeping position, if your partner looks at your spine at bed level does it appear relatively straight from your tailbone to your neck or is there a curve. If curved, what part the back and which direction? A long straight edge, like a broom stick, might be helpful for comparison.
Previously with the Roma/topper setup you said you felt like you bottomed out the soft top layer and experienced some hammocking. You also said that you rolled your shoulder forward as opposed to sleeping with it directly under you. If this all still the same?
You didn’t mention anything about the new cover. Would it be correct to assume that it made no difference?
after you answer the above questions, the first change you should try is swapping the top and middle layer. Putting the 28 on top will offer more support but the 19ild in the middle will still allow for contouring. Let us know if the symptoms get better or worse, answering all the same questions. Hopefully the comparison will offer insight as to whether you need softer, firmer, thicker, etc.
[quote=“nick7790 post=90897”]I do have the option of a comfort exchange with APM, but the only layer I can see exchanging is the 36ILD support layer for either a 32 or a 28. This will cost around $100 in round trip shipping though where a 1" slab is slightly more than that and infinitely more customizable.
I’m leaning towards starting with 1" of 19ILD Dunlop to go under the 19ILD Talalay layer. If things don’t improve I might try 1-2" of Serene foam on top but also thinking about adding another 2" layer somewhere. Either more 28ILD or 34ILD to go between the 28 and 36.[/quote]
I would caution your plan of action. When making changes, try to swap one thing at a time and like for like so as to introduce as few variables as possible. I.E. swap talalay for talalay and dunlop for dunlop, keeping brands consistent if possible. At least until you have more data points work off of. You might also find that adding/subtracting 1" increments has a relatively small change and might be geared toward fine tuning. Doesn’t sound like you are at that point. I’ll refrain from any more suggestions until you report back.