First, thank you forum members (especially Phoenix) for the content produced on the message board itself, as well as on the site as a whole. These materials has made it unquestionably the best site on mattresses I have found on the internet, and the attention to consumer education and detail is unparalled IMHO.
That being said, I bought a Sleep Number C2 bed as a core about 30 days ago with the intention of also adding a high quality topper (before reading on the forum, of course, as I now see some of the issues with airbeds). I have 1" of cheap foam on top, which previously I put on top of an old innerspring mattress. Frankly, it’s been a nice upgrade from my bad old innerspring, but some of the issues with airbeds are starting to become apparent (e.g., lack of progressive resistance, hard to get spinal alignment and pressure relief simultaneously, as spinal alignment has been good, but have been some pressure points, and if i adjust to reduce pressure points then spinal alignment isn’t as good). Fortunately, I have 60 more days to return it if I wish - I’d rather not go through the hassle to be honest, but given how important a bed is, I am willing to do so for better options. I wish to ask 3 sets of questions given this:
Would it be reasonable to put a high-quality topper on top of the C2 to have a high-quality bed? If so, how many inches is enough for side and back sleepers (wife and I are both about 5"10" 165 lbs)? I am thinking of memory foam and latex. Frankly, I have been subconsciously wooed by memory foam advertising over the years and it does feel awesome in the store, but I am wary given the issues with its durability and uneven “sinking in.” Conversely, I have only tried latex at Ikea and it wasn’t so comfy, but probably that is not representative of high quality latex and thus an unfair comparison. Or, could I get 2 2" toppers and stack them with one topper of higher firmness than the other (as many high-quality ones I have seen linked from the forums are sold in 3" increments, if 3" is enough?)
I could return the C2 as a core and just start over. My main concern with this (aside from inconvenience and cost, which I can live with) is that my wife and I won’t fully agree on what feels best in the long run and we will be making continual returns. In this case, would you have other links on the forums for recommended constructions that are used (e.g., layer by layer)? We both have had back pain and would be great to just have a well-made, comfortable mattress.
If I were to start over, as far as fast response comfort layers, is latex the main material that people often prefer? Memory foam seems to feel so awesome for comfort, but given the slow response (which wife may not like, and may become uneven over time) and maybe I just haven’t tried good enough latex, I wanted to ask. I have seen buckling gel also mentioned, but have not tried yet either. In starting over, I often see questions about the quality of different layers - is there specific guide for what numbers reflect high quality for each layer (e.g., I have seen HD and HR mentioned, but wasn’t familiar with more detail than this).
My total budget goal is $1000-1200; I could higher if there was something really impressive though, as I recognize we spend more than 10k for a car, yet spend so much time on a bed - I really want to get it right, but am frustrated with lack of full success so far. I’ve spent 600 for the C2 (queen size) so far, but this price range is a target goal if possible. Phoenix, thank you for your links to local shops in the Tampa area … when I take a quick look online it seems like high quality queen-sized beds can be found for 500-700!? Many thanks in advance for all help.
It would most likely be an improvement and would create a comfort layer that was more adaptable to your different sleeping positions but no matter what you put on top of an airbed the support layer will still be air which IMO is the least suitable support surface regardless of the comfort layers above it. You could use a firm setting which would prevent sagging in the airbed and then use a thick enough comfort layer to isolate you from the firmness of the air bladder but again it would still have an air bladder as a support system with it’s inherent weaknesses.
If you did decide to go in this direction there are too many variables and unknowns to use a formula or theory to decide on the thickness and firmness of a comfort layer but mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here has links to some of the pages on the site that talk about some of the theory behind layering and has more information about some of the design concepts involved. Your own personal experience though is always the only way to know with any certainty which combination of layers and components work best for you and the guidelines are just general concepts that can act as a starting point rather than specific designs that will work for a particular person.
There are many people who love memory foam and if a mattress uses good quality memory foam (4 lb density or higher) in the right layering it can be a great choice. As long as a mattress design provides good PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) then the choice of material is really a personal preference not so much a “better worse” choice. All mattresses need to allow for “uneven” sinking in because some parts of the body are lighter and wider (such as the shoulders) and need to sink in more easily and deeply than the heavier and narrower parts of the body such as the pelvis (see post #6 here). Good quality memory foam in the right design and with suitable support layers (memory foam is too soft to use as a support layer) can certainly make a great mattress for those who have a preference for memory foam.
There are many ways to accommodate different preferences in a mattress and mattress designs that can adapt to a wide range of body types and sleeping positions and do this automatically because of the properties of the materials rather than having to change something in the middle of the night. There are even mattresses available that have different designs on each side of the mattress. the first part of post #2 here includes some of the ways that can accommodate couples with different needs and preferences.
The most effective approach is to use your own careful and objective testing (using the testing guidelines in post #1 here) and the guidance of a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer rather than trying to design a mattress based on specs which isn’t really an effective approach.
No … not at all. It’s just one of many options for different materials or components that people may prefer. Latex has many advantages over other types of foam (you can see some of the pros and cons of latex in this article) but some people just don’t like it and others just prefer other materials or components. The choice of materials is always a preference and all materials and components have high quality and durable versions and people who prefer them.
There are certainly some good quality and durable mattresses available in your budget range. The most effective approach is to go through each step in the tutorial post one at a time and this will help you make the best possible choices. A “theoretical” approach will never be as effective a way to choose a mattress as letting your body tell you which mattress works best for you and then making sure that the mattress you prefer doesn’t have any weak links that can soften and break down too quickly and that the layers are good quality regardless of the type of materials you prefer.