Hi Rhizzlebop,
There probably wouldn’t be that much difference between them although the one with the base foam would be a little softer (the mattress would be thicker and the bottom 2" would be softer than the floor).
As far as comparing microcoils and latex … it really is an apples to oranges comparison and would also depend on the other layers in the mattress which are part of how much of the “microcoil” feeling will come through. In the end it would be based more on the subjective perceptions of each individual which can vary from person to person.
Microcoils are a good component but it would start getting far too complex and probably confusing to try comparing apples to oranges or “designing” in a different component completely at another manufacturers who doesn’t normally supply them and then trying to predict how it would feel for any particular person with all the different combinations involved (materials above and below the microcoils and differences in various microcoils themselves). If they are not normally available from a particular place … I would tend to limit my choices at each place to what they normally have available. In other words … the “feel” and performance of a mattress depends on all the components and how they interact together not just on any particular one.
No … there are hundreds if not thousands or different products available and I personally wouldn’t tend towards feathers anyway. There are many other choices of foam or fiber that would also be suitable (lower resilience materials of various types). In any case … I would first buy the mattress and sleep on it and then use your actual experience with the mattress to decide on any possible fine tuning that may be needed rather than trying to include two variables in your decision (unless you have tested them specifically together). Post #10 here and some of the links in it may help you in terms of materials, post #4 here has some of the better sources I know for toppers, and post #3 here has some of the better sources for wool mattress pads and toppers but I would completely leave this till after you have slept on the mattress and have a better baseline for how you may want to fine tune it. There are also many memory foam toppers which are cut to full size rather than a little short in width or length.
Unfortunately I don’t have the time available to work with people on an individual basis beyond the help I can provide on the forum and I would quickly be overwhelmed. I much prefer to have each person deal with the local manufacturers or retailers directly and my role is to gradually identify better possibilities in each area to work with rather than helping with more specific or individual issues.
Talalay latex is only made by two manufacturers … Latex International and Radium and the blend for both of them is about 70/30 synthetic/natural and I would call both of them good quality/value (many sites list the Radium as a 60/40 blend but this isn’t correct). Both are available through various sources but in her case it’s Latex International. In an apples to apples comparison (thickness, design etc) I wouldn’t pay a significant premium for one over the other although some manufacturers prefer one over the other for various reasons.
[quote]Sorry for all the questions, but we are close to an move being made and get this done.
Overall, I feel like I LIKE the soft top layer, and feeling like I “lay down through the soft layers, and feel the firm under it” while my lighter weight fiance mainly just feels the soft top layers and just a smidge of the under lying firm.[/quote]
No problem at all. Just remember though that my role is not to make final decisions or design mattress for people based on theory but to help them get to a place where all their choices are good ones and then get out of the way. so that the final choices are based on their own value equation rather than mine. Your next step is to narrow down your choices to one at each outlet (based on yoru personal testing and your conversations with each one) and then look at the pros and cons of each to make the best possible choice based on your specific value equation. Finding the one that is “best” is not a specific objective process but a process that takes into account “gut feelings” and all the many objective, subjective, and intangible differences between each choice you have. Trying to define the “best for you” in only objective ways (or only on price) or based only on the “commodity value” of each mattress would become overwhelmingly confusing and probably impossible.
If you particularly prefer microcoils over other materials for example … then I would ask yourself whether it’s worth the extra price for the specific choices you have available in terms of better PPP (based on your own personal experience not on “theory”). If it is then you would be limited to the mattresses that used them in your final choices. If not … then I would exclude it.
You are in a place where you have good options to choose from and once you have narrowed down your choices to one at each place (and your confidence with the guidance of each is part of the intangibles that are part of the “value” of every mattress purchase) then you can make your final choice. Trying to incorporate too much “theory” into the process or trying to include too many options (especially ones you haven’t tested in person) will tend to make your choices much too confusing and can sometimes lead to “paralysis by analysis” because you won’t have the specific context and experience to choose between them based on your own perceptions on each mattress.
Phoenix