Topper Help

[u2roberts]

My wife and I have been on the bed replacement journey. We are on the lighter side and average heights. We tried to buy a Luma Sleep first at the start of the pandemic but kept running into shipping delays so we had to go another direction. We were replacing a 12 year old mattress and started with a PlushBeds Latex Hybrid. We found it to be somewhat uncomfortable and exchanged the topper for a softer one. That didn’t help. We ended up donating the bed and their customer service was helpful. However, they deleted my review from their website.

We did more research and purchased a Brentwood Home Oceano Hybrid, due to my wife liking our guest room Stearns and Foster hybrid with memory foam a lot. It’s a luxury firm. And, we didn’t like the bouncy latex we experienced on PlushBed. The specs are below on our King mattress (resting on a solid platform).

FEEL: The Oceano Mattress offers a medium-soft feel. It rates as a 4.5 on a firmness scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the firmest).
MATERIALS:
Plant-Based Tencel™ Blended Fabric Cover
Softer than silk, with unique moisture-absorbing abilities, our Plant-Based Tencel is airy, soft to the skin, and luxurious. Sustainably-produced from eucalyptus trees, Tencel is a USDA certified biobased material. In fact, the closed-loop system for producing Tencel received the European Award for the Environment from the European Commission.

GOTS Organic Certified Wool
Our 100% GOTS organic certified wool provides temperature regulation, moisture-wicking and flame retardancy without the use of chemicals or synthetic fibers. Our organic certified wool is sustainably sourced from our own organic cooperatives in India.
Wool Volume: 1.2 ouces/sq ft.

Luxurious Natural Poly-Silk Fiber
A premium and unique fiber blend for lightness and enhanced breathability that only natural silk provides.

Cooling memory foam with plant-based BioFoam®
A CertiPUR-US® certified contouring memory foam with plant-based BioFoam® for pressure-relief and cooling.
Density: 4lb/ft3, ILD: 14

Responsive Micro-Support: Up to 1,722 Comfort Coils
A 2.5-inch layer of up to 1,722 individually-wrapped micro-pocketed recycled steel coils for ultra-responsive comfort and precision support.
Counts: King: 1722

Air Luxe Foam
CertiPUR-US® certified. 1-inch of deep comfort for pressure-point relief, that is notably airy and cool.
Density: 1.8lb/ft3, ILD: 30

Ultra Support System: Up to 975 Support Coils
Our 7-zones, 8-inch ActivEdge™ Quantum® Edge coil unit from Leggett & Platt® features up to 975 individually pocketed coils, plus a reinforced perimeter. Total height: 8 inches.
Coil Counts: King: 975

Premium Base Support Foam
1-inch of luxe CertiPUR-US® Certified High-Density support foam.

Organic Cotton Canvas Base
100% GOTS organic certified cotton canvas base in a beautiful Herringbone pattern.

We found the bed to be firmer than was expected. We’ve seen some sites rate it a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale. When we slept on our sides, we both experience shoulder pain. Lower back pain was much better. To solve for the shoulder pain, we purchased a topper from them that contained a wool layer and 2" of 4lb 14 ILD memory foam encased in thick organic cotton. While our shoulders are mostly fine now, back pain has returned. They are offering to send us a different topper that is more firm and made of polyfoam rated at 1.8lb 30 ILD. Will this work to help relieve the pressure points? This topper is simply covered by a thin material, not the thicker cotton and wool layers.

We just want to find the right mattress, preferably with more natural materials, that has good pressure point relief.

Thank you for any input and insights!

Eric

[Sensei]

Hey Eric,

Welcome back to The TMU forum ! Nice to see you and thanks for your question.

My wife and I have been on the bed replacement journey. We are on the lighter side and average heights. We tried to buy a Luma Sleep first at the start of the pandemic but kept running into shipping delays so we had to go another direction. We were replacing a 12 year old mattress and started with a PlushBeds Latex Hybrid. We found it to be somewhat uncomfortable and exchanged the topper for a softer one. That didn’t help. We ended up donating the bed and their customer service was helpful. However, they deleted my review from their website.

Indeed; you have been on your bed replacement journey for nearly a year now! That’s quite a long time to be searching still, but as you mentioned with the pandemic, life has been more than topsy-turvy for all these past many months. I am sorry to hear of your PlushBeds mixed satisfaction experience, Eric. On the good side, it’s nice that their customer service was helpful and did the right thing by helping with your comfort exchange and by honoring your return. On the down side, it’s a shame that your review was removed and that your voice wasn’t heard, one of the many pitfalls of review sites in general. While consumers cannot base their choices on what another may “feel” on a particular mattress, they can gain valuable insight learning of other’s experiences with a brand in terms of the quality and durability of a mattress, as well as the customer service experience provided. Let’s hope that none of these will be a concern during your next experience.

We did more research and purchased a Brentwood Home Oceano Hybrid, due to my wife liking our guest room Stearns and Foster hybrid with memory foam a lot. It’s a luxury firm. And, we didn’t like the bouncy latex we experienced on PlushBed. The specs are below on our King mattress (resting on a solid platform).

Congrats on your new Oceano Luxury Hybrid mattress! Thanks for including the detailed product specs, as that saved a click or two for researching your question. I did take a look at the product page to check out the model’s cutaway images, there are many helpful pics and descriptions of their products for review. To keep the thread tidy, I chose not to re-copy/ paste all of the spec details but will select highlights for reference as needed.

We found the bed to be firmer than was expected. We’ve seen some sites rate it a 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale. When we slept on our sides, we both experience shoulder pain. Lower back pain was much better.

I’m sorry to learn of you both experiencing shoulder pain but happy to know that your lower back pain is improving. Here are several questions to help zero in on your particular comfort issues, Eric. What brand and type was your previous 12 year old mattress? What were some of the qualities that you liked about it? Are you looking for something with a similar feel and response? How long have you been sleeping on your new Oceano Luxury Hybrid? Your bodies may be in the process of adjusting to the different feel of a dunlop latex comfort layer in your former PlushBeds hybrid to the memory foam/micro coil comfort layer of the Oceano. While you describe you both as “We are on the lighter side and average heights”, it would be helpful if you could elaborate more on your personal stats, including height, weight, body profile/ weight distribution and preferred sleep position(s). The Oceano Hybrid support core has seven zones and it would be interesting to know how your bodies are aligning within those areas and how that may contribute to the pressure point pain you are experiencing.

To solve for the shoulder pain, we purchased a topper from them that contained a wool layer and 2" of 4lb 14 ILD memory foam encased in thick organic cotton. While our shoulders are mostly fine now, back pain has returned.

That depends to a degree on your responses to the personal stats question above, Eric. The topper that you’re currently using is a 2" gel memory foam topper. If your shoulder pain is minimized but your back pain has returned, you are having a spinal alignment issue. You may consider having your wife photograph you while lying in your side sleeping position on the mattress. If your alignment is correct, you should be able to see a clear horizontal positioning of your spine from your neck and shoulders to your lower back area. You can do the same experiment for her as well. The degree of “sinking into” the topper will give more clues on how to best remedy both your pressure point pain areas.

They are offering to send us a different topper that is more firm and made of polyfoam rated at 1.8lb 30 ILD. Will this work to help relieve the pressure points? This topper is simply covered by a thin material, not the thicker cotton and wool layers.

A polyfoam of a 30 ILD would provide a medium firmness in feel. For more information regarding pressure relief in the comfort layers and proper spinal alignment in the support layers, please review “The Basic Functions of a Mattress”. Unfortunately, there is no way with any certainty to predict whether this topper will provide the comfort feel that you seek, as only you can “feel” what you feel in a mattress’s materials, comfort layers and support layers. You may find Phoenix’s advice in post#2 insightful as it relates to what you’re going through. Have you been able to talk with someone directly at Brentwood Home regarding your concerns regarding pressure point relief differences in the two toppers?

We just want to find the right mattress, preferably with more natural materials, that has good pressure point relief. Thank you for any input and insights!

We want to help guide you along the path if we can, Eric. Feel free to check out TMU’s Trusted Member Directory, you may find your “right mattress” among one of these fine manufacturers/ retailers who have all earned the “Recommended by The Mattress Underground” credential by providing expertise, quality and transparency in the mattress industry to consumers. Looking forward to your response when you have time… .

Thanks,
Sensei

[u2roberts]

Thank you, Sensei. I didn’t see your response until today. We are still debating a new bed. Our Oceano Hybrid trial runs out in early July. We’ve been on the bed since the end of July 2020. The 12 year old bed we replaced was a natural hybrid mattress from a mattress company in Indianapolis that went out of business. It came from friends who gave us a king bedroom suite. The bed had body indentions on both sides and was too soft.

I’m 5’9" and 140 lbs. My wife is 5’4" and 135 lbs. She is primarily stomach sleeper and some side (40%). I’m primarily a back sleeper with side sleeping (40%). We tried the polyfoam topper and it made things worse. My wife’s back felt better but mine felt much worse. So, we returned it. We are now back on the Oceano with no toppers. I thought I read somewhere that it was not the best idea to put a firmer topper on a softer bed.

So, we’re back in paralysis by analysis. We like the feel of memory foam (sinking in a little) more than the bouncy latex feel. Definitely prefer the hybrid with springs. I want to try the Luna but I’m concerned about the latex mattress given the experience with Plush Beds.

Signed…
Defeated (Ha ha)

[Sensei]

Hey Eric,

Thanks for your reply .

Thank you, Sensei. I didn’t see your response until today. We are still debating a new bed. Our Oceano Hybrid trial runs out in early July. We’ve been on the bed since the end of July 2020. The 12 year old bed we replaced was a natural hybrid mattress from a mattress company in Indianapolis that went out of business. It came from friends who gave us a king bedroom suite. The bed had body indentions on both sides and was too soft.

No worries on the response delay; I was hopeful that meant you found a “restful” resolution by now ?. So your 12 year old hybrid mattress that is being replaced has body indentations and is too soft; was that going on for awhile or gradually over time? Your bodies have definitely had plenty of time to adjust to your new Oceano Hybrid’s nearly year-long trial. What advice has Brentwood Home given aside from the topper exchange?

I’m 5’9" and 140 lbs. My wife is 5’4" and 135 lbs. She is primarily stomach sleeper and some side (40%). I’m primarily a back sleeper with side sleeping (40%). We tried the polyfoam topper and it made things worse. My wife’s back felt better but mine felt much worse. So, we returned it. We are now back on the Oceano with no toppers. I thought I read somewhere that it was not the best idea to put a firmer topper on a softer bed.

Sorry to learn that the topper addition didn’t improve both of yours back pain issues, Eric. With your preferred back sleeping position and her preferred stomach sleeping position, it would seem that a firmer support system rather than a softer mattress would serve you best. As far as whether using a firmer topper on a softer bed, that would defeat the design intent of the softer mattress. Toppers are used to add comfort to a mattress, a “feel” improvement to the upper layers. It is far easier to achieve either a softer or more plush feel by use of a topper, rather than use a firm topper to offset the softness of a mattress with a plush feel.

So, we’re back in paralysis by analysis. We like the feel of memory foam (sinking in a little) more than the bouncy latex feel. Definitely prefer the hybrid with springs. I want to try the Luna but I’m concerned about the latex mattress given the experience with Plush Beds.

Have you considered use of a split mattress/ 2 twin XLs? That would allow you each to have the comfort and support that you prefer. If you like the feel of memory foam over the bounciness of latex, focus on memory foam hybrids in your search, as latex’s feel will never approximate that of memory foam. They are polar opposites in their feel, response, and properties. You may want to check out these quality TMU trusted members offering memory foam mattresses and toppers:

Fox Mattress

Ghostbed

Magic Sleeper

Mattress To Go

MFC/ Memory Foam Comfort

Texas Mattress Makers

The Beloit Mattress Company

Are there any new developments since your last post? Good luck with your research and let us know what you decide.

Thanks,
Sensei