I’m looking at adding a wool mattress pad to go on top of my 2" latex topper, and I’m soliciting your opinions as to what represents the best value. Which wool mattress pads do you think will last as long as possible, be able to tolerate once-monthly delicate laundering, and cost as little as possible? It would also be an advantage if it didn’t significantly impact the feel of the latex underneath it, so I think I’ll want a rather thin wool mattress pad. If I’ve missed a thread on this exact topic, I apologize. It seems like most of the conversations I’ve managed to find don’t delve too deeply into the value proposition.
While only you can decide on which is the best value for you and it will depend on why you are looking to add a wool topper and how effectively the topper would do what you want it to do … post #3 here has some of the better sources I’m aware of for wool toppers or mattress pads. I would be aware that any thicker wool topper will have some effect the “feel” of the latex underneath it depending on the relative firmness of the latex in your mattress and on the thickness, construction, and the type of wool in a wool topper. Post #9 here and the posts it links to may also be helpful as well.
When you are dealing with purchasing product that you aren’t familiar with then the best source of information would generally be a more detailed conversation with the manufacturer of a product you are considering who will know more about their product and how it would feel and perform for most people and its care instructions than anyone else.
I’m aware of all those links and appreciate your time Phoenix, as always. However, I’m really hoping that others might also post with their thoughts and suggestions too. With your site having a retail membership, you have to walk a fine line of mentioning all the players and not singling anybody out. Someone who doesn’t have to play politics has a freer hand to suggest that perhaps there’s a goldilocks product out there that’s “just right” enough and reasonably priced enough that it merits first consideration for those in search of a wool topper.
Some of those megaposts tend towards information overload, and if one tries to follow all the links, and get educated on all the words encountered, it snowballs and quickly becomes a massive undertaking. One new browser tab begets another, and another and so on. I’m not opposed to doing that – I do it all the time and I’m used to it – and the better for it. This, however, is one of those times where I feel overwhelmed and just need some help without consulting an encyclopedia.
Anybody out there with some basic, pointed product suggestions in the more affordable price brackets?
None of the wool manufacturers that are mentioned (except one) are members of the site and there is no reason to “play politics” as you put it :).
The reason that I help the members here with information about “how” to choose rather than the specifics of “what” to choose is because I have enough knowledge and experience to realize that what works well for one person won’t work nearly as well for someone else no matter what the product because of all the variables involved so my suggestions are always about “how” to make the choices that are best for YOU and so you know how and where to find the most reliable information about any product you are considering.
Hopefully some of the members here that have personal experience with any of them or with wool toppers or mattress pads in general will see your post and share the details about what they purchased and how they feel about it (and on it) but in most cases it would be rare that they have experience with a product other than what they purchased.
It would also be helpful if you could provide more details about why you are looking for a wool topper and the type of results you are looking for. Are you hoping to add some additional softness … more firmness … more temperature regulation … protection for your mattress … or some other reason? This will help others to understand the type of more specific advice and suggestions you are hoping for.
I would always keep in mind that each person’s experience can be very different from someone else so knowing “how” to choose is always more important because nobody else can feel what you feel.
I’m mostly interested in added cooling. I sleep warm and while the latex topper I have coming in the mail should do better than memory foam, I suspect there will still be room for improvement.
If you are only looking for better temperature regulation then even a very thin wool/cotton mattress protector such as the St Dormier (see post #89 here) or different sheets such as cotton, viscose, or better yet linen (see post #7 here) may be “enough” to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
If you do decide to go with a wool mattress pad or topper I would probably stick to thinner versions so that it will have less effect on the softness and “feel” of the latex underneath it. Even thin layers of wool (in the range of 1/2" or less) can have a significant effect on temperature regulation but thicker layers can “firm up” any soft latex underneath it, especially when the wool compresses.
I would also consider sleeping on the latex topper with your mattress protector and sheets over it to see how it does with sleeping temperature before you consider the other options you have.
That’s very good advice that I will follow, thank you Phoenix. The St. Dormeir looks promising, and is priced much more reasonably than many of the more luxuriant wool pads. I’ll also be pursuing parallel research into 100% cotton (even the batting/filling) mattress pads, as my desire for hygiene seems at odds with the very delicate/infrequent laundering that even washable wool pads/protectors seem to require. Does cotton batting form impressions more quickly than other types, e.g., wool, polyester, etc.?
Yes … it will begin to pack down and form some impressions fairly quickly in the areas you tend to sleep on most (depending on the type and thickness of the batting and on how it is constructed or tufted) but this will also even out over time as you sleep more on the less used areas of the mattress. Cotton is also less resilient and will tend to be firmer as it compresses and packs down more than more resilient fibers such as wool or even polyester. It is very durable once it has compressed and is “cooler” and more moisture wicking than synthetics such as polyester but it won’t be as temperature regulating as wool.
I have found that I do not need a wool mattress pad – I sleep cool enough with my latex topper that I just can’t ever imagine needing a wool mattress pad in my present configuration. I’d like to compliment the LL Bean pima cotton percale bed sheets I bought too, but honestly I don’t think that’s the biggest part of why I now sleep without the slightest concern for overheating. I’m giving credit to the latex topper for that change – it’s so much cooler than memory foam.