Hello, I’ve got a 10" latex mattress with a basic protector, and I’m looking to add a little more cushion for the wife. I’ve been looking at several wool mattress toppers:
The flobeds one looks good - it’s less expensive and specifically mentions it has wool batting which others don’t. My concern is that it has 6 3/4 lbs of wool, which doesn’t seem like much, especially compared to the Solus. I’m assuming that less wool means less cushion and more chance of it clumping together over time.
The Solus has 2 lbs/yd, and if my math is right a King bed would be 9 sq yds, so that equals 18 lbs. My only concern with this one is the buttons used, and whether I would feel them when laying on them.
The Sleep and Beyond one has 30 oz/yd, so a little under 2 lbs/yd. However some of the reviewers on Amazon said it flattened out pretty quickly.
I’m dealing with a bit of decision paralysis, especially since most places won’t let you return these if it doesn’t work out. Any recommendations, considerations, or other choices would certainly be very welcome!
When you are looking to add a wool topper to your bed, keep in mind that wool is not a pillow top layer. A soft piece of natural latex would be a pillowtop layer or “cloud like.” Wool is topper that ends up being more like a medium or a firm piece of latex in firmness comparison.
For the Solus, I think their calculations must be off. There is no way a 1 inch topper could be 18 lbs. That is more the weight of the supporting wool layer in a wool mattress. To compare, our 3 inch topper has 12.75 lbs wool batting.
Wool toppers (to be distinguished from wool mattress bases) use wool batting. A batt is a smooth sheet of fiber. You would want a congruent piece of wool to sleep on, or it would be rather lumpy. Batts start out lofty and do compress. It takes between 2-6 months to compress and it also takes a little effort on your part on rotating the topper and sleeping in different spots for that first month or two so you don’t create crevices and valleys in it. Once it has compressed, the surface is a little springy, yet firm.
I would think that the thinner you go, the less firm it would feel as you would have more chance to feel your mattress underneath it.
The wool will not clump. Toppers are tufted to hold the wool in place so it doesn’t slide around in the sheet. The batt will not come apart inside the fabric.
Dremata has a 3" organic wool topper which, I was told, weighs 30lbs. I understand that this is ‘compressed’ wool, but it seems to weigh twice or even 3 or 4 times more compared to others, and the price does not reflect that difference. ???
There is some history that would make me VERY cautious about dealing with Dremata, Green Mattress Factory, or any of their other websites. I would make sure that you’ve done more research and read post #2 here and post #6 here and the information it links to before making any purchase from them. (NOTE ADDED: their website appears to be down and their phone number disconnected so they may have gone out of business once again … see some of the recent complaints at the BBB here).
I would add a “ditto” to diynaturalbedding’s comments here …
Wool is a great material that is a strong preference for some people and there are certainly some good benefits to sleeping on wool but I will echo diynaturalbedding’s comments that it will be different and firmer than sleeping on a soft foam material (and it will also get a little firmer as it compresses over time).
The type of breed used for the raw wool and the thickness and resilience of the wool fibers, the compression of the wool batts, the tufting or quilting of the topper, and the overall construction and layering of the topper along with the amount of wool inside will all affect the feel and performance of the wool topper so I would suggest a conversation with any retailer or manufacturer you are considering to talk about a specific topper and your experience on your mattress if you aren’t familiar with a specific wool topper or with wool toppers as a whole.
A queen size topper is about 3.7 yards.
The Flobeds wool topper would be 6.75 lbs / 3.7 = 1.82 lbs/yd of wool
The Solus wool topper is listed as about 2 lbs/yd which would be 3.7 x 2 = 7.4 lbs in a queen which is very similar.
The Sleep & Beyond is about 1.8 lbs/yd but uses Merino wool which is a breed that produces finer wool which is softer but would compress more (as you noted) and many manufacturers of wool toppers believe that a medium fine or thicker wool does a better job as a topper (vs a comforter).
There is also more about wool toppers in post #3 here.
There are also some topper guidelines in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
Phoenix
PS @ Mark in Texas …
This could be a very risky choice for many people who already had softer latex in the comfort layers of their mattress or were in higher weight ranges. I would always keep in mind that what works for some may be completely unsuitable for others and the goal is always to make choices based on what is best for each individual person and their unique needs and preferences.
This could be a very risky choice for many people who already had softer latex in the comfort layers of their mattress or were in higher weight ranges. I would always keep in mind that what works for some may be completely unsuitable for others and the goal is always to make choices based on what is best for each individual person and their unique needs and preferences.[/quote]
Every bedding purchase is a “risky choice”. Just giving my opinion Phoenix based on my experience… if that’s OK.
I’m 210 lbs., a back and side sleeper with rather broad shoulders. I am blown away by the support I get from the 3" of 19 ILD on top and the 3" 28ILD under that. It’s like the 36 on the bottom doesn’t even exist. You sleep on top of latex, not in it like gel memory foam.
This wasn’t an opinion … it was specific advice and a specific recommendation that has very high odds of being an unsuitable choice for many people. If someone that read it believed that you were an “expert” because of the “certainty” of your tone and language they may take your advice to heart and could make a costly mistake.
This wasn’t an opinion … it was specific advice and a specific recommendation that has very high odds of being an unsuitable choice for many people. If someone that read it believed that you were an “expert” because of the “certainty” of your tone and language they may take your advice to heart and could make a costly mistake.
Phoenix[/quote]
Phoenix, I’m not a nanny and I’m not out to force anyone’s hand. No one takes anything as fact on this site or any other…it’s the internet for crying out loud. You do your homework, pay your money and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
People make choices and your advice may only add to their confusion as you tend to really go overboard with this stuff without taking a stand, which is what folks seek when they come here.
My specific recommendation still stands regarding choices and vendor. You’re the expert, I got it.
The “expert” members of the forum are the ones that are identified by their icons as an expert (diynaturalbedding who has been posting in this thread is an example).
I’m the one that designed and runs the site, set the goals and objectives I wanted it to achieve, is responsible for making sure the information here is as accurate, meaningful, and relevant as possible, and wrote the rules and moderates the forum
[quote=“Phoenix” post=36036]I’m the one that designed and runs the site, set the goals and objectives I wanted it to achieve, is responsible for making sure the information here is as accurate, meaningful, and relevant as possible, and wrote the rules and moderates the forum
Phoenix[/quote]
Can you fix the Search feature please? It’s worthless.
I split your comment from the original thread as a new topic.
Which search feature are you referring to and what is it you can’t find? (see the help section here).
It works the way it’s supposed to (although I would love it if the Kunena software developers added some additional features but it’s an open source system run by a large volunteer community).
Thanks everyone for the replies, and I certainly appreciate the different opinions since that’s exactly what I’m looking for.
First one correction…
Yes, you are spot on, it was actually my math that was off. Phoenix, I see you listed a queen size as having 3.7 yds, and I’m figuring an 80x80 King would clock in at 4.97 yds. So the 1" Solus would contain about 10 lbs of wool total.
However, based on the comments so far, it seems the one thing that everyone is agreeing on is that a wool topper may not be what I really want to add some “cushion”. My mattress is a Brooklyn Bedding Total Latex 10". It has a 6" 32 ILD core and a 3" 32 ILD top layer. I could try to change out the 3" layer on my wife’s side to maybe a a 24 or 28 ILD version. Would that have a better chance of success?
The cost to do this would be about the same as purchasing a new topper, so that isn’t really a factor. Or if I should be looking at toppers made from other material I’m open to that too.
A king size is 76" x 80" which would be 4.69 yards and multiplied by 2 lbs/yd would be 9.38 lbs in a king size (although the 2 lbs is probably an approximation).
Your best source of guidance about a layer exchange would be a more detailed conversation with Brooklyn Bedding who will be able to use their knowledge and experience about their mattresses and other customers that are similar to you to help you decide on the firmness of a layer exchange that would work better for you and/or your wife. The more specific and detailed information you can provide them on a phone call about you, your preferences, your current sleeping experience on the mattress, and what you would like to change … the better they will be able to help you.
The cost of a layer exchange would end up being $75 for shipping which is much less than a topper.
If you do decide to add a topper … then post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point to help you choose a topper that has the best chance of success.
Yep. The opinions stated are usually based on personal experiences. That’s what’s important. You can “what if” this stuff to death whereby you leave more confused than when you came in thru the revolving door. :lol:
Correct, and the reason why I recommended a plush ILD topper, split or not. I did talk to one vendor who sells VERY expensive wool quilted toppers and he was really trying to push them. When I checked out his outrageous prices, it became very clear as to why. His position to me (before I chose to buy a 2" slab of 14 ILD) was that I was looking for more cushion and wool would deliver.
I’m curious, why the 32 on top of a 32? Were you trying to build height and maintain a firm feel? I have a 19 ILD topper UNDER a stretchy encasement, mattress cover and fitted sheet and my body’s indention really isn’t very much. IOW, I’m still on top, not in. That’s how resilient talatech latex is to me.
What I like after months of research which includes in store topper and mattress trials, 12 pages of notes and finally personal experience - latex.
[quote]I always get zero results. For example, just typed in “taladay latex topper”…nada.
Thanks [/quote]
Did you read the help tab with the search instructions I linked? I think you are using the wrong search engine.
“Taladay” is a misspelling of “Talalay” but a forum search on “Taladay latex topper” (you can just click this) will bring up 3 results (all of them your posts except for this reply)
A forum search on “Taladay” by itself will bring up 14 results including this one.
I really like the way this forum works, it’s clearly the opposite of when you go into a store and they try to sell you something more expensive simply because it’s better no matter what.
Like in my case I’m happy with a mattress that normally would not have been a good match with my sleeping position, but it is.
So I’m glad that website did not push me in one direction or the other, I could have choose something that was not the best for me, but perceived as being a “better choice” or “getting more for my money”. Instead of that, I have learned what to look for and I made my own choice and I feel that it was the best according to my personal situation.
Now I agree with Phoenix that having someone who always points to what he have done and how that’s better then everything else is not only annoying, but it could point some people in the wrong direction.
Seeing that insult was obviously directed at me, I will not take that hit. You’re annoyed with me because I built a knock off of what you chose at less than 1/3 of the cost.
We’re both happy with our choices, so let’s just cut the forum politics, OK? Nobody is pushing you or anyone else to make a choice. We all have free will.
FWIW, one of the reasons why I have a 14 ILD topper coming this week is from store testing a 14 ILD Latex Bliss topper aka Latex International talalay foam, and, talking to experts like the Coffeys at KTT.
