Hi jrisman,
While this is longer than most people would use a mattress … it also goes to show that the quality and durability of the mattresses the major manufacturers were building 20 years ago when two sided mattresses were more common was higher than they are today. The industry has changed a lot since then … and not for the better IMO. Simmons was actually the manufacturer that started the trend away from two sided mattresses a little more than a decade ago and the other major manufacturers quickly followed suit.
I would certainly agree that it’s time to replace it :).
Latex is a very durable material and while double sided is still a good option and a “value bonus” even for a more durable material … it is not as necessary as when you have lower quality/durability materials in the mattress where a double sided mattress can extend its lifespan considerably. This is particularly true if a mattress has removable layers where the upper layers which are more prone to softening can be replaced without replacing the whole mattress.
Both wool and latex (either good quality Dunlop or Talalay) are great materials and each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages vs other materials. This would certainly be a “natural” mattress and would also be very breathable and temperature regulating. In the end though … it would be a matter of personal preference based on both your “needs” (pressure relief and alignment) and your preferences (a list of the most important of these for most people is in post #2 here). So while I can’t speak to how you will like this particular combination (your body will tell you more than I can) … it would certainly be a high quality and durable choice. Wool tends to become firmer than various foams when it compresses over time which I would take into account as well if you use it in a thicker top layer. I do think highly of Soaring heart and their knowledge and experience with wool.
I think that adding a wool topper to your current mattress will have a beneficial effect and would give you some sense of how a thicker wool sleeping surface will feel but it’s really not possible to “fix” a mattress that has become too soft except on a partial or temporary basis. So as an experiment into the feel and properties of wool it would be a good idea (bearing in mind that it will feel different on softened comfort layers than it would on different materials or layering underneath) but as a solution to a mattress that was past its due date … it may help to some degree but would not be a viable long term solution IMO. Some of the better sources for wool toppers and products are in post #3 here and they would be well worth talking to (they were all very knowledgeable and informative about wool when I talked with them).
You are certainly looking at very durable materials. The latex may last that long (depending on the specific type and layering you choose) … but most people would tend to replace a wool topper sooner than that (perhaps in the range of 10 years or so depending on how sensitive they are to its compression). As you mentioned though … the wool can be re-carded and used in a replacement and this will save a small amount in its replacement (although the savings are not that significant, every little bit helps and re-using it is certainly more eco friendly :)).
Overall though … a combination of latex and wool would make great choices IMO but the key is to find the specific combination that best fits your needs and preferences and the “feel” you are looking for. I think that conversations with the manufacturers and asking lots of questions along with testing a wool topper will give you a much better sense of how you will like it’s unique properties and performance and whether this is a good direction for you. Any local outlets that gave you the ability to test these combinations would also be a big help because your own personal experience is more meaningful than the “theory” of how different layering combinations will feel.
Phoenix