Two weeks ago I purchased two foam by mail pieces (6" medium core and 3" soft topper). I like the bed, I've been sleeping well. But I don't like the feel of the bed - it feels awfully jiggly. I'm considering getting a cotton and wool cover from sleeplikeabear or sleepez. Does anybody have any experience with latex uncovered AND covered? Does it make the bed feel less - for lack of a better word - jiggly.

I've also considered that the jiggly-ness might be coming from the lack of a firm layer. Thoughts?

Thanks for the help!

I'm not sure what the answer to your question is going to be.  My latex bed does not feel "jiggly," and actually that's a feel I would appreciate more of - I think.  Although "bouncy" might be a better word.   I have three, 3" layers + a 3" topper.  My latex bed has a knitted cotton and wool mattress cover, which I like very much (although I'm not sure about the sturdiness of the zipper, presumeably I won't be doing too much zipping and unzipping).  My bed is from Flobeds.

It may be that the jiggly feeling you don't like has more to do with the medium firmness you ordered rather than the lack of a mattress cover.  If you would like less jiggliness (lol if that's even a word), I would suggest changing the medium core for a firm core, and having the soft topper over that.  I would definitely suggest purchasing a mattress cover.  In fact, now that' I've read your post, I think I'm going to get flobeds to send me a medium layer to try.

I am planning on a new bed for my daughter, and was thinking of purchasing from sleeplikeabear (just because they are a shade less expensive than Flobeds) and I was looking at this mattress cover, which I think looks very nice:

http://www.sleeplikeabear.com/product/COV-WOL-018

Click on the pictures for closeups of the fabric and the construction.  I looked at many of the mattress covers out there, and for my taste, the way to go is a 100% cotton cover (knit, not woven) with 100% wool padding.  Wool is wonderful material for helping to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  It's a natural flame retardant and it repels bed bugs and dust mites.

I would also suggest getting a waterproof mattress protector to put over your entire mattress.  With the kind of investment we're making in our expensive latex beds, I don't want any stains from liquids or body fluids on the bed I plan on having for the next 10-15 years:

http://www.sleeplikeabear.com/product/MPR-STS-TRY

I hope this helps, and please report back and let us know what you've decided to do and whether it helps.

I have a 6" firm base and 3" soft topper from FBM with the terry cover.  The base was shipped inside the cover but the topper had to be inserted separately. I think I understand the jiggly feeling you're describing because the topper seemed jiggly before I put it inside the cover. Once inside and zipped up, the jiggly (jello-ey) feeling disappeared, but the mattress now has a bounce.  (These terms are so subjective; one person's "jiggle" is another's "bounce.") A Cuddlebed mattress pad gaves it a more cushy feel and I imagine one of the many other mattress toppers would do the same.  Apart from the "jiggly-ness," is the mattress comfortable and supportive?  I think the jiggly feeling is caused by the lack of a proper cover, not lack of a firm layer, but I'm not an expert on the subject. 

By the way, I'm surprised the 6" base had no cover. FBM's website states that a grey & white ticking cover is included automatically, with a terry upgrade available for $20 extra.  I have the terry cover and it's a great value. It is very soft, has a zipper all the way around, and has a nubby surface on the bottom to keep the mattress from sliding around -- though I doubt that a ton of latex would slide very easily. Since you just got the mattress, maybe they'll send you the terry cover for $20 (tell them you "forgot" to order it.)  I would try this approach before going throught the trouble of returning the base.

That jiggly quality is a characteristic of Talalay latex. Some people love it--some don't. Putting the latex inside a cotton cover with wool batting won't change that to any significant degree. Since you are sleeping well on the mattress you'll probably get used to it in time. If you're really bothered by it you might look into getting a Dunlop latex topper. Dunlop has a more neutral feel to it. It's also denser and more supportive than Talalay. A less expensive alternative is to get a 1 " memory foam topper. Just enough to take the edge off the "jello" effect of the latex. One caveat-- with a three inch soft latex topper already in place, anything more might make the mattress too soft for comfort.

I agree with Cloud that it is going to be a little jiggly... that's its nature. But you really should put a cover on it.... I for one do not think these very expensive covers are the way to go. They are very thick and will take some of the 'feel' out of the latex.
When I set my bed up last year, I bought an extra mattress cover from Shopsatin.com for around $20 for a king sized. I haven't used it yet but more than likely will at some point in the future. This is fully zippered and unbleached all cotton . They have 9" and 15" deep sizes.The 9" size with your setup would firm it up just a touch. Try one out and see what it feels like. It won't break the bank.

A mattress cover and/or a thicker mattress pad might mute the feeling a little bit. I just bought a Talalay latex from Flobeds, and at first I found it a bit bouncy/jiggly. It definitely has some bounce to it that a pure foam bed (like Tempurpedic) does not. It is less noticeable when I configure the mattress firmer.

I had never slept on latex or a water bed before, so it was a different feeling. However, I hadly notice it now, so it is not an issue for me.

I have tried memory foam at the top layer, and that does mute the feel as well. I like the feel of a little memory foam at the comfort level, but it can also be too hot for me.

It is my considered opinion, that all mattresses are affected, to a considerable extent, by the mattress cover. In the old days they called the top layer of the mattress the "ticking" I think I spelled that right.

When you stop to think about it, these new plush top mattresses are all about the top cover. To such an extent that you cannot turn them.

So the type of cover that you put the actual mattress into has a great deal to do with the final feel. I agree that a latex mattress should probably have as minimal a top material as is possible and still have good comfort. My FlowBeds has an excellent mattress cover. I find it quite comfortable and I have no" jiggle" from my latex. Now I am using some fairly firm layers. If I were to have all medium and soft cores possibly I would feel some "jiggle".

But by using principally firm and extra firm layers I am getting very good support from my mattress, I wake up refreshed after a very good nights sleep. There's little more that I could ask from my mattress

Thanks all for your input!

Beanie, I bought my latex in person from FBM and told them I didn't want the default cover. They told me the terry cover only came in a 6 inch depth. Were you able to fit 9 inches of foam in your terry cover? And is the cover nice and tight (with a tighter fitted sheet, I've learned that much of the jiggly feeling went away so I definitely want a nice tight cover that will firm up the bed).

Eagle2, I agree that much of modern mattresses seems to be in all the layers above the springs. I'm definitely planning to add some more layers - whether it be a cuddle bed, wool topper, or memory foam layer.

Cardamoms ... FBM must have given you incorrect info about the terry cover; the one I received (8" thick) is available on their web site; just follow this link and scroll down to the terry mattress pad cover just below the striped cover:  http://www.foambymail.com/MatAccessories.html

The cover is much nicer than it appears on the screen. As you can see, it comes in 3" and 8" thicknesses and the 8" will fit 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9" mattresses.  It was not difficult to zip the cover around my 9" mattress, though I occasionally had to push the latex away from the zipper so it wouldn't get caught.  The zipper is on the bottom edge of the cover which made it a little tricky to zip, but the entire process didn't take long, only a few minutes. Keep in mind my 6" core was delivered inside the cover, so I didn't have to deal with lifting all that dead weight. It is a snug fit. If I were you, I'd contact FBM to request the cover at the reduced price you would have received had correct information been given to you. As far as an additional cover, I suggest trying the Cuddlebed only because it's not expensive and you can return it to Costco for a full refund if it doesn't work out.

eagle2 wrote:
I have to agree that the cover is going to effect the final feel of the mattress, but Talalay is still going to be jiggly and it doesn't matter how firm it is. In fact, I found that softer latex allowed you to sink in a bit and nestle into the foam. Lying on firm Talalay was like trying to sleep on a rubber tire. I just felt like I was bouncing around all over the surface, and I think this is what Cardamoms is experiencing. Since she is sleeping well on her mattress it's probably more a matter of getting used to it than resolving a support issue, but she really should put some kind of cover over the mattress, even if it's just a standard polyfil mattress pad.

i don't find talalay to be that jiggly once it's stuffed nice and tightly into some kind of cover (or in my case, until the FBM terry cover comes, a tight fitted sheet). when i was trying out dunlop from savvy rest at my local store, it also seemed jiggly when the cover wasn't zipped up. but that's just my experience.