natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Oct 6, 2010 1:43 PM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
Hi Folks,

Back to experimenting with surgery mattress... tried my "stack" with and without even a relatively thin 10 year old basic cotton skirted pad (JC Penney)... no more than 3/16 inch thick... and the difference was huge.  Much better without the pad.. which stiffened up and firmed up my top layers of 4 lb mem foam and 19 lb latex so that the comfort supplied by them without the pad was.... almost unnoticeable!  So soft and flexible pad is very important, as many here have commented.

So here is the question:  which of these do you have. like, and recommend.. or would you choose?

 

1.  Walmart (Sandman's)   Out of stock but $169 delivered?

2.   St. Dormeir    $169 free shipping at cuddledown.com   - Nonreturnable

3.   Natura washable  $169 at Bed & Bath order online only.... + 8% sales tax + $15 shipping o= $198 maybe less 20% coupon... but returnable?

 

I am inclined to go with returnable Natura, though folks here rave about St. Dormeir. 

Thoughts, anyone?

thanks!  shovel99

This message was modified Oct 6, 2010 by shovel99
St. Dormier Pad arrived. Nice quality, does add some firmness... and sleeps warmer.. so the jury is still out.??
Reply #36 Feb 3, 2011 9:18 AM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
Came from Cuddledown.com through McGlaughlin Interiors.. not sure how that worked?... $184 "on sale" shipping included.

Very high quality product made my surgery project look like a real mattress again!

 Definitely adds some stiffness (compared to only a sheet over the stack), and feels warmer even than sleeping only on a sheet over top layer of 1" 4lb memory foam, if you can imagine that.  As an engineer, having a hard time believing that it can be 'warmer in winter' (yes) and 'cooler in summer' (???????), and may have it long enough to find out.

The first night I woke up with the stabbing pinched shoulder pain... 1st in months, when experimenting with the cotton flannel sheet blanket.

But the curious thing is that after a day or two, I started sleeping OK on it... even "better."

I am suspicious that the improvement was that I adapted to the firmer mattress by sleeping on my back to escape the shoulder crunch... and then the firmer feel was better for my lower back problems.   There is some extra give from the plush top vs. only a sheet... so a layer of 14 ILD may work just right.. or some other combination might be perfect.

Since I have at least 2 half ;pieces of at least 6 different firmnesses and materials, I can now retry them all with the new topper.

From set theory:   6x6x5x4x3x2 possible combinations for 6 inches high, or 4,320 possibilities.... 11.8 years at just once per night.  I'll be back in touch!

Shovel99/ Paul

This message was modified Feb 3, 2011 by shovel99
Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #37 Feb 3, 2011 8:09 PM
Joined: May 22, 2008
Points: 171
So everyone seems to think that Dormier product is best if you want the least change to your existing mattress. But what if (like me) you are looking to soften (pillowtop up) your mattress? Is one of the Natura toppers better?

Also, I assume that in general toppers have more wool in them than pads, so if you want plushness/softness you want a topper, not a pad?

I guess the bad thing about toppers is that they usually don't have straps or any other way to attach to the mattress, so they can slip around?

Steve

Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #38 Feb 3, 2011 8:17 PM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
st3v3k4hn wrote:

So everyone seems to think that Dormier product is best if you want the least change to your existing mattress. But what if (like me) you are looking to soften (pillowtop up) your mattress? Is one of the Natura toppers better?

 

Also, I assume that in general toppers have more wool in them than pads, so if you want plushness/softness you want a topper, not a pad?

I guess the bad thing about toppers is that they usually don't have straps or any other way to attach to the mattress, so they can slip around?

Steve


Natura topper + Dormeir works well....you can't really machine launder wool toppers anyway.

Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #39 Feb 4, 2011 2:04 PM
Joined: May 22, 2008
Points: 171
"you can't really machine launder wool toppers anyway."

Actually there are washable wool toppers now, like this one from Natura: http://www.naturaworld.com/topper-washable

It's about 1.25" thick which should help in terms of softness. I was hot on this because I fear that any wool will eventually compress and form body impressions, and I thought that washing would "fix" the body impressions. However, I asked about this on the Natura website and they said that "Washing will not guarantee refluffing." So now I am less interested.

In addition, it doesn't have straps or anything to hold it in place, just sits on top of the bed. And its pretty pricey ($360 for king). So, still looking...

Steve

This message was modified Feb 4, 2011 by st3v3k4hn
Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #40 Feb 4, 2011 4:08 PM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
st3v3k4hn wrote:

"you can't really machine launder wool toppers anyway."

 

Actually there are washable wool toppers now, like this one from Natura: http://www.naturaworld.com/topper-washable

It's about 1.25" thick which should help in terms of softness. I was hot on this because I fear that any wool will eventually compress and form body impressions, and I thought that washing would "fix" the body impressions. However, I asked about this on the Natura website and they said that "Washing will not guarantee refluffing." So now I am less interested.

In addition, it doesn't have straps or anything to hold it in place, just sits on top of the bed. And its pretty pricey ($360 for king). So, still looking...

Steve


that washable topper is not nearly as thick as the non-washable ones for the same price.  and out of the 10 or so that we sold, I had one or 2 customers have theirs bunch up on them in the wash.  

A Dormeir and a comfort plus topper could be had for not much more than the price of the washable topper.  and you would be getting 43 oz of wool per yard versus 18.  

Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #41 Feb 4, 2011 5:18 PM
Joined: May 22, 2008
Points: 171
budgy wrote:

  1. that washable topper is not nearly as thick as the non-washable ones for the same price.  
  2. and out of the 10 or so that we sold, I had one or 2 customers have theirs bunch up on them in the wash.  
  3. A Dormeir and a comfort plus topper could be had for not much more than the price of the washable topper.  and you would be getting 43 oz of wool per yard versus 18.  

 

  1. Yes I noticed that! $360 for the washable, $250 for the classic which is essentially the same size/weight/height.
  2. Very useful feedback! So if washing the topper doesn't help refluff it, what's the big advantage to having a washable topper? Just easier to clean if you spill on it or something? (Not a problem for me, my wife is allergic and we have an allergy cover that would keep the wool clean.)
  3. Why buy both the Natura and a Dormier? Why not (for example) get the thicker "super" topper they make? Roughly 4x the wool of the classic for less than twice the price? http://www.naturaworld.com/bedding-topper-plus Has anyone tried this? It looks like it would be awesome for a little while, but I'm worried it would be like my old feather bed and need fluffing all the time.

I am so worried about body impressions that I don't think I want more than an inch or 2 of wool. Natura says the classic is 1.25" thick which sounds about perfect to me. I'm just trying to figure out if this would be softer than Dormier?

Steve

Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #42 Feb 5, 2011 7:34 AM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
I have decided that I don't like the feel of the St. Dormier and will be selling it.  Anyone in this thread interested?  It has been slept on perhaps a week, and has been covered by a sheet,

and will come As New in the original packing.  I am thinking $140 shipped to Conus?  Does that sound fair?

Good luck to all.

 

Shovel99/Paul

Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #43 Feb 5, 2011 12:35 PM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
what kind of allergy cover do you use?  I recommended a pad + topper only because of hygiene.
Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #44 Feb 5, 2011 1:39 PM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
DianeK wrote:


I am astounded that the Dormeir is affecting you that much - it is so thin I never would have thought it could cause problems for you.  So sorry to hear that because as you know I love, love, love mine.
 


Thanks.  I am just like Edison... who after 10,000 failures someone asked if he should give up.  He replied "No, I have just eliminated one more way it cannot be done, so I am making progress."  Or so the story goes. 

 

paul

Re: natura vs. st. dormeir wool filled mattress pad? A Poll!
Reply #45 Feb 5, 2011 2:02 PM
Joined: May 22, 2008
Points: 171
budgy wrote:

what kind of allergy cover do you use?  I recommended a pad + topper only because of hygiene.


I think its the barrier 2 from here: http://www.missionallergy.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=6

I would rather not have it but wife is very allergic to dust mites and insists on a cover. it feels pretty soft to me, i don't think it affects things much...

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