Hi everyone - I found this forum several weeks ago after I could no longer ignore the nightly beating my current mattress was giving me. WOW - you all are such a great resource, I only wish I had found this forum two years ago prior to my mattress purchase. Well, I've been making up for lost time and devouring threads on here for the last few weeks, exploring webpages for retail stores and online sources, and I think I'm finally ready to ask a few questions.

 

Background: very unfortunately for us, two years ago we paid about $1600 for a Serta Vera Wang "Toast" Eurotop "with latex" (queen). Body impressions were noticeable after a year or so but they have gotten progressively worse over the past year, with an uncomfortabely ridge in the middle. (Of course they're only an inch, and the warranty is 1.5", but I'm sure the mattress has a spot or two that voids the warranty anyway). My husband and are both back and side sleepers, average height/weight (I'm 5'4 and 130lb, he's 5'7 and 145lb). We didn't have any major pain until the mattress developed these divots.

Thanks to the many helpful pictorials and explanations on here, sliced into the quilted portion of the pillowtop to inspect. Wow - crappy. And only a half inch of "latex"?! The quilt is about an inch, then the rest of the pillow top section is two 1" pieces of PU foam, then there's about a 4-6" thich piece of foam above the springs. The official list of components is here: http://www.americasmattressoc.com/Plush-Vera-Wang-Vera-Toast-Euro-Top-Mattress-p/vwi042746al.htm

 

Rather than start from scratch, we'd like to try to find an inexpensive solution (ideally under $600) we can live with for a year or two until we're ready to spring for the perfect mattress setup. One picture so far, below.

  

Here are my questions:

 

If we remove just the pillowtop portion (about 3-4"), would a 2" medium firmness piece of Latex International talalay latex be a sufficient replacement? (ILD appx. 26 I think). This would be placed over the 4-6" of foam on top of the springs. Would this crappy lower foam still tend to develop divots with the latex on top?

 

If we removed both the pillowtop AND the thick PU foam separating the springs from the pillowtop, what would be a recommended replacement? Maybe 1" firm, 2" medium and 1" soft? (I'm not fluent in ILDs yet...)

 

I'm in SoCal and plan to tour OC this weekend to test out latex toppers and mattresses (I also want to see what good quality innerspring mattresses are like, i.e. Vi-Spring and probably Custom Comfort). Am I missing anything on my itinerary?

 

Foam Sweet Foam

Ergo Comfort

Custom Comfort

Maybe Modern Furnishings in Laguna Beach (to check out their Vi-Springs to see if they're worth saving for and to compare with the latex solution. And by "saving for" I'm envisioning the entry-level Elite or maaaaybe the Coronet models - in the $3-$4k range and that is it. Prefer not to have to go there though...)

 

Thanks in advance for any help - and sorry this is so long.