How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Mar 30, 2009 8:49 PM
Joined: Mar 30, 2009
Points: 29
It's a long story... bottom line ended up with 2-piece latex mattress. Bottom piece is from a Land and Sky Heaven and Earth and is 9"  in 2 parts firm/medium-firm. Top is 3" sleepwarehouse 16-18 ILD Dunlop by Latex Green. Top is rated as "Med-Soft", and it's too firm for me. Support is ok, just doesn't feel cozy.

Latex has that Analytical feel to it - for lack of a better term, not too cozy really.

I'm thinking about a 2 or 3" Wool topper at this point. Tried a featherbed and didn't care for that really. I'd also be willing to replace the top latex with softer, just hard buying online.

Strange - going by most of the ILD ratings 16-18 ILD should be pretty soft.

I prefer to sink in a bit i guess. I'm 185lbs average build.

Thanks for any ideas.
Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #4 Apr 24, 2009 3:18 PM
Joined: Mar 30, 2009
Points: 29
chriscummings83 wrote:
A wool topper always made my bed feel hard to the touch.  So are you looking for hard to touch, or are you looking for soft to the touch.

I use a nit 1" wool topper and then I have a 2" 22 ILD topper,  perfect.


The wool is on top of the 22 ILD? 22 ILD must be Talalay? Dunlop would be very firm.

The wool topper is very warm and cozy. the latex is colder, altho i still would have a cotton mattress cover over either, so may not matter.

Wool does have the firm feel - not what i'm looking for really. Maybe if it was 1" or so.

Still working on it.
Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #5 Apr 27, 2009 12:23 PM
Joined: Mar 30, 2009
Points: 29
Well, i received the new "12-14 ILD" Latex from Fibex and it's FIRMER than the 16-18 ILD Latex I bought from sleepwarehouse.com. Both were supposed to be made by Latex Green, i figured the 12 ILD would be softer. This will go back today and I will be shopping for a new bed. I have about $4000 invested at this point. Not sure what to do with the old bed.

The Wool topper was extremely uncomfortable for me also.

update:

I just contacted sleeplikeabear and they are sending me samples of the 14/19/22 ILD latex. I think this their Talalay will be softer than the Dunlop I have.
This message was modified Apr 27, 2009 by mingus
Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #6 Apr 28, 2009 5:59 AM
Joined: Sep 7, 2007
Points: 476
This 12-14 ILD latex might be so soft that you're just squishing it down and feeling the firmer core underneath.

Try 20 ILD Talalay. It's soft--and if you get it from Foam By Mail, it's also cheap.

Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #7 Apr 28, 2009 8:04 PM
You get out of life exactly what you put into it.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Points: 21
16 ILD is mush. I would recommend around a 22 for optimum comfort and durability.
Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #8 Apr 29, 2009 6:11 AM
Joined: Sep 7, 2007
Points: 476
You really can't tell the difference between 20 and 22 ILD. Generally you need to go 4 points in either direction before you can. Actually my personal favorite is 24 ILD. Not too soft, not too firm for a comfort layer. Unfortunately most merchants only carry a limited range of firmnesses to choose from so you usually have to compromise. I don't even know where you're getting that 14 ILD foam from. Most merchants don't sell it any more because it compresses in a very short time. 
Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #9 May 5, 2009 11:33 AM
Joined: Mar 30, 2009
Points: 29
FBM sent me a 1" sample of thier soft latex (20 ILD?) and it seems about the same as the 16-18 ILD i got from sleepwarehouse. hard to tell with a 1" piece. the ILD ratings really vary from place to place.

waiting on a partial refund from Fibex and trying to decide what to do.

Recommendations on a new bed please?
Re: How to make a firm latex mattress soft?
Reply #10 May 10, 2009 1:03 AM
Joined: Mar 30, 2009
Points: 29
chriscummings83 wrote:
A wool topper always made my bed feel hard to the touch.  So are you looking for hard to touch, or are you looking for soft to the touch.

I use a nit 1" wool topper and then I have a 2" 22 ILD topper,  perfect.


"nit 1" wool"? yeah my 2" wool topper is sort of hard, i'm still using it for some reason. I do want to try a much thinner wool topper, can you recommend one?

I'm also thinking about adding a 2" soft talalay on top of my medium-soft dunlop. need softer!

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