Hola,

I've read a ton on this forum and I love what I've read.

 

Background:

Currently own a 5yr old beautyrest that had a 1.5+ inch sag.  I did surgery and took off the mattress pads (both sides) which had a 1-2 inch cheap foam between the springs and the pads.  I did a level over the springs and they look to be in sound condition as they were all perfectly level in all angles.  I love a softer feeling bed and would be willing to try out a couple before I end up buying.

I am a 170lb, 5'11" male with a tone body type.  I am a 40 percent side sleeper, 60 percent stomach sleeper.  My problem areas are lower back with some shoulder pains.  I play quite a bit of volleyball so I'm prone to lower back pains as that is what gets sore from the sport.  I live in Minnesota so would look to either get shipping here or a localish vendor.

 

Plan:

My plan was to go with the springs as the support layer with my comfort layer consisting of a combination of a 3" 24-28 with a 1-2" layer of 15-20.   I have read that natural tends to need a higher number then a similarly rated blended so I was leaning more towards 28.  I figured a 2" layer of 19ish would be perfect for the top layer.

 

I may, in the future, end up going full talalay and later convert my support layer to a 4-6" 30+ core but I wanted to go with strictly toppers to start off with and utilize my existing support layer with the springs.

 

Is this a sound plan?

Am I off in my comfort layer of 3" of 24-28 and 2" of 19ish? 

Is 24 or 28 a better number to aim for in natural?

With this be reusable later on when I go full latex if I decide to go that route?  

Thanks for any and all advise as I'm looking for a couple of the heavyweights on this forum.

 

Thanks in advance, 

Matt

My youngest daughter played university volleyball for 5 years and was on the Canadian championship team for her last 2 so I know a little about volleyball injuries (back, shoulder, ankles, knees at various different times). She had a few times when we thought her whole year may be threatened. I think a lot of people don't realize how "injury prone" high level volleyball can really be.

OK ... enough "bragging" (just couldn't resist :)). Back to mattresses.

I think whether your construction would work for you or not would depend partly on the type of springs you are working on. For a comfort layer this thick I would want them to be very firm. Simmons makes a "luxury firm" version which is softer and an extra firm version which is firmer.

Being a 60% stomach sleeper that is prone to back injuries, I would also tend towards "thinner" with the comfort layers rather than "thicker". Using a baseline of about 3" ... more is what I would call thicker and less is what I would call thinner. Basically with a combination of stomach/side, I would tend towards the thinnest firmest comfort layers that my hips would feel comfortable with but no more since more risks hyperextending the back into the mattress when you are on your stomach.

Another possibility with these sleeping positions would be to use a thin (say 1") of firmer latex on top of a slightly thicker (say 2") of softer latex under. This would to some degree lessen the sinking in that could cause problems on your stomach and still feel soft enough for your hips and allow them to sink in enough for pressure relief. This is a difficult combination to work with. Appropriate zoning is also a very good choice with this sleeping combination.

There is very little "feelable" difference in a layer of natural vs blended talalay of the same ILD and thickness, especially when they are used in the comfort layers, however in theory the natural is a little more "springy" and elastic and so may (and again I doubt if most would feel this in practice) form a slightly better pressure relieving cradle.

As far as the comfort layers being re-used ... yes, this is one of the advantages in going in the direction you are going.

You would also need an insulator over the springs to make sure that the latex doesn't get damaged by being directly on top of them and what you use for this will also affect how the springs and the mattress "perform".

As you probably know, I am a big believer in doing some field testing on mattresses with known constructions to "zone in" on what works best for you. A few MN options would be ...

http://www.clarebedding.com/dealers.asp Manufacturer. They make several national brands and their own line called "Platinum dreams" which includes latex over innersprings. They don't sell directly to the public but they have a retail finder on their site with several places in MN that carry them.

http://www.pmbedroomgallery.com/locations/index.cfm Retailer. One of the main places that carries the Platinum Dreams line

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/more_ways_to_shop/stores/store_locations.ftl Retailer. Carries a wide range or Restwell latex options

http://www.restwellmattress.com/locations.asp Manufacturer. Make the mattresses at roomandboard and are also factory direct

http://www.originalmattress.com/locations Regional Manufacturer. Makes a range of latex and innerspring with good value.

http://www.verlo.com/customerservice/stores/WI Regional Manufacturer. Also makes a range of latex and innerspring. Not in MN but in WI so would depend on where in MN you were whether they would be worth visiting.

http://www.scandiavalue.com/homecontact.html Retailer. Seem to carry Natura which have a range of latex and innerspring mattresses

Phoenix