About six months ago, I purchased a Stearns and Foster Estate Monet's Garden Luxury Firm mattress from Macy's. This mattress was the most comfortable mattress that I have owned. A few months after I had bought it, the side started bulging, and after a few more months it started to make the mattress slope to the side. I had the mattress inspected and the inspector said that the mattress should be replaced under warranty. When Macy's talked to me about replacing it, they said that this particular mattress was not in production anymore, and that a mattress called "Estate Isabel Luxury Firm" is what has replaced it. I received the mattress yesterday and it is firmer than what we had before. It feels like the new mattress has less padding on top of the coils.

Instead of trying to get Macy's to replace it with another mattress that may never be able to replace what I had, I am asking if anyone has any suggestions of a topper that would make the mattress more comfortable.

I have read that some people like to use a 1" talalay latex mattress topper to make it more comfortable, but I am about 250 lbs, so I don't know if 1" of 20 ILD would be enough to soften up the surface or if my weight will just turn it into a pancake. Would 32 ILD be better for someone like me, or would it be too hard that it wouldn't add any level of softness? 2" or more is out of my budget right now, but I may be able to add other layers later. I am not very picky, I would just like to have some more softness on top like my last mattress had, but retain support deeper in the mattress so I don't sink and have back pain in the morning.

Thank you for taking time to read this and help me, I appreciate it greatly!

While I'm still trying to figure out the best combination layers of my DIY foam mattress that is best on my back, I do like the spongy/springy feel and support of the 1" 20 ILD latex but prefer the body hugging qualities and warmth of memory foam better.  The latex definitely sleeps cooler.

That being said, after a quick scan of the forum, I'd go with the 1" 20 ILD latex to reduce the likelihood of anything firmer resulting in pressure points.  Layer that over easily and locally sourced yet inexpensive convoluted foam for a little extra softness, if needed.  I'm going to assume your budget is ~$100.  Otherwise 1" 20 ILD latex + 2" 4lb memory foam may be an option.

dbishere wrote:

Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

Side-sleepers usually need a little more cushion, back-sleepers a little less. Don't know about stomach-sleepers; some here like firmer, and some here like softer; haven't seen a consensus about that.

I'm a back- and side-sleeper, and am finding it very tricky to soften up my firm innerspring without making it too soft and losing back support & spinal alignment. I bought an extra-firm mattress on purpose (2+ years ago), and would not do that again because getting the toppers right has turned out to be much more difficult than I anticipated.

If you are a side-sleeper, you might want to consider getting something less firm for your mattress. Finding the right toppers, and/or zoning them, can turn into a time- and money-sink. If you are a back-sleeper, things might be much simpler.

For reference, if it helps, I'm about 5'6", 120 pounds (give or take); 1" of 24 ILD feels fine but is not enough cushion; 32 ILD is too firm for pressure relief (for me). But you'll probably get more useful info from people here who are closer to your build.

FYI- When a retailer sells a particular line-up of beds, it is usually a very small selection of the manufacturer's actual line-up. Macy's may have stopped carrying the one mattress you liked, but you may be able to contact Stearns&Foster (a division of Sealy Manufacturing) to see if they can help you with the warranty exchange. They may be able to direct you towards another retailer who has the equivalent of the Monet's Garden you had before.

If I were just going to go with a topper set-up I would go with the originally responded 1" latex + 2" memory foam with the latex on the top... yo will get the cushining directly on your skin's surface with the pressure point relief as you "sink-in" (albeit very little sinking on 3 " over a firm bed!)... plus the cooler material of the latex should help with the temperature side of the additional layer(s)