Need advice on how to best craft a comfort layer using toppers.
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Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who has kindly contributed their input in my previous threads. I've learned quite a bit about mattresses and toppers, what to look for and what to avoid, and I'm certain that right now I'd be 100% happy with my mattress if only I'd heeded *all* of the sage advice I've been given (but sometimes you just have to forge ahead stubbornly and make your own mistakes, none of which I plan to ever repeat). The OMF mattress that felt absolutely perfect in the show room is now causing me grief, mainly in the form of lower back aches. To those of you enamored of the convenience of purchasing an innerspring mattress that feels great in the store, here's what I've learned: if you suffer from any back issues whatsoever, get the firmest model possible with the least amount of PU foam, then craft your own comfort layer using toppers. Or have your bed custom-made by a local mattress maker (this will be the method by which I acquire my next mattress, I hope). I don't care how fabulously comfortable, supportive, etc., that mattress seems during the "test drive", it is not going to feel the same after sleeping on it for several hours. So now I am planning to exchange my orthopedic ultra plush for either the ortho ultra firm or the ortho extra firm (I haven't tried the ultra firm yet, but both have only 1" of PU padding), and I will need toppers to make it comfy. At this point I'm torn between talalay blended toppers and memory foam, or possibly a combination of both. I need good lower back support, but I crave that "pillow top" feel, so I'm uncertain as to how to best approach this issue. I've had memory foam toppers in the past and loved them, so I thought I might do well with either 2" of Sensus foam, or a layer of "cushion firm" latex and 1" of either Sensus memory foam or 1" of soft latex. I'm a side sleeper, so I don't know if a 2" comfort layer will be enough, but I'm more than willing to start with that and go from there. So what do you think? 2" of Sensus, or a latex/Sensus combo, or a medium latex/soft latex combo? A combo I haven't thought of? I'm going for softness *and* support here, which I know is a tricky combination to pull off. Any advice welcome! |
Re: Need advice on how to best craft a comfort layer using toppers.
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SKeeter wrote: My old memory foam was Novaform from Costco. Several folks have commented since they learned that that it was a nasty version of memory foam. I assume that means some may not be nasty like that but I'm not willing to try it again. If you aren't sensitive to the chemicals or outgassing (most folks don't seem to be), it [the Sensus] might be great for you. Thanks for the info, SKeeter. I don't think I'm especially sensitive to the off-gassing, but I'd like to avoid it if I can get comfy with toppers made of something other than memory foam. I won't rule it out entirely yet, but I'll hold off until I see what the OOdles topper is like. If that one doesn't work for me, then I'll be back to dithering & choosing between adding a layer of memory foam or adding another layer of solid latex. We'll see. I think I'm glad I went with the 24 ILD from SleepLikeaBear instead of the 19 ILD that Evelyn initially recommended (we talked for quite a while, and she changed her recommendation to the 24). I think 28 ILD might have been even better -- 'cause if I fold the 24 ILD topper over and lie on that, on my side, my shoulders still come close to bottoming out -- but these numbers can get a little abstract. It all gets kinda abstract, really, if you don't have good-size samples of all the different foams and ILDs to try out. And most of us don't. From everything I'd read on this forum, I was sure I'd prefer Dunlop to Talalay. And maybe it would be fine -- it's probably not fair to judge based on the small samples I received from SleepWarehouse.com (one was 6"x6"; the other was 7"x8"). But from what little I could tell by tucking those samples under my shoulder -- while lying on the floor and then on my mattress, on my side -- they didn't feel good. I could understand why one person here described the Dunlop as feeling "like a bag of wet cement." And then I tucked my Talalay pillow under my shoulders, and that felt good. (No idea what the ILD of that is.) The solid Talalay pillow is too squishy to sleep on -- comes up around my head too much -- but the nights I tried it, I seemed to breathe better (even though I have good anti-allergen covers from National Allergy on the regular pillows), so I might try a different latex pillow at some point. Either firmer latex or shredded latex. But that squishy pillow sure felt nice under my shoulder. So that sent me to Sleep Like a Bear, for the Talatech topper. I'm rambling now; sorry. Guess I'll get more coffee and get myself to work.  -Catherine |
Re: Need advice on how to best craft a comfort layer using toppers.
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Catherine - I hear ya! It's like a maze in a jungle trying to navigate all the options - especially when you need to make choices without actually laying on (or better yet SLEEPING ON) the finished product. I think the good news is that there are SO many more choices today than there were (or than I was aware of) 10 years ago. I think we'll figure it out. :) Have a lovely day. |