TOPIC:

Hello, i am searching for a good matress that will help me with my back pain and i am leaning towards latex. So i would like your advice . I have found a dunlopillo matress that consists of 9'' of talalay latex without any other layer-material. From what i have read i got the impression that the more latex in the matress, the better it is. However it seems to me very "fluffy", like i bounce on it. Maybe it is because i am used to sleeping on coil matresses.... My alternative is to go for a mattress with layers of talalay and coir. It seems more stable as a feeling but which one will be better ? The latter should have some 4'' tatalay and 4'' coir. Any advise? Keep in mind my back pain and that i sleep on my stomach.... Thanks

Hi bravehard,

I have found a dunlopillo matress that consists of 9'' of talalay latex without any other layer-material. From what i have read i got the impression that the more latex in the matress, the better it is.

I'm not sure where you read this but it certainly isn't the case.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the durability guidelines here relative to your weight range ... the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a "better/worse" choice (see this article ). The best way to know which types of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.

Each mattress category can include hundreds of different mattresses with a very wide range of different designs, different "feels", different characteristics, and different firmness levels. Every individual layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting material) will affect the feel and response of every other layer and component both above and below it and the mattress "as a whole" so each mattress category will generally include some mattresses that have a design that will be a good "match" for you in terms of "comfort", firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) and others that use the same type of materials and components and are in the same category and may be just as durable but have a different design or firmness level that may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on ... even if it uses the same general type of materials and components.

The thickness of a mattress or the number of layers or the thickness of any individual layers inside it is really just a side effect of the design and the design goals of a mattress and the thickness of any individual layers or the complete mattress is also only one of many variables that can affect the feel and performance of a mattress relative to any particular person (see post #2 here ) and by itself isn't particularly meaningful (see post #2 here ). In some cases higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) will sometimes do better with a mattress that is thicker than lower weight ranges or a lower BMI (see post #14 here for more about the effect of thickness) but even this depends more on the specific design and combination of materials in the mattress and on how well your testing or personal experience indicates the mattress "as a whole" matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP than it does on just the thickness itself.

My alternative is to go for a mattress with layers of talalay and coir. It seems more stable as a feeling but which one will be better ? The latter should have some 4'' tatalay and 4'' coir. Any advise? Keep in mind my back pain and that i sleep on my stomach.... Thanks

There is more about the 3 most important parts of the "value" of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for).

Since Talalay latex and Rubberized coir are both durable materials and there would be no concerns with either of them in terms of the durability and useful life of a mattress ... which mattress would be best for you out of the two you mentioned would be the one that your careful testing indicated was the best match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP along with all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Based on your own comments and assuming that you have done some careful testing on both of them for comfort, firmness, and PPP ... it sounds like you have answered your own question.

Phoenix

Thanks a lot for your reply. I ll keep your advice in mind!

Hello! I finally got the 100% talalay latex. And it seems i will regret it..... It is already a week that i received it but still i cannot sleep properly. The pains i already had at my back do not seem to benefit from the new mattress ( they remain the same or even slightly worse). As for the feeling while sleeping, here is the tragedy... The characteristic of the latex , which is that it pushes your body up, is sth i cannot tolerate. I toss around all night because if i stay in a specific position for some time , the mattress irritates all parts of my body by pushing it..
The main reason i got that mattress is because i had read that latex is one of the best for back pain. They have given me a month if i want to return it. Do you think that i should insist using it 3 more weeks with the hope that my body will adjust and the mattress will break in or give it away already tomorrow? The mattress is consisted of three layers 4cm of medium to soft-15 cm of hard-4 cm of medium to soft! Total of 23 cm 100% natural talalay latex...

Hi bravehard,

I'm sorry to hear that the mattress you chose isn't working out as well as you hoped for.

The pains i already had at my back do not seem to benefit from the new mattress ( they remain the same or even slightly worse).

The main reason i got that mattress is because i had read that latex is one of the best for back pain.

There is no such thing as a specific material that is good for back pain. A mattress can only help with back pain that is caused by mattress that doesn't keep your back and spine in good alignment (regardless of the materials in the mattress) and not with pre existing health conditions. As I mentioned in my previous reply ... every mattress category will have hundreds of mattresses with different designs and firmness levels and will generally include some mattresses that are a good "match" for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP and that will keep your back in good alignment in all your sleeping positions (which is the most important factor with back pain) and others that don't keep your spine in good alignment that will be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on ... even though they are made from the same material.

If you are tossing and turning on your mattress it's possible that your mattress is too firm.

As for the feeling while sleeping, here is the tragedy... The characteristic of the latex , which is that it pushes your body up, is sth i cannot tolerate. I toss around all night because if i stay in a specific position for some time , the mattress irritates all parts of my body by pushing it..

Latex is a highly resilient (springy) material and the resilience of latex is one of the reasons that so many people like latex as much as they do ... and also a reason that some people don't like it at all. Every mattress needs to provide increasing resistance to the weight of the heavier parts of your body as you sink into the mattress more deeply to stop the heavier parts of your body from sinking down too far (or you would sink down to the floor) and putting your spine out of alignment but some materials have a very different "feel" as they provide increasing resistance to your weight than others. Memory foam for example will be much less "springy" than latex as it compresses more deeply and becomes firmer. This is why the choice between different types of materials is a preference choice rather than a "better/worse" choice.

They have given me a month if i want to return it. Do you think that i should insist using it 3 more weeks with the hope that my body will adjust and the mattress will break in or give it away already tomorrow?

There will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it's "false firmness" and the cover stretches and loosens a little and the materials settle and you and your body get used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here ). This would typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress (higher density materials can take longer) and it can be surprising to many people how much their sleeping experience can change over the course of the first month or so.

I would generally try and sleep on any new mattress for a month or so before deciding whether to return it but if that's not possible I would try and sleep on it for a couple of weeks at least.

Phoenix

Thanks for the reply! I can keep this mattress for 3 more weeks with the hope of gradually pushing me less... or at least me being used to it. The reason for my selection of latex was not to heal my back issues but since my old mattress was a 12 years old innerspring one, i thought that my problems might have been generated from that old mattress. So a new latex would hopefully keep me with a proper posture while sleeping which would gradually result to the elimination of my pains. Anyway... What do you think about the formation of my latex mattress? I mean, 4 cm of medium to soft layers up and down and a 15 cm layer of hard talalay latex in the middle, do you think is ok? Or this arrangement could be the cause of my inconvinience?

Thanks

Hi bravehard,

The reason for my selection of latex was not to heal my back issues but since my old mattress was a 12 years old innerspring one, i thought that my problems might have been generated from that old mattress. So a new latex would hopefully keep me with a proper posture while sleeping which would gradually result to the elimination of my pains.

I don't know the specifics of your mattress but after 12 years it's certainly likely that it's past the time where it would need to be replaced. If you wake up in the morning with back pains that go away once you have stretched and moved around a bit then the odds are higher that it could be your mattress.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the durability guidelines here relative to your weight/BMI range ... the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a "better/worse" choice (see this article ). Different people just prefer different types of materials or mattresses but the only way to know which types of materials or mattresses or firmness levels you tend to prefer in very general terms will be based on your own local testing or your own personal experience.

I would also keep in mind that each mattress category can include hundreds of different mattresses with a very wide range of different designs, different "feels", different characteristics, and different firmness levels. Individual layers and components in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting material) can vary widely with different thicknesses and different firmnesses and every difference will affect the feel and response of every other layer and component both above and below it and the mattress "as a whole" so each mattress category will generally include some mattresses that have an overall design that will be a good "match" for you in terms of "comfort", firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) and others that use the same type of materials and components and are in the same category and may be just as durable but have a different design or firmness level that may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on ... even if it uses the same general type of materials and components.

Anyway... What do you think about the formation of my latex mattress? I mean, 4 cm of medium to soft layers up and down and a 15 cm layer of hard talalay latex in the middle, do you think is ok? Or this arrangement could be the cause of my inconvinience?

I can't speak to whether any mattress will be a good "match" for you or how well you will sleep on a mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) because there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress but in terms of durability ... all the layers are latex which is a very high quality and durable material so there are no lower quality materials or weak links that could compromise the durability or useful life of your mattress.

In other words ... the suitability of a mattress (which I can't know) and the durability of a mattress (which can be assessed based on the quality and durability of the materials and components inside it) are completely different issues.

I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress relative to your weight that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don't involve what you will "feel" on a mattress, and help with "how" to choose but only you can decide which specific combination of materials and components is "best for you" or which ones you would likely prefer regardless of whether anyone else would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.

Phoenix

thanks for your time to reply. Really appreciate it!