Wife and I are desperate for a mattress that no longer causes pressure pain on shoulders & hips and relieves lower back pain. Wife is 5’9" 205lbs side sleeper, and I’m 5’7 205lbs stomach and side sleeper. She leans towards medium while I lean towards medium-firm. We both hate mattresses that feel like a hammock after a year.
Looking for a King with split config top and possibly pocket coils layer for side support / better cooling (we both sleep hot!). I’ve thought of doing one of these mattress combos but not sure which would provide the most support for our needs.
Her | Me
Option 1
3" Talalay Medium | 3" Talalay Medium
3" Dunlop Medium | 3" Dunlop Firm
6" Pocket Mattress Coils
12" Cover
Option 3
3" Talalay Medium | 3" Talalay Medium
3" Dunlop Medium | 3" Dunlop Firm
3" Dunlop Firm | 3" Dunlop Firm
9" Cover
Our foundation is a solid wood base with storage drawers (no slats) and sits at 16" high. We’d hope to possibly add an adjustable base on top (minus the legs), so going with a 9"-12" bed and 6" adjustable would place the overall height about 31-34". Anything above 32" requires me to ‘jump’ into bed.
Lacking sleep so hopefully these make sense. Open to best options. Help!
Thank you for your inquiries! When starting fresh with a new mattress and you’re unsure of what will work best, I always suggest choosing a setup that offers the most flexibility to adjust it after purchase. With that in mind, I would lean towards option 3. While the first two options might work out, the challenge is that with 6" of your mattress being pocketed coils, that component cannot be adjusted or changed once you have it at home. On the other hand, having three 3" layers of latex provides you with numerous comfort options if your initial setup doesn’t quite meet your needs.
Our most popular mattress model is the Organic 10" model, which consists of three 3" layers of latex encased in an organic cotton and wool quilted cover. The default setup includes a 3" 100% Natural Talalay top layer and two 3" GOLS Dunlop layers beneath. This combination is popular because it strikes the perfect balance between comfort and support: Talalay provides excellent pressure relief and contouring on the surface, while the Dunlop layers offer gradual and firm support below. Additionally, these layers can be rearranged to adjust the overall comfort level. I highly recommend splitting all three layers so that each side can be customized independently without affecting the other.
It’s also crucial to choose a company with a strong layer exchange policy. This allows you to exchange layers if your initial setup doesn’t work out, ensuring you can find the right combination for your needs.
For individuals weighing between 190 lbs and 220 lbs who are primarily side and/or back sleepers, we recommend a configuration of Medium Talalay over Medium Dunlop over Firm Dunlop. The medium Talalay on top will provide the contour and pressure relief needed, while the medium and firm Dunlop layers below offer gradual support.
I understand that your wife primarily sleeps on her stomach as well as her side. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find a configuration that perfectly accommodates both positions. Side sleepers typically need a softer surface for pressure relief at the shoulders and hips, while stomach sleepers require a firmer surface to prevent midsection sagging, which can lead to back pain. Balancing these needs can be challenging. I wish I could say there’s a perfect configuration for both side and stomach sleeping, but in my 20 years in this business, I have yet to find one! However, if your wife finds a setup that’s truly comfortable for side sleeping, it might just keep her from rolling onto her stomach altogether, which would be much healthier for her long-term! It took me 30 years to finally break my bad stomach sleeping habit!
I hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you have further questions or would like to discuss your options in more detail.
I recently did a DIY similar to your wife’s #3, but with 2" soft Dunlop instead of the Talalay top layer, on an adjustable base. I may still add a Talalay topper for my old bones, but it’s pretty darn good as is. I’m 5’1", 133 lbs. NEED to be a back sleeper, CAN’T be a side sleeper, WANT to be a stomach sleeper - the latex combo works for all for me (some nights I’m a human rotisserie). DIY gives you lots of flexibility - you can change layers, swap layers, add layers.
