Sorry I’m having navigation issues so not sure if I’m posting in the right place.
Hi Phoenix and others,
I’ve recently purchased a double/full size natural latex mattress made in Vietnam (KYMDAN | Our Quality Your Comfort - Kymdan Deluxe Mattress). Level 1 firmness (foam density 175-200kg/m3. 15cm thickness. Came from a soft spring box mattress that was 12 years old.
Apologies for the incoming metrics, from Aussie!
I had purchased a new bed frame/foundation but used 10x wooden slats from my old frame (12 years old). These wooden slats were Pine wood, 3cm thick and 9cm wide. The gaps between these slats were around 8.5cm - 10.5cm. I slept on this for a week and it was comfy, it was the right firmness for support with plush for comfort.
However, I realised that these gaps may be too wide and reduce the lifespan of my new mattress. So I went and bought brand new slats. 14x Pine wooden slats 3cm x 9cm. Now the gaps are 3.5cm - 4.5cm. Sleeping on it for the past 3 nights I feel like the firmness has increased and gotten less comfortable than previously with 10x slats.
I want to be comfortable but I also want to preserve the life of my mattress. Note that I can’t change the slats anymore without effort (and a big hammer!) since they’ve been “super glued” to the frame.
Questions:
Is the firmness increase I’m experiencing placebo or can the changes I made make a big difference to firmness?
Do Natural Latex mattresses soften over time to become more comfortable? How long on average?
Do Natural Latex mattresses actually “droop”?
Are my new gaps too close for air ventilation? (I have a new mattress protector on).
Weird that my warranty states gaps should not be more than 3cm, which seems very close.
I’m mid 20s, 73kg, 170cm, sleep on my side and back.
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Hi Redfox and thanks for reaching out! Yes the changes you’ve made to the slats are responsible for the change in firmness you’ve encountered, it’s not a placebo effect I’m sure. Latex does soften over time because it’s a biodegradable product that’s not loaded with preservatives like formaldehyde and other nasty chemicals like some other mattresses are. However, it normally takes at least 3-5 years to even notice the softening, at least that’s been my experience with it. Latex rarely takes a body impression, so that’s really not a problem you should expect to encounter. Only a VERY small percentage of our customers end up requesting a warranty check on their mattress, and most of the time it turns out that the foundation is the problem. Now that you’ve got the foundation squared away it really shouldn’t be a problem for you to get 15 to 20 or even 30 years out of the mattress, depending on many factors of course.
Latex foam is a naturally breathable, open celled product and a slatted foundation is not necessary for the mattress to sleep cool. A slatted foundation will enhance the breathability but certainly isn’t necessary because the mattress will breath on all exposed sides. As such, the gaps you have now will be just fine. We try to steer customers away from platform foundations if they live in very high humidity areas because the cover can actually get mold on it if moisture builds up between the mattress and the platform and it isn’t cleaned up. Just FYI, the latex itself rarely gets moldy and I think the reason is actually pretty interesting. Latex sap lines the bark of the rubber tree and is the tree’s natural defense against mold, mildew, bacteria, and other things that live out in the jungle. One that sap is turned into a foam, those inherent properties are maintained and things like dust mites, mold, mildew, bacteria, etc. have a very hard time surviving in latex.
Hi thanks for the response. If air ventilation is not an issue, do you think my close gaps are too much leading to a firmness that might be detrimental for side sleepers? Since latex itself is quite firm already.
I think the foundation is just fine for the mattress, and it’s really not common to change the foundation for comfort issues, you would normally make changes to the mattress for those comfort issues. You could go back to the foundation you had before with the expectation of having to buy a new mattress perhaps as frequently as every 5 years. My best advice, though, would be to get something like a 2" soft Talalay topper to compensate for the recent increase in firmness.