Thanks for your detailed response Maverick. Sorry to have overdone the posting in different forums. I thought that asking more specific questions in shorter posts would be better. I have read a lot of the information on your site and read posts by others with similar questions. Most of the density discussions are in ILD so I found it hard to make the comparison with the Kg/m3. I also responded to Karl’s message and he said to ring him but I missed the timeframe he suggested because I didn’t see the second message in time. He is on the east coast and I am on the west coast so there is a 2 hour difference. I will hopefully be able to talk with him next week when it suits him.
The issue with the Quokka full latex is that I have an Italian flexible spring base and they don’t recommend (or warranty) their latex mattresses on this type of base. I am beginning to regret choosing a bed and base before a mattress as it has really limited what I can buy if I want a warranty. Heveya recommend a flexible base and sell Italian flexi slat bases similar to the one on my bed. I have found that only stores that sell European bedding in Australia are okay with the use of flexible slats for their latex and only one of those stores is in Perth.
Quokka have firm, medium and soft but I don’t know the density measurements of these options. I can find out, they are very helpful. And I will find out the density for the medium core for the Heveya.
A lighter mattress would be good as we struggled with our 53kg Sleeping Duck hybrid when lifting it to change sheets etc but we are concerned with durability, hoping this might be the last mattress we need to buy (we are in our late 60s).
The Heveya has a thicker core layer but I’m not sure of the significance of this even after a response by Nikki around this issue:
This depends on a few things. The size of the person, their specific support needs, the firmness of the layers. As a rule, a thicker, firmer layer is going to provide more firm support. However, a thick soft layer may do the opposite which is why you don’t want to decide on thickness alone.
That said, it’s not very common for companies to put a soft support layer in a mattress unless its specifically requested.
I followed up on Nikki’s links around BMI and wonder if knowing our BMI would be helpful - I am 20.4 and my husband is 28.4.
We liked the finish of the Heveya with it’s more plush quilted cover but the one on the Quokka is perfectly acceptable. The Quokka mattress is $2000AU cheaper than the Heveya.
The sticking point unfortunately is my bed base. The alternative to full latex is a hybrid in the lighter weight range and there are a few to choose from that are discussed on an Australian site call Bedbuyers. We were just keen to try a full latex for longevity.
Again, sorry for the multiple posts.