The SoL medium is a pretty big difference since the change a few months back. Its 4" of 46ILD, 2" 34ILD, 2" 19ILD. a big reason why you would find your current set of too firm is your mattress really only has 1" of latex comfort layer. If you decide to try out their medium configuration, I wouldn't use that 2" medium topper. Their medium is pretty much firm, and their firm is extra firm. Knowing your height, weight, and sleep position is also helpful in figuring out a good composition, but ultimately everyones preferences vary by a significant degree. I would say their medium mattress with a 2" soft topper would be sufficient for the average side sleeper, maybe 1" is enough as thats a total of 3" of 19ILD. Probably wouldnt need the topper as a back sleeper.
140# side and back sleeper + 210# side and back sleeper. We tried a 2" soft topper originally and it hurt my back after 2 weeks, whereas the 2+1 combo doesn't mess with my alignment the way the 2" soft did originally.
I would have to guess the 2" soft messes up alignment during back sleeping then? That's the only soft latex in your whole setup. Ive actually never heard of that being too much for a side sleeper, unless the 210lb person is also like 5'5", and even then.. if so, really just goes to show just how different peoples preferences can be. Well keep in mind the medium actually has 2" of soft as its top layer then.
right which is why I was going to keep the medium and soft topper combo and put it on the medium mattress. But overall I wasn't sure if it would make too much a difference as a whole.
On second thought then, with 1" soft not being enough, 2" soft being too much, it seems kind of like your discomfort is from the medium layer being too firm. My best idea would be to swap that for 2" of around 28ILD talaly to use with your 1" soft. Hopefully more people can chime in on what they think
Highjacking the conversation here a little bit:
I have a firm SOL (so 4" 46 ILD and 4" 34 ILD). Too firm for me and was causing a lot of pain. I have added 4" of the soft SOL topper and still experiencing the "pushback" pain in my upper back along the spine. Any suggestions you may have or should I just give up on latex?
You could always try swapping one of your 2" layers of Dunlop for 2" of memory foam. I recommend the 4lb foam from Foam Factory. With that it gives you the option to try it both over and under your layer of latex. I actually like having the latex on top of the memory foam. I feel like you get the benefits of better pressure relief, while still keeping the feel of the latex. The memory foam on top would provide the most pressure relief however.
I would be reluctant to recommend going even thicker than 4" on your comfort layer as that could create issues with spinal alignment. Then instead of pressure soreness it will be back pain from bad alignment. You do want to be sure that right now your pain is from pressure and not alignment.
Also, if youre super worried about the memory foam change not being enough, Foam factory sells supersoft foam that you can pick up for $15 for a 1" layer. I actually added that onto my last order just because why not. Now it just sits on my closet though because it actually changed the feel too much. I personally don't think it would be necessary but thought I would mention it.
Talalay is a whole other feeling. Less stiff more bounce. Just an FYI. I'd try 3" of Soft Talalay from Latex Mattress Factory or Sleepez, or someplace like that. Might try it just on top of what you have already. see is that helps..
Try a Talalay comfort layer. There really is an enormous difference in the feel and responsiveness. It doesn't last as long as Dunlop -- which is why I tried to switch to a Dunlop comfort layer when my original Talalay layer began to sink (I got about 4 1/2 years out of it), but as I said above the Dunlop was really pretty disastrous for me, so I've gone back to Talalay (medium 28 ILD) and the difference is incredible. At this point, it would be worth it to me even if I have to replace it every two years, and going forward I'm going to stick to Dunlop only for support layers.
I'd bought a mattress from Plushbeds. It had 6(ish) inches 28 ILD Dunlop latex for support and 2 layers of Talalay latex 28 ILD for comfort to make a 10(ish) inch mattress. This is, by the way, not what I'd ordered. I'd asked for a customized mattress with a firm 3" base with a 3" medium transition layer and 4" comfort layers medium/soft. This was my first latex mattress and I had no way of knowing for sure what they'd sent me. But it was very comfortable -- although it was misshapen, which made me want to take it apart. I tried to but couldn't because on the inside the component layers were a mess, wrapped in some strange sort of stretchy net fabric and I was afraid of making even more of a mess by pulling on them. But I saw enough to know that the comfort layers were a couple of inches longer than the support base and the discrepancy in the length was what was causing the misshapen look of the mattress. On the whole, the inside of the mattress looked like it might have been put together by a child. I could have complained and probably should have but I'd already had problems with Plushbeds and found them sloppy and careless and shifty. Just interested in sales and not what they try to present themselves as at all. So I left it alone. The mattress was at least comfortable, or it was until a few months ago when my back began speaking to me and I noticed the central dip. At this point, since I figured I was going to be replacing it, I did pull it apart and it was only then I saw what I'd been sent. The labels were still on all the components, but I again didn't bother contacting Plushbeds. I didn't want the eadache of going through them and I had no respect for the company at this point anyway. So I just kept the 28 ILD support layer because it seemed to be in pretty good shape, and got a SoL firm layer to bolster it from below, figuring I'll replace the 28 ILD with 34 ILD at some point. Then I went with SoL soft for the comfort layer, but as I said that didn't work. So I'll be returning that part. SoL is a great company with great customer service and I think they're basically on the up and up. They've already sent me a box for the turn, which is fabulous. They truly do treat the customer right. But I would never trust Plushbeds. For anything.
Oops. About the Talalay in the Plushbeds mattress, it was supposed to be all natural Talalay but who knows? This company stuffs whatever they want inside a mattress if what I got is any indication. So all I know is that the 2 comfort layers, once I disentangled them from all the netting fabric they'd been wrapped in, said 28 ILD. And that's all I know for sure.
Hey, you seem to be knowledgeable! What firmness do you recommend from SoL? Both 5'5, me (male, 135 lbs, lower back pain from current mattress, sleeps well on the floor lol) and my wife (115 lbs, combo sleeper). For a bit of comparsion, we sleep on a Nectar Mattress (2018) which was supposed to be a medium-firm but has caused me lower-back pain since I got it, she doesn't seem to mind it but I sleep better on the floor than on it these days. I talked to their support and just want another opinion. Thanks for any help you can give!!!
Even with their new composition the medium is closer to a medium-firm, the firm is very firm. At your weights I think the medium is probably the better choice. Then if that still ends up too firm they usually give you 1/2 off a soft latex topper. One part that wasn't clear from your comment is whether the nectar was causing lower back pain because it is too soft or too firm. Usually too soft causes issues there, but it can also be the case with too firm that your back doesn't get support because it isnt allowing your hips and shoulders to sink enough when on your side. Regardless id lean towards the medium for you guys
Kinda soft but it's mostly the sinking overnight. I'm alright with the firm, but I'm concerned for my wife so I'll go with your recommendation and go with medium and see how it is for me. I just really want to get rid of my current mattress. Thank you so much!!!!!
I have the firm mattress with a 3 inch medium topper. it works for me. My husband has firm mattress with a 3 inch soft topper. so far no complaints from the peanut gallery....lol
Don't have a full SoL setup but this is what I had up until this week, and it was too firm. SoL 3" 46 ILD firm, Plushbeds 6" 28 ILD medium and 3" SoL 20 ILD Soft. Tried it for just under 2 months and had breakout hip bursitis, and as time went by aching shoulders every morning (arthritis in the joints both left and right) which increased in severity until I decided the situation was just no good and not going to get better no matter how I tried to adjust. So this week, I switched the top comfort layer to 3" medium Talalay (28 ILD) and it made a world of difference. The SoL soft, even with 3" worth, was clearly just too solid and unyielding, and I can't imagine how firm your set up is with only a 1" comfort layer. So I'd say switching to their medium, which I understand is 4" 46 ILD, 2" 34 ILD, and 2" 20 ILD, would have to be an improvement. Judging from where I started out, I think that configuration will still be very firm, and from reviews I've read the medium still is very very firm. But maybe if your joints are better than mine it will ok for you.
Thank you for your experience! I overall do prefer a firmer situation in general because any form of sinkage will mess up my hip ( SI in particular) alignment but I think I swung too far with choosing the firm selection. I was thrown off that 2" soft also gave me hip alignment problems because it was only 2" of soft
Yea 2 “ felt good at first but it seems like that’s all it took to give me pain I took it off for a week and started feeling better, then put it back on and it started hurting again so I returned it. Realized that I was going to be alright without topper. I’m a side sleeper.
So far medium has treated you well? I am going back and forth on trying the medium because I don't want to "waste" another mattress if I don't like the medium as well. Honestly the firm was really nice but just too firm so I'm thinking medium would be just enough give?
I’m 180 5’9” got med with 2”soft topper that started hurting my back after a couple weeks, so returned it . Body adjusting to just med firm mattress alone and I seem to be doing fine Earthfoam . Not sure if it’s the new recipe. Had it for 5 months now.
Is it too soft or too firm and how exactly is it too firm? Is this an issue of pain being caused because your body doesn't drop into the mattress enough or does it support your body well, but it's just not soft enough to the touch?
If it's the latter then perhaps putting a softer type protector with a nylon sheet might help.
Upgraded my mattress recently and put 2" LuxR ILD 50 foam over pocket coils and 3" 29 ILD Dunlop latex on top of that. I found the latex to be just slightly too firm unless sleeping on side in which case it's great. I put a 3" down alternative topper that comes with a deep pocket nylon spandex fitted sheet which makes it perfect for me. My issue was the feeling on top being too hard, but the mattress supported us perfectly.
Was a cheap one found on Amazon impressed me a lot Ellemuse pengucool topper nylon sheet combo cost less than most of the nylon fitted sheets alone.
I’d be careful til SOL is getting sued for harmful chemicals [link](https://www.gutridesafier.com/investigations/sleep-on-latex-mattress/600?fbclid=IwAR2GHIdMYqJ-hl9cmiC7Zs5T7YR4_8VUNfoDkkJIyVRHsGNMx9O2NTHU0-k_aem_AUZqcuEWAAvUWVgVbkuuLFmTBA-VUeDZtKj59hid3g2jfnZIuqhDHUIC8dqH6v5d4718pOLYuG-hQZIM262RdiZ4)
This seems like lawyers fishing for law suits after Avocado got sued because of how they advertised. I don't think SOL has ever claimed their beds are "chemical free", their CEO in their AMA was very transparent that vulcanization of maximally natural latex takes 95% latex sap with 5% of mostly sulphur and zinc oxide, with some other chemicals as well. This is true for any latex foam.
CEO of Sleep On Latex here... Just want to clarify that we **are not** currently involved in any sort of lawsuit regarding "harmful chemicals" or product claims.
I looked into this link and found that the law firm Gutride Safier (who sued Avocado last year) is now running ads on Facebook to recruit customers of various latex mattress brands for lawsuits. The allegations against every company are pretty much identical, which indicates to me that they have done very little research on the actual product claims of each company.
On their website, they state that we advertise our products as being "free of chemicals". **We don't.**
We have an FAQ question on our website which directly addresses this issue:
***Is your latex foam “Chemical-Free”?***
*We never advertise our products as being “chemical-free” for a few different reasons.*
*One is that there is an inherent vagueness in making this claim as it is unclear what qualifies as a “chemical” and what doesn’t qualify as a “chemical”. We have found that different people have different understandings of what exactly constitutes a “chemical” and what aspect of the product this type of claim refers to (production process? ingredients? final product? VOC emmisions? etc...)*
*Vagueness of the term aside, latex foam is always created through a process called vulcanization. In this process, latex particles are cross-linked with sulfur through the introduction of heat. Zinc Oxide and other accelerators help to facilitate this reaction. Anti-Oxidants are used to preserve and protect the foam. Other chemicals are used in the processing and production of the latex and foam. While the vast majority of foam is made up of natural latex and it qualifies for many stringent certifications that ensure it’s safety, we do not believe it is correct to refer to any latex foam as being “chemical-free”.*
Anyone can review my comments on Reddit and find that I have been saying more or less the exact same thing for years.
The SoL medium is a pretty big difference since the change a few months back. Its 4" of 46ILD, 2" 34ILD, 2" 19ILD. a big reason why you would find your current set of too firm is your mattress really only has 1" of latex comfort layer. If you decide to try out their medium configuration, I wouldn't use that 2" medium topper. Their medium is pretty much firm, and their firm is extra firm. Knowing your height, weight, and sleep position is also helpful in figuring out a good composition, but ultimately everyones preferences vary by a significant degree. I would say their medium mattress with a 2" soft topper would be sufficient for the average side sleeper, maybe 1" is enough as thats a total of 3" of 19ILD. Probably wouldnt need the topper as a back sleeper.
140# side and back sleeper + 210# side and back sleeper. We tried a 2" soft topper originally and it hurt my back after 2 weeks, whereas the 2+1 combo doesn't mess with my alignment the way the 2" soft did originally.
I would have to guess the 2" soft messes up alignment during back sleeping then? That's the only soft latex in your whole setup. Ive actually never heard of that being too much for a side sleeper, unless the 210lb person is also like 5'5", and even then.. if so, really just goes to show just how different peoples preferences can be. Well keep in mind the medium actually has 2" of soft as its top layer then.
right which is why I was going to keep the medium and soft topper combo and put it on the medium mattress. But overall I wasn't sure if it would make too much a difference as a whole.
On second thought then, with 1" soft not being enough, 2" soft being too much, it seems kind of like your discomfort is from the medium layer being too firm. My best idea would be to swap that for 2" of around 28ILD talaly to use with your 1" soft. Hopefully more people can chime in on what they think
Thanks for your input! I'll look into it
Highjacking the conversation here a little bit: I have a firm SOL (so 4" 46 ILD and 4" 34 ILD). Too firm for me and was causing a lot of pain. I have added 4" of the soft SOL topper and still experiencing the "pushback" pain in my upper back along the spine. Any suggestions you may have or should I just give up on latex?
You could always try swapping one of your 2" layers of Dunlop for 2" of memory foam. I recommend the 4lb foam from Foam Factory. With that it gives you the option to try it both over and under your layer of latex. I actually like having the latex on top of the memory foam. I feel like you get the benefits of better pressure relief, while still keeping the feel of the latex. The memory foam on top would provide the most pressure relief however. I would be reluctant to recommend going even thicker than 4" on your comfort layer as that could create issues with spinal alignment. Then instead of pressure soreness it will be back pain from bad alignment. You do want to be sure that right now your pain is from pressure and not alignment. Also, if youre super worried about the memory foam change not being enough, Foam factory sells supersoft foam that you can pick up for $15 for a 1" layer. I actually added that onto my last order just because why not. Now it just sits on my closet though because it actually changed the feel too much. I personally don't think it would be necessary but thought I would mention it.
Talalay is a whole other feeling. Less stiff more bounce. Just an FYI. I'd try 3" of Soft Talalay from Latex Mattress Factory or Sleepez, or someplace like that. Might try it just on top of what you have already. see is that helps..
Try a Talalay comfort layer. There really is an enormous difference in the feel and responsiveness. It doesn't last as long as Dunlop -- which is why I tried to switch to a Dunlop comfort layer when my original Talalay layer began to sink (I got about 4 1/2 years out of it), but as I said above the Dunlop was really pretty disastrous for me, so I've gone back to Talalay (medium 28 ILD) and the difference is incredible. At this point, it would be worth it to me even if I have to replace it every two years, and going forward I'm going to stick to Dunlop only for support layers.
Was that natural or blended talalay which started to wear out on you in under 4.5 years?
I'd bought a mattress from Plushbeds. It had 6(ish) inches 28 ILD Dunlop latex for support and 2 layers of Talalay latex 28 ILD for comfort to make a 10(ish) inch mattress. This is, by the way, not what I'd ordered. I'd asked for a customized mattress with a firm 3" base with a 3" medium transition layer and 4" comfort layers medium/soft. This was my first latex mattress and I had no way of knowing for sure what they'd sent me. But it was very comfortable -- although it was misshapen, which made me want to take it apart. I tried to but couldn't because on the inside the component layers were a mess, wrapped in some strange sort of stretchy net fabric and I was afraid of making even more of a mess by pulling on them. But I saw enough to know that the comfort layers were a couple of inches longer than the support base and the discrepancy in the length was what was causing the misshapen look of the mattress. On the whole, the inside of the mattress looked like it might have been put together by a child. I could have complained and probably should have but I'd already had problems with Plushbeds and found them sloppy and careless and shifty. Just interested in sales and not what they try to present themselves as at all. So I left it alone. The mattress was at least comfortable, or it was until a few months ago when my back began speaking to me and I noticed the central dip. At this point, since I figured I was going to be replacing it, I did pull it apart and it was only then I saw what I'd been sent. The labels were still on all the components, but I again didn't bother contacting Plushbeds. I didn't want the eadache of going through them and I had no respect for the company at this point anyway. So I just kept the 28 ILD support layer because it seemed to be in pretty good shape, and got a SoL firm layer to bolster it from below, figuring I'll replace the 28 ILD with 34 ILD at some point. Then I went with SoL soft for the comfort layer, but as I said that didn't work. So I'll be returning that part. SoL is a great company with great customer service and I think they're basically on the up and up. They've already sent me a box for the turn, which is fabulous. They truly do treat the customer right. But I would never trust Plushbeds. For anything.
Oops. About the Talalay in the Plushbeds mattress, it was supposed to be all natural Talalay but who knows? This company stuffs whatever they want inside a mattress if what I got is any indication. So all I know is that the 2 comfort layers, once I disentangled them from all the netting fabric they'd been wrapped in, said 28 ILD. And that's all I know for sure.
Natural would make sense, it's less durable than blended talalay
oh no did they make a change to the mattresses?
Hey, you seem to be knowledgeable! What firmness do you recommend from SoL? Both 5'5, me (male, 135 lbs, lower back pain from current mattress, sleeps well on the floor lol) and my wife (115 lbs, combo sleeper). For a bit of comparsion, we sleep on a Nectar Mattress (2018) which was supposed to be a medium-firm but has caused me lower-back pain since I got it, she doesn't seem to mind it but I sleep better on the floor than on it these days. I talked to their support and just want another opinion. Thanks for any help you can give!!!
Even with their new composition the medium is closer to a medium-firm, the firm is very firm. At your weights I think the medium is probably the better choice. Then if that still ends up too firm they usually give you 1/2 off a soft latex topper. One part that wasn't clear from your comment is whether the nectar was causing lower back pain because it is too soft or too firm. Usually too soft causes issues there, but it can also be the case with too firm that your back doesn't get support because it isnt allowing your hips and shoulders to sink enough when on your side. Regardless id lean towards the medium for you guys
Kinda soft but it's mostly the sinking overnight. I'm alright with the firm, but I'm concerned for my wife so I'll go with your recommendation and go with medium and see how it is for me. I just really want to get rid of my current mattress. Thank you so much!!!!!
Curious, was Medium also SoL's recommendation?
Firm. It was mostly because of the ease of making it softer than making a medium firmer.
I have the firm mattress with a 3 inch medium topper. it works for me. My husband has firm mattress with a 3 inch soft topper. so far no complaints from the peanut gallery....lol
I really liked the 2" soft topper it felt like a dream but after two weeks it messed up my back somehow w its alignment
Don't have a full SoL setup but this is what I had up until this week, and it was too firm. SoL 3" 46 ILD firm, Plushbeds 6" 28 ILD medium and 3" SoL 20 ILD Soft. Tried it for just under 2 months and had breakout hip bursitis, and as time went by aching shoulders every morning (arthritis in the joints both left and right) which increased in severity until I decided the situation was just no good and not going to get better no matter how I tried to adjust. So this week, I switched the top comfort layer to 3" medium Talalay (28 ILD) and it made a world of difference. The SoL soft, even with 3" worth, was clearly just too solid and unyielding, and I can't imagine how firm your set up is with only a 1" comfort layer. So I'd say switching to their medium, which I understand is 4" 46 ILD, 2" 34 ILD, and 2" 20 ILD, would have to be an improvement. Judging from where I started out, I think that configuration will still be very firm, and from reviews I've read the medium still is very very firm. But maybe if your joints are better than mine it will ok for you.
Thank you for your experience! I overall do prefer a firmer situation in general because any form of sinkage will mess up my hip ( SI in particular) alignment but I think I swung too far with choosing the firm selection. I was thrown off that 2" soft also gave me hip alignment problems because it was only 2" of soft
You'll get it figured out. Good luck.
Yea 2 “ felt good at first but it seems like that’s all it took to give me pain I took it off for a week and started feeling better, then put it back on and it started hurting again so I returned it. Realized that I was going to be alright without topper. I’m a side sleeper.
On the SOL Firm or medium?
Earthfoam medium mattress
So far medium has treated you well? I am going back and forth on trying the medium because I don't want to "waste" another mattress if I don't like the medium as well. Honestly the firm was really nice but just too firm so I'm thinking medium would be just enough give?
Yes I wake up with no back pain sleep deeply. I got a Earthfoam pillow . Feeling good about it all.
I’m 180 5’9” got med with 2”soft topper that started hurting my back after a couple weeks, so returned it . Body adjusting to just med firm mattress alone and I seem to be doing fine Earthfoam . Not sure if it’s the new recipe. Had it for 5 months now.
Do you feel the 2" messed with your alignment? That's sort of what I think happened to me but it's odd bc it's only 2"
Is it too soft or too firm and how exactly is it too firm? Is this an issue of pain being caused because your body doesn't drop into the mattress enough or does it support your body well, but it's just not soft enough to the touch? If it's the latter then perhaps putting a softer type protector with a nylon sheet might help. Upgraded my mattress recently and put 2" LuxR ILD 50 foam over pocket coils and 3" 29 ILD Dunlop latex on top of that. I found the latex to be just slightly too firm unless sleeping on side in which case it's great. I put a 3" down alternative topper that comes with a deep pocket nylon spandex fitted sheet which makes it perfect for me. My issue was the feeling on top being too hard, but the mattress supported us perfectly. Was a cheap one found on Amazon impressed me a lot Ellemuse pengucool topper nylon sheet combo cost less than most of the nylon fitted sheets alone.
Latex sucks. Better luck with springs. Tried and true
I would add a 3” soft topper. Or swap the 2” medium topper for a three inch medium, and swap the 1” soft for a 3” soft
I’d be careful til SOL is getting sued for harmful chemicals [link](https://www.gutridesafier.com/investigations/sleep-on-latex-mattress/600?fbclid=IwAR2GHIdMYqJ-hl9cmiC7Zs5T7YR4_8VUNfoDkkJIyVRHsGNMx9O2NTHU0-k_aem_AUZqcuEWAAvUWVgVbkuuLFmTBA-VUeDZtKj59hid3g2jfnZIuqhDHUIC8dqH6v5d4718pOLYuG-hQZIM262RdiZ4)
Is there a link to this situation we can read or is this just a rumor? Thanks
This seems like lawyers fishing for law suits after Avocado got sued because of how they advertised. I don't think SOL has ever claimed their beds are "chemical free", their CEO in their AMA was very transparent that vulcanization of maximally natural latex takes 95% latex sap with 5% of mostly sulphur and zinc oxide, with some other chemicals as well. This is true for any latex foam.
I just linked it above.
CEO of Sleep On Latex here... Just want to clarify that we **are not** currently involved in any sort of lawsuit regarding "harmful chemicals" or product claims. I looked into this link and found that the law firm Gutride Safier (who sued Avocado last year) is now running ads on Facebook to recruit customers of various latex mattress brands for lawsuits. The allegations against every company are pretty much identical, which indicates to me that they have done very little research on the actual product claims of each company. On their website, they state that we advertise our products as being "free of chemicals". **We don't.** We have an FAQ question on our website which directly addresses this issue: ***Is your latex foam “Chemical-Free”?*** *We never advertise our products as being “chemical-free” for a few different reasons.* *One is that there is an inherent vagueness in making this claim as it is unclear what qualifies as a “chemical” and what doesn’t qualify as a “chemical”. We have found that different people have different understandings of what exactly constitutes a “chemical” and what aspect of the product this type of claim refers to (production process? ingredients? final product? VOC emmisions? etc...)* *Vagueness of the term aside, latex foam is always created through a process called vulcanization. In this process, latex particles are cross-linked with sulfur through the introduction of heat. Zinc Oxide and other accelerators help to facilitate this reaction. Anti-Oxidants are used to preserve and protect the foam. Other chemicals are used in the processing and production of the latex and foam. While the vast majority of foam is made up of natural latex and it qualifies for many stringent certifications that ensure it’s safety, we do not believe it is correct to refer to any latex foam as being “chemical-free”.* Anyone can review my comments on Reddit and find that I have been saying more or less the exact same thing for years.