Making a mattress firmer advice
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I have a 7 yr old dunlopillo latex mattress which feels a bit soft now. I can’t afford to buy a new mattress at the moment. The base is slats, but they are very wide and have very small gaps. I have seen suggestions of ply over flexible slats, but I am not sure this is needed. Are there firm mattress toppers? Could I put high density foam under it? Where should I get this? Thanks so much for your advice.
HI Nat,
Many thanks for your comment about firming up a mattress. All mattresses will settle and therefore soften over time. usually in the first 6 months and then at a far slower rate over the next 5-7 years. Obviously, this depends on the quality of the upholstery, fibres and construction styles used.
Latex is a fantastically resilient progressive comfort layer that tends to hold its shape well in a two sided latex mattress model. You don't say if your dunlopillo mattress is one or two sided. Given they haven't made many 2 sided models we will assume its one of their one sided models. Have a look at our Fusion 3 below and what a 2 sided latex mattress looks like with a cross section to help.
These have a far shorter shelf life that a two sided model as you can't turn them over to help even out settlement. It means that all the wear is on one side. For 7 years this is good going for the life span of a one sided model.
How to firm up a mattress:
The quick answer is that the only way to firm up a mattress is to use plyboard on top of the mattress base to help give it a bit more support.
However, it sounds like it's the comfort layers that have settled or sagged in your mattress. Adding as firm topper will only add a temporary reprieve before the sagging continues as it will conform to the softer material underneath.
This is why it is so important to choose the correct support/spring tension and then fibre that will give you the correct feeling of the mattress. Take a look below at the two guides for more advice on this.
| Upholstery Layer | Fibre Type | How it will feel? | Price Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyester | Synthetic | Soft | Cheap |
| White Fibre | Synthetic | Soft/Medium | Cheap |
| Recycled Fibre / Eco Fibre | Synthetic | Medium | Cheap |
| Memory Foam | Synthetic | Medium/Firm | Mid Price |
| Igel / Hybrid Foam | Synthetic | Medium/Firm | Mid Price |
| Polycotton | Synthetic/Natural Blend | Soft/Medium | Mid Price |
| Linen | Synthetic/Natural Blend | Medium | Mid Price |
| Wool (Pure) | Natural | Soft/Medium | High-End |
| Cotton (Pure) | Natural | Soft | High-End |
| Silk | Natural | Soft | Expensive |
| Horsehair | Natural | Medium | High-End |
| Mohair | Natural | Medium/Firm | High-End |
| Hemp | Natural | Medium | High-End |
| Latex (100% Natural) | Natural | Medium/Firm | High-End |
| Coir | Natural | Firm | High-End |
| Flax | Natural | Firm | High-End |
| Coarse Cashmere | Natural | Firm | High-End |
| Bamboo | Natural | Super Soft | Expensive / Exclusive |
| Horsetail | Natural | Firm | Expensive / Exclusive |
| Alpaca | Natural | Soft | Expensive / Exclusive |
| Cashmere (Pure) | Natural | Soft | Expensive / Exclusive |
| Vicuna | Natural | Super Soft | Expensive / Exclusive |
Try the plyboard and then if no joy then please get back in touch and we can advise on a replacement mattress.
If you have any more questions Max please get back in touch with us on 0161 437 4419.
All the best
John & Ryan
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