041 – 4-Layer Japanese Style Natural Latex Mattress⁠

I tend to do a lot of research before buying something like this, so let me catch you up. We purchased a Nest Alexander Hybrid king size mattress in medium firm feel 3 years ago. Because a lot of the reviews online mentioned that the premium materials used would be good for long term comfort for larger/heavier sleepers. I am the heavier then my wife. But the mattress started to develop a slight depression and with constant rotation it developed on both sides, not enough to trigger a warranty replacement. But Nest did offer us a 30% discount on a new purchase… which was not really much of a discount on a hefty purchase that has given up just enough of the ghost after 3 years that we were considering a new bed.

The wife and I have been dealing with lower back pain and constant sciatica issues. So we started to look into a way to firm up our existing bed for a reasonable price. Going through various forums we stumbled across the idea of adding a latex topper. Price wise doing a polyfoam topper was our initial thought, but it seems the consensus is that these foams are not the long term answer. By far everyone seems to be in the latex camp, so we focused on what size would be best. We were torn between the 2″ and 3″, ultimately we went with the 3 inch because my thought was that if we like it. We could DIY the mattress and cut out the sagging comfort layers and add the latex layer directly on top of the coils. Essentially making our old bed into the latex hybrid mattress Nest is now selling as one of their more expensive beds. We felt comfortable going this route, because of the 30 day return/refund policy.

Now to how everything turned out… we purchased the 3″ Firm Mattress latex topper. Our biggest fear was that the topper would sag because a lot forums were saying that a mattress topper could not fix a sagging or damaged mattress. In our case the base mattress did have slight sags/depressions but it must have been slight enough to not really cause any issues with the topper. Because the firm topper is exactly what we needed. I wanted something slightly firmer and the wife wanted to sleep on the floor… and it seems we are both happy. She likes the firmness on her side but my side is perfect. YMV because our base mattress under the topper was a medium to soft feel mattress (which started as medium firm). But the combination of firm topper and medium mattress is a great feel. If you are moving into the mattress there is little to no disturbance to any sleeping partner. But if you are moving laterally (side to side) you can feel a slight shock/rebound in the topper. Nothing too jarring or crazy, but it is there.

I feel ultimately we are happy with the current setup. But in the future we may buy a mattress enclosure, cut out the foam layers of our Nest Alexander Hybrid. Set up the coils into the enclosure and fit the topper on top and zip it up what would become a Frankenstein mattress. But the thing is that this topper has revitalized our bed and saved us a ton of money from having to buy a new mattress.

Take my review with a grain of salt. Our existing bed only had slight sag/depressions. Very faintly visible, but was about 3/4 of an inch in the middle when doing a depression test with a weight across the entire surface of the bed.

With this topper the wife and I aren’t fighting to sleep in the exact middle of the bed every night!

I have a very sensitive sense of smell. Odors just bother me, stress me out, and cause headaches sometimes. So after researching all types of mattresses and toppers, I chose to try this 2 inch firm topper, first. I am a single mom on a budget, who lives up a flight of stairs. Delivery, return, price, and product weight options are significant to me, just as much as overall comfort.

Had to make my choice very carefully. Returning this thing would be a huge hassle for me. They do offer returns within 30 days, so I wouldn’t be stuck with it, but I didn’t want to try and put it back in a box, take it downstairs, and possibly to a mailroom, either. (I was able to get the box upstairs, end over end flipping)

Once opened, the odor was very strong, I had a sore throat from it within minutes. I placed the topper on my bed, left the windows open and the fan on, and moved all of bedding to the living room. There is no guest bedroom, so i was going to have to endure this part the hard way, by sleeping on the living room sofa for a week. Wanted to give this topper every chance I could, without making myself ill. I asked a question about the odor in the questions section here, and received many replies, varying from people saying the smell never went away, and they hate it, to other saying they never smelled a thing. The company replied with recommending I leave the windows closed, as it was cold out, and let the topper air out at room temp. If the odor remained after a week or two, I should contact them for further evaluating.

For a week I opened the windows during the day, when it was 60-70 degrees and very windy. Kept a fan on the topper, and closed the windows at night when the temp dropped. I also became concerned that the odor wasn’t going away fast enough, and sprinkled dry baking soda all over each side, letting each side sit with the baking soda for over 24 hours. Vacuuming it out of the topper was a chore, with all the little holes that don’t go all the way through the topper, but with aid of the vacuum brush attached to the hose it was doable, pressing in each set of holes, it took awhile. ( Flipping it alone did not remove all the baking soda from the holes, oddly enough. ) Maybe it wasn’t important, but I’m detail oriented.

After a week or so I noticed that when the windows were shut, and the fan was off, I didn’t notice the odor as strongly. ( The baking soda made a big difference, imo ) So I made the leap of faith, and began making the bed. ** I had ordered another topper, a 2 inch thick, pure cotton pillowtop topper, to place on this firm one. I did this because I knew that if the natural latex did in fact have an odor, I could have a layer of something between my nose and the latex, being a stomach and side sleeper. Also, I thought I may need something soft, if the firmness was too much for sleeping on my side.** So I placed a waterproof cover, and extra bottom sheet directly on the topper, (as I did not order the cover for the topper) then the cotton topper, then my sheets.

My poor mattress is 10 years old, it is innerspring, has dips and valleys, so it was rotated to start with, but the point of all of this was to not replace it, as I just can’t afford it right now. It has caused me a lot of back pain, and I needed some relief. The firm, 2 inch, natural latex topper from Sleep On Latex was the right choice for me, in the end. Despite the off gassing period, and having to give up my room for a week. I still smell it from time to time, when I roll over and air moves through the layers, but it does not bother me. In fact, I tried to remain positive throughout the entire process, so my brain was never THAT upset over it, in the first place. Now I almost enjoy the odor, it brings comfort because it smells like my *new* bed, and my bed is a good thing, it’s my sacred space.

Side sleeping is awesome with this set up. I weigh 180, I’m 5’3. The dip in the center of the innerspring mattress can still be detected when i sleep on my stomach, there is still pain, and a may place something between the innerspring and the plywood it sits on, to tweek it. But I find i’m naturally sleeping on my side more often, sleeping through the night, not tossing and turning in pain. Not waking up stiff, sore and barely able to walk. I will sleep 8 hours now, without waking, except to flip sides once or twice. I sleep with two dogs, they have not had any bad reactions, or breathing issues with the new set up.

The firm topper alone feels awesome, and I may switch to just using it own its own. If i had ordered it in 3 inch, I may not feel the dip of the innerspring at all, but I can’t get too much higher, or I won’t be able to get sheets on the bed. I just decided on the soft topper, as well, instead for now. Maybe one day i will order another firm topper in 1 inch, and remove the soft one. bottom line is now I have something to work with, and I can finally sleep in comfort. I give 4 stars because nothing is perfect, but this is close to it, for what it is.
Also… no odor triggered migraines! try not to stress!!

EDIT: It’s been a few months and I’m still very happy! I find that I sleep on my back easier now due to the added lumbar support from the mattress pad mixed with the slight sink of my mattress. It’s super firm, but cradles without me sinking into a hole, which is exactly what I wanted.

It’s also still the correct choice for stomach sleeping. I haven’t woken up with a sore back in a while. Nor have I woken up drenched in sweat. It’s winter as of the time of this edit, and the topper can get very cold, so the heated mattress pad has been on more frequently. The topper heats up evenly and retains the heat without cooking me. Just a nice toasty bed, and no waking up in puddles. Pure bliss!

It is pretty firm, but I stand by my original review 100%. I think maybe a super thin pillow top or some more thick blankets under my sheets would give it just enough softness to make this perfect without compromising the support. That’s really all it needs though, honestly.

Easiest $200. Love it when a plan comes together 😀

Original Post:
“You can’t make a too soft bed firmer. You’ll need a new mattress.”

But what if my mattress is one of the firmest memory foams available and only 3 years old? It’s not a bad mattress (literally was a life saver when l bought it), I just need a little more lower back support now that it’s broken in. Plus, the damn thing sleeps very hot and doesn’t breathe at all, no matter how much natural bedding I throw at it. I needed a solution thats not $1000+. And I needed it yesterday!

I bought the 2” in firm in desperation, trusting my gut in thinking that if it was too firm for a side or even some back sleepers, then it should be great for me, a stomach sleeper. My idea was that the “too soft, but still a brick overall” mattress would just allow the firm topper to contour a tiny bit more than if I just bought a new firm latex mattress, but still be strong enough to support me at 5’7/175lbs. Plus I wouldn’t wake up in a puddle as often since latex breathes, which is arguably more frustrating than my back pain.

IT WORKED. I was trying to wait a month before I reviewed it, but I’ve slept like a baby every night since. My back doesn’t hurt and I don’t have to sleep with my hips elevated by a pillow or my arm anymore. The night sweats have significantly reduced in severity.

It does off gas a bit, but I just let it sit in my living room until I couldn’t smell it when I walked into the house from outside. Took two days. I threw a cheap wool blanket over it and put my sheets on over that and now I smell nothing.

It also drags just fine to my bedroom if you leave it on top of the plastic bag it came in. It’s heavy, but I had no issues moving it at all or adjusting it on the bed. Just pick up a corner and ripple/flop it into place. It’s latex, it bounces lol. Like seriously, have you guys not moved heavy/awkward furniture before? Learn to work smarter, and maybe some proper lifting techniques lol.

If you are a stomach sleeper, do not waste your time on the medium firmness. Buy this one and a flat pillow and call it a day. It is indeed firm, but not hard. You’ll adjust quickly.

Easy $200. Hopefully, it continues to hold its shape and offer support for a couple years. I reeeally don’t want to buy a new mattress right now lol.

Update; I am updating my review to 5 stars.

Seller found out about my issue and immediately fixed it. They did it even without me contacting them. This a great sign that shows they care about the quality of their products and customer satisfaction. The new mattress I received is correct size and I am really enjoying the firmness of this mattress. One very satisfied customer here. I will definitely buy from them again.

Old review:
Bought the 2” thick king size Mattress topper.
King size should be 76” wide and 80” long.
This mattress topper is 76” wide and 77” long. So it was 3” shorter than it should be. We did the measurement after 1 week again to see if there was additional expansion of the topper but the measurements were the same as before. It is very frustrating and I am very upset, because it would be very difficult for us to return this topper so we either have to live with it or find something with proper size.

I was extremely surprised with the comfort, quality and how this topper slept. I am in shock! I have purchsed 3 of the foam queen mattresses toppers in the past months. On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d give them a – 3. They were awful! If you are going to purchase a mattress topper your BEST bet is LATEX. They have SUBSTANCE, High Quality and sleep very,very well. It’s the difference in the Wright Brothers first plane and a 747. No Kidding. NOTE: DON’T GET THE COVER, i DID, AND THE TOPPER MOVED ALL OVER THE PLACE ON MY BED!! I had to take it off the bed. GOOD SLEEPING!!

Personally, I’d classify it as “extra firm,” and I’m not at all complaining; in fact, I’m writing this review to emphasize that my experience returning my topper (it was too firm for my comfort, even though it’s VERY premium quality material) was above and beyond. I am very happy with my experience with this company, and I will absolutely recommend them to others (again, the actual quality of their toppers is top-notch 😉

This 2″ latex topper came packaged well and shipped quickly, and the cover came already on it, which was great. I haven’t noticed a smell at all. I’m a side sleeper, so I was excited to get some cushion for my hips. Love it!