Body Impressions

Let’s Talk About Body Impressions

First, it is important to note that body impressions are a normal occurrence in any mattress. Think about it, you’re spending about 8 hours on your mattress each evening. That’s 2,920 hours per year! I don’t care what you’re on, be it a latex mattress or your living room sofa, there will be some sort of change that takes place in that material. It’s the law of physics.

The design of mattresses incorporates the use of a variety of comfort layers. The components utilized for the comfort layers will settle and could compress due to the weight and shape of the user. This settling is not a structural or design defect but an expected result. Someone who weighs 100 lbs may see little or no compression over time. Different story for someone who weighs 200 lbs.

There is also a break-in period. Latex will soften with use (as will all foams, including memory foam and polyfoam). That’s why it’s important to choose your comfort layer based on your weight, height, your sleeping position, as well as the firmness you prefer. Again, someone with a smaller frame will not experience the same softening that a larger person will.

Now a word about the mattress casing. Our mattresses are quilted on the top and bottom with wool placed between two layers of organic cotton. When the mattress is new, the wool has a certain amount of loft. Wool is a material that naturally compresses over time. We call this nesting and it is a natural occurrence in the cover which does not affect the latex inside the mattress.

Compression, or “nesting”, of upholstery materials of less than 1.5″ should not be considered, or confused with sagging of the mattress. Slight body impressions are a normal phenomenon of your body’s preferred comfort zone during sleep and are not an indication that the components are breaking down. Your individual comfort zones (if they should develop) do not impair the durability, functionality or quality of your sleep system. Most people who develop comfort zones are deep sleepers who stay in one position without tossing or turning.

One of the perks of owning a latex mattress made from components is that you can always refresh your mattress by changing out your comfort layer thus creating a brand new mattress. It is inexpensive to do so versus purchasing a new mattress. Via the zipper, you can also access the inside of your mattress then flip and/or rotate the comfort layer which often helps to rebound any softening. Some mattresses, like ours, are also built with 2-sided comfort, so if you find your mattress to be too soft, you can just flip it over for a firmer feel.

If you don’t like having these normal body impressions, you’ll need to get rid of the softer comfort layers inside your mattress and choose a firmer mattress to decrease the amount of compression and softening. Many of our customers like our firm mattress option, topped with our LaNoodle Toppers (which never get impressions because they are free-flowing), yet still offer the plush softness desired by many sleepers.

If you think your mattress is sagging (which usually occurs down the center of a mattress), in most cases, it is usually related to the frame or foundation. That’s why it is so very important to choose a proper support system for your mattress. To read more about selecting the proper foundation and support click here.