I have a latex mattress and it doesn't have any heat issues. I got mine from Savvy Rest and not entirely happy. The company is good, but we find latex isn't for us. I find it sags despite the turning and flipping and sometimes feel achy in the AM. We have it for 2 years now. Had our previous inner spring mattress for 30 years and am angry at myself for doing all the research and ending up with something we don't like, but paid alot for. Most people like them. Maybe our backs are just used to firmer mattresses. Good idea to try a topper. The company was nice enough to send us free of charge a wool topper. It did help with pressure points. Our old memory foam topper made me hot and I didn't like the smell or sleeping on something made of petroleum products. At least the latex is organic.

Organic latex is the way to go IMO. We have a king so two twin latex mattresses with a single latex topper. My DH's side is too soft and I would react like Scanmike if mine were like that. Doesn't bother DH, but my side is extra firm and nearly as hard (comfy for me) as one of our platform bed's extra firm regular mattresses. There are some seemingly valid health considerations to slatted platforms instead of box springs. There are equally compelling reasons to buy organic latex, but you really have to shop around to get the right comfort level.

We bought a new bed a few years ago with a really firm mattress because of DHs back problems, but after a few years I was ready to get rid of it and buy a whole new bed because it was uncomfortable for me. I ended up buying a latex topper to see if that would improve things and I I love it, it gives just the right amount of softness over the firm mattress. We've had it about a year now and there havent been any problems with overheating.

We have a mattress made entirely of Talalay Natural Latex. I bought it from a place online -- you pick the number of layers and the density of each layer and they send it to you in pieces. You unwrap, stack, and zip up a cover which is made to fit your chosen size. It was less expensive by far than buying a latex mattress. It is extremely comfortable -- best mattress I have ever had. The layers do shift over time and the mattress is not the prettiest thing but looks fine when the bed is made up. I love the Talalay Latex.

No idea about the topper, but we switched to a Sealy Spring free latex mattress. It's a king size mattress so we are able to turn it 1/4 turn about every 6-8 weeks. We have had no sagging. I have not had a sore back in years, ever since we switched to this mattress, really. (Well, except for that time I threw out my back, but it had nothing to do with the mattress).

One thing that struck me when we got it, I was sure that since it didn't have springs in it, it would be really light, like a piece of foam. Hah, heaviest thing ever! Very dense.

Maybe the mattress blog guy can answer your question, either call him or write him. Although he sells mattresses, you will see from his site he really just loves helping people making the right decision, even if you buy from somewhere else.

Here is a link that might be useful: mattress blog

Thank you all so much - that's exactly the type of information I was hoping for. I can't tell if my current morning back issues are caused by a too firm mattress, not enough support, wrong support or aging and bad karma! But something has to change and before I invest thousands in a latex mattress, I'll try a topper.

We have a wonderful feather over down topper that until very recently felt wonderful to me - then suddenly I started having back and hip pain in the morning. We've been using the mattress alone for a couple of months and although it seemed ok at first, it no longer does.

Mattresses have to be one of the most difficult purchases to make. It's such a cr@p shoot in so many ways, and can be a huge investment. I'm even considering a Dux bed but I'll need a sugar daddy first ;-)

Just to add. The link that Beekeeperswife gave you is really good. I actually called Peter about 4 years ago and he was very helpful. He told me NOT to buy a mattress but to try a topper, which we did (the memory foam one). It got us an extra year and I was impressed that he didn't try to steer us into buying a mattress. Seemed like an honest guy. After I bought my latex (which is organic Dunlop BTW-the firmer type) I contacted him again about my back problems. He told me that I should have bought a different mattress after explaining my problems. Well, too late for me. I would give him a call and speak directly to him for some ideas. I still can't figure out if I need a firmer bed or what is the problem. I do know that it is important to tell people how you sleep (back, stomach, side). I lie on my side. I am 53 so I don't know if it's just years of conditioning my back to a firmer mattress. I also have a lordoctic spine so I feel like a softer mattress just lets the back become more lordoctic. Very impt. to always buy where you can get a refund. I know Bloomingdales has great mattress sales in January and I think they may allow returns. Savvy allowed exchanges, but not refunds and they feel the slant or sag isn't deep enough. So we are stuck. But my bed also came in layers as someone else described and it weighs a ton. Also, I think the Sealy Spring free is not natural latex and I know Peter recommends it. A mattress topper in firm would be my choice for now for you. Remember, the firm softens up. It really is a crap shoot. I was thinking of the bed that has air in it. Running out of ideas myself!

I got one from the mattress blog guy, Peter. It's a little firmer than I was expecting. No heat issues at all, and I run hot. We got it because we need a firm mattress for back problems, but the firmness was also an issue for my bad knees. We do sometimes wake up with slightly sore backs now but as DH points out, it's usually when we've slept in (i.e. too much time in bed). I'm glad we got it. I tried out a memory foam in a store and felt hot immediately; plus I couldn't roll over and felt trapped! Not an issue with latex.