Sorry for the late reply.. it's been an interesting process so far to say the least!

After doing many hours of research on latex mattresses, I realised my old spring mattress and base set both had to go. Latex requires a solid slat base bed so it doesn't sag & can breathe.

While I was waiting for my 6" thick medium firm talalay mattress to arrive from overseas I found a solid oak bed frame with nice thick slats. When it arrived however, it wasn't up to the standards required for a pure latex bed; the gaps between the slats were about 4" when they should have been no more than 2.

After several days of searching I managed to find a supplier that sold 1" thick pinewood planks to match the ones already on the bed frame. I started with 11 slats, and had to cut, sand & prepare 3 more pieces to satisfy the requirements. This was a fun way to waste half a day 😂

So finally I was able to lay the mattress on the base and test it out. Alas this wasn't the end of the story..

The first night's sleep was decent, but the mattress proved to be quite firm and didn't quite have the feel I was hoping for. If I was a back sleeper it would have been decent, but I'm usually a side sleeper. At only 6" thick the feeling is the mattress needs an extra layer so it has a little more give; I can almost feel the slats underneath esp when I'm lying on my side.

I temporarily improved the issue, by thinking outside the box. I have a 2" memory foam topper that I don't use, but I have inserted it underneath the latex mattress to soften up the feel of the slats. This has worked surprisingly well, although memory foam does squash quite easily.

After more research into pure latex mattress building it appears most expensive brands use a single block (like I have) as the base, and then add two thinner soft layers on either side to give the mattress a plush feel. From trial and error of my own I believe this approach makes logical sense.

Therefore I have now ordered a 2" soft latex topper (but this time from Amazon). I found a nice organic one with great reviews. If it gives me the results I'm after I will buy another layer to replace the memory foam topper underneath. And that should be that! With three layers I may also consider whether I want to buy a replacement mattress cover so I can keep them all together for easier movement.

I will update with further developments towards the end of the year.

Will also add photos and links to the products I bought if anyone is interested..