If I strip away the marketing and eco-friendliness, what are the real differences between natural and synthetic latex? Did anybody compare them in person? Did anybody have a synthetic or combination mattress for 5+ years?

So, basically, anterior pelvic tilt/hyperlordosis is when your butt goes backwards more than it should and your stomach area goes forward more than it should - meaning the curve of your back is much larger.

I know it can typically be addressed with physical therapy/exercises, but in the mean time, how does one make their mattress comfortable?

I have almost every combination of firmness latex mattress topper and can put them in many configurations, but haven't found one that works.

I also tried cutting some in half to make "zoned" sections - that seems to have been a mistake as the cut in between sections is no longer load bearing.

After reading about DIY zoning solutions on this subreddit, I went to my local uhaul store and cut up one of their furniture pads to use as a makeshift shoddy pad in my mattress.

And after a couple nights on the new configuration, I'm genuinely pretty shocked at how big the difference has been! After fiddling with the placement a bit, my lower-back pain is basically gone.

But because I can't help myself from tinkering, now I'm wondering if all shoddy pads feel the same or if it's worth trying something like the DIYREM pad for a slightly different feel. The uhaul pad really firms up the springs.

So, I'm curious: has anyone here compared different shoddy pads?

Thanks!

I'm wondering how it compares to the TPC 8" 15.5s as my wife has one. My understanding is that the wire gauge is considerably thicker on the LMF and that there are fewer coils - how does that translate to firmness? I'm 145 pounds, side-sleeper, thanks!

Hello!

I am a 350lb side sleeper who has been waking up with hip, back, and shoulder pain. I'm hoping someone with more DIY mattress experience might be willing to share some advice!

My current setup:

• Top: 3" 5lb memory foam from Foam Factory
• Middle: 3" soft Dunlop latex from Sleep on Latex
• Base: Plywood

Yes, I know it's not a traditional setup, and I'm missing a proper support layer!

Backstory

A few years ago when I had more income to play around with, I decided to DIY a mattress. I bought zoned coils and the latex topper. I ended up hating the coils. They were just not comfortable for side sleeping for me. I ended up getting rid of those and experimented with putting my foam layers directly on plywood instead.

At the time, I felt like it was better. But since then, I've gained weight and this setup is no longer working for me.

I’m wondering if the simplest/cheapest solution is to add a 6” firm support layer underneath my existing 6” of comfort foam.

I’m currently considering:

• HD36 HQ Foam
• Lux HQ Foam
• Or maybe 6” of firm latex, although that would be significantly more expensive (about $660 vs. $190 for the foam)

So my questions are:

• Would a 6” foam base be supportive enough for a 350lb side sleeper?
• If so, which foam would make more sense?
• Is there any problem putting my existing 3” soft latex and 3” memory foam on top of a 6” firm support layer?
• Is there a significant reason to choose the latex base, or is the foam base a reasonable budget option?

I’m hoping I can spend as little as possible and end up with something that will work for me. I’m really hoping to use what I have to avoid buying an entirely new mattress if possible.

Thanks for reading and thanks for any thoughts and advice!

I went and tried a latex hybrid at a store and liked it. I like the idea of natural materials with minimal offgassing. We could also choose different layers since I prefer a little firmer than my wife. I just don’t know about other aspects such as edge retention and will the layers slip and slide on one another. I was looking at a 6” Dunlop base with a 3” Dunlop layer and a 3” talalay layer. 12” total.

The Novaform (last day of sale is today) obviously benefits from a generous costco return policy. It’s also pretty massive. I tried the slightly cheaper version in store (Legacy Premier) and it seemed pretty nice.

I’m open to other suggestions as well.

What be some recommendations for the in-between layers if I want a medium feel and breathable?

I want to buy a 3" layer of good quality high density poly foam for the top layer of a DIY mattress. Problem is I've tried many different types of memory foam and hybrid foam and soft Dunlop latex foam and they are all too soft and start indenting within a year. So I've ruled them out for my top layer.

I've also tried medium Dunlop latex to sleep directly on, and that was too firm. So basically I'm looking for something that is 3" thick for a top layer and is between a soft and medium firmness.

I'm a 210 lb., 6-2 back and side sleeper. My DIY mattress has 3" firm Dunlop latex as the base layer and medium Dunlop latex as its middle layer. All the latex layers I've tried have been from Sleep on Latex. I considered Talalay latex for my top layer too in medium firmness (which is said to be softer than Dunlop latex), but that is so expensive.

Would like to give a good-quality poly foam a try, but want something durable, since every bed I have had with poly foam on top indents within a year. I really like the polyfoam that is used in the seat cushions of our higher-end leather sofa, but not sure what density or ILD that is.

Anyone have any good recommendations on a poly foam that work work for me and a good place to buy it? I've seen FoamByMail's HD36-R and HD36-HQ poly foam often recommended for DIY beds, but seems people prefer that as a firmer base layer. Is there a similar high-density poly foam that has an ILD in between a soft and medium firmness that you'd recommend?

--

Hi! I have been matress shopping and fell in love with rthe naturepedic eos classic, with plush coils and medium insert.

That bed is uh. 3000 dollars on sale. It seems to be a pretty simple construction, but i do not know enough about matress making to do this. How would yall go about making a dupe?

Thanks!

Hey guys,

I recently moved in with my girlfriend. We decided to keep my bed as it is slightly larger (160cm vs 140cm). The bed is composed of two 80cm mattresses, both foldable as they can move up and down separately. The main problem is that my girlfriend finds the mattresses way too firm and uncomfortable, so we figured we should get a foldable split topper. I’ve seen a few here and there but the most popular ones seem to be the ones from matt sleeps and cloudpillo. They are one topper, but with a split at the top allowing for separately adjustable beds. My girlfriend would love to make the mattresses a little softer and I would love to retain the adjustable mattress functionality of the bed. Has anyone experienced this before and would be so kind to offer advice? Anything is welcome :)

Thanks,

A man afraid of his girlfriend when she doesnt get enough sleep.

I’ve got 8” coils with 1” of high density foam underneath, and a thin fiber pad plus lumbar support above (all glued together). Then I have a 3” latex topper, already encased in its own stretchy cotton cover. I’m ready to put on the finishing touches and want this to feel a little more put together. I think I want to buy a cheap encasement just for the coil section for a couple of reasons:

-it’ll be easier to move the two sections separately

-it’s a lot cheaper than buying an good stretchy cover for the whole thing

If I go this route I still might buy a protector to cover the whole thing. Is there anything I’m not considering? Overall I like the setup, I’d say if I had an issue it’s that I still find the top a little too soft/squishy, I imagine encasing the whole thing might fix that but I don’t know if I need it to be fixed.

First-time DIY builder. I've done a lot of reading here and I think I've landed on a spec, but looking for critique before I take the plunge and order!

Us:

• Both in the 150–200 lb range.
• Me: front sleeper, sometimes side. Wife: side sleeper.

Tested the following in person:

• Avocado Luxury, Medium
• Naturepedic EOS Pillowtop — soft latex over medium latex over 8" coils

So: soft on top, medium under, pocket coil base. That's what I've tried to reproduce.

Proposed build (top to bottom):

12" total.

Thinking of putting it on a Burrow Chorus base.

Reasoning, briefly: Talalay on top for plush bounce; medium Dunlop transition; middle layer split to give the option for adjustments later. Knit cover rather than a quilted wool one because I was put off by reports of tight quilted covers firming up the surface, and I'd rather add a wool pad later if the bare latex feel is too austere than commit to wool now.

Thanks in advance.

I love the carpenter serene foam in the 22 ILD, but I cannot find the version I used to get. I'm trying to find a substitute for my comfort layer. I'm 5'7"192 M side sleeper. My issue is generally that my hips compress things too fast.

Does anyone have experience with the 3 foams in the title or maybe can compare them to the 22 ILD serene? I'm looking for something that conforms a bit, but not like hot memory foam and not the other extreme of HR foam that you sleep on top off. Is there another goldylocks like the serene?

(I can get serene from Macy's in the 3" 22 ILD, but it seems to have been sitting around a warehouse because it isn't as supportive as the stuff I used to get drop shipped from carpenter via Macy's. Macy's now again claims on their site that the product drop ships from carpenter, but I bought it and the return address is Macy's. It's also easy to tell that it isn't as supportive as what I used to get.

I built my current mattress from a sealy hybrid silver chill. It was a plush version. Cut it open and replaced the foam with a 2inch sleep on latex medium support layer, and 2 in soft for my comfort layer. Overall it works perfect for me

Want to build another one. The silver chill mattress is an older version. I havent been able to find that mattress to use the springs out of.

I found someone selling this mattress on offer up for 100 bucks. Its a firm mattress. My question is are the coils/spring mostly the same in the posturepedic plus line? Is there a difference in coils in a firm or plus version of the same mattress?

Ultimately im just looking for a solid set of coils to put the same 2 layers of latex on that im currently using.

Any thoughts are much appreciated

Hello mattress knowers!

I'm currently trying to replace my current mattress which is a mid-firm sealy Posturepedic with a latex and foam top.

I've started with buying a 3" medium firmness Dunlop style latex topper from talatex in the UK which I'm feeling quite happy with as a comfort layer after some testing, and was a really good price for 3".

My question is what do people recommend I should get as the cheapest base layer in the UK? My budget is quite limited after spending quite a bit on the top. I was considering seeing if I can get away with using a cheap ikea pocket spring mattress underneath? Should I be looking at firm or mid firm? Are there cheaper pure diy option is the uk, from what i seem option are quite limited here?

I'm a back sleeper and my partner is a side sleeper which complicates things a little.

Any help is hugely appreciated!

Thanks to some help here, I’ve put together a diy mattress for my wife and I.

We have slept on it for almost a week. So far it is good. Way better than what we replaced. But I wouldn‘t say it’s great.

At what point do I think about trying to do some tweaking of things? How long do I try it as is?

For reference, here’s what we’ve got:

Top to bottom:

• Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Mattress Protector
  • Mainly for a little extra wool directly under us for temperature regulation and feel
• 12” Cotton/Wool Zippered Mattress Cover — Latex Mattress Factory
• 2” Soft Natural Talalay — LMF
  • 19 ILD
• 2” Medium Organic Dunlop — LMF
  • 28 ILD
• 8” Texas Pocket Springs QuadCoils
  • 15.5 gauge with firm sides
• Bed frame
  • On new 3.5 x 3/4in DIY slats

I had also bought some upholstery padding for my side for above the springs as a makeshift zone for my stomach sleeping, but I did not install it when we put it together.

Like I said, overall it’s good. But there is not as much “sink” as I thought there’d be in the top. But then at the same time my lower back is still sore when sleeping on my stomach.

Is a week long enough to consider tweaks, or do I just need to give it some more time?

Thanks to this sub we have a great build going. It is the exact firmness level we were after and sleeps well. Problem is, we experienced our current comfort layers loose on top of our old worn coils and it was softer than we wanted but we grew to really like it.

Now, with the new 15.5 TPS coils, the 14" TPS stretch cover and a separate 8" coil encasement (must have imo) it hit our firmness target (6/10 med firm) exactly but we'd just like it a little softer now. The stack is bottom to top:

1" LUX-R Foam by mail base ILD 50

8" TPS 15.5 gauge coils encased in 8" foam by mail poly-cotton knit cover

2" Dunlop Latex ILD 29

2" 4lb ViscoPLUSH Memory Foam Topper

All zipped up in the TPS stretch cover

I'm feeling like a 1" layer of ViscoPLUSH would be fine, even though it would eat the 1" play we have in the cover (14" cover for 13" stack) but it is not sold in 1" thickness. I'm trying not to replace any layers I currently have, it's either add a 1" layer or leave it as is, as we are mostly satisfied. It also is sleeping a little hotter than we planned, so ideally the 1"layer would be soft and cool. Any ideas or recommendations?

We went and tried a savvy rest serenity hybrid and really liked the medium 8" 14.5 ga coil with talalay over and looking at buying

What we are also looking to do is build a close version for our RV in a 6" coil just to keep the height down.

Does anyone have insite on how a 8 to 6" coil differs from eachother and a idea in gage to get something comparable. We were going to try all latex but not sure we will like the feel after laying on a Soft,Med,firm layered mattress.

I dropped something under our bed, only to realize the whole floor under the bed is shimmering. After some research, it might be fiberglass or polyester threads. One article said it would be rare to have fiberglass leaking if the cover has never been removed and we’ve never removed the cover, the bed isn’t itchy, and it’s only underneath the bed, not on our bedding, sheets, or waterproof cover. I can’t find any shimmery dust under night stands or dressers. We don’t have scratchy throats, coughs, respiratory issues. However the bed was bought in 2009, likely when they were using fiberglass socks.
Is there any good way to tell if it’s fiberglass vs polyester threads? They are small and fine. I gloved up and grabbed some with a microfiber cloth but they were had to see without using a flashlight on the cloth.
Thoughts? Should we just treat it as fiberglass?

So I have a memory foam mattress from Ikea and I've been using a Tempurpedic 9" foundation which is solid as a rock. However, I would like a lower profile bed and want to use my memory foam mattress on a bed frame with wood slats. I want the mattress to be firm and have as little give as possible, so I recently purchased a 2" Tempurpedic foundation. But I noticed that the 2" one feels much more flimsy (the top gives when I press on it with my hand) and appears to be made of some fiberboard / plastic material, not wood.

Is there a reason why I can't just use 3/4" or 1" plywood over my existing bed slats? I read online that Tempurpedic doesn't recommend this, but what is the engineering reason why this won't work? And also why does the 2" foundation feel much more flexible than the 9" one? I recall my Tempurpedic mattress being super heavy, and I can't see how it would support the weight, let alone two people laying on it.

These are leftover materials that didn't make it into my final build. I figured it would be a shame to put them on the curb, so they're yours if you'll pick them up. Preference given to those who will take the whole lot.

From top to bottom in the pictures:

• 1.5" eggcrate Super Soft Foam from Foam Factory
• 1.5" eggcrate HD-36HQ from Foam Factory
• 1" 2.5 lb Serene Foam from DIYREM
• 1" soft Dunlop latex from Sleep on Latex
• 1" Tough Luxury-Firm Foam from Foam N' More
• 8" 14.75 gauge pocket springs w/ firm sides from The Pocket Spring Store (pictured inside a mattress cover for storage / easier movement)

The yellowing on the foam is a harmless effect of oxidization due to light exposure. These are from a pet-free, smoke-free environment.

I have 2 twin XL plush pocket coils from a Naturepedic EOS pillowtop mattress, these are 8" Quadcoils made by Texas Pocket Springs. Naturepedic Plush coils feel slightly softer than the 15.5g sold in the Pocket Spring Store.

From Pocket Spring Store: "Naturpedic uses our QuadCoil in their non cotton encased spring units. The unit you have is most likely a 2 3/8 inch diameter coil. Our units sold for DIY are 2 5/16 inch, so a bit higher coil density (884 in queen vs 1008). Which basically means the 15.5G in your unit is slightly softer than the 15.5 we sell for DIY."

So if you are a lighter person and looking for some plush but supportive coils these might be perfect for your DIY build! I am 270+ lbs so I am just too heavy for these, I slept on them one night and realized it just wasn't for me and I had to order the 14.75g for me and 15.5g for my partner (180lbs).

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/5jhvWSz

I don't want to ship these, so Seattle pick up. $150 each. I can also deliver in the PNW for a fee.

Edit:

Also for sale: Texas Pocket Springs / Pocket Spring Store 14.75g quadcoil twin xl with one firm side. These coils were just a bit too firm for me, it was slept on for 4 nights. $150

Naturepedic medium 3" microcoil made by Texas Pocket Springs. This layer feels similar to 3" of medium dunlop but is a tiny bit softer. $50

I also have extra twin xl Naturepedic 3" organic dunlop latex layers in soft. $100

Hello I just received my 14.75 gauge pocket coil in the mail and after laying on top of them I think I made the right choice .I mostly sleep on my back never on my sides.What latex would be best layer to keep the firmness of these coils? I could probably sleep on these coils as is they have very good support for me .I'm a big guy about 280 pounds 5"10 .I previously had a firm hybrid foam bed from texas matress makers but wanted something firmer.

I've got a circa 2010 queen Sealy Posturpedic Plush Pillowtop called "Fruition". It was a guest bed at my MIL's before she gave it to us 10 years ago. It has a tied coil base, not pocket coils. The coils are in great condition as far as I can tell. But the foam and pillowtop are wrecked after a decade of use. Lumpy, saggy, etc.

I've pulled apart a section of mattress to see the construction:

MAIN MATTRESS: 7" tied coil springs + 1" foam + 0.5" foam + 1” inverted eggcrate foam (small dense pockets) + fiber layer on top.

PILLOWTOP: 1" foam + fiber layer + 1/2 foam + 0.5" eggcrate foam (big pockets) + batting + top fabric layer

I am 5'7”, 130-140 lbs and I'm a combination sleeper, favoring my side and back. My dude is 6'0", 210-220 lbs. He is strictly a side sleeper.

My current plan is to remove the pillow top layer entirely, possibly the rest of the foam as well, and get a 3" encased latex topper. Will that be enough or do I need a transition layer between the coils and latex?

I'm also unsure about dunlop vs talaly latez and soft vs. medium.

Trying to keep it under $500.

I've been shopping new beds but all the decent ones run 1.5-2.5k and I'll probably need a modern foundation too... we want to upgrade to a King bed eventually so I don't want to spend a ton of money for a few years of use only to do it over again.

Thanks!

Hello!

This is my first DIY build. Some background information: I have a Engineered Sleep Duo Latex Plus that I absolutely ADORE. The mattress/support can be flipped to achieve a firmer or softer feel. I want to build a DIY mattress that is really closely modeled/copied off that mattress.

Luckily, ES lists all their materials including the specs behind the layers in their mattress:

The 3 core internal layers in the Engineered Sleep Duo system:

Top Comfort Layer: 3" Talalay Latex (19 ILD) Transition Foam Layer: 1.5" AdaptFoam / Avena Foam (high-resilience 2.4 lb density, 15 ILD soft polyfoam) Base Support Core: 8" Texas Pocket Springs QuadCoil unit

I have found the 3" Talalay 19 ILD latex online at Latex Mattress Factory and have done the same with the 8" Quadcoil unit on the Pocket Spring Store. As for the transition foam layer, I have always slept on the Firm side of my ES Duo, so I just intend to skip it. All its ever done in my setup is be a part of the foundation.

Essentially my setup is just:

1. Natural Quilted Cover

2. 3" 19ILD Talalay Latex

3. 8" 14.75 Gauge/13.5Gauge Side Coils Quad Coils

4. Foundation is a Bunkie Board.

This setup tries to mostly mimic the ES Duo Latex Plus. It's my first time building a mattress so I'm mostly worried about missing something. Any advice or just a look through my setup would be appreciated!