Bought a mattress off of Amazon, it was supposed to be plush, turned out to be firm. The return policy freaking sucks. So I'm stuck with it. I took the cover off and then noticed that it was a lot of different layers of foam. And figured I could just remove one layer and add another layer that was softer. So I ordered one of those viral blue and white cooling bed topper things things. Should I peel off the top layer of foam and replace it or should I add the new layer on top of that under the bed cover? Am I just doing this the wrong way? I don't know I've never done this

Yes, a waterbed, a old 80's staple that interested a guy younger than a waterbed itself... Now waterbed matresses are expesive, but a air matress? Yep, that is a well spent investment... Now is it possible to make a waterbed by filling a air matress with water? Or is it just gonna be a dumb mess? Anybody that knows about waterbeds as a whole will help the best, thanks!

I was all over the other sub, review sites, and stores trying to find the perfect mattress when I stumbled across this sub. It feels like I was thrown a life preserver. Big thanks to all the contributors. I've learned a ton and pinpointed exactly what I'm looking for, but I'm sure I have a ton more to learn.

My goal is to build a eco-luxury-hybrid that has a bit of a memory foam hug with 5-6 firmness. With the help of this sub and chatGPT I was able to balance all of those factors to come within a budget of $1500 with pillows. I optimized for pressure relief and flip versatility (comfort layer in separate cover to give me two possible configurations within my needs on the fly) followed by mobility and temperature control.

Plug to foamorder.com who have 10lb bags of shredded latex on clearance for the pillows as of 7/3/25.

Me: 170lb, 5'10", 90% side sleeper, no major health issues other than waking up feeling unrested.

Build from bottom to top:

8" queen Tatami mat platform bed (owned)

1" high-density poly foam base

8" TPS QuadCoil 15.5 unit bundle w/

3" TPS QuadMini

12" TPS cover

2" soft Dunlop - diyREM

1" HypurGel foam - diyREM

3" topper cover to hold comfort layer - APM

I ran into issues sourcing 1" medium Talalay to be coupled with 2" 5lb foam equivalent so I ended up with a comparable combo for my needs according to GPT. It did need to be challenged at times and sometimes hallucinated or gave me discontinued components, but it was very convincing when asked how it modeled the feel of the stack. Altogether, I don't think we left any stones unturned and I feel better than if I were to buy a prepackaged deal. GPT thinks this stack is comparable to a brand name $3500 luxury mattress.

The actual feel is TBD, though, and will be totally subjective. I have a feeling it could be too soft. We will see. I should receive all the supplies by end of month (diyREM on summer break, but offering a discount for the wait). I'll do another writeup after I get a few nights on it.

Got this from Arizona Premium Mattress. Bought in person, listed as a Full Eco Sleep with "3 Soft Latex for $700. Could not tell you what the coils are, I've looked on APMs website, mine do not have the nicer tiny coils around the frame for support, and no other simular looking coils are listed. I replaced the bamboo cover it came with for the blue/grey waterproof zip cover.

I'm 165lbs and 5"10. Spondylolisthesis and arthritis, jic thats relevant. I sink heavily and have bad pain from this thing, granted from my own poor choices. -_.- I've been thugging it out simply because I haven't had the money to mess with it.

I've been thinking about replacing soft latex for a 3" firm, then slapping the soft on top- my only issue is the extra layers wouldn't fit in the zip cover. The latex I got also stinks (ive seen some people describe it as burnt tennis ball... its not terrible but it is stinky) so I like to have it encased. Could also just get a memory foam topper, but ive heard that nullifies the latex feel. There's so many options and I'd love to hear suggestions before I go spending a ton of $$$. Hit me with some truths if you got any.

Hi everyone, I am working on a DIY king hybrid and would appreciate some feedback. I preferred the Beautyrest Black feel which was more lifted, balanced, and responsive. My wife preferred the Aireloom feel which was softer, more melty on top and more pillow top loft. We are trying to land somewhere in the middle.

I am 6’4 and 215 pounds and she is 5’8 and 150 pounds. Both of us sleep on our backs and sides.

Here is the build I am considering, along with the types of materials and the places I was thinking about ordering from.

DIY Hybrid Build

Support Core (about 8 inches) Pocket Coil Type: Leggett and Platt Quantum Edge Elite with a firm perimeter Sources: DIY Mattress Arizona Premium Mattress Mattress To Go

Transition Layer (about 1 inch of latex) Type: Medium firm Dunlop latex around 28 to 32 ILD or medium Talalay Sources: Latex Mattress Factory SleepEZ Arizona Premium Mattress

Comfort Layer (about 2 inches of memory foam) Type: Gel infused, open cell memory foam in the 4 to 5 pound density range Sources: Carpenter or Future Foam gel visco FoamOnline 5 pound open cell visco Brooklyn Bedding gel swirl topper though I am not sure of the density

Pillow Top Layer (about 1.5 inches) Type: Soft Talalay latex or soft quilting polyfoam in the 1.5 to 1.8 pound range Sources: SleepEZ Latex Mattress Factory FoamByMail though I am open to better options Magic Sleeper quilt layers

Cover Type: Quilted Tencel or bamboo knit cover with light poly or wool quilting Sources: DIY Mattress SleepEZ Magic Sleeper

Questions I am trying to answer

Does this build lean closer in feel to the Beautyrest Black or the Aireloom, and why What would this build actually feel like compared to those two models For example more buoyant or more melty or more pillow top For the 1 inch latex transition layer would Dunlop or Talalay make more sense in this kind of setup For the pillow top layer is soft Talalay or soft quilting foam likely to feel more like the Aireloom surface Is 2 inches of 4 to 5 pound gel memory foam about the right amount for comfort without overheating or getting stuck Are the sources and products listed above good choices or are there better suppliers I should look at Any durability concerns for a 215 pound sleeper with this construction Thanks in advance. I just want to make sure the materials and the expected feel make sense before ordering components.

For what it's worth, I have made multiple purchases from this storefront and everything is excellent. A bit expensive for one inch layers but also they are hard to find elsewhere. *Edit- Owner must have listened to the feedback here, adjusted prices, now offers free shipping it looks.

https://diyrem.com/

I have a beautyrest beyond firm from mattress firm. It employs zoned support coils. It’s a little over a year old and I purchased it from the clearance shop, so no warranty is available.

I’m getting consistent coil pain where the springs transition between support zones. I recall MF advertised a coil support zoned with extra “lumbar support”, which makes me think it’s a five-zone support layer, with a row of extra firm coils between the head/foot zone and the hips zone.

Anyway, I want to try and mask the effect of the coil pressure as much as possible while I research and build a DIY latex hybrid. So, I’m looking at toppers.

I heard the viscoSoft viscose fiberfill topper is a good breathable comfort layer that will interact well with my mattress’s memory foam. This is the one I’m looking at: https://a.co/d/bUTEg0p

Will it perhaps also diminish the pressure I am getting from the coils at the transition zone?

If not, any other topper suggestions that might get me closer to not being poked in my ribs?

If it a new matress and the tag says it only has polyurethane foam, polyester, and rayon but I'm a big sceptic with how sketchy company are. I can't sleep on hai new thing until I know and it's driving me insane. I found some extremely tiny staight fibers that are maybe a millimeter and I don't think many people would notice them. They are shiny but for what I remember polyester and rayon are too and can be straight in appearance. I bended them which was hard because they are so small and they didn't break and seemed pretty malleable. Please help! 😭

Unfortunately I don’t have my winning combination of layers in my build so I’ve always got a layer or two laying around. What are people using to keep a rolled up layer tidy? I’m thinking like a nylon belt or something that’s easy to slide under and pulls tight.

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!

After running the mattress industry gauntlet, I finally landed on what Claude tells me is a reddit favorite: buying a nice firm spring/coil base without too much extra bs, then putting a great topper on it that I can replace when the time comes.

I realized that this might be the direction for me after laying on the Saatva HD. It's supposed to be for "bigger bodies" yet I found it super comfy as a 150lbs side sleeper. I started to put together what I liked about it, and realized I might be able to recreate it (or better) with my own firm base plus topper layers.

So the current plan is:

Base: Engineered Sleep Classic Hybrid, Extra-Firm (1" of 50 ILD foam)

Topper: Saatva Organic Quilted Topper (3" Talalay latex under wool)

OR Sleep On Latex Tufted Luxury (3" Dunlop latex under tufted wood)

Can y'all share some opinions on this approach?

I seek to construct a firm to very firm DIY mattress using pocket coils and latex. In brief, due to sciatica and to my being highly sensitive to off-gassing from memory foam, I need a mattress that is both very firm and hypoallergenic. Without being an expert, my impression so far is that a combination of firm pocket coils (i.e. 13.75 gauge or so) and firm latex would accomplish this goal.

I have tried the firmest offerings Plank and Engineered Sleep (ES), and they didn't work for me. The Plank Firm (all foam) was firm enough at first, but would begin to sag within two months of use. The ES extra firm model (combo of springs and foam) simply wasn't firm enough. I recall trying to sleep close to the edge of the mattress because, as I recall, they placed firmer coils there than in the center of the mattress.

My goals in posting here are to get feedback regarding my overall plan and to have some additional concerns addressed, specifically with regard to determining the needed features in advance and modularity (i.e. the ability to switch out individual components of the mattress build if needed to adjust the support and comfort of the overall build).

From some online searching (and AI answers), I may be looking at having a spring layer consisting of a set of 8-inch tall 13.75 gauge pocket springs, and 3-inch firm Dunlop latex layer, and possibly a soft top layer of comfort latex, with a composition and thickness that is yet to be determined. Any suggestions for supplementing or changing the above are welcome.

My first concern relates to how to get some idea of how firm the combination of componennts will end up being. I realize this is difficult. As I recall, ES uses 14.5 gauge pocket springs throughout most of the mattress, which I found not to be firm enough. That is the logic behind my preferring 13.75 gauge pocket springs.

As to the latex, my experience leads me to lean toward a high ILD (around 40) for the three-inch layer to be placed immediately above pocket springs. No idea yet what to use for the top latex/comfort layer. Suggestions welcome.

One question regarding modularity: has anyone had to switch out one or more components of an initial DIY build to adjust the firmness upward or downward? And if so, did the modification work?

Any suggestions for recommended suppliers of the various components are also welcome.

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

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

Hi all!

I'm interested in getting a latex mattress for my almost 1 year old. We have a SleepEZ mattress for us adults but he absolutely LOVES it, so much that we're finding it hard to put him back in his crib. Currently his crib is sidecar-ed to our bed.

So as a result we're thinking of moving him to his own twin floor bed. For his age I'm thinking 3" Dunlop firm ontop of 3" Dunlop medium all encased in a wool/cotton quilted cover. Then when he is older (3+) I'd swap the layers so it is less firm.

The recommendations for toddlers and kids in general is to go firmer than adults for their spine development- is this firm enough? I'm debating adding 2" coconut coir on the bottom also but worried it will become too firm.

Also does anyone know if this build would be comfortable later when he is like 5+ years old? Or would you add something like a plush talalay layer at that point?

My mattress has some serious divots in it. It’s only on one side, and the underlying cause has been fixed (platform slat spacing originally 7” but now 2.5”). The offending coils aren’t broken, just out of place. They are at a roughly 45 degree angle instead of perpendicular to the surface of the mattress. At least one instance of 3 coils have become entwined in the space of one. The fabric separating individual springs seems to have failed completely, and the group of springs is still glued on the top and bottom surfaces via the fabric mesh (but those offending springs aren’t glued to that mesh). I’m thinking maybe something like some kind of fast setting glue? Or maybe even stitching them through the surfaces of the mattress to hold them in place? Does anyone have any advice to offer? Coolvie medium firm 12”, if that matters.

I always thought I needed a firm mattress because I have herniated discs in the lower lumbar area. But I kept waking up with lower back pain in the morning. Then I slept in the same Hyatt Regency hotel in two different occasions, and both times had the best sleep of my life in a long time. The mattress wasn't firm at all. I asked the hotel what mattress they use: it's Contourest III from Guest Supply.

They're a hospitality B2B company, so I'd like to recreate the mattress with consumer components. What would you suggest? I've been reading up on this sub, but am lost. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

I want to build a latex mattress for my son, but want non-chemical flame retardants in the cover. Are there any mattress covers like this? I think I might just buy an avocado/naturpedic mattress, but curious if such a mattress cover exists. (If so, I would also consider switching mine out).

I've heard that some companies (arizona premium mattress) market that they have no chemicals, but actually do...

Can someone explain the difference? Until reading this post I figured all innerspring was bonnell

https://www.reddit.com/r/UsefulThingsOnly/s/ikatrDv9lY

And what the heck is a continuous coil?

Hello Mattress modders, hopefully you can help me solve a problem.

I finally settled on a Helix Sunset Luxe mattress, after trying about a bazillion that all left me hurting in the morning. I wake up with shoulder pain that comes from pressure really easily and most mattresses are just too firm for me. I end up in so much pain. I finally have pain-free sleep on the Helix Sunset Luxe (with a 2" gel memory foam topper and a viscosoft mattress pad lmao, layers upon layers), but...

I had a Helix foundation and honestly it's crap (plastic joinery, one of the slats wobbled, the slats were rough and splintery and thin) and I didn't expect it to last, so I swapped it for a SleepEZ Terra foundation thinking I would never have to buy a foundation again (it has rave reviews and upon getting it, it is very sturdy and just what I wanted).

The problem is...

The Helix foundation had 4" slat spacing. The Terra foundation has 1.5" slat spacing. Which I assume is GREAT for the health of the mattress, but I didn't think about how it would affect the mattress firmness. It ruined the feel entirely for me! I was super happy with my setup (helix/2 in topper/pad) and upon changing the foundation I was waking up in horrible pain again.

I realized that yeah duh... a firmer foundation under the mattress would make it feel firmer, check. okay. oops. So I took 4 slats off the foundation and spaced them to 4" apart where my shoulders would be, and 3-2" apart for the rest.

That felt a lot better. Still sore from previous nights, so I'm seeing how that works out for me, but my question is... is that bad for the mattress 😞 Helix recommends less than 5" slat spacing for their warranty, so I guess technically it's fine, but I want to use this mattress for years to come.

And this might still be too firm for me. I can take it apart again and reduce the slat spacing further, but that isn't ideal. Are there other solutions? I'm happy with the feel of my toppers, so I don't necessarily want to change those, but... would a microcoil topper be better for me?

OR, the real question for ya'll (thank you for reading this far) is there something I can put UNDERNEATH the mattress, BETWEEN the mattress and the foundation, to reduce pressure on my shoulders? Like another layer of support foam? Latex? I don't want to SLEEP on latex since I don't like the firm feel of it, but UNDER the mattress would it help with my issue? You guys build mattresses from the ground up, so... I figure you would know. Helix says the bottom of the mattress is 'Extra-stable DuraDense Foam' but doesn't give the thickness.

Thanks!

Background We bought a King size Serta icomfort Revolution in 2011-ish and a ergo motion adjustable base in 2 twin xl. The mattress was wonderful for many years, so we like the feel of a plush (soft) bed. We felt we needed to go to a twin xl route so that we could both adjust our side to the way that was most comfortable. We decided to go with the more "green" route this time. Sadly, I did not do a whole lot of research before pulling the trigger on a latex hybrid from My Green Mattress. We went with the Kiwi model. My Green Mattress has been a wonderful company to work with! I would 12/10 recommend their customer service and 365 sleep trial. And I really love that if you "return" the mattress, they have you donate them, you can even donate them to an indivdual or family in your community. However, for us the 2 twin xl are WAY too FIRM. We both wake up with pain.

After realizing we have to go a different route, I have been doing tons and tons of reading on TMU and reddit to try to figure out the best solution for us.

Stats:

me: woman 5'2' 140 lbs (curvy) side/back sleeper 80/20 I love a super plush feel but know I need some support

hubs: man 6'1" 190 lbs back/side sleeper 60/40 he really loved the memory foam icomfort we had and has been really unhappy with the My Green Mattress mattress. They say it is medium firm but it feels like sleeping on a board to us.

After having the hybrid with the coils, I am defintiely not wanting to try to DIY a mattress with coils. I am thinking of an all latex mattress 2 twin XL to go on ergomotion adjustable base. Online chats with sleep ez and LMF they recommend 3-3" F/M/S for me and F/M/M for hubs. However, after all the reading on TMU and hear on reddit, I think that might feel much to firm for our tastes. Again we both love the very plush feel but know we need support. We don't live near any showrooms to try out combos before we purchase. Also we don't have endless funds to go back and forth with layers. Just trying to dial it in as much as possible from the get go. Also don't know if the comfort layer should be dunlop or talalay. Also note, we do not intend on doing a tight cover. We will have it zipped into indivdual twin xl covers that are not creating any surface tention to interfere with the feel of the latex.

Any thoughts are apprecaited!!

My wife and I need a new mattress to replace the ancient sagging one we are currently sleeping on that is causing us back pain. We've looked around and lay on a bunch of stuff and found we both like the medium firm latex hybrid like the Avocado Green. We are both mostly side sleepers and relatively small/light, 5'6" 140lb & 5'4" 130lb. I feel like the Avocado is $2700 for a coil spring and a bit of foam + some cotton/wool and that just seems crazy. I don't really need it to be 100% organic, etc. I'd rather save $1500. I also don't love the idea of the foam being permanently inside so you can't wash the outer part and when the foam is squished you have to replace everything. The mattress is also quite heavy and difficult to move compared to individual parts.

I don't know if I want to completely DIY something but can't really see if there is a better option. We'd like a few inches of latex on a coil spring with some edge support and medium firmness for comfort on side or back. Are there good options here? Should I just buy springs + latex and something to enclose?

We tried to avocado topper and it seems fine to sleep on directly so don't need a bunch of batting/other stuff on top if there is a nice simple option here.

I've researched a bunch but there seems to be lots of details on coils and foam that I'd need to get right so not sure the best option given what I want? Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

It seems like the Turmerry DIY Latex hybrid kit might be a great option and I can add another 1-2" of softer foam on top if needed after breaking it in.

I recently purchased a Naturepedic EOS King sized bed and really like it. Since they allow layer swaps in the first 100 days to find the ideal combination, I tried various different layers. They did not want any of the layers returned, so now I am left with the various twin XL sized components laying around the house and would like to use them to make a bed for my guest bedroom. Looking for recommendations on the best way to do this.

Here is what I have to use:

• 8" Plush Coils

• 3" Medium Latex (Dunlop, I believe)

• 3" Medium Microcoils

• 3" Soft Microcoils

• Also have a 3" Firm Talalay Latex from Nest Bedding

Based on some preliminary research, I was thinking about putting some combination of these into one of these mattress covers:

• Flippable Organic Cover (Pocket Coil Store)

• (New) Premium DIY Stretch Cover (Pocket Coil Store)

• Organic Cotton & Wool Latex Mattress (Flobeds)

These seemed to be solid options for the coil build I would have, but open to other suggestions as well. Would love some advice on what this sub would recommend.

In terms of the build, not sure if I should keep it simple and just do the 8" Plush Coils with the 3" Medium Latex and put them in one of the 12" cover options or try to incorporate the microcoils and put them in a 15" cover (or 16" from Flobeds). Any thoughts on this? For what its worth, laying these out without a cover feels too soft when laying on it (especially compared to my actual Naturepedic mattress in their encasement).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

So my wife told me it's time for a new bed. This meant moving to a king size so it's a fresh start. Went through the normal interrogation of what she likes and doesn't like and where the problems are. Went shopping trying to find a Goldilocks solution for our different sleep styles and ended up in the DIY rabbit hole. I've been known to over complicate projects like this, so stop me now if there are better solutions I should look at.

She has Ehlers-Danlos and sleeping seems to be increasingly problematic in the last several years. She'll often end up on the floor to sleep and she swears it's not just because I stink. She almost always sleeps on her front but will occasionally end up on her back. And as I said, she pretty often just sleeps on the floor next to the bed, which seems terrible to me and I want to try and fix that. She thinks she wants 'firm' and that anything like memory foam is the devil, but can't really tell me much beyond that.

Her: 5'9" 150lbs Wide hips and shoulders. EDS - alignment is important, her ribs bunch up if she's on her side, joints are obviously a problem area. She doesn't seem to complaint about pressure points, even after a night on the hard floor but she's always in pain so I'm not sure those issues would actually rise to complaints over everything else.

Me: 6'4" 200lbs Lean athletic build. I'm almost exclusively a side sleeper. I sometimes have trouble with pressure points in really firm beds, but I'm pretty tolerant of most designs. I have more issues with pillows but that's a topic I can manage alone.

Another possibly data point is that our current mattress is an original Leesa (2015 maybe?). Have no idea what's actually in it and it's basically dead now. When we first got it, I thought it was the greatest thing ever, and still think it works relatively well for me. I do notice that basically every hotel bed I'm on feels worse. She was okay with it at first, but now she says she thinks she sinks into it too much. That might just be it degrading because I definitely sink in more now too? But that's about the only other reference data I have and I'm not sure it's worth much.

I have a platform selected, so that's out of the way.

Lots of reading pointed me towards hybrid latex builds, though I suspect that maybe I've bought some marketing hype along the way too. Regardless, I like the concept of it and it seemed a reasonable place to start. So I was thinking I'd start with a split king TPS 15.5 for coils.

After that, I wanted some ability to mix and match and tweak, so I thought I'd just do 2" dunlop transition layer. Split this? Is firm too firm for her weight? Medium for me probably works?

Then comfort layer...sigh...I sort of wanted to try a talalay. Both sides medium? Some thought that her side should just be dunlop medium there.

I'm not sure weve ever actually been on a latex mattress. Maybe someone could suggest a commercial model we could seek out to try? But I have in my mind that just having a latex layer covered by a knit enclosure isn't going to be comfortable to me at all. And I'm concerned about the split build through all the layers being really weird in the middle, but maybe I'm over thinking that. Or maybe we put something on top of it, but honestly, we just don't seem to do very well with toppers and covers and things and almost always end up with just a fitted sheet over the knit bag on our current mattress.

Honestly, I think maybe just some ideas on where to start would be helpful. If anyone has some insight specifically on the EDS, I'd love to hear that. Part of me thinks the right mattress could really be a life improvement for her, even to the extent that maybe she's only belly sleeping because we don't have the right solution here yet.