Build your own latex spring hybrid?

Anyone ever try to build their own latex spring hybrid by buying a firm spring mattress and a 3" latex topper? I know Charles Rogers sells something like that, but I’m hesitant to order it online, was thinking of combining Winndom spring bed with a latex topper. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions?

Hi AT,

I haven’t seen anyone on the forum build a DIY innerspring/latex hybrid (most people who build DIY mattresses use different combinations of foam layers) although there have been a few that did mattress surgery on an old ininerspring mattress that had developed soft spots or was sagging and then replaced the foam that had softened or broken down with latex.

If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).

If you decide to take on the challenge then I would either use the specs (if they are available) of a mattress that you have tested and confirmed is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) as a reference point and try and “match” every layer and component in your reference mattress (including the springs, the foam layers, and the cover) as closely as possible or use a “bottom up” approach (see post #2 here).

The biggest challenge with building a DIY innerspring/latex hybrid mattress will be trying to “match” the springs in your reference mattress and the cost of shipping for the springs as well (which can cost more than the innerspring itself).

If instead of building a DIY innerspring mattress you are thinking about just buying a firmer innerspring mattress with thinner foam layers and then adding a softer topper this would be quite different from building an innerspring/latex hybrid.

One of the challenges of buying a firm mattress and then adding a topper when you can’t test the combination in person is that choosing a suitable topper that is a good match for both your mattress and for you (different mattresses will affect the choice of topper that works best) can be almost as challenging as choosing a mattress that doesn’t need a topper in the first place because the only way to know whether the combination will be a good “match” for you will be based on your own personal experience (see post #2 here). It can also be more costly than just buying a mattress which includes the same latex layer inside the cover without the additional materials that would be in your base mattress that you may not need or that may be softer than what would be ideal for a transition layer. At the very least I would make sure that the topper has a good exchange return policy so there would be less risk of buying a topper that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

If you choose a suitable topper and the mattress/topper combination turns out to be a suitable “match” for you in terms of PPP then it does have the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (the upper layers of a sleeping system will tend to soften and break down before the layers underneath them) or if your needs or preferences change over time and a topper can also help extend the useful life of a mattress underneath it.

Phoenix

AT,

I hope it’s ok for me to comment here. :slight_smile: I am using an extra firm spring mattress w/o any comfort layers in the mattress. On top of it, I am using a 4" 36 ILD Talalay topper. It’s wonderful, but my mattress was already caving in prior to buying the topper.

Btw, thank you Phoenix for all your leads as I will be buying a latex core soon! (I just haven’t had time lately to really look) I really need to get rid of my caving mattress, but I imagine a firm spring mattress would be ok! :slight_smile:

Hi sleepytime1,

I welcome comments from the members here that share their personal experiences although as you probably know from your reading here other people’s experience on the same combination as you are using may be very different from your own.

It’s good to hear that your topper is working well for you :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks for the info Phoenix and the feedback Sleepytime1 . By build your own, I just meant buy an innerspring mattress with minimal padding, put a latex topper on it, and put it all in a mattress protector. I actually tried the latex on spring from Savvy Rest today, but wasn’t crazy about it. The dunlop latex was a little too firm for me. I’d been looking at the Winndom Colonials, but the soft I hammocked in and the medium gave me some pressure points. There was also something with the quilting I wasn’t crazy about. Felt like moguls on a ski slope a little. That’s just my personal preferences. I’m going to try a latex topper on the firm Winndom at another store sometime in the next week or so, so we’ll see how that is.

Phoenix - all my research on this site has made me wary of any kind of foam on spring mattresses. I don’t know if on the whole I’m misinterpreting. If I like the bouncy feel of innersprings, and need comfort layers, are all foams at least somewhat susceptible to body impressions (and off-gassing?) Moreso than latex?

Hi AT,

As long as you can confirm that the quality and durability of the materials in any mattress (particularly in the upper layers which are generally the weakest link of a mattress) are suitable for your body weight and there are no weak links in a mattress (see the durability guidelines here) then there would be no inherent reason to be “wary” of any type or category of mattress.

Every type and category of mattresses will have a very wide range of choices and combinations of the specific properties, thicknesses, or firmness of the materials and components inside it that can make one mattress in that category a good match for you in terms of PPP and could make a different mattress in the same category completely unsuitable for you to sleep on.

Assuming again that they are all good quality and durable versions of the types of materials and components that you tend to prefer … the type of materials or components in a mattress is only a preference and/or budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice and if a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP and isn’t “on the edge” of being too soft for you and it meets the minimum quality/durability guidelines then it would be reasonable to expect that it will last you for 7 - 10 years and I would treat anything more than 10 years as “bonus time” anyway since after that the weakest link in how well you sleep on a mattress may be changes in your own needs and preferences.

Phoenix

Do you have some links to how they did the old spring mattress conversion?

Hi Enzy,

There is some good information about “mattress surgery” in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful :slight_smile:

Phoenix