Hi all,
After finally moving in together (yay) my wonderful girlfriend and I have fallen down the eternal rabbit hole of mattress shopping (anti-yay). We made do with my old, cheap, full-size bed for a couple weeks before taking a trip to Costco to pick up a king-sized Novaform Comfort Grande Plus that was on sale and recommended by my brother. After realizing that this bed was way (way) too firm for us, we decided to educate ourselves, paid a visit to this lovely site, and now have to fight back the urge to ruin every conversation with a incoherent rant about the mattress industry that sounds more akin to something from the Alex Jones podcast than any civilized interaction between adults. To fight back against the dark influence of Big Bed, we’ve decided to DIY our own mattress in an effort to save a bit of money and get exactly what we want. That’s where you amazing folks come in, as I’d like to ask your opinions on a few configurations we’ve put together.
A bit about us:
Me:
- Man
- 175lbs
- 6’3"
- Side sleeper, though I like to sit up in bed on my laptop occasionally.
- General build: Shoulders are a touch broader than what might be standard for my height and weight, but save for that pretty thin and bony.
Her:
- Woman
- 125lbs
- 5’8"
- Side sleeper, very rarely sleeps on her back
- General build: Long and thin. She has issues with pressure points in the hips and shoulders. Save for her height, she is quite a petite woman.
Luckily we both have similar preferences and builds for our respective genders, so I don’t think zoning will be of any concern. So, with that out of the way, I have a few builds I’ve put together that I’d like advice and input on.
DIY Builds:
Build 1: The Pure Latex - $770.45
- 3" Naturally Nestled Soft Latex Topper (20ILD)
- 3" x 2 Naturally Nestled Medium Topper (26ILD)
Build 2: The Latex Hybrid - $680
- 3" Naturally Nestled Soft Latex Topper (20ILD)
- 6" Quantum Edge Pocketed Coils (No idea)
- 1" Lux-HQ Foam (Firm)
Build 3: The Triple Hybrid - $745
- 3" Naturally Nestled Soft Latex Topper (20ILD)
- 1-1/2" HD36-HQ Convoluted Foam (Medium)
- 6" Quantum Edge Pocketed Coils (No idea)
- 1" Lux-HQ Foam (Firm)
Other notes for all three builds:
- We are considering adding a 1-½" wool/cotton topper from Sleep and Beyond to any/all of these builds. This would go over top of any encasement we get and is not included in our current budget.
- We are currently leaning toward the Sleep on Latex cover as an encasement to any/all of these builds, so input on that would be appreciated.
- These are all fairly value-oriented configurations. Our max budget would be ~$1000 including an encasement and excluding a wool topper, but the cheaper the better, of course. .
Now, besides general input I have a few specific questions:
[ol]
[li]If someone could explain the difference in feel between 6" of medium latex and 6" of pocketed coils as a support core (particularly in the context of build 1 and 2) that’d be great. We are very unsure of which we’d prefer.[/li]
[li]Would 6" of medium latex offer enough support? Obviously we are lighter folks looking for a softer bed, but I don’t want to feel like I’m drowning in my mattress.[/li]
[li]I see a lot of hybrid builds, both DIY and retail, that throw an inch or so of hard foam under the springs, thus I have copied that design. Is that advised or a waste of money?[/li]
[li]We are trying to be as “efficient” with our mattress design as possible for reasons economical, environmental, and philosophical. Therefore any unnecessary materials in any of these builds should be stripped out. For example: if a 2 x 2" medium latex core will accomplish the same task as a 2 x 3" medium core, we would go for the former. [/li]
Hope I didn’t bore you all with too many details. Any advice you can offer is much appreciated!