Hello,
I’ve been researching and would like some feedback on a planned DIY King build.
We’re currently on a Casper Select 12" Memory Foam Medium-Firm King size Mattress from Costco that we plan to return because it’s too soft.
Our bed has wooden slats about 2.5" apart.
Background Info
My girlfriend and I will be sharing this mattress. Both of us tend to sleep pretty warm.
Me:
6’1" 200 lbs, about 15% body fat with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Mostly sleep on my back, sometimes on my side. Have had three back surgeries and lower back pain is my primary concern when it comes to a mattress. Sleeping on my side is generally not great because so much of my weight is in my shoulders. Currently I don’t even use a pillow with this mattress because it’s so soft.
My girlfriend:
5’6" and about 120 lbs. Starts out the night sleeping on her side, then usually ends up on her back in the middle of the night. Complains of neck pain with the current mattress, even with a fairly low height pillow.
Proposed Build
Comfort Layer: 2" Soft (#19) Blended Talalay
Transition Layer: 3" 28 ILD Blended Talalay Latex Mattress Topper
Support Layer: 8" Combi-Zone Pocket Coil by Leggett and Platt
Sub-Coil Support: Do I need one??
Mattress Cover: 13" Bamboo
Questions about the build:
- Do you think this is the right firmness?
- Should we go with a stretch cover instead of a quilted one with this build?
- Do I need an HD foam layer under the support layer?
- Do you think we should only use one 3" layer on top of the coils or do we need both layers of latex?
Greatly appreciate any feedback and help here. Thank you for reading.
@Sleep_EZ @Arizona_Premium @Latex_Mattress_Fact1
Hello mrwinterje and welcome to the forums and thanks for the inquiry! I’m terribly sorry we weren’t able to chime in and answer your questions sooner, we had a problem with our emails over the last 2 weeks and haven’t been getting our MUG notifications.
Based on the information you’ve provided, I’d normally recommend three 3" latex layers with medium Talalay over medium Dunlop over firm Dunlop for your side and soft Talalay over medium Dunlop over firm Dunlop for her side. The top Talalay layer should provide all the contour and pressure relief needed to avoid any pressure point issues and will add secondary support to the mattress. Secondary support is needed to fill in the gaps between your body and the mattress – back sleepers normally need secondary support to fill in the gaps between the small of their back and the mattress; side sleepers normally need secondary support to fill in the gaps between their mid-section and the mattress. If these parts of a person’s body aren’t supported by the mattress, their muscles will work throughout the night to hold these parts of the body up, and by the time they wake up they’ve got back pain. So the top 3” of Talalay latex will provide contour, pressure relief, and secondary support. The remaining Dunlop layers should provide all the support needed to maintain proper spinal alignment and avoid back pain. Please keep in mind that our initial recommendations have a 90% success rate (we only have a 10% layer exchange rate and a 3%-4% return rate) so there’s a 90% chance that the above recommendation works perfectly for you.
If you want to stick with something closer to your initial build, my advice would be to make the 2nd layer down medium Dunlop instead of medium Talalay, just to make sure you’re getting the primary support needed for your back. I’m concerned this setup will still be too soft for you and might lead to back pain, but it’s hard to say in advance and with certainty, of course. If you were to get 2” of medium Talalay over 3” of medium Dunlop, that would likely be better for you but may be too firm for her. I’d normally recommend a split top layer with half soft half medium, but if you end up with a stretch cover instead of a cotton & wool cover, you’ll feel the split in the top layer.
Regarding the cover, the inch of wool in the cover affects how much you’re able to sink into the latex, making for a firmer feel than if that wool weren’t there. Whenever customers are building a DIY mattress and they’re not sure of what type of cover to get, I normally recommend they try the mattress without any cover at all, and if they love the feel, then you know to get the stretch cover without any wool. If you try it without a cover and you sink in too much, then you know to get the cotton & wool cover. However, you’d have to decide in advance if you want the top layer split, one piece of soft, or half-soft half-medium glued together.
You should be just fine without any HD foam under the support layer or the coils.
Plenty of customers do just fine with only 3” of latex over coils, but whether or not this setup matched your specific needs and preferences just isn’t a question I can answer in advance. If you end up with just 3” of latex over coils, my advice is medium Talalay on your side and soft Talalay on her side.
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