After a week of research and checking out local mattress stores, I am thinking about building my own. I found a mattress that I really like that is made locally and is comprised of a high quality poly soy foam and two layers of 28 ILD Talalay but it is out of my price range. I’ve spoken with SleepEZ and their sister company, as well as Foam Factory and PlushBeds and the first three were very helpful, but I’d love to hear from someone who has a similar set up and am open to suggestions.
45 year old female, 180lbs, 85% side sleeper and 15% back. Joint, lower back, hip, shoulder issues.
First, I found a PlushBeds Botanical Bliss 10" medium locally for under $500 and was thinking of using the cover and 3" medium Talalay layer for my build. Upon speaking with them, I am not so sure, as they no longer use a Talalay layer and only use Dunlop. Their website has not been updated. I am looking at the mattress today and will see if it’s Talalay or Dunlop.
Base layer- 4" HD36 High Quality
Transition- 3" 28 ILD Talalay
Comfort- 2" 28 ILD Talalay
Either the PlushBeds cover, Latex Matress Factory Natural Quilted, or TPS DIY Stretch Cover
Additional info: I tried an all Talalay mattress and it was “too springy” and a few hybrids with Talalay that were too… bouncy? The foam/latex stack seemed “just right.” My thought is that the foam is displacing some of the bounce. I have not been able to find a mattress that contains Dunlop locally, so I haven’t tried that route yet. It could be that the SleepEZ Organic is just right, I am just concerned that there may be too much jiggle/bounce.
Also- as I was typing this, Fedex delivered my box of sample mattress supplies from Latex Mattress Factory- these are great. While I know I can’t get a true idea of what each would feel like in mattress form, being able to see and touch them up close is very helpful!
You know a lot already about what you want in a mattress and how the different materials feel. For the cover I think you’d like the plushbeds or stitched better than the cotton stretch cover. You’re right about polyfoam balancing out the latex.
Drop the HD36 base layer to HD 1.8-2.0 lb density if you can find it — HD36 refers to ILD, not density, so double-check what the supplier actually means by “HD36.” For a base layer under two layers of Talalay, aim for at least 2.0 lb polyfoam or better yet, swap in a firm Dunlop layer (D3 firmness range) for more durability and support. Poly foam bases break down faster than latex, especially at your weight and with your hip/shoulder pressure points.
Your transition and comfort layer choices line up well with what side sleepers with joint pain typically need. Keep the 3" 28 ILD Talalay transition — it’ll give you the pressure relief your shoulders and hips need without bottoming out. For the comfort layer, consider dropping to a 24-26 ILD Talalay instead of 28. You already noticed the all-Talalay setup felt “too springy,” so softening just the top layer will cut some of that bounce without losing the contouring you liked.
The poly foam is damping some of the Talalay bounce — that’s exactly why foam/latex hybrids feel calmer than all-latex builds. If you want to test whether Dunlop solves the bounce issue directly, order a Dunlop sample from Latex Mattress Factory since you already have their sample kit. Dunlop has a denser cell structure than Talalay, so it moves less and sleeps cooler for a lot of people.
For the cover, choose the TPS DIY Stretch Cover over the PlushBeds option. It’s designed specifically for DIY builds, so it’ll handle the layer thickness and zippering better than a cover pulled from a retail mattress.
Confirm the Botanical Bliss layer material before you commit to using it. Talalay production has gotten more limited industry-wide, and companies don’t always update their sites in time.
