DIY foam mattress: extra back/hip support?

[Sensei]

Hey M Shaw,

Thanks for your reply and updates .

Thanks for your reply, Sensei. I may have been unclear about my lumbar spine situation. I don’t have chronic pain, just a narrow range of what’s comfortable for my lumbar spine in terms of more or less mattress support. Too much support is uncomfortable when I’m lying down; too little support can cause pain throughout the day. But when I have the right mattress support, my back is comfortable at night and I don’t have back pain during the day.

Thanks for clarifying your lumbar spine situation in terms of chronic pain, M Shaw. My apologies for any added emphasis on the subject, as its out of an abundance of caution for your well-being and health that we stress the absence of any medical credentials in our suggestions to consumers . It’s good to know that your back is comfortable at night and pain-free during the day with use of the right mattress support.

Mattresses I’ve tried over the last 10 years:
• Several Sealy Posturepedics, because they had worked well before. But they got too soft too fast under the lumbar area; none worked for more than a year.
• A 2010 Tempur-pedic, which was okay with a topper. I still have it but it’s not the right balance of comfort and support for me.
• A Leesa mattress, which lasted about 2 years. I used a topper at first, then removed the topper after it broke in enough. Then it started sagging at the hip area, and I flipped it over and used a topper again. That was really comfortable for a couple of months, but also started sagging too much at the hip.
• A Tempur-Cloud (immediately too soft) and a firm Tempur Pro-Adapt (okay at first with a topper, but just not comfortable over time).

You have experienced quite a variety of mattresses in the last 10 years! No doubt that it’s been a frustrating 10 years of trying a variety of mattresses to all eventually fail in providing correct support in one way or another. What did you think of Phoenix’s "Basic Functions of a Mattress"article? Did you find any insights for learning more about the comfort and support roles materials and layering play as applied to your research?

It was TMU’s listing of Sleep On Latex as a trusted member that led me to buying the two 1-inch toppers. I haven’t asked them for help directly yet, but I’ll try calling and laying out what I’m working on.

Great! I’ll be looking forward to what their suggestions for your DIY may be. Also regarding more trusted members who may offer guidance, here is some advice from a recent Phoenix post #2 that you may find useful.

"[i]Here are some skilled experts that can offer personalized guidance on how to do this whether you buy from them or not:

Deborah at DIY Natural Bedding

Ken at Arizona Premium Mattress is very skilled at helping consumers with their DIY

Shawn and Rodger at Latex Mattress Factory

And of course, Sleep EZ can help with building a DIY as well.

Regardless of which mattress you choose, it’s important that you have a detailed conversation with the knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer who, and provide them with good information about your body types, sleeping styles, general preferences and history, some general information about mattresses you have tested and done well with, and any other specific information or circumstances that could affect your choice of a mattress."

Ah, good to know. I figured that I could try a 1-inch layer to also simulate a 2-inch layer by folding it in half.

I didn’t ask before, but what size is your DIY? For example, if you’re working with a queen size layer/ 60" wide, folding that in half allows for a 30" wide space of trial real estate plus the bulk of the fold, not fairly representing the feel a single 2" uniform latex layer would provide.

Are two 1-inch layers not the same as one 2-inch layer in terms of firmness?

I’m not a latex expert but more of a latex enthusiast and defer to any of the above experts to discuss what subtilties may be involved between the differences in the same firmness of varying thicknesses in latex.

A couple more questions:
1. Is there some reason I shouldn’t combine memory foam, latex, and HD foam?

None at all from a construction standpoint. Keep an eye to the quality of the foams you use, especially where HD/ HR foam are used as a support core, an HD foam weighing +1.8 lbs. per cu. ft. is more durable and will keep its support firmness longer .

Basically, I think I need to either keep the 35-ILD support layer and add in a transitional layer, or replace the support layer with something softer. I’m just not sure which makes sense to try first, and where to find a good transitional layer or softer support layer. Any thoughts on whether it makes more sense to add a transitional layer or replace the support layer? I’m inclined to try transitional first.

As you already have the 35 ILD HD foam support layer, you could try tweaking things a bit with a transitional layer. Have you tried using the 2" 11 ILD memory foam as a transition layer above the two 4" HD support layers? That may provide an interesting comfort/ support combination.

I like Sleep On Latex, but they seem to have 20-ILD or 30-ILD layers, and I want something in between. Any suggestions of another store? I don’t really care if it’s more latex or something else.

Please review the above trusted members, all have deep latex knowledge and DIY experience.

I’m a little unsure about an all-latex mattress because of both the weight and the cost. But I’m fine with adding in more individual latex layers.

Understood, M Shaw. An all-latex mattress can be a pricey proposition. Our trusted member latex/ all-latex manufacturers and retailers offer affordable solutions and can help you design a quality latex (or other configuration) mattress at a reasonable cost. Looking forward to your progress updates and good luck with your DIY .

Thanks,
Sensei