DIY LaNoodle Cuddle Top

I finally have the support/softness quotient dialed in quite nicely on my bed. I have an Ikea Morgongava that was a bit too firm, but a 3 inch 14 ILD Talalay topper has given me the right amount of softness that I was missing as a side sleeper.

I am looking to change the surface feel, as the smooth flat surface of the latex is not quite doing it for me. Before adding the latex topper I was using 2 2inch down alternative fiber beds, but when testing they impacted the ability of the latex to let me sink in at the hips and shoulders.

I am pretty much settled on buying the CozyPure Cuddletop to give a fluffier feel to the mattress, without impacting the support too much. It is very expensive however. I had though of buying LaNoodles by the pound, putting them in a zippered featherbed cover, and then tufting it.

I have no idea how many pounds of LaNoodles I would need though. Does anyone have any idea how many pounds of LaNoodles would be in a full sized cuddle top?

It may wind up being just as expensive to do it that way, but I like the idea of being able to adjust it later if I need to.

I appreciate any advice that anyone might have for me.

Hi frazzledglispa,

If memory serves me right I think mine was about 15 lbs (queen) but I don’t remember this for sure and I don’t know how much of the weight was actually the lanoodles pieces.

If you call them they would probably be able to tell you how many pounds of lanoodles they use for each size.

Phoenix

I emailed them and they weighed one for me. The full size weighs 13.8 pounds. The featherbed cover that I have currently weighs a little over a pound, I would assume their cover would be somewhere in that range.

15 pounds of LaNoodles would cost $195.00. That would be a huge savings, the trouble is, I’m not sure how good I would be at getting them distributed evenly and keeping them distributed while trying to tuft it.

I did find a tutorial on how to tuft a comforter, but of course that is using batting, not loose bits of latex, however I imagine they could be redistributed a bit after the tufting if needed. I’m not really any kind of sewing wiz, but tufting looks simple enough.

I could save over $300 dollars doing it this way, so I seriously need to consider it - though I also feel guilty about it. Cozy Pure seems like a really great company, and even though I would be buying the noodles from them, I feel a little bit like I would be ripping them off.

Hi frazzledglispa,

According to my calculations 15 lbs of Lanoodles at $15/lb would be $225.
The Lanoodles topper is also covered with an organic cotton sateen fabric which at $20/yard is also a more costly fabric and if you needed say 8 yards of material then this would cost an additional $160 for a total of $385. Of course you could also use a different fabric.

Having said that … this would still be less costly than their normal retail price so if you have “enough” expertise with sewing and tufting to do the construction I can certainly see that it may be worth it to you. I certainly wouldn’t have any “guilt” or feel like you are “ripping them off” if you decide to go in this direction since they are making the components easily available to anyone. You could also even out how the lanoodles are spread out throughout the topper manually although it may take some time if they end up bunched in certain areas.

Just as a side note the DIY materials to make one would be more costly than their cuddle up club members would be paying with their current $200 plus 20% discount.

Phoenix

I typo’d, I meant to say 13 pounds. I have a zippered featherbed cover that I could use for the cover, as my sewing skills aren’t really good enough to make a cover with a zipper (sewing on buttons is about all I am good for. LOL.)

The cost for me would really be the noodles, and some tough thread for tufting, so I am seriously considering doing it this way.

Hi frazzledglispa,

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding to do and if you do decide to go ahead with the lanoodles topper “DIY version” I’m also looking forward to your comments and feedback once it’s finished.

Phoenix

I am 90% certain that I am going to buy it at this point. After doing quite a bit of research, and a conversation with my sister who quilts, I am confident that I could make it. Her recommendation to make it manageable was to start at the end and do two rows of tufting, and then roll it.

The reason I have decided to buy it, then? Satisfaction Guarantee. I think that the Cuddletop will be the right finish touch for my bed, but I haven’t been able to try it in person. Raw materials are non-returnable from CozyPure, so if I make it myself and I don’t like it I am out the money. If I buy the topper and I don’t like it, I can return it.

That is where my head is at right now, anyway.

Rolling it is a really great idea and might be just the trick.

When making wool mattresses, I learned a trick that you can duplicate using a loft bed or bunk bed. In the wool mattress industry, they have regular height tables with metal slats in them for the tufters to crawl underneath to stick the needle back through the top. That way the wool stays still and they don’t have to lift the heavy mattress to return the needle to the top of the fabric. Your topper won’t be heavy on the edges as you tuft, but when you get to the middle, you will notice its weight.

A junior height loft bed would be the closest readily available home slat table I can think of at the best height, though I’m sure you can make makeshift ones out of boards and something to hold them up

Can I say this since Phoenix mentioned $20 a yard for organic sateen? We have 113" wide GOTS organic sateen for $12 a yard and tufting needles too.

After a great deal of hemming and hawing, obsessively watching not exactly high res videos on YouTube to try to determine tufting patterns, developing a tufting chart, revising the tufting chart, watching the videos again, and revising the chart again, I went ahead and ordered the Cuddle Top this morning.

So the decision is made, and all that’s left is obsessively checking the order status. :slight_smile:

Hi frazzledglispa,

Congratulations on your new topper :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it.

Phoenix

I received the Cuddle Top this morning. I stripped the bed when I got up this morning in anticipation of it’s arrival. I immediately took it into the bedroom and unpacked and unrolled it.

First impressions: It is a little thicker and more densely packed than I anticipated, but it is incredibly soft and adds a sort of fluffy layer to the mattress. It isn’t exactly like a down topper - but similar.

I stretched out on it, and I think it will add the exact amount of surface cushiness that I was looking for on top of the 14 ILD topper from SLAB. I can’t wait to sleep on it tonight. I am working from home today and am going to need to stay out of the bedroom less I succumb to it’s call. I have a client meeting this afternoon, otherwise I would just say screw it and go to bed!

I will update after I sleep on it . Come on Bedtime!

Oh, and looking at it, I totally could have made it - but the fabric covering is WAY softer and has a better drape than the featherbed cover that I had thought of using.

Hi frazzledglispa,

Thanks for the update.

I hope you sleep like a baby tonight :slight_smile:

Phoenix

I had the best night’s sleep last night that I have had all week!

The Cuddletop didn’t have much effect on the overall support level of the mattress, which is good as the 3 inch 14 ILD topper from SLAB gave me the softness that I needed to stop my hips and shoulders from aching. What the Cuddletop provided was just a little bit of extra cushioning around the hips and shoulders, and eliminated the bouncy, balloon-like flat surface feel of the solid topper. It provided a cushier surface, which was exactly what I was looking for.

I said yesterday that I was surprised how densely filled the topper felt. Well, it arrived rolled up and vacuum packed. This morning I took a look, and the areas that I slept on have loosened up considerably, and are fluffier than they were when I got into bed last night, while the corners are still more dense and compressed, so I think that over the next few days the fluffy feeling, and flowing ability of the noodles will only improve.

So glad that I bought the Cuddle Top! :slight_smile:

Hi frazzledglispa,

Thanks for sharing another update … that’s great news :slight_smile:

Phoenix

After having the Cuddletop for a few weeks now, I just wanted to provide an update.

I still love the Cuddletop a great deal. It has definitely loosened up, and provides a great surface feel to the bed. The bed has a welcoming, snuggly feel, but the Cuddletop doesn’t seem to add heat to the bed, which is good as I tend to be a hot sleeper.

After the first few nights, I noticed that the Cuddletop had shifted under the ground sheet, pulling in where I tend to climb into bed, and pulling down at the upper corner of the bed on that side. My understanding is that the Cuddletop is attempting to emulate featherbeds, and that featherbeds seem to behave this way as well. Based on some featherbed recommendations that I have found, I took the bottom sheet off the bed, and wrapped it around the Cuddletop (I don’t use fitted sheets, so I wrapped the bottom flat sheet around it. The Cuddletop doesn’t weigh enough to hold a hospital corner for any real length of time, but having it covered separately from the mattress allows me to easily shift, and fluff the Cuddletop when I get out of bed in the morning. It also makes the top feel a bit looser and flow.

I purchased a set of Modal Jersey sheets from Bed Bath and Beyond and put the fitted sheet on as a mattress protector, and a test to see if the fitted sheet would pull the Cuddletop in and crumple it (it didn’t.) The knitted fabric is stretchy so it doesn’t interfere with the movement of the latex in the Cuddletop.

After testing that, I went ahead and ordered fitted sheets in colors that match my flat sheets (Cuddledown Batiste) and will put those on over the Jersey sheet when they arrive. The bottom flat sheet will go over the mattress and solid latex topper, with the fitted over just the Cuddletop, then I should be all good.

In the meanwhile I ordered a LaNoodle contour pillow. I love that too. I was amazed how many LaNoodles I wound up taking out of it. I have always likes a very plump pillow, but after removing about half of the LaNoodles it came with, it now provides me the perfect support that I need as a side sleeper.

This was long, sorry. I just wanted to provide a bit more feedback, and a few tips that may be helpful to those considering this topper.

Hi frazzledglispa,

Thanks for sharing all your comments and feedback … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi frazzledglispa,
So glad to read you are enjoying your CozyPure Cuddletop!

If I’m reading this correctly, it sounds like you were not using any type of sheet over the topper? Just wanted to chime in that we highly recommend putting the topper on your mattress and then covering with a fitted sheet (Step #3 of our care instructions: “Place fitted sheet over your Cuddletop to protect and help keep in place”). Some folks choose to use our matelasse mattress protector over the cuddletop, and then the fitted sheet (although this configuration will give a different feel like a built-in pillowtop). Please remember if you have ANY questions about maintenance or care, give us call at 800.229.7571. We’re here to help! :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
-cheryl

Oh, no, I have always used a sheet over it, just not a fitted one. As a general rule I dislike fitted sheets. They are bulkier when folded, and harder to iron. For years I have just bought over-sized open stock flat sheets and I use one on the bottom, and tuck it around the mattress with hospital corners. This works really well with latex mattress, btw. They are heavy and dense and flat, and hold the flat sheet down much better than innerspring mattresses. When I use that set again the one that was on the bottom is used on the top, and the other is used as the bottom sheet. This increases their life.

However, I have found that the Cuddletop performs better (for me anyway) if it is covered separately from the mattress. So I bought fitted sheets to match my flats, and the fitted sheets are on just the Cuddletop, while the flat covers the mattress below.

This way I can make adjustments to the Cuddletop without having to unmake the bed below it. My understanding is that this is a common method of dealing with having to fluff featherbeds regularly, and that is where I got the idea. Honestly, if I had it to do over again, I probably would have bought a queen size Cuddletop for my full size mattress and let it hang over the sides. That would keep the edges from pulling in as I get in and out of bed, but that’s water under the bridge.

I like the Cuddletop enough to set aside my loathing of fitted sheets. Especially since 5 fitted sheets cost about as much as the Cuddletop. You should be proud. LOL

Yes we agree it’s much easier to “fluff” by redistributing the lanoodles weekly when you are changing your linens. Glad you have it working for what’s best for you. Also… happy you’re enjoying the contour pillow too!
Eat well. Sleep well. Be well.
-cheryl

Hello. I know this is an old thread, but I wonder if you could update again on how you like the cuddle top and how it is holding up.

I am seriously considering getting one, as I feel like I need a little bit more softness on my latex hybrid innerspring mattress. I toss and turn a lot. Would this move the lanoodles around where you would have to adjust the noodles a lot?

I am also interesting in learning about the other one Cozy Pure has…it has channels instead of being free-flowing, I think.

If anyone has used either one of these, I would love to hear feedback!

Thanks!