DIY Latex Hybrid Assistance Needed

Mattress Talk
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Hi all, I’m building a DIY king-sized hybrid mattress and could use some additional input to finalize my build!

My wife (5’, 140 lbs, stomach sleeper) and I (5’10”, 340 lbs, back/side sleeper) loved our WinkBeds Plus until it sagged after 4 years which led me here to discover more about the DIY world and latex for more support and durability.

Using things learned from this forum, we have put together our current setup we’ve been testing for over a week:

From the bottom up -

  • 8” Texas Pocket Springs (14.75 gauge)

  • 2” extra-firm Dunlop Latex topper (ILD 44)

  • 2” medium Talalay latex topper (ILD 25–29)

The current config is perfect for my wife but a bit too firm for me, causing lower back pain when back sleeping and shoulder discomfort trying to side sleeping. My plan to hopefully maintain her side while softening my side is to top the current stack with an additional 2” Twin XL medium Talalay topper (ILD 28) on her side, and a soft 2” Twin XL Talalay topper (ILD 19) on my side.

Once I can confirm we’re good with that 14" stack, I will order the cover. Being used to a quilted, pillow top style cover on the old mattress, I’m wondering if there are any good quilted cover options now that Sleep Like a Bear is no longer making the quilted cover and the LMF quilted cover and Sleep EZ cover both top out at 12" leaving only these (non-quilted) options to consider:

  1. APM Bamboo or Organic Cotton Cover

  2. The Pocket Coil Store Premium DIY Stretch Cover

So, my questions , how does the plan to add an additional split 2" topper sound for our weights and sleeping positions? could I maybe even get away with super soft (15-19) on my side? and finally, what covers does everyone recommend for a 14" mattress?

Thanks for any insights or experiences!

@Arizona_Premium

@Sleep_EZ

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Hello,

Thank you for reaching out with your questions! I want to be completely upfront with you—we generally don’t recommend our hybrid mattress with pocketed coils for individuals over 240 lbs. There are two main reasons for this:

  1. The coils typically don’t hold up as well long-term at higher weights.

  2. Once the coils begin to break in, they tend to continue softening until they no longer provide adequate support.

While pocket coils may feel comfortable initially, I’m concerned they would begin sagging and losing support relatively quickly (our gauges are similar to those you mentioned).

If you were asking me for a recommendation from the start, I would suggest one of our all-latex mattresses made with four 3” layers of latex (without coils). This design offers enough depth for contouring and pressure relief on top, while the lower layers transition into strong support.

I’d also recommend splitting all four layers for his-and-hers comfort. Given the difference in weight between you and your wife, each of you would benefit from different firmness levels. Splitting the layers allows both of you to customize your side as needed.

For your side:

  • Top layer: 3” Firm Talalay (more breathable and pressure-relieving than Dunlop, while sleeping cooler).

  • Support layers: Firm Dunlop over Extra Firm Dunlop over Extra Firm Dunlop (F/F/XF/XF).

This setup balances contouring comfort with gradual, durable support.

For your wife’s side (140 lbs):

  • Top layer: 3” Soft Talalay (provides a similar contouring effect for her weight as Firm Talalay does for you).

  • Support layers: Medium Dunlop over two Firm Dunlop layers (S/M/F/F).

This will give her contouring and pressure relief on top, with steady support beneath.

All layers would be encased in our organic cotton and wool quilted zipper cover. With our mattresses, we include a 90-day comfort exchange policy, allowing you to exchange any one comfort layer (or two splits at once) as many times as needed within that period. The first exchange is a flat $30 shipping fee, and any additional exchanges would be actual shipping cost (typically $25–$65 each way depending on location).

Being able to unzip the cover, rearrange layers, and even exchange comfort layers significantly reduces the risk of buying without trying first.

I hope this helps clarify your options. If you’d like to discuss further, please don’t hesitate to call us any time at 1-800-710-9846. We look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,
Jeremy

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Our 14" Bamboo or Organic cotton cover will do the job but you will not get away with the super soft 15-19 at your weight as you would sink right through it. The 20-24 would be a much better fit but it will need to be rotated and flipped often to even out the wear and tear at 340 lbs.

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Thank you both for the feedback. I’ve actually considering a flight to Phoenix to come try things out. I’m not out much money (only shipping) on the coils as Matan pretty much gave them to me to try out and one of each of my latex layers came from both of you and within the return/exchange window. My wife loves the current stack but I feel like I need to try one more topper to see if I can get a bit more comfort on my side. I totally get where my weight would compress the softer latex too much. So, rather than soft, I’m wondering if a second 2” of the medium Talalay would make a difference for me and not mess things up for her? I had been thinking of a split layer, but if the soft is out, maybe 4” of medium would work?

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