DIY latex hybrid options

Mattress Talk
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For a little bit of background, I’ve never found a mattress that I actually find comfortable. However, I do sleep very well when backpacking. My usual backpacking sleep setup is simply a firm, high density 0.75" foam mat and I find this to be more comfortable than any mattress I’ve tried. Even better is when I’m in an area with highly compacted, sand or loam in which case I just sleep directly on the ground and I’d say that is probably as comfortable as anything I’ve found. Because of this, I’ve spent the better part of my adult life simply sleeping on a a thin mat tossed on the floor/ground.

*5’8" male, slim athletic build (155lbs). Primarily a stomach sleeper but toss in back or side sleeping when I’m feeling froggy. I tend to sleep hot and definitely prefer sleeping “on top of” as opposed to “in” a surface.

I’ve recently moved and decided it’s time to finally find a mattress I actually like. After diving head first into research, I bounced around between “mainstream” firm/extra firm options but ultimately landed in the DIY space. After going through the tutorials here and reading as much as I could, I think I have it narrowed down to two basic options.

Option #1:(The Pocket Coil Store Kit)

-15.5g 8" TPS QuadCoil with Firm Sides
-3" QuadMini
-2-3" of preferred latex (i.e. medium/firm)
-Included stretch cotton cover

Option #2(The Turmerry DIY hybrid)

-15.5g 8" TPS QuadCoil with Firm Sides
-2" transition layer (i.e. firm Turmerry Dunlop latex)
-2" comfort layer (i.e. medium Turmerry Dunlop latex)
-Included quilted cotton cover

The two biggest differences as I understand it, being that the PCS kit uses the quad mini as a transition layer as opposed to the Turmerry kit where I would essentially be using latex as a transition layer. Given that my preferred comfort layers tend to be much closer to the ILDs most people recommend for transition layers, I’m not all that certain this would make a drastic difference. The second big difference being the covers. From what I gather, the quilted cover that comes with the Turmerry kit is more likely to firm up the whole thing potentially causing an unwanted muting of the top layers of latex while the stretch cover from the PCS kit would firm up the whole whole stack less, however, may potentially lead to less containment of the coils laterally.

If anyone has experience with either of these options, alternatives, thoughts, corrections,… any input would be appreciated.

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It’s your choice but I personally would not order anything from Turmerry. They have serious supply issues. My experience with them.
Take a look at Brooklyn Beddings Ecosleep Luxe Even though I’m not a fan of the hybrid coil/latex foam mattresses, prefer all latex foam, this mattress was on my short list.

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Yeah, your post was one of them I read while doing research on Turmerry. From what I gather they were/are a fairly small company and they definitely have gone through some supply issues. Looking at their media/advertising practices I wonder if that may have been at least partially self induced… It seems that more recent customer experiences report rather quick shipping and positive overall experience/service. Either way, honestly, if the product was what I wanted a 30-day delay in shipping wouldn’t bother me the least.After all I’ve gone the better part of a decade without a mattress so what’s another month if the end product is right.

While I haven’t tried a lot of all Latex mattresses all of them that I did had really poor edge support which really put me off…

Thanks for the input and suggestions, I’ll check Ecosleep out.

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Hi Baboon28.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum. :slight_smile:

You’re absolutely right that your preferred comfort range overlaps more with what many people would consider a transition layer. That’s not unusual for folks who favor a firmer sleep surface or have found the best rest on compacted ground or thin mats.

On your two options:

Option #1: PCS Kit (Coils + QuadMini + Latex + Stretch Cover)

  • The QuadMini as a transition layer is an interesting setup, it adds a touch of responsiveness and zoning that may provide just enough contouring without the deeper sink of latex.
  • The stretch cotton cover will indeed allow the top latex layer to perform more “as is” without much compression or muting. You’re also right that it may allow for slightly more lateral movement, but that usually isn’t a major issue unless your foundation or slat spacing is off.

Option #2: Turmerry Kit (Coils + 2" Firm + 2" Medium + Quilted Cover)

  • Latex-on-latex layers give you a more consistent and durable feel, and you can fine-tune the surface with a firmer/denser top.
  • The quilted cover, as you mentioned, will firm up the feel overall, so you may lose some nuance in the latex comfort layers, though some folks appreciate the slightly more “stable” or “integrated” feel it adds.

A few thoughts:

  • Since you sleep best on the floor with minimal padding, the PCS setup with firmer latex might be more aligned with your preferences. You could even experiment with a thinner comfort layer (2") or use firm latex in both layers if that suits you better.
  • If you go with Turmerry, you might consider contacting them to ask if the cover can be substituted or upgraded to a non-quilted/stretch knit version.
  • You’re thinking through this exactly the right way: by identifying your preferences (firm, grounded, cool, minimal sink) and working backwards from there.

Although inquiring minds aka me want to know, why not do a floor-bed or shikifuton type set up instead?

NikkiTMU

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NikkiTMU,

Thanks for the breakdown and suggestions. It’s nice to get some reassurance that I’m at least not on a completely wrong path.

As for why not a shikifuton setup, It’s funny you mention it, I actually went pretty far down that rabbit whole during research. That was one of the things that lead me to the DIY end of the spectrum. I suppose two main things lead me away from the shikifuton route. The more superficial reason is one of the same that made me decide to send $$$ replacing a mat that I already sleep fine on, the inevitable weirdness and questions when bringing someone home. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve gotten shit for not having a bed I might just have enough money to get both options… And after confirming with multiple female friends, the whole floor bed isn’t a great solution for that problem…

The more relevant reason is that it seemed to get expensive quickly. I remember setups with 3" latex cores costing almost as much as the setups I’m currently looking at and going well north once I add in tatami mats etc. This actually lead me to looking into latex cores which started my whole DIY adventure. I have certainly thought about the fact that, if all else fails, I could put 2" latex layers together and get a wool/cotton cover for them for a shikifuton esque solution.