diy mattress

Hey Phoenix,

So here’s my promised feedback on my purchase from MFC (Canada).

Short version: I’m pleased as punch.

Long version:

Shipping: bed was at my door less than two weeks after placing my order. Not bad considering the Easter holiday, and considering the fact that I live on the East coast, and that MFC ships mattresses from the West coast. The packing was very professional (no vacuum packing, two solid plastic covers for each type of foam).

Quality & comfort: I’m amazed by the quality and feel of the HR foam. Very supportive and firm, but not hard. I don’t even need the latex topper to feel comfortable. ( As said, FOR ME, the latex topper adds a luxury feel, but is not indispensable for comfort. I may actually slip it under the HR foam if I can’t get used to this level of plushness. BTW, would that be the best way to store it, or should I roll it back up and store it in a bag?)

Conclusion: I can’t recommend MFC highly enough. The same goes for the seller I spoke to (Mario), a really honest man.

Hope this helps Canadian shoppers.

P.S. I had obviously done some local shopping and research before ordering. I would NOT recommend ordering blind on the Internet based only on quoted IFD and the like.

One last note. You were right, Phoenix, about simply adding a topper to an old mattress. I tried the latex topper on my old futon out of curiosity, and the result was horrible.

Anyway, if I have anything to add after a period of wear-in, I’ll update this post.

Thanks again Phoenix,
Happy dodo

Hi dodo,

Congratulations on your new mattress … and thanks for the terrific feedback. It certainly sounds like you made a great choice :slight_smile:

Either way would be fine as long as it’s not exposed to the air or light which can degrade latex prematurely (and it’s covered so that shouldn’t be an issue anyway). If you don’t need it at all and you can’t tell the difference with or without it under the mattress and you have the room I would probably store it in a bag so that it’s not subject to any wear at all and so you can use it in the top layers of your mattress when you want to or feel like you “need it” or use it for a guest without having to take it out from underneath the mattress.

Phoenix

Hey Phoenix,

Just a little update on my purchase from MFC, Canada (Memoryfoamcomfort).
It’s been about a month since I got my new mattress, and I’m still very happy with it.

I did tweak my configuration, though, and figured my experience might help others.

Short version:
For better pressure point relief, I replaced my original 2 inch latex topper with 2 inches of 5 lb Aerus memory foam. For me, this a perfect combination. The support layer, six inches of HR foam, gives resilience, the comfort layer gives pressure point relief.

Long version:
Latex - or at least 2 inches of latex - just did not work for this bony, middle aged lady. I had sore hips getting out of bed in the morning (but my partner did not, which just goes to show you that not all hips are created equal.)
So I phoned the seller again (poor guy, he now knows as much about my aches and pains as my partner - I never imagined the mattress trade could get so personal). Anyways, he recommended using Aerus memory foam, without the latex, for pressure point relief, and he was right. I’m so impressed with this foam I’m afraid I’m about to go into excruciating detail about its merits.

I had hesitated to buy memory foam because of all the negatives I had read about it, i.e. heat issues, off gassing, etc.

Apart from off gassing, I’ve experienced none of these problems with Aerus foam. It is quick response (you don’t get that sinking into wet clay feeling, you can roll over normally in bed). I don’t get hot sleeping on it (in fact, sleeping on HR foam is way hotter than sleeping on Aerus foam, presumably because the latter is open celled and the former is not). Granted, I haven’t slept on it during a heat wave, but at about 25 Celsius, even at 85% humidity, it’s fine. And, being an over-fifty female, I’m very sensitive to heat.

All I use to wick away moisture (my own perspiration, presumably) is one or two cotton fitted sheets (I also use a plain-vanilla “breathable” waterproof polyurethane mattress protector placed directly over the topper - not a plus as regards moisture issues). The topper comes with a terry cloth cover (70% cotton), so that must help too, humidity wise. What’s neat about memory foam is that you can “tweak it”, for lack of a better word. By that I mean you can isolate it from body heat (and sweat) by adding layers of bedding - cotton, wool, flannel work well for heat issues. This in turn affects the firmness and contouring qualities of the foam. One note: since this type of foam does not seem to be highly heat sensitive, it MAY offer less pressure relief than “traditional” MF. I simply don’t know. Maybe Phoenix could share his expertise here.

As said, there is off gassing - a sweet chemical smell, not a toxic waste smell, and not very strong. I aired out the MF about 5 days before putting it on the bed, although the smell was hardly noticeable after 3 days. That said, people who are very odor-sensitive might be put off by this. I now have to unzip the topper cover and bury my nose in the foam to find any odor at all (and I haven’t bothered airing the thing out on my bed).

Conclusion: a slab of HR foam and a high quality memory foam topper such as this one makes for a supportive, comfortable, and inexpensive bed. Plus you can flip over the base and topper individually. I cannot recommend piling two two-inch toppers on a foam base, though. It might work if all the layers were glued together, but if they aren’t, it will feel like a marshmallow.

So there you go. Never thought I would one day wax lyrical about memory foam, HR foam, or any other kind of foam. That’s the pursuit of comfort for you…

Sybarites of the world unite!

  • dodo

Hi dodo,

Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed comments and feedback … I appreciate it.

It sounds like you ended up with the perfect combination for you and 5 lb Aerus is certainly a very good quality memory foam.

There are a lot of variables involved with pressure relief including the softness/firmness, compression modulus (the rate that a foam gets firmer as you compress it), point elasticity (ability to contour to the body shape), and thickness of the foam layers as well as environmental conditions in the case of memory foam and all of these would vary on a “foam by foam” basis. It can also vary with each person’s body type and sleeping positions and the other layers of the sleeping system so it’s not really possible to generalize. Having said that … memory foam and latex and even HR polyfoam all contour well to different body shapes and in suitable designs, thickness, and firmness levels can provide great pressure relief but with a different “feel”. The most important thing though is that the combination you are using provides great pressure relief for you. :slight_smile:

Phoenix

dodo,
I’m looking at the 5 lb. aerus 2" memory foam topper that you have written about. I have a good supportive innerspring mattress and I think I could use a topper for comfort and pressure relief. I am the same size and age as you. It sounds like you do not sink in very much yet you are getting good pressure relief…Some say to get 4 lb. memory foam if you are lighter weight so I’m not sure which way to go. I have leg, hip, general body aches right now from my mattress that feels very supportive (no back pain) and I have good alignment but it is pretty firm.

I have a few questions for you if you wouldn’t mind.

Did they tell you the ild number?
Do you think the 2" works better for you than a 3"?
Do you feel that you sink into it a little or do you feel you lay on top of it?
I am sensitive to smells and I know you said it isn’t too bad. How is it after more time now?
Have you noticed any new heat issues?

Thanks!

Hi lilac2,

I’m not dodo of course but I thought I’d add a few comments that may be helpful until dodo sees your post.

I would keep in mind that ILD with memory foam is not particularly relevant because memory foam ILD isn’t comparable to any other types of foam and the ILD of memory foam also changes with temperature, humidity, and the length of time that the topper is compressed.

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to may also be helpful.

I’ll leave the rest of your questions for dodo to answer :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix, I appreciate your reply.

I have a new double-sided innerspring mattress that has 1" 35 ild, 2.5 density polyfoam and a soft polyfoam quilted top encasement. It has only been 4 days so I understand that it needs to break in a month or two. It is quite firm but it provides good alignment for my back. I’m researching now so that if I still feel that I need a topper for pressure relief after a break in period I will be ready to make a purchase decision.

At first I thought that I needed only an inch or inch and a half of material on top but it is hard to find this and I suppose that this is not enough to provide relief for most people. I can’t do latex because it irritates my sinuses and when I sink into it causes bad alignment. I think it is my build. Also, I do not like the feel.

I have tried memory foam in various mattresses and I think I would like it if I can find one that I do not sink deeply into and isn’t too hot. dodo’s review peeked my interest. Also, I’ve read here that memory foam may be the best for pressure relief. As a side-sleeper, I am wondering about the thickness necessary for me. Also, I’m not sure about the difference in feel between the 4 lb. and 5 lb. Aerus. I also read here that 4lb. may be better for those under 180 lbs.?

I am also wondering if I could put something under my mattress on top of my slatted platform bed for cushioning, like a low profile spring unit? (if someone makes such a thing) An innerspring mattress on a platform bed does feel significantly different to me than having it on a box spring unit. I had a xfirm innerspring for years that I liked a lot on a box spring. The comfort layers broke down eventually after 20+ years so I tried to buy a similar mattress this time. I’m in my early 50’s so my body is not the same of course. I’m still hopeful that this mattress will soften, but because the comfort layers are thin and firm with high density, I am thinking that it will remain firm and a topper will be needed.

Hi lilac2,

I’m not sure where you read this but it’s certainly not something that I would write :slight_smile:

Memory foam is certainly a good pressure relieving material in the right thickness, softness/density, and depending on the other layers that are part of the sleeping system but there are many other materials that also do a great job at relieving pressure.

The 5 lb Aerus will tend to feel firmer for most people.

This would really be a preference choice and would also depend on the other specifics of the topper and the mattress underneath it. 4 lb memory foams that are made by different manufacturers can have very different properties even though they have the same density (see post #9 here and post #8 here). It could be “better” for some people and “worse” for others.

If you are looking for additional softness and pressure relief for a mattress that is too firm then it would generally be much more effective to add a topper on top of the mattress than adding something underneath it. The upper layers of a sleeping system will have much more effect on pressure relief and comfort than the bottom layers.

Phoenix

Hi lilac2

I totally agree with Phoenix regarding ILD numbers, specially with memory foam. I believe most memory foam ILDs are in the teens, but this should not affect your decision. As an example, I initially bought from MFC a latex topper because of its higher quoted ILD and my fear of sleeping hot. However, I find the latex topper much softer than the memory foam (so does my partner). With 2 inches latex, I just sank right through to the support core. Now you and I do not have the same support core, and there’s the problem: even if we were clones, what one topper does for me, it might not do for you. By the way, the seller at MFC (Mario in my case) does return emails or voice messages promptly, and has never pressured me in any way to make a sale. If you must know the ILD, he will tell you.

Concerning your other questions:

  1. Heat. I’ve had the Aerus for about three weeks now, and have never slept hot on it, whereas sleeping on HR foam had me waking up twice a night drenched in sweat. (I have hot flashes.) Again, Mario told me the Aerus did NOT sleep hot, and, unfortunately, I didn’t quite believe him, and ended up buying the latex. The temperature has been above 30 degrees Celsius, with high humidity, for the last two days, and still no sleeping hot (and I don’t use air conditioning). As Phoenix mentioned, environmental conditions do affect MF: at 33 with the humidex factor, I did notice the Aerus foam getting SLIGHTLY softer (which I actually like). In general, though, sleeping hot is caused either by insufficient airflow or by a memory foam that contours very much to your body - thus trapping heat. This is not the case with Aerus, which has minimal contouring compared to other MFs I tried in stores.

  2. Density. I’m not sure thar 4 lb vs 5 lb would make much of a difference, except making the product less durable, but I don’t really know. All I can tell you is what I have feels really sturdy and comfortably medium rather than soft in terms of firmness, not mushy at all - at 5 lb density, it certainly is heavy enough to stay put on my support layer.

  3. Thickness. This is actually related to how much you sink in, and to how soft the topper will feel. I would not want 3 inches because I would sink in the foam more than I need too for pressure relief, and this could in turn trap heat. As it is, I don’t sink in much at all, that is, I feel as if I’m sleeping on the foam, with some give, but not cuddled IN the foam, which I would hate. (Scientifically speaking, you will always sink into foam, particularly with the heaviest parts soft in our body. If not, you would get no pressure relief.)

  4. Odor. Well, it does eventually go away. It smells a little like some hospital beds at first - probably because they use memory foam. A disinfectant smell, I guess. If you are sensitive, air it out a week somewhere with good air circulation. I did this on a spare foundation with slats, and flipped over the foam a few times. I really can’t smell anything anymore unless I unzip the cover and do my famous “pig in search of a truffle” imitation. My partner no longer notices the smell either, but neither of us is particularly sensitive to odors. The out gassing process could be compared to letting paint dry, I suppose. Sorry if I can’t be more helpful on this point, describing smells is like describing musical notes.

Good luck with your mattress and if you have any more questions, fire away!

P.S. If heat is a big issue, be wary of cheap waterproof mattress protectors. If you search the forum, you’ll find a thread on mattress protectors.

Dodo.

Hi dodo,

Thanks for your reply. It is very helpful!

I think I will try to buy a 2" memory foam topper (hopefully 4 lb. density) locally that I can return, just to see how the thickness works on my mattress. I also have hot flashes, ugh, so heat build up is a big issue here too. I agree that 3" could sleep hotter due to the reasons you stated. I do like that Aerus is more of an open cell material. I am also sensitive to odors and chemicals so I am nervous about the off-gassing. I guess all memory foam has this? I have seen a few websites that have good return policies on toppers which is crucial for me.

Thanks dodo and Phoenix

Hi lilac2,

Yes, I would think all memory foam has off gassing. Phoenix would be able to confirm this. But then, many mattresses smell when they are new, depending on what’s in them. From reading up on this, I gather that some cheap MFs really stink, while others simply have a smell. Imagine a foam that has been shipped from China, vacuum packed, and has been in a container for weeks or months…
For health and environmental reasons, I would look for some kind of certification before buying MF (like CertiPur US) .

I also reconsidered my firmness rating for 5lb Aerus: medium soft, as opposed to very soft, where very soft means you sink right through it.

Good luck with your shopping, you’re right, a return policy is the best.

Dodo

Hi dodo,

I’ll add my thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts and insights about your Aerus topper. You made some great points :slight_smile:

@lilac2,

To some degree yes. All foams will have some VOC’s and odor although some are much less than others and they can vary widely in terms of the strength or offensiveness of the smell or in some cases even the harm that the VOC’s may cause (which is why I would make sure it’s either made in North America and/or is CertiPur certified).

Phoenix

Hey Phoenix,

If you don’t mind, I have yet another question for you, related to topper thickness.
As you may have gathered from this thread, I’ve had some problems getting adequate pressure relief for my hips with my mattress. 54 years old, 5 foot 8, 125 pounds, wide heavy hips. I’m shaped like an inverted hour glass, basically.

I’ve come to realize that it is always my right hip and thigh joint that is sore, either waking or when on the mattress. So I guess I may have some medical issue there, arthritis perhaps, or just something related to my sleeping position.
Anyways, while 2 inches of memory foam works better for me than than 2 inches of 30 ILD latex, the discomfort never goes away completely. Yesterday I tried putting my latex topper on top of the MF, and while I feel the bed is very soft, the pain does seem to go away… For now.

However, I am concerned about possible alignment issues, as I have read and been told that 4 inch toppers are perilous in this regard.

Anyway, I know you’re not a doctor, but how on earth am I supposed to know if 4 inches (2 two-inch toppers) is causing alignment issues?
Are 2 two-inch toppers worse in this regard than one 4 inch topper? Should I try to squeeze them into the same cover to tighten/firm them up, or simply take off one cover to reduce combined thickness? Would one combination be more lethal than another, is MF over latex vs the opposite?

In case this is relevant: I asked my friend to check what my spine looked like lying on my combined 4 inches of toppers, and he actually took out a measuring tape, and took two measures, starting from the middle of my back - that is, the central point (measured vertically) between my collar bone and hip bone. He thus informed me that between this central point and my collarbone, there was a 2 to 3 centimeter upward curve as measured against the mattress (measure taken using my habitual pillow). Between the central point and my hip, there was a 1 cm drop. That said, I’ve never seen anyone with a completely straight spine on a mattress. (I don’t recall having this hip pain problems on my old innerspring mattress, it started on an old futon in switched to after getting a lumbago whilst shoveling. I do regular back exercises so I feel my back is not that fragile, but I don’t want to tempt fate.)

Thanks for listening, Phoenix

Dodo

Hi dodo,

The simple answer is that you will feel it (the most common “symptom” of alignment issues are lower back pain). The tutorial post includes some links that can help with testing for alignment when you can’t actually sleep on the mattress overnight but if you are sleeping on the actual materials then I would go by the “symptoms” you feel … especially what you feel when you wake up in the morning.

4" of soft material can be more risky for some people but two 2" toppers can be very different and if you have 30 ILD latex it’s more of a medium than a soft and with the latex on top of the memory foam it will also reduce the amount of heat that reaches the memory foam so it will be firmer or take longer to soften than it would on top of the mattress.

The combination of a fairly thin layer of latex over a fairly thin layer of memory foam would be different from a 4" soft topper and is a “feel” that many people like because it provides a more resilient sleeping surface with some of the softness and slower response of the memory foam underneath it.

Phoenix

Thank you !

Hi Phoenix,

I was reading one of your posts on bedding when I had one of my unfortunately frequent “Oh my god I’m so stupid” moments. I thought I should share this epiphany since it invalidates much of my previous post, and I don’t want to risk giving a fine product a bum rap because of my own obtuseness.

So the faux pas I committed was flipping over my support core over without bothering to put it’s cover right side up. Why does this matter? The top and sides of the cover are made of a relatively stretchy cotton/poly Terry cloth, while the bottom part of the cover is made of what looks like a mix of canvas and plastic, and is not stretchy at all. By putting the canvas/plastic part of the cover on top, I made my support core quite firmer - the drum effect. I also negated the advantages of the HR foam, which could no longer conform to my body. Since I’m a hopeless tinkerer, I also loosened my fitted sheet and mattress protector after correcting my first error, and while the impact is not as pronounced, it is noticeable. Anyway, previous problem solved.

The moral of the story is not to behold the mote in your comfort layer without considering the beam in your support layer. Both are important for pressure relief.

In a post on this forum, some wise man pointed out that people tend to put the blame on their mattresses for problems with their body. In that regard, I would add brain dysfunctions to the list of possible culprits. Sorry about that!

I mentioned that I was a tinkerer and a tweaker - that’s half the fun of a DIY, after all. Could I test your patience with yet another question, Phoenix?

Is it possible to have a 2 inch latex topper cut in half, that is, made into 2 one-inch layers? (I was thinking about approximating MFC’s flip-topper with the materials I have - replacing the Energia with one inch latex, which I would add to my 2 inch memory foam topper in its original cover; the latter seems loose enough to accommodate another inch of foam.)
If possible, do you have any idea where I could get that cut done, and how much it would cost?

Thanks a million for setting up such a wonderful site. You’re getting pretty close to cult status, I would say.

Dodo

Hi dodo,

Thanks for the update and you are bringing up some very good points that are often overlooked.

I think that the effect of the cover on a mattress is perhaps one of the most overlooked parts of a mattress and most people only end up focusing on the foam materials. The bottom of a one sided mattress often has a non skid surface and as you discovered it’s not really designed for sleeping on and the difference between the top of a cover and the bottom of a mattress can have a significant effect on the feel and performance for all the reasons you mentioned. It’s always great to have another reminder of this :slight_smile:

Questions are always a “good” thing and are also part of the “fun” of running a forum :slight_smile:

[quote]Is it possible to have a 2 inch latex topper cut in half, that is, made into 2 one-inch layers? (I was thinking about approximating MFC’s flip-topper with the materials I have - replacing the Energia with one inch latex, which I would add to my 2 inch memory foam topper in its original cover; the latter seems loose enough to accommodate another inch of foam.)
If possible, do you have any idea where I could get that cut done, and how much it would cost?[/quote]

While it’s not really possible or practical to do this yourself because it takes more specialized equipment … there may be somewhere close to you with a slitter that could do it for a fairly nominal charge (I don’t know what they would charge but it wouldn’t be very much). Posts #5 and #7 here have a few suggestions that could probably slit it for you.

Thanks again for the kind words … although I’m not sure how I feel about “cult status” :slight_smile:

Phoenix

dodo,

Just wondering about your 2" memory foam topper and how it has been working for you. I see that you want to experiment with your comfort layer and perhaps add an inch of latex. Did you find that you need a bit more softness?

[quote=“lilac2” post=38052]dodo,

Did you find that you need a bit more softness?[/quote]

No. It was more about curiosity and tweaking for the fun of it, since I have a spare topper. The problems I had were related to a mistake I made with my support layer, as detaiiled in my previous post. I still find two two-inch toppers piled on each other way too soft: I tried it for a few nights, latex over MF, and vice versa. These configurations were acceptable only if I put a thick wool blanket between the toppers to firm things up, and made my bed military style to get it even firmer. Latex over MF suited me more, but was softer than my previous innerspring, which was a medium.
In memory foam, at my BMI, I would definitely start with two inches. If for some reason you need more, it’s easier to add than to slit foam. For latex, I might go for 3 inches.
For the rest, nothing has changed since my last reply. I still really like Aerus 5 foam. Actually, even the latex would probably have worked out for me if I didn’t have a particularly finicky right hip, so I think body shape, sleeping position and individual physical particularities should really be taken into account. By the way, my finicky hip gets along fine with the Aerus 2 inch.

Hope this helps,
Dodo

Hope this helps

Hi lilac2,

No, I didn’t need more softness, I was just curious about the possible result.
I still like the Aerus 5lb as much as before. I probably could have slept comfortably on 2 inches of latex - my partner certainly did - were it not for my finicky right hip. Said hip loves Aerus, though.

All goes to show individual particularities trump all theories.

Hope this helps,
Dodo