DIY rebuild feedback please

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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1

I am new to the community and really appreciate all the resources here. That said I am still having some trouble working out how firm a topper I should get for the DIY rebuild I am considering so would appreciate feedback from the community.

Several years ago we purchased a bed-in-a-box mattress from Zinus. Fortunately, it wasn’t too expensive but we also got what we paid for… It was ok at first even though we didn’t love it but has since gotten worse and my wife especially has been having trouble sleeping and experiencing lower back pain. Just wanting a good night’s sleep we had started looking at a Sleep Number because we didn’t know what sort of bed would be best for us with our different sleeping styles, so the adjustability is appealing. I am willing to bite the bullet on something more expensive if that is what it takes but would also like an option that doesn’t see our current mattress end up in landfill.

After reading about DIY mattress builds here my potential plan is now to take all low-quality topper material out of my existing mattress and reuse the coils plus a new topper to try and get a comfortable solution.

Me: 5’8", 190lbs, 90% back / 10% stomach
Her: 5’4, 125lbs, 100% side

Possible plan pending feedback:

Use coils and zipper cover from existing Zinus mattress (We have the 12" King)
Top layer 3" Talalay medium N-3 #25-29 ILD

My main questions are as follows:

  • Does anyone know if the coils from my Zinus mattress are any good and worth saving?
  • Based on the information I shared is a medium topper correct? Would it be worth considering two separate toppers to better meet the different needs? I am not sure how to work out what our ideal ILD would be so if there is a rough formula to use I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

2

Hi sleepsearch98 and welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile:

Sorry to hear of your struggle with your rebuild DIY project. As you may know, any mattress you choose will be based on your Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) - thanks for providing those! - and your PPP (Posture & alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).

It’s not surprising that the Zinus mattress wore out prematurely. The issue with a lot of the ‘big box’ brand beds are that they lack transparency in their construction and the materials used in their components, making it difficult to assess how durable and supportive they will be for snug sleeper. Excess amounts of insufficiently dense foams can wear out causing sagging, ‘diviots’ and ‘ridges’ which can cause muscle pains and alignment issues.

A DIY project as you describe can be ultimately rewarding, as long as you are willing to put in the time considering layer firmnesses and the time it may take to ‘trial and error’ to your ideal comfort level.
As you can see by comparing the the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, latex is one of the most durable mattress materials available; however only you can tell what firmness and thickness you are both comfortable on. As a higher BMI sleeper, you might benefit from a thicker comfort layer or layers - as long as the top comfort layer is firm enough that you don’t ‘sink in’ and bottom out on the firmer layers below. A lot of this is just down to personal preference.

Hard to say how well the Zinus coils are still holding up, but if they still seem responsive, coils are not commonly a ‘weak point’ in a prematurely wearing out mattress, it’s more commonly the foam comfort layers. A medium firm Talalay topper as you describe could be the perfect solution, or you may prefer, as you say, an additional topper as you stay, firm or medium firm. This is where DIY can be frustrating to folks, as only the 2 of you can truly asssess what feels supportive and comfortable. This can take some rearranging and exchanging of layers to get that true custom feel. Unfortunately there is no ‘formula’ to determine your ideal ILD; while you need to keep your support needs front and center, a lot of this is down to the personal preferences for you both.

You may want to reach out to one of the DIY Experts among the Trusted Members of the site, like Arizona Premium, Latex Mattress Factory, DIY Mattress,or SleepEZ for some guidance on the thickness and firmness of the layer(s) you plan on using; they have a vast amount of experience in helping DIY’ers with their builds and they can help[ remove some of the frustration a DIY project can cause. If you can take your time and avoid frustration, you should certainly arrive at your ideal cust Tom DIY bed!

~ Basilio

3

Zinus uses fiberglass in many of its mattresses. Opening it up and trying to salvage the coils may be a health hazard for you and your wife. Please research “zinus fiberglass” before proceeding.

As someone that’s a similar BMI (5’10, 190lbs) and also mostly back sleeper, I’d imagine you and your wife (lower BMI side sleeper) would probably have different needs. You would probably want closer to Medium for back support, while your wife would want Soft to let her hips sink in more for proper alignment while on her side. But really, it differs person to person, and the softness of your coils also needs to be taken into account.

I would order some Twin XLs in different firmness levels and see which you guys prefer.

4

Thank you both Basilio and dqu for the detailed and very helpful responses.

After looking into the Zinus fiberglass situation it is unfortunate but seems reusing the springs will not be a viable option. So I guess that means I am now considering going full DIY.

I’m leaning towards getting components from Arizona Premium. I like the idea of getting 4 twin XL 2" talalay toppers, 2 in soft and 2 medium. That on top of 8 inch coils (king size) as that should give us flexibility to adjust and try different layering if needed.

5

Sounds like a good start. For the coils, from what I understand -

  • 8" Quantum Edge Bolsa - Softer, preferred by side sleepers. Have read complaints from heavier back sleepers that it is too soft.
  • 6" Caliber Edge - Firmer
  • 8" Combi-Zone - Firmer, firmest through the middle for back sleepers, especially higher BMI who experience sinkage

I personally went with Combi-Zone as my gf and I are both predominantly back sleepers. I’ve gained weight in recent years (5’10 195lbs) and was experiencing sinkage in my old MF mattress. Still waiting on it though - just sleeping on the latex layers for now.

I went with https://diymattress.net/ for my own DIY build. Use code “MU5” for 5% off. They are a division of Arizona Premium. Not sure if the code works in both places. Good luck with your build!

6

Hi dqu and sleepsearch98,

Just to interject here for @Sleepsearch98 - Trusted Member DIY Mattress offers free pillows with $300 purchase with code MUG300, in case you are interested in @dqu ’s suggestion!

~ Basilio

7

Thank you both the the additional advice. I have been looking through the list of trusted suppliers and will take advantage of the discounts

My wife and I are going to some mattress stores to is weekend to try some latex options just to make sure we don’t hate the feel of latex before we make the order of our diy mattress.

8

Good idea. We checked out latex mattresses at a local mattress store and Avocado. We loved the Avocado Green Mattress and that’s the one I’m trying to replicate.