From my understanding, there really isnt’ much more than 6-7" of tempur material in a tempur-pedic bed besides the core layer.
Is it possible or has anyone tried simply purchasing Tempur-Topper Supremes, cutting off their covers and made a mattress with the foam over a support core? This seems to be the most economical way of getting to use actual tempur-pedic foam. 6" of real tempur material on a foam core of your choosing and a cover equals a good DIY mattress, right?
Has anyone else attempted something similar? What type of core does the Tempur-Pedic use and what details are known about it? If the toppers idea isn’t a good one, who is considered to sell the best quality loose foam?
Your “seemingly” simple questions may have much more complex answers than you may realize … or wish for
There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to source all the foam layers and build your own mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design then there really isn’t a way to build your own mattress that would be a specific “match” for a specific Tempurpedic mattress you are trying to "duplicate.
Based on the information here … the Tempur-Topper Supreme is 3" thick and calculates out to be about 4 lbs per cubic foot density but Tempurpedic mattresses use a range of different memory foams (4 lb, 5.3 lb, 7 lb) that have different densities, different firmness levels, different layer thicknesses, and different properties. The only Tempurpedic mattress I’m aware of that uses a 3" thick layer of 4 lb memory foam is the Tempurpedic Choice Luxe and this also has other layers that they don’t specifically identify and the 4 lb memory foam in their topper may have different properties than the 4 lb memory foam in their Choice Luxe mattress. Even if it was the same you would need to find out all the information about the other memory foam and polyfoam layers in the mattress (which Tempurpedic doesn’t supply) and then be able to buy the same layers (which Tempurpedic doesn’t sell). ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: tempurpedic.com/mattress-toppers/tempur-pedic-tempur-topper-supreme.asp
If you were to use memory foam or polyfoam that was made by a different manufacturer there would be no way for you to predict whether it was similar to any of the Tempurpedic layers in the mattress you were trying to “match” because even if they are the same density there are also many different types and formulations of memory foam and polyfoam that each can have very different properties from each other (response time, temperature sensitivity, firmness, “feel” etc) even if they are the same density and some people will prefer the properties and “feel” of some types of memory foam more than others even though in general they are all slow response materials that have a very low resilience (springiness). There is more about the different properties that can be formulated into of different types of memory foam in post #9 here and in post #8 here.
If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project … the best approach to a DIY mattress is a “spirit of adventure” where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).
Post #4 here also includes a list of the better online sources for mattress materials and components I’m aware of.
If your goal is to end up with a mattress that is a reasonable approximation of one of the Tempurpedic mattresses then it would probably be much more cost effective and much simpler to purchase a mattress from a manufacturer that makes a mattress that is specifically designed to be a reasonable approximation of one of the Tempurpedic mattresses rather than trying to build it yourself. There are several of these in the online memory foam list that is linked in the tutorial (in the optional online step).
I would also be cautious using using a specific mattress as your “target” or reference point because it may not be the best possible match for you in the first place compared to other memory foam mattresses that you haven’t tried and you could end up excluding many other mattresses that may be different but could be a better choice in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and would be just as durable as any of the Tempurpedic mattresses and are in much lower budget ranges. In other words … there is no “magic” in the Tempurpedic name (see post #2 here).
Instead of using a specific mattress as a reference point I would rate every mattress you consider against a common set of criteria (rather than against another mattress) using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post and based on which one is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
There is also more about the 3 most important parts of “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
