So I’ve spent a lot of time on this forum doing my research and I’m ready to start the DIY process.
Looking to build a king mattress, hybrid style. Both my wife and I are primarily side and back sleepers. I’m 175 lbs and she’s 120.
We’ve tried a few hybrid firms, but don’t seem to be having much success. Comfortable for a few months and then body impressions turn into sagging. Yes, we are using quality wooden box frames.
My wife prefers a very firm mattress and one of her requirements is that when sitting on the bed, (not the side) that she doesn’t sink in too much. I also like a firm mattress but prefer bit of give.
For reference she likes the Stearns and Foster Estate firm where I prefer the Estate Lux.
So I’m thinking that I would like to build the equivalent to one or the other.
I’ve been looking at APM’s Combi zone coil by L&P as well as TPC quad coils for the base and any advice on choosing between the two as well as the other layers to achieve something similar to the S&F Estate would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Scott,
It seems like you have done a good deal of due diligence on your own.
It seems clear to me that you and your wife have slightly difference preferences and requirements.
I first want to speak to the “sitting” on the bed, so I am clear eyed at what your wife prefers. I want to assume, when she says sitting, it refers to sitting on her sleeping side of the bed, not on the edge of the bed. There is a huge difference between the two. Many folks find sitting on the edge of even the most firm and stiff edges, disappointing and are sometimes swayed by sales folks touting perimeter foam edge support designs as the way to go. While this may be true initially, and for a limited time, foam edge support usually will soften and lose support more quickly than a quality reinforced edge to edge spring support. I have written about this on many occasions, but this video speaks to it very competently. Fortunately, the S&F Estate and Lux Estate, uses an edge to edge coil design now.
Now if your wife is referring to sitting in the bed cross legged (Indian Style) while doing work on a laptop or other device, as I am doing right now, then that is a different story.
I am not going to rant about what I think the quality of the “S” or legacy brands have become these days. I guess by virtue of that statement says it all. They like many other of the Tempur/Sealy or Somnigroup International as they are now known, utilize memory foam in the comfort layer, and the memory foam they are using is not as dense as their sister company Tempurpedic once used and were very famous for.
This is likely why the sinking is happening (other than foundational issues, and I know you said you have a quality wood box foundation, but it would be great for that foundation to be identified. Just as S&F promotes their mattress as firm, durable, made to last, and a super premium/luxury product, foundation manufacturers make similar claims.
Addressing your individualized needs. I will offer a quick story, I mentioned in another post. My good friends had a S&F Cassatt ultra firm (firmer than your Estate), they purchased it in 2019. It too started sagging and causing back and hip pain. They were using a S&F semiflex frame.
They actually loved the feel of the mattress initially, but they did not like the longevity it provided, particularly for nearly $5k. Knowing their mattress preference and feel (both like firm), I recommended the king @DLX Premier Hybrid, firm. Although there is a weight difference between them, they loved the feel of the S&F, and the DLX offers that similar feel category but with higher density HD foam and an edge to edge coil design with reinforced edge support.
They have had this mattress for a few months now and absolutely rave about it. They were skeptical at first, because the mattress is actually a BiB, but since I set it up for them, she had no idea it was a BiB when she came home to put the linens on the bed. For longer term perspective, I got a queen split comfort firm/med for my 87yo mother in law. The short story there is, on her own, she bought a BeautyRest Black Mattress from Raymour & Flanagan. The works, mattress, semiflex foundation, extended warranty. This was around October 2022, by December 2023 the mattress developed a huge pot hole under her artificial hip, and the pain she developed was intense. Rather than go through the warranty “process” I ordered her the DLX Premier Hybrid. It was delivered in less than a week (it would have taken months to facilitate that warranty claim, if they honored it at all.) I check her mattress every three months, and I can report it is unremarkable, a year and a half later.
I’m not against the idea of building your own mattress, many people have done it successfully, and when it works, it can save money. But it can just as easily turn into a costly and frustrating experience if you’re not careful. That’s why I strongly recommend consulting with one of our knowledgeable Trusted Members, or TMs, here at TMU before diving into a DIY mattress project. A high-quality mattress is much more than just a stack of components, it’s about how each layer works in harmony with the others. Choosing a spring support layer is just one piece of the puzzle, how that layer interacts with the transition and comfort layers is just as critical, not to mention the foundation and even your pillow choices. On top of that, DIY builds require careful thought about the cover panel, base layer, and how all elements function together as a cohesive system. Getting expert input upfront can save you a lot of trouble down the line.
@Arizona_Premium and @PCS are a good start to ask about the complete mattress setup creation. Additionally, @Magic_Sleeper is a trusted member that clones S brand mattresses and can likely customize with longer and more durable components to give you that S&F feel without the sinking.
Fortunately, you have some solid options, whether it be a mattress ready to go, or one you can collaborate with a Trusted Member expert to fine tune and capture the preferences that will work for both of you.
Hopefully a little food for thought,
Maverick
Hey Maverick, thanks for the insight and guidance. A few points of clarification.
Referring to sitting, I think I put in parentheses not on the edge, meaning Indian style As you described. Our current bases were purchased When we bought a Wink bed a number of years ago. They’re sitting in a fully surrounded metal frame with middle support and I’ve checked repeatedly for any sagging. They seem to be fine.
We don’t currently have an S&F but I was using that reference for the bed we’ve tried at some of the bigger mattress distributors.
On the DIY, you may be right however we currently have a Hybrid from one of your sponsors and it’s basically the coils with a topper. Additionally, it seems like many of the site sponsors that supply the DIY components provide the same. Pocket coils with a choice of a topper or a combination of topper layers. I certainly agree with your advice to discuss this directly with some of your supplier/sponsors.
Ok, I think I understand your frame. I am not a big fan of metal frames unless it has wooden slats less than 3" apart and at least a 1/2" thick minimum, but 3/4" preferred. It is not only the frame that can flex. It can be the spacing between the slats where the mattress sags over the spacing portion of the slats, which is harder to recognize.
Unless, one person lies on the mattress for a good 30 minutes, and then someone else looks under the mattress for penetration between the slats.
Otherwise you will be fine.
No, it’s a pair of box frames, not slats, that’s resting in the metal frame.
Ahh, that’s much better!
glad to answer any questions about our QuadCoil pocket units.