DIY vs Prebuilt and steps to take for a DIY build

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Hello Mattress Underground community,
I recently moved to the Bay Area, and I’m looking to get a new mattress. I think full latex or latex hybrid would be a good choice. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on this website as well as r/Mattresses to learn about mattress construction, different layers and how to shop for a mattress. I’ve also visited Bay Bed & Mattress in Santa Cruz, The Futon Shop in San Mateo, an Avocado mattress store, and a Sleep365 store to try out latex and hybrid mattresses. I’ve also looked into options from trusted members of this site that ship across the US, and spoken with some over the phone to get their recommendations based on my body and sleeping position. I’m considering purchasing from one of Bay Bed, Sleep EZ, or Sleep on Latex.

I made this post to try and learn a bit more about the process for DIY’ing a mattress. From what I know about DIY mattress building, I would be able to choose,test, and exchange (if needed) layers individually without being limited by the mattress cover size and with potential to save money, the tradeoff being it will take more time until I have a completed mattress.
I’m not really sure what’s the best process though. Is there a recommended set of steps that can ensure or improve my chances of a great build and minimize swapping layers repeatedly? Is it as simple as buying layers 1 at a time from the bottom up and trying them out? Is there any benefit of a pre-built mattress that I might be overlooking?

For reference, I’m a 5’5 150lbs male. I am mostly a stomach sleeper, might sometimes start out on my back but almost always wake up on my stomach. From what I’ve tried in stores, I have liked a bit of sinking in/softness in the comfort layers on top of firm support layers, pocket spring or latex. My hypothesis right now is that a 3" F 40-46 ILD/~3" M/1-2" S 18-20 ILD either Talalay for just the top layer or all Dunlop, might work well for me, but I expect I would try one layer at a time.

All input is welcome. Thanks in advance!

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Try Flobeds Vzone……guided DIY!

Fort Bragg, CA

John

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Hi Mongwell.

In addition to FloBeds, Arizona Premium Mattress is a great option for a guided DIY, as is DIY Mattress.

One layer at a time is a great approach. The nice thing about a DIY is that it’s completely customizable and you’re able to swap out layers until you find your perfect fit.

I think the only real benefit is if you find the right bed, it’s ready to go. But there are so many more benefits to a DIY that it’s hard to say “don’t do it!” If you have the patience for it, it’s really the best way to go (in my opinion).

NikkiTMU

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I decided to try the DIY. I currently have a single 3" firm (46 ILD) layer from Sleeponlatex.
I’m not really sure what to do next though. Should I add a comfort layer next for pressure relief, or should I find a medium layer to put on top of my current firm layer?

How do I go about making this decision?

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Hi mongwell,

It’s really all a matter of personal preference, really. As you are a lower BMI sleeper with no extenuating needs that you’ve given, if the SOL latex you have is comfortable, you can proceed to transition/support layers next. Talalay is considered ‘bouncier’ than Dunlop (like the difference between pound cake and and angel food cake) so you may want to take that into consideration as well…if the layer you have doesn’t meet your comfort needs, you might want a softer comfort layer. I would say that if you contact any of the Trusted Members Nikki mentioned, they can work with you to find the right comfort and support layers to try for your initial DIY build. As you said, it can take a bit of trial and error to match your sleep profile, but getting expert help from them can save a lot of time and aggravation, instead of ‘guessing’ at additional layers. And feel free to let us know how the build is going!

~ Basilio