Help Narrowing Down DIY Options

Mattress Talk Materials, Specifications & Designs
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1

Hi,
I am looking for some guidance on a mattress combination that might be a good starting point for me. Budget isn’t a factor for me here as any of the combinations that I believe I could end up with will be within budget.

I am a male in my early 30s. I am roughly 165-170lbs, 5’10" and have a relatively athletic build with broad shoulders. I am a combination sleeper and tend to be restless. I am not entirely sure which position I spend the most time in though. Probably back or side but sometimes in the morning I can tell I spent time on my stomach by the temporary wrinkles on my face.

When trying to fall asleep I tend to want to gravitate towards sleeping on my stomach. I attribute this to the pressure on my chest helping in some way. However, as I have aged, I have tried to make a conscious effort to not sleep on my stomach for the sake of my neck/spinal health. I typically struggle to fall asleep on my back but I do think I end up lying on my back a reasonable amount. I do also sleep on my side but often find myself rolling slightly onto my stomach even though I am still in the side position. This does make me wonder if the bed might be a tad stiff for side sleeping.

I have been sleeping on a Leesa mattress for roughly six years. I feel like the comfort layers have started to degrade. The edges feel stiffer than the middle. Also, sometimes when I am back sleeping if I have my legs straight my butt sinks in to the point where my knees lock up enough to cause some discomfort. When I try to fall asleep on my side, I do tend to notice some discomfort in my shoulders. I might sleep weird on my side though. I keep my arms kind of crossed on my chest in front of me instead of my arm extended out straight under my head. Other than that, I don’t have any noticeable consistent pain anywhere.

Some build options I came up with. Open to other suggestions!

Build 1 v1 (All Latex)
Comfort Layer - 3" soft Talalay latex
Transition Layer - 3" Medium Dunlop/Talalay Latex
Support Layer - 3" Firm Dunlop Latex

Build 1 v2 (All Latex)
Comfort Layer - 2" soft Talalay latex
Transition Layer - 3" Medium Dunlop/Talalay Latex
Support Layer - 6" Firm Dunlop Latex

Build 2 v1 (Coil + Latex Hybrid)
Comfort Layer - 2" soft Talalay latex
Transition Layer - 2" medium dunlop latex (20-24 ILD)
Support Layer - 8" combizone coils

Build 2 v2 (Coil + Latex Hybrid)
Comfort Layer - 3 inches soft Talalay latex
Support Layer - 8" combizone coils

The text below is from a post on TMU about the Leesa:

Materials & Construction:
Cover: Polyester/Lycra blend zip cover
Comfort Layers: 2" 3 lb Gell foam (13 IFD), 2" 3lb Memory foam (9 IFD)
Support Layers: 6" Polyfoam 1.8 lb density (32-38 IFD)
Fire Retardant: Non chemical, Inherent fire retardant sock
Comments:
Reseller. CAUTION: 2" of 3 lb memory foam is a potential weak link in this mattress.
Note Added later: Previously the top Comfort Layer was 2" 3.65 lb Avena polyfoam (20-26 IFD), which was replaced by a lower quality layer of 2" 3lb gel foam (13 IFD) wich would give a total of 4" of lower density foams in this mattress.
You can read more about Leesa in post #2 here . The 2" of 3.75 lb high performance “latex like” Avena polyfoam is good quality, but I would be cautious because of the 2" of 3 lb memory foam in the comfort layers which could be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability.

2

I would probably lean more towards your #1 option (gives you the most flexibility) and then work in a v-zone support layer if you really wanted to continue stomach sleeping. The v-zone can help keep your stiffen those areas to keep your hips/chest up out of the mattress while softening other areas and letting your legs and head sink in as needed. This feels much more comfortable since it eliminates any backward bending and your spine can relax in a normal position.

3

I am also trying to train myself out of stomach sleeping and have found that a body pillow really helps to keep me from rolling from my side to my stomach. It also can give you that comforting “pressure on the chest” feeling.

I am a different size and likely have different preferences than you, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I personally found in my progressive build latex mattress that a 3" soft latex comfort layer allowed me to sink in too much for stomach and back sleeping, and was really only comfortable if I remained on my side; 2" of soft worked better for a wider variety of sleep positions.

4

When you say v-zone support I assume that is the same as the combi zone coils where the middle is stiffer? That would be more difficult to achieve in an all foam build right? Unless the move was to use like cardboard shims underneath the mattress in the middle zone.

5

Yeah I actually bought a body pillow and ended up stopping using it after like one night as I found it uncomfortable. When I used it I felt like it gave me shoulder discomfort. Which I suppose could be a result of my mattress being too stiff maybe.

Interesting! Thanks for that feedback. Maybe I will start with a two inch comfort layer then. What did you use as a support layer?

6

No, combi zone can’t be adjusted, it either works for you or it doesn’t. V-zone is fully adjustable which allows full customization of your support layer (just need to make sure your lower support layers are stiff enough). It’s an expensive option but if you need it then it’s the best on the market at the moment.

Components for FloBeds | Buy a Replacement Latex Mattress Core, Cover & More Bed Components for FloBeds (v-zone is about halfway down the page)