Help with low back pain and modifying an existing expen$ive mattress

[klandry1989]

Hello! Looking for expert advice to modify my existing Helix Elite mattress to address low back pain by replacing the manufacturer’s comfort insert with latex.

Background Information:

1. Myself (36F, 145lb) and husband (39M, 180lb), we are both side/back sleepers.

2. February 2024 - Purchased Queen Helix Midnight Elite, this has two major components – the “base” comprised of the base foam layer and coil unit, the “comfort insert” comprised of several foam / microcoil layers and then the plush topper.
   

   

3. February 2025 - Began having low back pain and a “sinking” feeling in bed

4. May 2025 - Replaced comfort insert with the firm Twilight insert, seemed to help for ~2 months but quickly began feeling intense low back pain again

5. August 2025 - Troubleshooting identified the support foundation as a potential issue. We replaced the slats with new 2x4s placed ~3.5 inch apart and provided an additional support beam mid-frame. Can confirm it is STURDY. This helped a little bit but not much. Generally, I have to avoid getting too close to my husband so I don’t fall into his “cone of depression,” and hug the right side of the bed to create as much isolated support as possible.

6. This past weekend - During a weekend trip, we slept on a queen memory foam mattress (not sure the brand, will try to find out) and other than an odd pressure point, I felt well supported on the mattress. Generally, anytime I sleep elsewhere that has a firm mattress (regular spring vs memory foam) I sleep great.

7. Last night – At my wits end, I put a very thin piece of plywood we had laying around on my side of the bed between the coil base and 4-inch comfort insert. Although it wasn’t the most comfortable, I did feel supported and did not wake up with any low back pain!

Questions

1. Is the coil base the root of the problem since placing the plywood between the coil base and the 4-inch comfort insert seemed to help me?
2. We’re already $3,000 in the hole with this mattress; can I replace the comfort insert while maintaining the base so I’m not completely wasting the initial investment?
3. I’m exploring replacing just the comfort insert with latex to add support but avoid pressure points. The comfort insert is 4-inch total so was looking at different permutations of Dunlop vs Talalay vs coir mat. Any recommendations/suggestions?

• 2-inch Dunlop Extra Firm topped with 2-inch Talalay Medium
• 2-inch Dunlop Firm topped with 2-inch Talalay Firm
• 3-inch Talalay Firm only
• 1-inch coir mat topped with 3-inch Talalay Firm

[BillyIdol]

Stick with the plywood!!!

John

[klandry1989]

lol tempting, but although I have no low back pain (atleast for these past two nights) it’s probably a little too firm and I have a bit restless sleep.

[BillyIdol]

Ok!

Give BackScience a try. It helped my lower back

John

[NikkiTMU]

Hello Klandry1989!

Welcome to our Mattress Forum

It’s great that you’ve been so systematic in your troubleshooting and especially that you tested with plywood. That single change gives you a really valuable data point about what’s happening in the mattress.

It sounds like your coil base may be flexing more than it should, allowing localized sag under load (especially between you and your husband). The fact that your back felt supported with plywood in place suggests that your comfort insert and coil base combination is letting your hips drop just enough to throw your lumbar alignment off.

To your specific questions:

1. Is the coil base the root of the problem?
It’s likely part of it. Even though the coils may seem sturdy, softer or more conforming pocket coils can gradually lose tension in high-load zones. The plywood test tells us your comfort layers aren’t the sole issue - the support system underneath isn’t providing even resistance.

2. Can you keep the base and replace the comfort insert?
Yes, that’s a practical next step. You can replace the comfort insert and still use the coil base, provided the base itself hasn’t developed permanent sag or asymmetry. You might also experiment with keeping a breathable stabilizer layer, like a thin coir (coconut fiber) mat, between the coils and the new comfort insert. It recreates the “solid” support plywood gave you but keeps airflow and flexibility. Not so stiff!

3. Is latex a good replacement?
Yes, especially if you want more lift and resiliency while avoiding that “sinking” feeling from memory foam. Here’s how I’d compare your options:

• 2" Extra-Firm Dunlop + 2" Medium Talalay: Best for support + a touch of pressure relief. This combo mimics what your back responded well to with the plywood test (firm, but with just enough surface give).
• 2" Firm Dunlop + 2" Firm Talalay: Firmer overall feel, could work if you find you like very little give.
• 3" Firm Talalay only: Simplifies things but may lack the depth of support layering your body prefers.
• 1" Coir Mat + 3" Firm Talalay: Great hybrid choice if you want to recreate the plywood’s stabilizing effect while maintaining breathability.

4. Cushioning layers:
The 4" total comfort insert thickness you’re working with is plenty for this kind of rebuild. If you find it still feels too taut after a few nights, you could fine-tune by adding a thin wool or cotton pad above the latex for a little extra surface softness without compromising alignment.

5. Coil slat reinforcement:
Since your slats are already 3.5" apart with a center beam, you’re fine there. Just keep that solid, breathable surface (like coir) above the coils so your latex doesn’t press into gaps.

If you’re sourcing materials, DIYMattress.com is a good starting point. They carry Dunlop and Talalay latex and also offer coir pads cut to size.

NikkiTMU

[LJGMDAD]

I’m a back sleeper and found long ago with my latex mattress that the normal recommendation of Talalay over Dunlop" with progressive firmness from top to bottom layers didn’t work - for me.

I had started with this oft-recommended configuration only to find that the morning lumbar pain never subsided. For reference, I’m about 6’, 170 pounds and try to stay on my back all night. The layers top to bottom were medium Talalay, medium Dunlop, firm Dunlop. I gave it not a month, not two months, but about six months before realizing I was never going to magically “adjust,” to the mattress. My hips were sinking too much and the mattress needed to be fixed. So eventually, I began swapping layers around and found that I could achieve the needed support to eliminate morning lumbar pain while also not creating new pressure points, for example, at the shoulders. The configuration that worked for my back and didn’t cost me anything extra since I just used what I had was: firm Dunlop on top, medium Talalay in the middle, medium Dunlop on the bottom. Not intuitive but my back is the only judge of what works best that matters to me.

Just a story to encourage experimenting.