Help with Topper or a Replacement Mattress for a Cabinet Bed

[TheSmiths]

Hello. I hope someone can help with an issue. In March 2021 we ordered a Cabinet Bed to use as a guest bed in a multipurpose room. It was supposed to have a queen-sized tri-fold memory foam mattress but the foam has virtually no give and it does not soften no matter how long you lay on it. I’ve never felt foam this firm and can’t imagine it being used for anything other than a substitute for box springs. Our guests, as well as ourselves, find it impossible to sleep on so we have to put an air mattress on top to use it. Unfortunately, although the bed is still under warranty the seller retired and closed their stores and told us they didn’t believe the manufacturer could help. We also live in a rural area in far western KY so there isn’t anything available locally.

I was hoping to purchase a talalay latex topper or find a company who could make a new mattress for it. (The topper would need to be lightly rolled for storage in the same room). The primary users of the Cabinet Bed are under 220 lbs and are side and back sleepers. All of us prefer to sleep “on” a bed rather than “in” it and like beds that are springy and soft. I understand there is no way to make the Cabinet Bed as comfortable as a real bed, however, we’d like it to at least not be painful to sleep on. As an example of our sleeping preference, our personal bed is the “Stephanie” by Sterling Mattress. I believe it is constructed of 1.5" of 4 Lb memory foam, 1.5" of 3 Lb Energex, and 1" of 2.3 Lb foam over the coils. We found it a bit too hard so the company added 2" of traditional egg crate as the top layer. (We also find the upholstery foam of our older sofa comfortable to sleep on).

Suggestions regarding the thickness and type of topper are appreciated as well as who could make a replacement mattress for us and what material would be best used.

TIA

[Basilio]

Hi TheSmiths and welcome back after five years!

Well that’s’ certainly a painful problem in all senses! Attempting to sleep on what sounds like sleeping on a floor, even briefly, can cause all sorts of problems in your muscles, joints, pressure points and back. It’s really a good looking piece of furniture, and it’s understandable you want to turn it from a dud of a bed into a dream!

Since mattresses are such a personal and subjective thing, it’s impossible to tell you what you need to purchase as a replacement. It really stinks that the company went out of business…although selling a great looking wood cabinet that has a ‘brick’ for a sleeping surface could be a tip as to why they went under.

First you need to consider the basics. As you know, the ideal replacement mattress will be based on the Stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s) and any underlying health conditions) and the PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief and Personal preferences). Thanks for giving a general average weight, that helps a bit to give a little context for the solution.

Since it sounds like you are considering all options, from latex to memory foams…you may want to read the the Mattress Specifications You Need To Know and how these compare to the Mattress Durability Guidelines, to see how durable specific materials are.

We suggest that any foam in a potential mattress has no more than an inch or so of lower grade foams (for memory foam no lower than 4 lbs/cuft for normal range weights, and 5lbs/cuft for higher range weights) and if polyfoam is used, with at least 1.8 lbs/cuft density, just to ensure you have support.

You need to determine what material, and the comfort and support that match your preferences for the replacement mattress; once you have that there are a number of Trusted Members of the site who specialize in custom mattresses to fit unique furniture, like Bay Bed & Mattress, Fox Mattress, and Texas Mattress Makers, among others.

You shouldn’t need to settle for a too-firm mattress, even for occasional guest use…and if you can put a little consideration to the points above, and reach out to a qiuality mattress manufacturer, you might find that you can have as comfortable a sleeping solution as with a ‘real bed’!

~ Basilio