Hey all. In the middle of my own diy mattress journey, I’ve thought about my brother. He has been sleeping in a crater for many years and it pains me to see it so. He’s a heavy dude. Over 300 lbs and likes a firm mattress. As an early Xmas present I’ve wanted to get him a new mattress too. So I thought about building him a hybrid with latex. However, looking at places to buy pocketed coils (considering shipping and all), it would be an expensive endeavor. And that got me to thinking. Why not just buy a cheap hybrid mattress with a removable cover, take out the cheapy layers of poly foam and replace them with a 2 to 3 inch layer of good latex?? It would be substantially cheaper than buying the springs and case separately.
I found this mattress on wayfair. What do you think? If seems like coils aren’t the problem with most cheap mattresses. It’s usually the crap foams. What do ya think? Is there something I’m not thinking about here? This looks like a great solution for a hybrid just under 500 after the latex…
Good to see you here on the TMU forum and thanks for your question .
[quote]Hey all. In the middle of my own diy mattress journey, I’ve thought about my brother. He has been sleeping in a crater for many years and it pains me to see it so. He’s a heavy dude. Over 300 lbs and likes a firm mattress. As an early Xmas present I’ve wanted to get him a new mattress too. So I thought about building him a hybrid with latex. However, looking at places to buy pocketed coils (considering shipping and all), it would be an expensive endeavor.
[/quote]
Congrats on your new DIY mattress journey ! I’ve read that you have been working with Phoenix on your project, how are things coming along with your latex layering? You are a thoughtful sibling to have your brother’s sleep comfort in mind too while working on your personal DIY build and a new mattress would be quite a treat for an early Xmas present! To your point, a separate purchase of a pocket coil unit can be quite pricey as currently these are in high demand/ short supply during the ongoing pandemic supply chain disruptions.
[quote]And that got me to thinking. Why not just buy a cheap hybrid mattress with a removable cover, take out the cheapy layers of poly foam and replace them with a 2 to 3 inch layer of good latex?? It would be substantially cheaper than buying the springs and case separately.
I found this mattress on wayfair. What do you think? If seems like coils aren’t the problem with most cheap mattresses. It’s usually the crap foams. What do ya think? Is there something I’m not thinking about here? This looks like a great solution for a hybrid just under 500 after the latex…[/quote]
Thanks for including the link to the Alwyn Hybrid you are considering, Gormeroth. While you “could” deconstruct a “cheap hybrid mattress” and replace the foam layers with latex, that may not be the best path to a mattress solution for your brother. With his high BMI and preference for a firm mattress feel, you may be better served partnering with one of the TMU Trusted member manufacturers for building a mattress that would not only be comforting/ supportive of his body type, but also of higher durability componentsfor better serving his needs long-term. Most mattresses are not manufactured with the intent of being “redesigned” by the consumer and there are no guarantees that your proposed project would be as simple as removing a cover, some foam layers and replacing the foam with latex layers. There is also the future concern that once the insides of the mattress are compromised, it will be deemed unreturnable for a refund. Before you buy any mattress and begin “Frankensteining” experiments, be forewarned that this type DIY approach is not for the faint of heart or light of wallet and you could soon find a spare room in your home stacked with unwanted/ unreturnable mattress components.
The thought of gifting your brother a new mattress is a most generous idea and it is nice that you are in a position to provide that for a family member. Before you get too much further into your research, you may consider asking a few discreet questions of him as a mattress choice is an extremely personal one. You may view his current mattress experience as “sleeping in a crater”, while he may find it a cozy, familiar sleep space. Good luck with whichever way you decide to go, Gormeroth .
.
.