I saw a mattress at store here in Houston, TX that I liked (at a vendor recommended on this forum), but I felt the pricing may be a bit high.
Anyhow, before I can price the final product, I wanted to share the specs of the mattress at the store, and get your suggestions on how to āimproveā it, i.e. make it more comfortable, and durable.
These are the specs of the mattress at the store, I may not have gotten all the specs or written them correctly, apologies for this:
Top layer - 1" talalay latex - ILD 28 (I liked this firmness)
layer below - 2.5 foam HB foam - 6"
layer below - 1535 foam 3"
I hope this makes sense. If so, how can I customize this mattress with similar firmness, with better comfort and quality?
[quote]Top layer - 1" talalay latex - ILD 28 (I liked this firmness)
layer below - 2.5 foam HB foam - 6"
layer below - 1535 foam 3"
I hope this makes sense. If so, how can I customize this mattress with similar firmness, with better comfort and quality?[/quote]
Unfortunately there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone (including me) to make ācomfort suggestionsā based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or ātheory at a distanceā (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) because comfort doesnāt have a specific meaning and is just too subjective and relative to each person. Your own personal testing or sleeping experience is really the only way to know how well a mattress will match your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
There is more about all the variables that can affect durability in post #2 here and the posts it links to but in very general terms the upper 5" or 6" of a mattress will generally be the weakest link in a mattress and using higher quality more durable materials in the upper layers will generally have the biggest effect on durability. In this case the top two layers (the 1" of Talalay latex and the 6" of 2.5 lb polyfoam) are both very durable materials and there would be no weak links in the mattress the way it is. The 3" 1.5 lb polyfoam 3" layer on the bottom would be too deep in the mattress to have a significant effect on durability with 7" of foam above it.
Outside of completely changing the mattress into a different type of mattress completely ā¦ there arenāt any changes that I would make to it if itās a good match for you in terms of PPP.
If you are attracted to the idea of designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components and a separate cover then the first place I would start is by reading option 3 in post #15 here and the posts it links to (and option #1 and #2 as well) so that you have more realistic expectations and that you are comfortable with the learning curve, uncertainty, trial and error, or in some cases the higher costs that may be involved in the DIY process. While it can certainly be a rewarding project ā¦ the best approach to a DIY mattress is a āspirit of adventureā where what you learn and the satisfaction that comes from the process itself is more important than any cost savings you may realize (which may or may not happen).
If you decide to take on the challenge then I would either use the specs (if they are available) of a mattress that you have tested and confirmed is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) as a reference point or blueprint and try and āmatchā every layer and component in your reference mattress (including any springs, any foam layers, and the cover) as closely as possible or use a ābottom upā approach (see post #2 here).
Post #4 here also includes a list of the better online sources for mattress materials and components Iām aware of.
There is also more about primary or ādeepā support and secondary or āsurfaceā support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the ārolesā of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between āsupportā and āpressure reliefā and āfeelā that may be useful as well.
The better options or possibilities Iām aware of for āfinished mattressesā in and around the Houston, TX area (subject to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.