wouldn’t a higher BMI crush through the 3 inches of memory foam on top into the support foam? is the3" of 5.3lb Memory Foam dense enough to stop that from happening?
wouldn’t a higher BMI crush through the 3 inches of memory foam on top into the support foam? is the3" of 5.3lb Memory Foam dense enough to stop that from happening?
Sleep warehouse is recommending 2.25 30 ILD HD HR poly base (I am not sure how many inches yet) I was hoping for a higher ild (website says they have it)- is this supportive enough for a higher Bmi?
They also say The 3" 5 lb Aerus plus will be the best comfort layer - I think this would be nice and supportive?
Not sure what goes in between lol. What would be a good transition layer? I am hoping for an 11" thick bed
Hard to get them on the phone. I always get voicemail then wait to hear back
Hi Ari,
Some of the common IFD/ILD ranges for polyfoam are listed inthis chart from the Polyurethane Foam Association. While you of course want to know all of the layers of whatever mattress you’re considering, as all of the layers of a mattress work together, a 30 ILD would be on the generally accepted “lower” end of the spectrum for IFD/ILD of a polyfoam core for those of a higher BMI. The density of the foam at 2.25 lb would be good quality.
The Aerus memory foam at 5 lb would be a good quality memory foam, but memory foam itself is not a “supportive” material, but instead relies upon the firmer and more resilient foam layers and components placed beneath it to provide deep support and assist with maintaining a more neutral alignment.
A transition layer could be latex, microcoil, natural fibers, or buckling column gel (I wouldn’t recommend more memory foam at a higher BMI), but most common designs would probably be a layer of polyfoam. 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 comfort, firmness, and PPP as a reference point or blueprint and try and “match” every layer and component in your reference mattress as closely as possible or alternatively use a “bottom up” approach (see post #2 here).
When designing and building your own DIY mattress out of separate components, 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.
Have you contacted Rocky Mountain Mattress? They are a site member here and have configurable memory foam options using Aerus memory foam plus high density polyfoam cores of higher ILDs. They are quite experienced with different memory foam designs and may be a good reference for you as well.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
I lik the sound of latex as a transition layer 
how many inches would depend on if it was medium or firm?
I had no plans on doing a DIY all I did was tell sleep warehouse that I was interested in a better base foam then the one for the bed they show online and it turned into this
I gave Rocky Mountain all the details about me and my bed woes etc , I requested specific info on one of their 12" mattresses and they recommended one of their 8" (sunrise) and one of their 10"(Sundance)
While I appreciate their recommendations I have no interest in an 8" mattress. Even the 10 at my bmi seems a little thin.
I think the highest basefoam they have is 29 ifd with a 2.5 rating - But that would be the low end of what’s recommended for higher bmi’s , correct?
Thanks Phoenix!
Hi Ari,
There isn’t an exact answer to your question, as overall comfort is not only determined by all of the layers contained within a mattress, but also the density, ILD, style of foam, compression modulus, layering and thickness of the layers used, among other things.
In general, the thickness of a mattress is just a side effect of the design and by itself isn’t particularly meaningful because whether a thicker or thinner mattress would be better or worse for any particular person will depend on the specifics of the materials (type, firmness etc) and on all the other layers in the mattress. Thickness is only one of many specs that are used to make different mattresses that perform and feel differently and that makes a mattress suitable for one person and not another. There is more about the effect of thickness in post #14 here. Regardless of how thick or thin a mattress may be … the most important part of the “value” of a mattress is how suitable it is “as a whole” for your particular body type, sleeping positions, and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) regardless of how thick it may be.
The main benefit of a thicker mattress is that it can be more adaptable for heavier weights and multiple sleeping positions. It will compress from softer to firmer more gradually which means that there is more “range” of compression without the mattress becoming too firm for heavier weights (or parts of the body).
Thickness and softness work together and because thicker layers (or mattresses) can have a greater range of compression and are more “adaptable” … it’s also possible to use firmer top layers in a thicker mattress and still have good pressure relief because of the greater range of compression of the thicker mattress which can create a mattress with a firmer “surface feel” but that still provides good pressure relief and adapts well to the body contours.
One other benefit of thicker component-style mattresses that have multiple layers that can be rearranged or exchanged is that there are more layering combinations possible for changing and fine tuning the performance and feel of the mattress but in many cases this wouldn’t be necessary and in some cases can lead to a level of complexity that can make predicting how the layers interact more difficult (see post #2 here. )
So the overall thickness of a mattress that is either “needed” or “preferred” would depend on the combinations of the layers and components that are needed to achieve the design goal of the mattress and provide the PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) that can best match each person and their unique body type, sleeping positions, and preferences.
While knowing the specs that can affect the quality and durability of the layers and components in a mattress is always important … unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and components and their specs and different layering combinations and mattress designs and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would generally be a very small percentage of people) … I would agree and tend to avoid going the DIY route and avoid using complex specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs or only based on specs for single layers or components that may not be as relevant or meaningful as you believe it is then the most common outcome is “information overload” and “paralysis by analysis”. Even the best mattress designers in the industry are often surprised at what a mattress they design “should have felt like” based on the specs when they design it and what it “actually feels like” when they test out their new design. I would instad tend to rely upon the recommendations from knowledgeable manufacturers or layering combinations that have been shown to work well together. Ultimately, the only way to know whether any specific mattress design or combination of layers and components is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP with any certainty will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it
Did you have an actual phone conversation with them, or simply submit an email to them? I’d recommend a detailed phone conversation with any business or manufacturer you’re considering, as you’ll be best able to receive the largest amount of accurate and specific information in the shortest amount of time.
No, they have polyfoam for support cores up to at least 40 ILD.
Phoenix
I don’t have enough knowledge for DIY and it could wind up a costly mistake that I would be stuck with
The lady at Rocky Mountain was out last week but sent me that quick email late Friday. I’ll try to get her on the tomorrow.
Hi Ari,
I agree that a DIY can be quite complex and expensive for many individuals, and it can result in being a more expensive mistake, so your decision is one I would trust based upon what you know best as to your limitations and tolerance for the “risk” involved of such a project.
I’ll be interested if you learn of anything new with your phone conversation with them or come up with any new decisions.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
I have learned so much here if I stay much longer DIY might not be so far outside the realm of possibility ha ha kidding!
I will let you know how the conversation goes
Thanks so much for all your help!
Hi Ari,
I trust that you are already far more educated about mattresses than you think!
Looking forward to your updates.
Phoenix
3 calls and 2 voicemails and I still didn’t hear from a live human at Rocky Mountain
I got an email early this morn replying to me from The Weeknd asking what the return policy was
"We do not offer a comfort return policy. Our mattresses are made-to-order. We do offer a warranty on all of our products which is listed on our website. "
Also the bed the Brighton I was interested in she mentioned was a 5 on the firmness scale . Which is too soft for me but there is the info In case anyone ever does a search here on that
Hi Ari,
Hopefully someone gets back to you soon. Maybe they are playing catch up from being out last week.
Regarding their returns, their custom orders are non-refundable, but they do offer a 90 Night Satisfaction Guarantee on their standard manufactured models, so you may wish to have them clarify that with you once you’re able to speak with someone (I’ll see if I can find out why there is a delay in them getting back to you).
Phoenix
Hmmm i see the 90 night satisfaction i wonder why she said no returns- ill try again tomorrow
this and the difficulty reaching sleep warehouse makes me really appreciate a company like sleep ez who always answers the phone and live chat during working hours
ill keep you posted
Foam order webs site
I believe this is the classic deluxe
4" of 13ild memory foam 5.3lb/ft3
2" of 31-34ild (our v34 foam) 2.6lb/ft3
6" of 40-43ild (our v44 foam ) 2.6lb/ft3
Hi Ari,
[quote]4" of 13ild memory foam 5.3lb/ft3
2" of 31-34ild (our v34 foam) 2.6lb/ft3
6" of 40-43ild (our v44 foam ) 2.6lb/ft3[/quote]
These would be better quality and durable materials.
I’ve contacted Rocky Mountain Mattress, as I had the same issues with their phone system and it seemed to go into a loop mode, so something there is amiss with their system. Hopefully they will see my notes and rectify this soon.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
Wendy from Rocky Mountain called me , she thought the phone issues were resolved. I assured her they are not lol
We had a good conversation, I told her what I was looking for and she will get back to me once they can put an option or 2 together that think will work.
The foam order foam i posted above is certipur but from Portugal . Do you know anything about Portuguese foam???
Hi Ari,
I’m glad that RMM got back to you.
As for foam from Portugal, I would first confirm that the foam producer is on the CeritPUR-US producer list. Then, confirm the density (which you already have). After that, my primary concern would be, similar to other imported polyfoams, the amount of time that it may have been compressed from production to shipping to use in the mattress. Overall, if the foam is certified, has been compressed for only a few weeks to maybe a month or so, and doesn’t use fillers (which you may not be able to find out), I would be more comfortable with such a product.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
I just checked and foamorder.com is on the certipur list - i don’t know if they will know or really tell me how long the foam is compressed for. i would likely be better off to stay with usa made product since these beds are not really returnable (practicality wise anyway)
Hi Ari,
Yes foamorder.com is listed on the CertiPUR-US site as a company or brand that offers some products containing CeritPUR-US certified foams, but the link I provided you was for the foam producer, which would be the company in Portugal that you’d want to check should you decide to go that route (which it now seems you’re not).
When a business is listed as a CertiPUR-US certified company, it doesn’t mean that all of the foams they offer necessarily have a certification. Per the CertiPUR-US site:
Please be aware that while some companies only offer products with certified foams, other companies offer certified foams in certain products or certain product lines. Ask to be sure.
Just as a reminder and good information for anyone browsing through this thread. 
Phoenix
Gotcha! That was kind of in the back of my head but then I blew it off lol
Thank you!