Probably looking for DIY Coil? Or maybe not?

[phoenix]

Hi arc.

Welcome back! It’s been a while

I would like to be more flexible but I’m not sure how to do that so in lieu of that, I’m going to attempt to find a mattress at least I can sleep on at home… I have a bunch of shoulder and back tightness issues, I am in my 30’s, ~ 115 lb though hopefully going to go up to a 135 (male, ~5’5’).

Sorry about your shoulder and back tightness. Is this something you have identified as being mattress related? You mention that you did have a mattress that worked best for you – were you experiencing this pain with that mattress as well? Either way, you may be interested in reading the following posts that relate to upper body pain…
Different “symptoms” that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress in Post #2
Determining causes for upper and lower back pains in Post #2

Thanks for sharing the graphic/breakdown of the mattress that was working for you. Looking at the link you posted for this Zinus very basic hybrid I could not find more info about the density of the quilting foam, but it is most likely that it used low-density Memory foam manufactured in China, They use iCoil Pocketed Springs which are good for reducing motion transfer.

I did a massive amount of research around four to five years ago and this ended up being what actually felt the best, and it turned out to only be $200 so when the first one wasn’t good for me after a year or two (no else noticed much of a difference), so I just bought another one and gave the first one to charity. I’d be perfectly happy spending ~$100/year on a mattress and donating a mattress every two years. But it’s out of stock and no longer being produced.

As you well guessed the 1" foam layer in that mattress is a very low-density foam and it is most likely the culprit for such a quick breakdown in the comfort layer. As a rule, we recommend at least 4 lb as a guideline in a one-sided mattress). With your BMI being on the light side, a mattress with any sort of quality foam layer should be lasting you much longer than a year or two, but I understand that budget is an issue

Zinus seemed to have the same manufacturer and be producing it up until recently, but not longer. It’s still available on ebay , but from what I understand if they are being compressed for a long time they may not decompress well (and it lists manufacturing year as 2019)!

In terms of feel… the Zinus eBay product you listed, similarly uses iCoil Pocketed spring system and 1" of memory foam (again, the density wasn’t listed…the eBay product listing mentions that they use a heavier gauge steel coil for durability. So unless you manage to find out if the coil specs are the same in both these Zinus products you are probably not going to get the same experience.

The foam would be more of a concern here than the springs when it comes to compression. Foams that have been compressed for longer than 30 days can experience durability issues…and with an already precarious foam, that’s a real toss sooner rather than later. Springs on the other hands…assuming that the spring unit has not been compressed past the steel’s Yield strength or stored in extreme temperature conditions…if you let it sit compressed even for years, it should be absolutely fine. You can read more in this article.

I’m curious what folks think of my options:

• 1. Ebay Zinus?
• 2. Amazon basics that seems similar: Amazon.com ?
• 3. Some other copycat mattress (maybe from the same manufacturer)?
• 4. Completely different — a e.g. a Sleep on Latex mattress. I have no idea how well I
     will actually sleep on latex. (I do know that I don’t sleep well on
     this sort of memory foam mattress after a few days). But I really like the idea of isolation,
     since I basically can’t sleep in the same bed as someone right now — which is a
     challenge in dating sometimes as you can imagine. But it is beyond the price range I
     was originally aiming for.
• 5. DIY, with higher-quality materials perhaps, but attempting replicate the original
     mattress I had.

Two of the mattresses you list (Zinus and Amazon) use memory foam, and all three only use 1" of foam in the comfort layer, which is already problematic for any true longevity especially if the foam density isn’t up to par.

There are a few things to think about. You are mentioning that in general, you are a sensitive sleeper and the starting pains you’ve experienced. As we age, we usually become more sensitive not less. An issue that our younger version could very easily overlook our older version can have a hard time with.
Your concern with VOCs may be an issue to you as well… while Zinus is on CertiPUR listings, memory foam products have higher VOC levels than natural products or latex. Then there is the issue of durability both because it has been compressed for long periods of time which also depends on the foam density being. All in all, I see too many points of possible failure and the better price point is reflective of lower-quality materials.

The pocketed springs in the original mattress you bought will not have suffered any great damage in 1 – 2 years. Combining points 3 and.5 from your list above, you could potentially just do mattress surgery on a mattress like the one you have (or the Amazon Basics, or the Zinus), replacing the 1" foam layer as needed (but certainly not annually) without replacing the coil unit as those should last a number of years. This is much more economic than purchasing a new $200 bed every one to two years.

You could even consider a latex layer (like you mention in point 3 above) – that said, you will be hard-pressed to find anything thinner than 2". This is actually good for durability, though, and you may find it more comfortable. A number of our Trusted Members offer DIY latex layers that could be useful to you in this scenario. And, anyone of them can help you choose the thickness and ILD of latex that is going to best meet your needs as far as having a lower BMI – and with regards to your sleeping positions.

I’ve given you quite a bit of information to consider here. Please let me know if you have questions arise and do keep us posted on any decision you may make moving forward!

Phoenix