Probably looking for DIY Coil? Or maybe not?

So, I’m very bad at sleeping. I have trouble sleeping in hotels are in beds when traveling, etc. 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 (though I would prefer to just be more resilient, this isn’t quite the form for that I believe!). 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’).
My problem is that the mattress that works the best for me doesn’t have a long shelf life and is no longer available.

This is what I used:

Archive link: 8" Tight Top iCoil (Individual Pocket Coil) Spring Mattress

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. 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)!

So I’m looking for either something that is very very similar to that, or something completely different.

I’m curious what folks think of my options:

    1. Ebay Zinus?
    1. Amazon basics that seems similar: Amazon.com?
    1. Some other copycat mattress (maybe from the same manufacturer)?
    1. 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.
    1. DIY, with higher-quality materials perhaps, but attempting replicate the original mattress I had.

(I would like to have something that doesn’t put out too much in the way of toxic gases either, so the Amazon one looks compelling and that at least it is certified CertiPUR (and Sleep on Latex is great for that also).

Shorter is also better in that my bed frame is already fairly high.)

Hi arc.

Welcome back! It’s been a while :slight_smile:

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.

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

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.

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

Thanks so much!
My back pain is not only mattress related (also posture, etc.), but it can get much worse due to it. I’ve never found a bed that is consistently good,

Memory foam that I’ve tried is usually bad, as I generally sink into it when on my back, but arms are too light and lift up, leaving my shoulders in a bad position.

I should also probably mention that I always need to sleep with pillows under my knees, usually two or three, since my hip flexors are too tight and without them my back will arch badly.

If I was going to investigate if mattress surgery makes sense, is there a recommenced guide or instructions for doing so? (so that I can put it back together…)
I would want to cut it open first to see what the situation looks like I imagine! (In a way that I can close it back up, ideally without sewing (or very minimal sewing), as I don’t really have appropriate tools or knowledge)

Hmm. Do any of the companies that you mention allow me to actually try the foam on the mattress and then return it if it doesn’t work?

Hi arc.

You’re most welcome!
Hopefully, we’ll be able to give some more insights to help you make a good choice this time around.

Mattress surgery makes good sense. It will give you helpful clues as to what went wrong with the current or past mattress and inform you for a future more educated mattress purchase. You can also reuse the spring unit for a DIY mattress rebuild project. If you go down this route then I’d advise that you document everything you do. Take pictures/notes of the layers so you have a reference to go back to. Since every mattress is a little different, there’s not really a one-size-fits all guide for mattress surgery :slight_smile:

If you do decide on “mattress surgery” then post #2 by a subscriber documenting his mattress surgerymay be helpful as well as this topic in APM dedicated forum on Mattress Surgery on a Serta Hybrid Sleep System.
With DIY in mind, you can certainly reuse some of the componentry in your old mattress. You can watch a video by Arizona Premium Mattress on Serta iSeries Bradbury Mattress Surgery
Verify that the components that you are planning to use are is still in good condition. To check the integrity of the spring unit (which is rarely the weak link in a mattress) you might want to press down to feel the sleep areas versus the ends of the bed to see if the spring feels the same. If you feel a difference in firmness the unit may be damaged.

I would also recommend buying a zippered cover to replace the one you’re going to cut open/off. That way, you’re able to replace and remove it as needed without much issue. Many of the Trusted Members I mentioned in the previous post will also offer zippered covers and other components for DIY purposes.

Yes! Most of them offer some sort of layer exchange or return procedure. Should you choose to move forward with one of them, I would just be transparent with them about what it is you plan to do and ask what their options are for exchanges, returns, and so on. They are well experienced in the world of DIY so they’ll be great resources as well when it comes to choosing a foam density, thickness, cover, etc.

Phoenix

So some it appears that pressure differentials in my mattress are perhaps because some coils are more connect to others at the top than other coils are… (Connected coils jut out much more)
Beyond just minor differences in foam level in areas that have vs. less pressure over time. I guess the goal of the foam/latex is to spread that out?

Pics of the mattress innards: (image doesn’t work)

I’m trying putting this between the thin foam layer and the coils to see if it helps. If it does, I’m wondering how that would inform further decisions.

I should add that my main concern about DIY is binding. It seems like otherwise it should be a very fast process — place layers on top of each other and zip up. It seems though that this might be all that is needed?

However, I don’t know if it make sense if my coils are terrible (which they may be, as I mentioned above…)