I’m going to be building my first DIY mattress. I wanted to check in with the experts to make sure that I’m not making any obvious mistakes or not taking any important aspects into consideration.
I recently purchased a Memory Foam Hybrid, and the heat retention is an issue. That brought me to Latex. I tested out a full-Latex mattress locally, and I preferred it over its Latex Hybrid counterpart. It was very expensive, and I came to learn that the softer layers tend to wear out quicker. I’m not going to make the investment on such a mattress if I don’t have the ability to change out any soft layers that may wear out. That brought me to the DIY world.
My ideal mattress will be on the plush side, will be appropriate for joint pains, and not too soft for a 200lbs+ occupant.
Sleeper #1: 6’1” – 220lbs – 100% Side Sleeper. Broad shoulders, have been dealing with shoulder pains on the Memory Foam Hybrid.
Sleeper #2: 5’10” – 170lbs – 80% Back/20% Side Sleeper.
I’m thinking of starting with a simple three-layer configuration.
Base: 6” Firm Dunlop – 36 ILD
Middle: 3” Blended Talalay – 28 ILD
Top: 3” Blended Talalay – 19 ILD
I’m leaning towards purchasing everything from Arizona Premium Mattress. The total cost will be around $2,000, but I’m budgeting for more, as I understand that not everyone gets it right the first time. I’m planning on holding off on purchasing a mattress cover until I feel comfortable with the number/type of layers that will be going into the final mattress.
Am I missing anything? Should I make any changes to my planned initial configuration? If it comes out too soft or too hard, what types of layers would I want to consider swapping or adding? Thanks!
My only recommendation would be to change from Firm Dunlop to Medium Dunlop for the base core. I don’t really see the need for the firm since the heavier person is a side sleeper and the back sleeper is not that heavy.
Your base idea is reasonable, but the comfort stack is doing most of the work here, and once you get into two full 3" Talalay layers, the system becomes very sensitive to depth compression rather than just surface feel.
That’s where builds like this can start to feel great initially but become harder to predict under sustained side-sleep pressure, especially around the shoulder zone at your weight range. Modularity is definitely the right instinct, because it gives you a way to correct feel without rebuilding the entire system, but I’d still be careful about overbuilding the upper section before you’ve validated how the core behaves on its own. If you had to prioritize right now, are you trying to fix the shoulder pressure first, or make sure the overall alignment feels consistent through the whole night?
Is it worth considering two 3” base layers in place of one 6”? If I went with one Medium 3” and one Firm 3”, it would be a lot more palatable to later swap one of them out over changing a 6” core.
I would say that shoulder pressure would be the priority. I’m not entirely sure what consistent overall alignment refers to, I’ve never had any type of latex mattress in the past. I’m the 220lbs sleeper, and my main issue is shoulder soreness.
Regarding a potential overbuild, are you suggesting that I start with a core with one upper layer, and later determine which (if any) third layer would be work best with the existing two?
It looks like you’ve already gotten some decent feedback, but I just wanted to chime in and say you would almost certainly do better with a top layer of Talalay that’s half soft half medium.
I think SleepEZ is on the right track focusing on your shoulder pressure and suggesting a softer/more forgiving top layer for that.
At the same time, I think this is getting a bit overcomplicated with all the exact layer combinations and ILDs. With latex, how it actually feels when you’re lying on it usually matters more than trying to plan out every detail in advance.
I’d probably pick a solid starting setup based on that shoulder comfort goal, try it, and then adjust from there if needed. Once you’re sleeping on it, you’ll learn a lot more than any layer math can predict.
At 220 lbs and sleeping on your side, you’ll want enough support to keep your spine aligned while still allowing your shoulders and hips to relieve pressure. An all-latex mattress is a smart choice because it offers durable support without breaking down like conventional foams. Organic wool quilting also helps regulate temperature naturally, which can be a nice bonus if you sleep warm.
If you’re looking at finished mattresses rather than building your own, there are a few great options. The Naturepedic EOS Classic combines GOLS-certified Dunlop latex with pocketed coils for excellent support, airflow, and the flexibility to swap comfort layers if your needs change. If you prefer an all-latex mattress, the Naturepedic Trilux uses Dunlop latex throughout. For a more responsive feel, Berkeley Ergonomics uses Talalay latex and offers excellent pressure relief while maintaining support.