Tl;dr: I’m already up to 5" of comfort layers, and adding more seems like a bad idea, but I need to be able to side sleep and I’m not sure what the best path forward is!
Longer version:
I did mattress surgery on a now-discontinued
Brooklyn bedding model and kept the support layers, so current set up is:
1”HD foam (part of original build)
8” coils (not sure of exact specs but they’re individually encased; a third party site that still has the description refers to them as quantum edge pocket springs).
1.5” HD foam (still glued to coils so I didn’t want to remove it)
2” medium Dunlop latex from SOL
2” 4lb memory foam from BB
1.5” Serenefoam (salvaged from original build but not viable as a long term solution since it’s damaged and only on my half of the bed).
No cover yet (want to finalize layers first), but will aim for something with a lot of stretch for the comfort layers).
Back sleeping is fine with this setup and without the Serenefoam, but I’m still getting shoulder pain when I try to side sleep (which was even worse without the Serenefoam).
I’m 5’4” 135lbs, my husband is 6’ tall and 210lbs, and he’s happy with his half of the bed which doesn’t have the Serenefoam (he’s also a side and back sleeper). I don’t like the feel of all latex, hence the memory foam — I like to sink in some, all-latex feels too bouncy for me, and motion transfer is already an issue with this bed (not sure if there’s a way to mitigate that without swapping springs for foam).
I need to make an adjustment, but am really not sure what direction to head in — I need more comfort/cushioning without sacrificing support, and it feels like I’m so close but not quite there! I know that no one is going to be able to suggest a perfect solution, but some possible suggestions to try would be helpful (1 more inch or firm or soft latex? Replacing the serenefoam with poly foam)?
I’m aware that memory foam and poly foam are less durable, and am fine with replacing them in a couple years if needed — still better than paying for a whole new bed!
1 inch of soft latex would be good because memory foam settles down the bounciness a lot. I like latex on top of memory foam vs memory foam on top of latex because memory foam as the top layer responds and softens with warmth but if you put latex on top it keeps the heat off the memory foam and allows it to stay a more steady firmness rather than melting
That’s a really thoughtful DIY build, and it sounds like you’re pretty close - the fact that back sleeping is already comfortable tells me the support core is doing its job, so this is really about fine-tuning pressure relief at the shoulder rather than an overall design problem.
A few directions worth considering rather than adding height:
Swapping the firmness of an existing layer instead of adding a new one is usually more effective than piling on more comfort layers. Since your medium Dunlop latex sits closest to the top of your support system, trying a soft Dunlop or soft Talalay in that same 2" slot (rather than adding a layer on top of it) could improve shoulder contouring without changing your overall height or losing support underneath.
Since the Serenefoam seemed to help before it got damaged, replacing it with a similar quick-response, moderately soft material (a soft poly foam or a soft latex) in that same 1.5" slot could restore that pressure relief without adding bulk, since you’d be swapping rather than stacking.
Another option some side sleepers use is a “zoned” approach - a softer material specifically under the shoulder area with a firmer piece elsewhere in that same layer, which can relieve shoulder pressure without softening the whole comfort stack (and without adding height).
On the motion transfer question, that’s a separate issue from the coils themselves, and swapping layer materials in the comfort stack generally won’t move the needle much there. A barrier or slightly denser transition layer right above the coils tends to help more than changing what’s on top.
Given you’re already comfortable replacing memory/poly foam every couple of years, you have a lot of flexibility to experiment with layer swaps rather than committing to a totally new build.
