My first post, but I’ve read a lot of the threads over the last ~6mo, especially regarding DIY mattress construction. I much appreciate all the info that this forum provides!
I’m looking for recommendations (topper, or layer swapping) for my diy hybrid latex mattress build.
Me:
175lb, female, 6’1", ideally side sleeper but I end up on my stomach about 30-40% of the time, back pain, hip arthritis, tend to sleep hot. I prefer biodegradable/recyclable/eco-friendly options but willing to go synthetic/memory foam/etc if it fixes my issue. Budget is $300-400 for now.
My current mattress:
Have been sleeping on my build in a few different configurations since Oct 2025. 8" 15.5 g quadcoils from texas pocket springs, 3" ‘medium’ dunlop latex from Naturally Nestled (I can’t find the specific ILD), encased in 13" bamboo/wool quilted cover from Arizona Premium Mattress. I intentionally got a slightly ‘too tall’ mattress cover to have the option to either add an additional layer into the case, or leave it slightly underfilled which I had read is one way to help soften things up a bit. My current topper/comfort layer: 2" soft (20-24 ILD) all-natural talalay from APM. I tried zipping it inside the encasement but found that too firm, so it is currently placed on top of the mattress encasement and covered with a kool-flow mattress protector and fitted sheet.
My issue(s):
The mattress by itself is medium-firm and nicely supportive, but I get severe hip pain (burning/numbness) after about 30 minutes when lying on my side. I added the 2" soft talalay topper to address this pain, but it has been unsuccessful in that regard.
I’ve also found that, regardless whether I’m sleeping with or without the 2" soft talalay layer, my shoulder and hip don’t sink in enough for good spinal alignment: The wide parts of my body - shoulders and hips - are on the mattress surface, and the narrow parts of my body - waist and torso - are unsupported and sag down to meet the mattress, which causes misalignment even though the mattress itself does not sag.
I’ve tried sleeping with a thin pillow under my torso to fill the gap between my waist/torso and the mattress. This helps but isn’t perfect (still get hip pressure) and the pillow shifts around during the night and I have to reposition it often.
I also sleep with a pillow between my knees, and use a body pillow. These help with support, but don’t fix the hip pain issue (also when I roll around and reposition during the night, my various support pillows tend to drift away and I have to wrangle them back in).
What I’m considering:
Wool mattress topper. I’ve read good things about wool being helpful for folks with arthritis and joint pain, as well as the fact that it is breathable and temperature-regulating. I’m willing to go DIY to save cost and end up with a higher-quality product than I would be able to afford to purchase outright. I have found wool batting and topper cover supplies at places like diy natural home and white lotus home. I’d probably start with about 10-15 lb of wool for a diy queen-sized topper (should end up 2-3" thick?), although some of the more expensive toppers I’ve researched have double or triple that amount of fill. Pros: Biodegradable and traceable materials; very customizable in terms of fill height/amount; can be disassembled and refreshed if needed after years of use; breathable and hopefully not leading to overheating at night. Cons: Expensive (relatively speaking); no returns/exchanges on DIY materials.
Memory foam topper. I don’t like full-on memory foam mattresses but I’ve never tried just a topper before. Perhaps this would provide the extra pressure relief that I’m looking for, and be better contouring to support my waist and torso while letting my shoulders and hips sink in for better spinal alignment? Sources like foambymail.com have high-density (5 lb) memory foam layers available. I’ve also found options from Viscosoft (3 lb density) and Brooklyn Bedding (4lb). In terms of thickness I don’t think I’d want to go any thicker than 2", so as not to affect overall support. Pros: relatively inexpensive, and returns/exchanges would be possible. Cons: Overheating. I sleep hot (and I live in FL where I keep my apartment at ~76F in the summer). From what I’ve read, the higher density foams are higher quality and better at relieving pressure, but also hotter. I’m concerned that even memory foam layers touted as ‘cooling’ (or with ‘cool touch’ fabric cover) would still be too hot. Not biodegradable or recyclable.
Swapping out existing mattress layer(s). Before I purchased my mattress encasement, I spent a few weeks sleeping on the loose pocket coils and 3" medium dunlop latex layer. This setup seemed both supporting and conforming/pressure relieving. When I put the layers into the encasement they got more compressed and felt much firmer, leading to my issues. With this in mind, I could potentially change out my pocket coils for a ‘softer’ set. I believe the 8" Quantum Edge Elite Bolsa is touted as being more suited to side sleepers (correct me if I’m wrong). Texas Pocket Springs also has a ‘plush’ pocket coil option on their website (unclear to me what makes these coils ‘plusher’ than the 15.5g model; thinner wire? different arrangement of springs?). Pros: Potentially addressing the root cause of my problem instead of just putting on a band-aid. Cons: Somewhat expensive (8" Bolsa + shipping would be over my budget); would end up with a set of unused coils laying around. No returns.
I’d love to hear feedback on my thoughts outlined above, or any new ideas/suggestions that I haven’t considered yet.
I’ve been working myself on tweaking a similar setup, with the quadcoils and medium dunlop topper (only the one though) and so just wanted to chime in, although hopefully one of the more experienced members will also comment. It does sound like the entire setup is too firm for you, but the hip numbness sounds more to me like pressure points than a support layer/coil issue. You might want to first try adjusting the transition/comfort layers inside your mattress before playing with additional toppers.
Can you see what happens if you put that soft Talalay topper inside the mattress INSTEAD of the medium Dunlop (not on top)? That’s at least a no-cost experiment! For me at least, I find medium Dunlop pretty firm, and it seems Talalay has less pushback and should give a different feel (although the 2" height of your topper might not be enough to compress for what your hips need, depending on your build).
After getting more data from that test, you could also try swapping the medium Dunlop for a soft Dunlop or 3" soft Talalay. If you call up SleepEZ or APM I’m sure they could help you with that decision.
Thanks for your response! I hadn’t considered trying the 2" soft talalay inside the mattress instead of the dunlop. Just assumed that it wouldn’t be supportive enough or that I’d be able to feel the coils through it. But why not try!
Swapped them out yesterday evening. The bed is definitely softer, without losing support. Last night’s sleep was ok and the hip pressure wasn’t as bad. Going to see how it feels over the next few weeks and will provide an update.
The good news: Have been sleeping on the current setup (quad coils + 2" soft talalay and quilted cover) for a week and it has felt pretty good - a definite improvement over the previous version(s). Support and alignment are solid, hip pain is somewhat reduced but still present.
The bad news: Although the hip pressure is reduced, I’m still getting pain after an hour or so of side sleeping. Also, the 2" layer isn’t quite resilient enough to rebound and fill the gap between my waist/torso and the mattress.
I was curious to see if more thickness of the same material could be a solution. Last night, I folded over the 2" talalay layer (to get a thickness of 4" on half the bed). This initially felt very comfortable and also was the first configuration I’ve tried that really fixed the torso gap situation. However, overnight I still experienced the same hip pressure and pain as before, and also found that my sleep was more restless (maybe also due to the current narrowness of the sleep surface and not being able to unconsciously reposition as much without feeling like I was falling off the edge). Probably will not continue this experiment: don’t want to sleep on the folded talalay for more than a night or 2 for fear of causing a permanent crease.
What to do next…
It seems that the 2" talalay on top of the quad coils is a good start, I just need a bit of extra oomph in the pressure relief department while keeping it as simple as possible.
Softer latex layer/topper? I know APM offers a blended super soft talalay in the mid teens ILD. Don’t want to completely lose support though. Curious if anyone has thoughts on this given my height and weight (6’1", 175 lb)
Convoluted latex layer/topper? Potentially good for pressure relief. Somewhat limited sources and fewer options in terms of specific thicknesses & ILD.
Other type of foam topper? Leaning away from memory foam due to the heat retention, but there are potentially many other options available for open cell foams that would not retain as much heat. Seems overwhelming.
Fiber or shredded topper? Latex noodles, shredded latex, wool, polyfill, etc. Again, leaning away from shredded memory foam due to the heat issues, but many other options available. Also seems overwhelming.
A correction: I stated in my original post that the talalay was from APM but it’s actually from Latex Mattress Factory, ILD 19 according to their specs.
A side note: When I had the mattress disassembled, I tried laying on just the coils. I found the bare coils to be more comfortable without the 3" medium firmness dunlop layer. This was confirmation for me that this particular layer was too firm for me.
Hello, I’ve been reading TMU on and off for almost a year. I am also struggling with severe hip pain, so I’m anxious to see what solution you come up with.
I’m sorry to hear about your hip pain. I hope you can find something that works for you!
Latest update for me: I ended up getting a 2" tranquility (polyfoam) topper from a big box store. I left it out of the topper cover and just put the foam layer inside the mattress casing on top of the 2" soft talalay layer. (See specs for tranquility foam on the last page of this pdf: https://carpenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/MARCH-2023_Foam_Sell_Sheets.pdf.) I decided to try this type of foam because of its purported breathability, durability, and because it seemed like it might add comfort without sacrificing too much support. I considered trying Serene foam (specs for that are also in the pdf linked above) but ultimately went for the tranquility foam because of the higher airflow rating of the latter.
I must admit that the return policy and relative affordability of the big box store purchase also played a role in my decision (although fortunately it doesn’t seem like I’ll need to utilize the return policy). I’d originally been aiming for a natural/organic solution, but after weighing options the more economical product won out.
So what’s the outcome? What I like: I’ve been pretty happy with the current setup over the past week. The polyfoam is more pressure-relieving than the talalay, but still has a touch of support. My hips have been more comfortable and I’ve been sleeping more soundly. My lower back also appreciates the secondary support of the softer foam which fills the torso gap that I was complaining about in my original post. Breathability won’t really be put to the test until summer, but temperature regulation has seemed OK so far (haven’t been sleeping any hotter than normal).
Somewhat neutral: The polyfoam feels different from latex (to be expected, not as springy/buoyant) - I don’t mind this too much though. Also, the change in mattress has affected my pillow - my neck has been feeling more stiff in the mornings than previously. I think my head is sinking just a bit too much and tweaking my neck. I’ve already read through a lot of the great pillow advice on the forum and have some ideas (can put the money I didn’t spend on latex mattress layers toward pillow parts haha)
What I might change: The mattress feel isn’t quite what I prefer; might try switching the stack order and placing the polyfoam under the latex to see if that brings back the buoyancy while allowing the underlying softness to transfer through. I’d also still love to try out a supersoft talalay, convoluted latex, or wool topper but that’ll have to wait.
Is it perfect? No; but it works and I’m at a place right now where I’m feeling fairly satisfied and comfortable (even moreso if I can get the pillow dialed in). Maybe by the time the polyfoam is due to be replaced I’ll be ready for more experimentation!
Glad you found something that worked for you. Several people have suggested an arizona or other soft but supportive pillow, so I’ll look into that as well. I would like a bed that is pressure relieving without adding a topper, but if I had to, I’d add it later. I don’t see a point of spending a lot of money buying a mattress that is already too firm for me right out of the gate. My other goal is to find something with no poly foam or memory foam, so if i must, I’d have to choose a topper that was all natural as well. But hopefully I’ll find a bed that doesn’t need it! And so far, the WinkBed is the top contender.
Thank you for the suggestion! I will most likely order a 2" Talalay topper from somewhere if absolutely needed. I stay away from memory foam and need to avoid anything that would retain heat.
Hi moss.animal! Minus the hip pain (for me it’s back, back, back pain,) there are many similarities between myself and what you’ve described -I’m female, 160lbs, 5½’ tall, my sleeping style is side and stomach, pillow between the knee, etc. Oh and yes I sleep hot! It’s my hormones, ya know? I’m very new in my diy journey even though I’ve been researching(cough-stalking) how the components work, I’d say off and on for a couple of years now. But now my mattress is really bad, I just want to torch the thing or blast it out of a mattress cannon for an epic YouTube-worthy goodbye.
So far, I’ve committed to a bunkie board with ventilation holes in it and some 15.5g coils (I think they’re the same as yours, 8"?)
I’m trying to come up with what my plan should be for the transition support layer and the comfort layer. I have a box of latex samples I keep squishing. And I’m trying, of course, to make big decisions based on Reddit, the mattress underground, the squish I’m interpreting from the samples, and the two opposite examples of mattresses I’ve slept on long enough to know and loathe.
You mentioned the foam that you ended up getting, and I wanted to ask if you could describe how and what you now have layered, and whether it’s all within the same encasement? I’m on the fence about whether to somehow encase my coils separately and then the subsequent layers on top separately, or if that’s going to be a nightmare while I’m dialing it all in.
So for your setup, is it 1)coils, 2)medium (Dunlop?) latex, and 3) the breathable big box store foam? And is your transition layer thicker than the comfort layer? I’m pretty sure you may have already described that part but I’m afraid to go re-read and possibly lose my post here.
Hopefully you’ll see this and can share your current ‘lasagna recipe’ - I’d really appreciate your input!
2" layer of “Serene” foam that I ordered from from JC Penney (The Serene foam is new since my last post. The “Tranquility” foam that I tried out ended up being a bit too soft and not supportive enough).
The coils and the 2" talalay are inside the mattress cover. The Serene foam is on top (outside the mattress cover). I then have a knit mattress protector covering everything, and my sheets on top of that.
So I guess to apply the traditional terminology, the coils are my support layer, 2" soft talalay is my transition layer, and 2" Serene foam is my comfort layer.
This setup has been to my liking. It is VERY soft and certainly not for everyone but it’s been the most comfortable sleep I’ve had in years!
A few additional thoughts/items:
I do think that the “Serene” foam is a bit warmer than the "Tranquility’ foam but it hasn’t been much of a problem for me so far. Not as hot as a traditional memory foam for sure. The coils and latex are breathable and I think that helps keep the build as a whole from retaining too much heat.
When first starting out, I tried a 3" ‘medium’ dunlop layer (cannot remember the ILD) as part of my build but found that to be much too firm to the point that laying on the straight coils was more comfortable than the coils + medium dunlop.
Quilted vs. knit cover: I tried the Serene foam inside the mattress cover but found that the cover negatively impacted the pressure-point-relief ability of the foam. If I was starting again from scratch I might go with a knit mattress encasement (or at least with knit fabric on top, I think Texas Pocket Springs makes one). But hard to say without testing whether this would have a real impact on the overall feel.
Mattress encasement size/height: I intentionally purchased my mattress encasement on the tall side, since I figured I’d be mixing and matching components and wasn’t sure what the final stack was going to look like. Because I have my comfort layer outside the mattress cover, I’ve ended up with a 13" mattress cover with only 10" of internal components. It’s been working OK but probably ideally (for my taste) the case would only be 1" oversized instead of 3".
Hope this is helpful and good luck with your journey!
I’m surprised you found the Tranquility too soft and replaced it with Serene. I ordered the Tranquility after trying the Serene topper because all the specs said that Serene was ultimately softer and would sink in more, while not as much as memory foam, it still has a sink factor.
Hi there! I was reading this whole conversation that started several months ago and thought I would just jump in with my experience. As an outsider reading your post, that makes me wonder whether the remaining issue is entirely a pressure-relief problem. If adding significantly more cushioning fills the waist gap but doesn’t eliminate the hip discomfort, maybe the root cause isn’t simply needing a softer or thicker comfort layer.
I went down a very similar rabbit hole with hip and shoulder pain. I spent a lot of time focusing on ILDs, foam types, thicknesses, zoning, toppers, and pressure relief. What surprised me is that one of the biggest improvements came when I stopped looking exclusively at the mattress layers and started looking at sleeping position and alignment.
I eventually came across the Incline Sleep website and learned about the concept of placing the entire mattress on a gentle incline or actually a tilt. I tried a foam incline wedge underneath my mattress, and for me it reduced both hip and shoulder discomfort more than some of the material changes I had been experimenting with.
The reason your post caught my attention is that you’ve already done a lot of thoughtful testing, yet the hip pain still appears after an hour regardless of whether you’re on 2" or 4" of Talalay. That sounds a little different from a simple “not enough cushioning” problem.
Not saying you shouldn’t continue experimenting with toppers if that’s the direction you want to go. But before buying another layer, another foam type, shredded fill, convoluted latex, wool, etc., it might be worth reading about incline sleep and considering whether body positioning could be contributing to what you’re experiencing.
For me, it was one of those things that never showed up on mattress-spec spreadsheets, but ended up making a much bigger difference than I expected after months of tweaking comfort layers. It was amazing to me how the tilt used gravity to remove pressure from all of my joints. There is a section on the site about how to DIY your existing bed and foundation to achieve this concept without buying anything if you’re on a budget like I am. I hope this helps!
@tammyt Thank you for your suggestion regarding incline. I’ll check out the site you linked and do some more reading!
@ticktickatick Maybe ‘soft’ isn’t the exact right descriptor for me to have used in this case. I’ve found the serene foam to have a more balanced feel that allows my sticky-outy bits (hips, shoulders) to sink in and be cushioned while still springing back a bit to support my waist. The tranquility foam was maybe not ‘softer’ overall, but did not offer as much secondary support for me. I’ll admit I might be misremembering the specifics now since it’s been awhile.
(can put the money I didn’t spend on latex mattress layers toward pillow parts haha)
with hip and shoulder pain. I spent a lot of time focusing on ILDs, foam types, thicknesses, zoning, toppers, and pressure relief. What surprised me is that one of the biggest improvements came when I stopped looking exclusively at the mattress layers and started looking at sleeping position and alignment.