|
My wife and I have been sleeping on a Sealy king mattress that we bought about 6 years ago. It's nothing fancy, just a firm, non-pillowtop, flippable mattress (but IIRC it was promoted as flipping "optional"). Though I spent $1000 for this no-frills mattress, I thought I was making an investment in something that would last for 10 years, just like the 'warranty' said. We flipped it a few times a year whenever we'd think about it, just to be on the safe side. For probably at least a year now we haven't been sleeping all that well. The usual: waking up, tossing, shifting positions often, arise in the morning with minor aches etc. My wife's been really having it worse. We thought it was due to her working as a dental hygienist and her pregnancy last year. This message was modified Aug 28, 2008 by LatencyMachine
|
|
I enjoyed your story from start to finish---> immensely! Can't wait to hear how it goes with your FoamByMail bed. Keep us posted! Even though I don't have a mail order latex mattress, I have something similar. http://baybed.com/ It's a local shop that's been around since 1992. I hope they stay open for a long time! I happen to like the combination of springs and latex and high density PU foam as a base. I chose Luraflex coils over the pocketed. More supportive for me. Anyway, I really like having the flexibility of being able to unzip my mattress and tweak the "innards" as I need to. At first I did play around with it a lot, until I found the magic combination. And, what's nice is that we have XL Twins inside an Eastern King frame. Separate foundations, of course. That makes it convenient if my husband likes his side firmer or vice versa. Also less latex or foam to replace if only one of us wants to try something else. We've been really pleased with this. It's going on 2 years now and it's as good as new. I tried different toppers, but finally found one no longer made by Carpenter. It's Omalon and guaranteed for life never to flatten out. I have a King size that goes over the two XL Twins and held on by a CuddleBed mattress topper (from Costco.com). VERY nice! ****************************************************************************** LatencyMachine wrote: My wife and I have been sleeping on a Sealy king mattress that we bought about 6 years ago. It's nothing fancy, just a firm, non-pillowtop, flippable mattress (but IIRC it was promoted as flipping "optional"). Though I spent $1000 for this no-frills mattress, I thought I was making an investment in something that would last for 10 years, just like the 'warranty' said. We flipped it a few times a year whenever we'd think about it, just to be on the safe side. For probably at least a year now we haven't been sleeping all that well. The usual: waking up, tossing, shifting positions often, arise in the morning with minor aches etc. My wife's been really having it worse. We thought it was due to her working as a dental hygienist and her pregnancy last year. So, about a month ago we each had the opportunity to sleep alone in the bed, due to each of us traveling on separate occasions. We came to the conclusion that sleeping in the middle was a huge improvement. We never really thought much about the body impressions before. After all, I'm 165 lbs and she is 125... not exactly your average overweight folks. So I ended up ordering a 3" memory foam topper from Overstock.com for about $135. I think its supposed to be 4# foam. We got the foam, and its pretty decent memory foam I guess. We put it on and then put the fitted sheet over it and went to bed. Neither of us liked the feel of the memory foam right underneath us, but we gave it a few days. Then, I put a mattress pad (the kind with polyfill and an elastic skirt all the way around) on top of the memory foam then the fitted sheet on that. That was better. However, after about a week of this we came to the conclusion that this made the hammocking worse. This dashed my hopes of the topper hiding the body impressions. After the initial novelty of the memory foam had worn off, we think we were actually sleeping worse. But yet again, sleeping in the middle wasn't bad at all. So, in disgust and desperation I started scouring the internet. I guess when I poured over the mattress warranty I knew I was doomed. I used a long straight edge to measure the body impressions and they were only about 1/2" so I was out of luck -- 1.5" minimum. My search led me to this forum, which I've spent the last few weeks searching and reading. Fantastic information. So convinced I had nothing to lose and armed with courage obtained from reading other's forum posts, I cut the stitching off of 3 sides of the mattress, and opened that sucker up. On top was about a 3/4" polyurethane (PU) foam eggcrate (convoluted) layer, then beneath that was a super thin 1/2" solid PU layer, then pressed shredded fiber looking blanket over the box springs. I removed all of the PU foam and checked it out. I was a little disappointed -- it didn't look as bad as I expected. I was hoping to see a complete pancake at the butt and back spots. There is a tinge of an impression, but not much. So, just to experiment, I put the 3" memory foam over the fiber blanket and folded the mattress ticking back over it. Since the 3" memory foam was considerably thicker, I had to coax the ticking back on. I ended up stitching it with thread in a few spots to keep it in place. I put the mattress pad over that, and then the fitted sheet. OK! Now we were getting somewhere. This was a definite improvement. We slept on that for about a week. My wife went from "we must buy a new mattress this weekend!" to "the mattress is pretty good now". In fact, her complaint now is that she can't get out of bed in the morning. However, there was still a definite firmness difference between the center and my side, and I was still waking up a few times having to shift positions and move around because my back was stiff. So, it looks like the inner springs are shot. At one point before cutting open the mattress we pulled it off the box springs and put it directly on the floor to see if the hammocking improved. It didn't, so I concluded that the mattress itself was sagging and it wasn't a boxspring problem. This amazes me with our weight that we wore out a 10 year rated innerspring in about 5 years. So the other night I got a wild idea and pulled a burlap-like Mexican-style blanket we have out of the closet and folded it a few times lengthwise. I then placed the blanket underneath the mattress but on top of the box springs in the approximate area where I lay and where the body impression is most pronounced. I got in bed, laid there for a bit, then adjusted the blanket. After about 3 iterations it felt like the bed wasn't hammocking. So, I went to sleep. PERFECT! I woke up feeling like a million bucks. I've had 2 nights of sleep on this configuration and I am extremely happy. Though I'm happy with how the mattress is sleeping right now with my jury-rigged configuration, I've been bitten by the bug and now I intend to build my own foam mattress. I'm planning on using FoamByMail (FMB). We are thinking about using latex for the upper layers. So far this forum hasn't steered me wrong, and now I'm feeling more adventurous. The quest begins! I'll probably stitch up the mattress at some point, shouldn't be too bad, and put it in the guest room as an upgrade over the queen that's in there. So to anyone out there even remotely considering cutting open the mattress -- I say GO FOR IT! It's not a big freakin' deal and I think you have a very high chance of improving the comfort, even if its just with a cheap topper from Overstock to replace the compacted PU foam. This message was modified Aug 30, 2008 by BeddyBye
|
|
Thanks everyone for your replies and suggestions. Leo -- The blanket is underneath the mattress, on top of the box spring. The area that it occupies is roughly 1' x 4' and its been folded a few times so that it provide some thickness. The idea is that it "high-sides" the mattress on the region that I feel sagging the most. Kind of like "The Princess and the Pea", but a larger area. Its working for now and supporting me comfortably, but definitely isn't ideal. jank -- Thanks for pointing out the "High Quality (HQ)" versions of the foam. I've been looking at the Lux-R as a 5" base. It looks like the HQ is 2.8 density and the R is 1.8. However, I can get the Lux-R for $116 (E.King, 5") from FBM, whereas the HQ is $201 from FoamDistributing. What's your opinion on the R, and is it worth the extra $$ for the HQ? Awesome idea on the electric knife... that does seem like the best tool for the job. I'm shooting for a 10" worth of foam. Here's what I've been considering: [Top] 1" Talalay Latex (FBM) 20 ILD $99 2" Talalay Latex (FBM) 32 ILD $195 2" HD35-R (FBM) 36 ILD $75 5" Lux-R (FBM) 50 ILD $116 [Bottom] Total: $485, plus zippered cover which I already ordered off ebay. jank, as you suggested, I plan to order just the base PU foams first and then try out the 3" memory foam I already have just to test the waters. Especially since the latex is much more costly. If my wife and I agree that the 36/50 PU foam is providing ample support, then I'll then order the latex layers. At least we will be able to compare the PU foam core vs. the rigged-up-Sealy-innerspring we are currently sleeping on. I have some samples of the HD-R, Lux-R, and Latex from FBM. They would only send me one latex sample and wouldn't say what the ILD is. They claimed that you cannot perceive the difference between the 32 and 20 with such a small sample (Its about 1.25" square). Still my wife and I love the way this zany stuff feels and we're really wanting to give it a try. I also want to give the CuddleBed a shot, since others like BeddyBye are so satisfied with it. I do enjoy the comfort of a nice pillowtop, and this seems to be the best way to achieve that with something replaceable. It makes me sleepy just reading the descriptions! So please chime in with your suggestions. My wife is mainly a stomach and side sleeper. Me, I sleep stomach, back, and side. Maybe if I get an awesome mattress I'll stick to one position... who knows. |
|
That's the way I feel. You can replace it if need be. Or at least launder and dry it to make if fluffy again. We're still really enoying the cozy, enveloping, yet supportive feel of our CuddleBed. [quote LatencyMachine I also want to give the CuddleBed a shot, since others like BeddyBye are so satisfied with it. I do enjoy the comfort of a nice pillowtop, and this seems to be the best way to achieve that with something replaceable. It makes me sleepy just reading the descriptions!<BR><BR> |
|
the hq foam is denser and will supposedly last longer. On another site where they use pu foam from jcpennys people complained that the foam didn't last too long. That's why I went with the denser foam. I never tried the cheaper stuff so I can't compare. I definately feel the difference between the two different ild's of latex, it's not much but it is there. I worry that the 3 inches will be too much latex at such a small ild. I doubt that you would actually use all that you propose with both of you being stomach sleepers. Get the lux and hr35, try sleeping on that or the lux and memory. then if you want start with 1" each of the different density latex. Untill a back issue has healed, I am on 5" of the lux hq foam. this would be way too firm for most people here. My wife just switched from 2" lux hq and 3" memory to 2" lux, 1" hd -35 hq, 2" 20 ild. It is still not quite right for her. She wants even more cush, and I think I'll get 1" of memory or eggrate for her. When buying the foam, I would suggest that you get 1" layers, so that you can easily change things around and get what you would like. I did get 2" thickness for one peice of the lux though. Another question, what kind of base are you looking at? |
|
Ok I see now that nearly everyone on this forum that gets the FBM Lux or HD36 get the "HQ" version. As someone else pointed out in another post I came across, you have to go to "custom sizes" on foambymail.com to see the "HQ" variants. I was not doing that. But now I see that foamdistributing.com has the HQ versions for cheaper, as you pointed out. Man what a bass-ackwards company. So, I will go with the HQ versions as it seems it is worth the price increase. Thanks for the info. And yeah, I definitely will weigh the suckers before peeling off the plastic wrap. As you suggest, I'll order the Lux-HQ (5") and the HD36-HQ (2"). I'm still giving some thought to doing the HD36 as 2x1" vs. a single 2" layer. I agree that the tweakability of 1" layers is a good plus. However, I'm definitely going with a big solid chunk of 5" Lux-HQ. My biggest concern right now is in not achieving a firm enough base layer. Once I get these layers in, I'll play around with & without the 3" Overstock.com memory foam topper on top and see how that goes. As for the base, I have a few ideas. For starters, I'll simply use the Sealy box springs that I have. They seem to me to be in good condition. FWIW -- I cannot feel much of a difference with my innerspring mattress on the box springs vs the carpeted floor. So my conclusion is that the box springs must be providing very good support still. If we don't have any issues with the foam-over-boxprings then we might just stick with that. Alternatively, I'd be willing to build a fixed slat foundation out of 2x4's and 1x4's. I have the tools and capability to do it right, so this is an option. Yet another idea I'd consider, is that adjustable slat foundation from Ikea that I've seen posted here. I have an Ikea nearby, so I'm open to that. However, I would still need to build a "riser" frame to get the thickness up, so that the wife's decorative bed skirt could hang on it such as it currently does on the boxsprings -- I certainly can't screw that up! Thanks again for your help and advice. |
| I don't know what size bed you are making, however, just get the full size sheet off the foamdistributing website. Use the electric knife to cut it down to size. (We cut ours in half also). I still think that getting 2 1" will be better in the long run. As for the base, I think that the 3" lux will be a plenty firm base. I think that getting it cut at 1" or 2" is only a couple of dollars more. |
|
Must say this thread is very interesting. I am looking for a new mattress and have found this forum EXCEPTIONALLY valuable. However, I must admit I don't know how or where to begin with the softness/firmness issue of what type of latex to buy. I have done a lot of research and hear the benefits of Talalay and Dunlop and on this thread PU is being promoted. LatencyMachine ... have you received your phone and how is it working for you? I really like the concept of pulling out a layer and replacing it with something else when it has lost its support or is too soft. Much more reading to do. Thanks. |
|
My foam should be arriving this Thursday. I'll start a new topic once I've received it and tried it out. I just ordered my PU foam base layers (5" Lux-HQ, 1" HD36-HQ x 2) as a start. If I'm happy with it, I'll order some latex layers. I think one of the primary reasons people choose to DIY their mattress, is that they can experiment with various layer configurations at their own pace, and over several nights of sleeping. As far as latex goes, you are right about it being confusing and knowing where to start. I'm no closer to figuring it out than you are. To make matters worse, it seems that latex ILD varies depending on the batch and what slice you get off the core. I figure for $1000 or less I can get it right (E King). Some folks would rather buy from a store, then go through the hassle of returning, etc. I guess I would rather *potentially* have leftover layers from trial and error. At least I could try to sell them or give them away as toppers! Christmas presents? :) This message was modified Sep 8, 2008 by LatencyMachine
|
|
OMG!!! I am NOT alone! I am so sick of this mattress thing, my husband calls me the Princess and the Pea! I too cut open my Stress-O-Pedic pillowtop mattress. It is now a quilted top, with its original 2 layers of soft foam under it and two inches of foam over pocket coils. I substituted a denser foam for the middle third of the bottom layer(yes, with my electric knife. A tip: have your spouse hold a yardstick across the bed, first marking exactly where you want to cut on either side...then use a marker to draw a line...then have the person hold the foam stable and cut with the electric knife. Very smooth) I have added/subtracted every piece of foam in my house(and I have lots of foam) to find that I think the pocket coils don't support my back. The darn thing sleeps pretty much the same(no lumbar support...my low back gets sore overnight, and siezes up)no matter what I've done. Today I spoke with the semi-local bedmaking guy(who I have had re-do this bed THREE TIMES since the first week we got it...then I tore into it with an exacto-knife)who assures me the problem is probably the springs. Great. However, he wants to replace the pocket coils with a Bonnell unit, which he claims is made in Germany and is the best there is. I am now seriously doubting that. What I think I am feeling in the bed, comparing it to two mattresses I've slept on out of town that totally fixed my low back pain in one to two nights max, is that the pocketed coils (a 713 Marshall unit)don't seem to push UP and support my back from beneath like other innersprings do. I just sink. Others support by pushing up as I push down, is the best way I have to explain. This bedmaker did tell me to put something between the mattress and boxspring to support the low spot at one time when I was having problems with another bed, so your idea is not absurd. Tonight I plan to put something under the springs on top of their bed of foam to see if that helps the support issue. I want to know if I can buy a Luraflex innerspring to put in my bed to check out how that feels. Kait |
| Yeah my wife has since put a towel or two under her side, with good results. I've been sleeping great since I put that blanket under there. It's been about 2 weeks now and I can honestly say I cannot recall the last time I've consistently felt as comfortable in bed as I have been. I'm really liking the memory foam underneath the padded ticking and the extra mattress pad. Not hot at all... and we are in the Houston area! |