My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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Ok, so this is my proposed mattress. Keep in mind that one of my main concerns is motion transfer, and the other is cost (that's why we're not doing latex right now--oh, and it seemed a bit more motion-y to me). It will be a king-size mattress, we're not big people, and we sleep mostly on our sides, *sometimes* our backs--I like some 'cush' to sink into, boyfriend isn't as crazy about that: 5" Lux-HQ (bottom)--maybe get 2" and 3" of this for more ease of handling? 2" HD36-HQ (mid)--I'm a little worried about the LUX being too hard, but maybe this HD36-HQ isn't necessary? 2 1/2" Poly or Super-soft Eggcrate (wish i could find a 'medium' one--*between* ILD 12 and 36!) Cuddlebed if needed Should i order twin-size of everything for 1) ease of moving layers around and 2) motion transfer--or will splitting it not affect the motion transfer too much? Thanks to everyone for their helpful comments--it made figuring this out much easier! P.S. I'm going for PU foam because, mainly, i need to reduce motion transfer, and i can't afford latex right now. I could *maybe* afford the latex from FBM, but in my (limited) experience the latex seemed to provide more motion...I'm a little nervous about buying this mattress without trying it out first, but i THINK it's the best for lack of motion, and for cost. If i'm missing something--related to motion--let me know!! ;) P.S.S. I'm a little nervous about the 'toxicity' of PU foam, but not sure i have other alternatives right now! |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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electracat It seems we are almost at the same time in our purchase. I am really ready to go ahead and get something but not sure what to get just yet. I was thinking of going the DIY approach like you and going with something almost identical to your set up. However, after a lot of research and reading some reviews here I am thinking of going with overnightmattress.com mainly b/c of their return policy and free shipping both ways. Right now I am torn b/w which setup to go with. I am ordering a queen size. The PureBliss Energy-Max: 11" total height $750 6" M Grade 3" memory 1" air foam 1" fiber I dont really like the feel of too much MF so I am going to make the change to 8" M Grade and 1" MF They also have the Cool-Max: 9" total height $600 6" M Grade 3" MF It doesnt say it on the website but I called and they can do the same thing offering 8" M Grade and 1" MF on that. I am thinking about doing that and adding a latex topper if needed. However, the price difference b/w the two is only $150 and you get 2 pillows, pillow cases, sheets, and mattress cover for free when you buy the Energy Max and really I would end up spending at least an additional 100 on a 1" latex topper. I am trying to get more info on the air foam and see what that actually is. Well I was making one last call before posting this and trying to find out about what type of foam the air foam is and I lucked out and spoke to Vlad. Someone here already said they spoke to him and how helpful he was. He was extremely helpful to me as well and suggested I go with the PureBliss Bamboo which has 3" of air foam instead of 1". Its a little more expensive but he explained how I could try that mattress and get to try 3 mattresses by unzipping the cover and changing the configuration. He said I could flip the core and basically feel what it would be like to have the 8" core and 1" MF b/c the 1" MF under the cover wouldnt really feel like much anyways. He also said I could remove the air foam and feel what the CoolMax would feel like not having any of the air foam. He said this was the best way to try them all and if we needed to make an exchange I would be better able to do that without the guessing. I plan to order the PureBliss Bamboo and I will update this posting and let everyone know how it goes. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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It's a bit nerve-wracking, isn't it? I can't really do memory foam as i think our room is too cold, most of the time, and i can't say i love the stuff. But OMC' return policy is very tempting. Just curious--can you get, say, a 5" m-grade core with 1" memory foam on top? I didn't know just how flexible they were, there. Just curious--What was going to be your DIY setup? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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I dont know about 5" core w/ 1" MF but I know you can do the 8" core w/ 1" MF. I was originally going to do that but Vlad swears that it will be too firm for me. I really like a plush feel as Im a stomach and side sleeper. I also really dislike the feeling of the MF grabbing you and again he said I didnt have to worry about it. I looked at so many other configurations and after all of it I just couldnt decide b/c I couldnt try it. Even in the stores I was getting frustrated, especially with the terrible salespeople they have there. The ONM return policy is basically what sold it for me. I could get a similar mattress other places for a bit cheaper but they all want you to foot the bill for the return. Thats pretty expensive when youre talkin about a +100 lb box. I was pretty much thinking what you are for DIY with the exception of a latex topper instead of egg-crate. I was having a hard time deciding what to go with. I just hate to think Id pay $200 for a piece I dont need. I would recommend calling and asking them. Why would you want 5" and 1" instead of 8" and 1"? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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I'd think about a 5" core, instead of 8", just because i don't think 8" core is necessary for support, and that way i could add more toppers...But i could be mistaken in my thinking! So, the salesguy said the MF won't have the qualities we don't like in it...Is this because there's only 1" of it? Does it seem less grippy when there's only an inch or two of the stuff? thanks! |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
| one more question--how does one return a big, heavy mattress? The website says to put it in a box, and ship it back...HOW does one get it into a box, and HOW do i ship it back?? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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He actually convinced me to get the regular 6" core and 3" MF by giving me the option of flipping it and trying it with no MF inside the cover. He said if they have to do a return they use a shipping company to come pick up the mattress and ship the other via Fed-Ex. I am skeptical about the MF too but I also like a plush feel. Do you like a really firm mattress? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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ah, i guess that makes returns a little easier! i don't like a really firm mattress; i just want to make sure i have enough support--that will last a while--under me. Which is why LUX-HQ has been recommended over the HD36-HQ. Then i'd like to soften that up with a few inches of toppers. I wish i could find more mattresses made from HR foam and soft toppers (but not memory foam) without doing it myself! |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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Why are you against memory foam? I dont like the way it grabs you and Im afraid it will be too hot but the sales guy swears it wont be an issue like Tempurepedic. I am a stomach/side sleeper and afraid it will be too hard if I get too firm a core. The ILD of the core at overnight is around 34 I think. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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I think that our room is too cold most of the year (we're up in the mountains, and don't keep heat on in the room); other than that--well, and the 'grippiness' of it--i wouldn't mind, especially if it's softer than Tempurpedic. I'm confused about the core. A couple of other people who experimented with LUX and HD36 on this forum said that the HD36 was starting to lose support in the lumbar area...I definitely don't want that, but thought maybe a couple of inches of HD36 on top of the LUX core would be ok, and not be too hard. I could always replace it with LUX if need be. Confusing!! Thought about getting the 7" OMC core, only, without the memory foam, but i can pay less than half the price at FBM for the same thing. Only thing is, i better like it because the return policy isn't good! |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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I was mainly worried about the heat b/c we are in south Louisiana and it doesnt get cold too often. I also read that the HD36 may break down over time. I dont know what kind of warranty FBM has on their foam. I think I am going to go with the 6" core and 3" MF and 3" foam cover from OMC. Its $850 but I think its worth it for the warranty. What kind of platform bed are you looking at? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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Okay, after looking at this for wayyyyy too long I am back to looking at FBM again. I am thinking along the same lines as you were now just b/c of the price. 5" LUX-R $120 3" HD36-R $72 1" 20 ILD Latex topper $75 Mattress cover $45 and a cuddlebed found at linensource for $44 I can do the whole setup for well under $500 and then have the freedom to play with the arrangement I am thinking of getting the cover an inch or two bigger than needed if I want to add eggcrate or more latex. I figure I can play with this configuration much more and still come out way ahead. I really liked the idea of OMC but after thinking about it more, its just way too much to spend even with the exchange. In case you are wondering about the selection of -R over the -HQ, my main reasoning is the cost. I figure that if I dont know exactly what Im getting, Id better get the cheaper and if it wears out I will replace it with the HQ but at least at that point I will know what I want. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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hahaha...Funny that you've changed again, but i totally understand it. I'm thinking about a latex topper, too, only because they don't seem to have pu foam with an ILD between 12 and 36! Are you getting 3" of the HD36 to have more of a 'base'? From what i understand it's still very hard, but i guess a wee bit softer...Just not sure if it's too much base? I don't want to confuse you further, though...!! Anyway, yes, i think you'll have a good setup to play around with, and you really can't go wrong with the base/mid-layer you're getting. Now you have to get it fast so you can tell us what it's like!! :) |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
| What do you mean "too much of a base"? Are you afraid that it may be too firm b/c of the thickness? I cant imagine that it would have much of a difference if you just add more latex on top. What you think? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
| On another note, do you know alternate places to get 3 or 4 sided zippered covers other than FBM? I would like something like their terry cloth cover but in different thicknesses. Any ideas? What are you planning to use? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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sorry--i don't think too much base is a negative thing, just wondered if it was necessary (especially when being financially prudent). But i would think it would hold up longer, being thicker...or am i making that up? A place in NYC, DixieFoam, has mattresses that are 5 1/2" of ILD 36, with 2 1/2" of super-soft foam on top. They have been hailed as a great choice, but there's a lot less base on those! Arggggh! Sure you don't want to go for the LUX-HQ? I read that they're 2.8 density can range from 2.2-2.8; i'd hate to get anything lower than the 2.0 density that the 'R" claims to be... Regarding covers, i don't know! I know someone talked about them somewhere on this forum...Try doing a google search if you haven't already. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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Should i order twin-size of everything Only if you want it to be 5" shorter than a king or queen sized mattress. Twins are 75 inches and kings/queens are 80 inches long |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
| You're right--i forgot about that! I guess it would be x-tra long twins! |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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electracat: Okay so I was out near a few mattress stores yesterday and used the opportunity to compare a couple different setups. It was funny that at one place the regional manager was there doing sales training and I know he picked me as the victim that he would use as an example of how to make the sale. Anyways, that being said, he was really nice but too pushy for me. I went in and told him exactly the type of mattress I am looking for, something in the area of plush-firm, and that I wanted to try some foam mattresses and then the comparable spring mattresses starting at most expensive going down. Like I said he was very helpful and after trying all the foam mattresses, the one I liked the most was a support core with a few inches of memory foam on top of it, then about an inch or so of fiber covering. I also tried a full latex core with a latex topper, this felt too spongy and soft on the top. I didnt like the feeling of latex all the way through. And I tried a foam core with a mix of latex and MF on top. It wasnt bad but a bit too mushy on top, almost like a pillow top of foam. I didnt really like that feeling. So who would have thought I liked the heavy MF on top of a core this whole time? The cost was around $2200 for that, it was a Serta I believe. Anyways, I knew what I needed to know at that point. I asked the salesman to show me some other spring mattresses that were similar in feeling and he showed me a couple and eventually cutting the price of a high end Sealy in half trying to sell me. I would have taken the deal and just been done with it but in order to get that deal he was taking away the warranty and any comfort gaurantee they had. I am not going for that and no sales pitch will convince me otherwise. So having said all of that. I think I know what Im doing. I am going to buy 3 inches of LUX and 3 inches of HD36. That way I can flip them around if I want firmer or softer. On top of that I will be 3 inches of heavy MF and then a zipper cover and then a 1.5 inch cuddle bed. I think this will give a similar feel to what I had with the one I liked. I am hoping the cuddle bed feels similar to the cover. If I still feel like the memory foam is too much I can always get some heavy latex to put on top. Maybe I will just get 2 inches of MF at first. I guess Im still trying to decide, haha |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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That's awesome that you were able to try them out! I like your idea for the base--3" of each. How does a memory foam topper feel? Might i like it more than a full MF mattress? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
| I dont think the temperature issue of MF is as big an issue are you are thinking it will be. And to be honest, I hate the feel of a full MF mattress, especially a tempurepedic without a cover on it. I really like the 1 to 2 inches of fiber cover. It keeps me from having that feeling that the MF is grabbing me. I thought I would like the latex top more but actually like the MF better. I figure at the price from FBM I can do some experimentation and get it just right. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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OK, you can check my thread on a foamdistributing.com bed for details on my saga (http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/another-foam-factory-bed-foamdistributingcom/5571-0-1.html) but: First, a 4" thick slab of the Lux-HQ (ILD-50, very firm, 76X82" so needs trimmed down to King) should weigh 40 lb, so 5" should be 50 lb. I didn't find it hard to move around, but I'm a 6'+ male who while overweight and sedentary is still in his 30's. Your mileage may vary. I've seen comments on this site about a single layer being better than several layers but I could not begin to testify to their accuracy. Second, I personally found 4" of Lux-HQ topped with 2.5" of 1.8 lb egg crate PU to be delightful for a week, but too firm for long term use. The 2" of HD36 might have fixed things for me, but the mattress was WAY too firm for my wife's back. Third, with our bed set up with 5" of MF on top of the base I described, I just had my wife lay down next to me and get up. Noticeable lateral motion transfer consisted of the top sheet tugging as she rolled. It wasn't much more noticeable when we just had the base, no MF. I'm becoming a believer in PU, and maybe in MF time will tell. Latex seemed too bouncy in the store. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
| Which MF did you buy? What was the ILD of that MF? |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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last377 - From what I've read MF should be rated by density, not ILD. MF softens as it warms, so the ILD is measured at what temperature? But I had 4" Lux HQ ILD 50 as a base, 2.5" of Lux 1.8 lb/cf egg crate above that, then 3" of 5.5 lb/cf MF and 2" of 4.5 lb/cf MF. Just the base was wonderful for a week (sometimes just a change, any change is great; this is probably why so many people buy a mattress, sleep on it a week, then hate what they loved in the store.) then I realized it was too firm for long term use. My wife refused to sleep on it a second night because it had so little give, but she's a side sleeper and the reason we have so much give in the mattress. With the MF it is much softer than the base (duh!) but it is still firmer than what we lay on in the mattress store. But I can't quote you an ILD, I can just say the density was what I ordered. I hope that helps. |
Re: My proposed DIY foam mattress--help or advice welcomed!
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electracat wrote: Ok, so this is my proposed mattress. Keep in mind that one of my main concerns is motion transfer, and the other is cost (that's why we're not doing latex right now--oh, and it seemed a bit more motion-y to me). It will be a king-size mattress, we're not big people, and we sleep mostly on our sides, *sometimes* our backs--I like some 'cush' to sink into, boyfriend isn't as crazy about that: 5" Lux-HQ (bottom)--maybe get 2" and 3" of this for more ease of handling? 2" HD36-HQ (mid)--I'm a little worried about the LUX being too hard, but maybe this HD36-HQ isn't necessary? 2 1/2" Poly or Super-soft Eggcrate (wish i could find a 'medium' one--*between* ILD 12 and 36!) Cuddlebed if needed Should i order twin-size of everything for 1) ease of moving layers around and 2) motion transfer--or will splitting it not affect the motion transfer too much? Thanks to everyone for their helpful comments--it made figuring this out much easier! P.S. I'm going for PU foam because, mainly, i need to reduce motion transfer, and i can't afford latex right now. I could *maybe* afford the latex from FBM, but in my (limited) experience the latex seemed to provide more motion...I'm a little nervous about buying this mattress without trying it out first, but i THINK it's the best for lack of motion, and for cost. If i'm missing something--related to motion--let me know!! ;) P.S.S. I'm a little nervous about the 'toxicity' of PU foam, but not sure i have other alternatives right now! There is nothing really "wrong" with your plan, perhaps, but I would do this instead: 6" base of M-Grade foam from overnightmattress.com skip the eggcrate and use a low ILD latex instead - 1 to 2", maybe 1.5" Use a 1" sensus memory foam IF you need it softer still, but you probably won't with the low ILD latex cuddlebed, to me, really does not add much except it holds the foam together nice (not that you really need that - they tend to stay in place good enough on their own) but the cuddle bed makes it all look like a real bed and is nice and soft, though very thin in terms of padding I'd go the 2 x twin route because that gives you more flexibility in making changes and they stay in place together just fine. You might want to check every month to see if they are drifting apart but I've found that to be very minimal and not a problem. |