Homemade Mattress

The owner of our site is a mattress designer and engineer who spent 25 years working with high-quality foams, innerspring components, air chambers and pumps, and countless thousands of yards of textiles used to make the covers for mattresses. He is responsible for designing and engineering more than 50 of the most popular mattresses on the internet.  

In an effort to create a mattress that was both safe and comfortable, Marc Anderson was one of the first manufacturers to use water-based glues instead of the traditional, toxic, and potentially carcinogenic formaldehyde adhesives.  

He could construct the bed of your dreams in under thirty minutes if you left him alone with some foam blocks, a foam cutter, a sewing machine, and some nice fabric.

Customers have been requesting that we write about making your own mattress, so here we are to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of making your own mattress.  

You can do it if you have access to a foam supply shop that can cut some foam to size for you and a seamstress who can make a slipcover, which is something anyone who has used a sewing machine before has done.

Actually, in theory, it's incredibly simple to fake the vast majority of mattresses made and sold online, and you'd definitely pay a lot less. If you were to buy a mattress from one of the approximately 215 online retailers offering similar products as of June 2020, you would pay roughly a third more. To begin, you must be familiar with the processes used by fabricators and the true cost, in both time and materials, of constructing a high-quality mattress.

There isn't much of a learning curve involved if you want to construct your own mattress. Traveling to the foam shop or bedding components supplier you've located will be required to acquire the necessary materials and have them cut to the appropriate dimensions for your mattress. The next step is to roll them up and load them into your car.

To begin, there are a few components that are standard in virtually all foam mattresses. We'll go over the steps required to construct a foam bed, the kind that can be found at almost any online mattress shop, from Casper to Puffy.

Make Your Own Bed: An Explicit Guide to Making a Mattress

Now, before we get into the how, let's get the what out of the way. You'll need a spacious desk, or else clean the floor where you plan to work. Keep in mind that foams have an electrostatic charge, so pretty much anything will stick to them or fly towards them. Prepare a measuring tape and some rubber cement.  

We're ditching the rubber cement in favor of a water-based glue, but we'll need to invest in some unique tools and learn how to spray or roll it on properly in order to do so.

To begin, spread a thin layer of inexpensive polyurethane foam (about 6 inches thick). That's the layer at the bottom of every foam bed. A source of firmness is more important than its origin.  

The height of the mattress will be constructed from this layer upward with progressively plusher layers. What you put on top of this layer determines how many layers you build and the resulting sensation. We suggest investing in a thick polyurethane coating with a 33 ILD.

Second, a transition layer, made of less dense foam like firm memory foam or high density latex, is required for the mattress's middle layer. Bottoming out into the firmer, underlying support layers is a bad idea because they are responsible for lateral (sideways) weight distribution and will cause the surface to buckle and indent.                  

Natural, non-synthetic latex in the 28-32 ILD (inch-pound-inch) density range should be used. As we ascend, we are becoming gradually more pliable. It's recommended that this layer be about 2–3 inches thick, bringing the total thickness of your mattress to 8–9 inches.

The middle layer must be inverted before it can be attached to the base. To prevent the rubber cement from peeling away, paint a border two to three inches in from the material's edge. The application itself should be about 1 inch wide. Turn the top layer upside down and lay it down, edge first, making sure the edges of the contact pieces (the base layer and the new layer) are aligned and that you are laying the new layer flat without pressing down on the base layer. The 2" transitional foam can be moved to ensure that the edges are properly stacked and not overlapping in any way.

Third, a 2-inch comfort layer of memory foam, gel foam, or natural latex foam is ideal for the top of the mattress. This top layer should have a density between 20 and 24 ILD, making it soft without being flimsy.  

This is the third and final layer of our DIY construction, and it's responsible for giving your mattress its unique texture. You can create a mattress with a soft, yielding, yet supportive feel by going softer, or if you prefer something firmer, you can create a mattress with a more medium feel.

Two layers are acceptable for the topmost layer, but keep in mind that the final height of the mattress (ten inches) will be slightly higher if you choose to add additional comfort layers, and that a mattress with a height of twelve inches will be rather bulky unless it is placed directly on the floor.

If you want the comfort and support that comes with a mattress, go with a softer foam like memory foam or Talalay latex. You can adjust the level of firmness or softness by stacking varying amounts of these materials. The top layer, known as the "body contact" layer, is the one you'll spend the most time on while sleeping, so it's important that it be a comfortable foam or latex.

If you sleep warm, it's best to keep the mattress' height under 12 inches, as adding too many layers can cause the "heat sink" effect and make the mattress uncomfortable. Finally, all that's left to do is order a custom-fitted slip cover of the appropriate height and size.

It is possible to sew a zipper into the slip cover, allowing you to quickly and easily install the fabric, align it, and adjust the fit all the way around.

Use a bamboo or rayon-based soft fabric, like the extremely soft and long-lasting Tencel® material, but keep an open mind about the rest of the fabric options because this mattress is customized for you. Keep in mind that you will be covering your mattress with a mattress protector and sheets, so the aesthetic value is temporary and serves primarily as a marketing tool.

It's also possible to use a wool or bamboo topper, a wool batting topper, a mattress pad, or a mattress cover made from one of these materials. Do you want to know roughly how much money you can expect to spend on the raw materials for your homemade mattress? The time it takes you to make your first mattress is not included and is estimated to be between 6 and 10 hours. Let's take a look at the approximate price of this simple bed:

6" thick high density foam base (queen size) for $200.

Consider that a 2-inch transition layer (in a queen size) will set you back $200 (these materials are more expensive than the HD foam base material).

Premium Softness Pad, 2" (Queen Size, $200)

The price of a Queen-sized slipcover made from the outer fabric, including labor, is $125.00.

Mattress Costs: 5 If You Make It Yourself

All in all, it's not a bad deal. But have you done any online window shopping? One may be surprised to learn that, for an additional $100-$200, one can acquire a high-tech foam or even hybrid (with a coil layer) mattress that is produced in a regulated setting, ships at no cost, and offers all the above benefits. and here's the best part: if you don't like it, you can send it back and get a full refund.  

However, if you enjoy working on projects and getting the thrill of making your own way in the world, this will present a passable challenge for a day.

A top-tier foam mattress made with high-quality materials, manufactured in the United States, and purchased through our Trusted Dealer program is what you can expect if you decide to go in that direction. S A based manufacturing facility, you can anticipate paying an additional $100. You might be wondering how this is even possible.

In short, the solution is incredibly elementary. To begin, you can expect to pay only a tenth as much for the same or even better quality of materials as you did before. Each piece of foam you bought cost you full price. A mattress maker and online retailer is saving a ton of money by purchasing thousands of foam blocks all at once.

Fabrication and production are performed in an assembly line fashion to save time and money on labor. A retailer typically has to pay up to $100 to ship a queen size mattress for free so they can advertise "free shipping." You're only paying a little bit more for a much better product.

To Get A Good Mattress Doesn't Have To Break The Bank

We've already mentioned the benefit of the trial period, which gives you a good amount of time to sleep on the mattress and decide if you really can't do without it. If you decide you don't like the bed, the company will probably have you donate it or throw it away. If you insist on keeping it, however, they may offer you a full refund and suggest you use the bed in a spare room.  

But there is a problem with honesty, and many retailers and manufacturers have talked amongst themselves and exchanged names of people who repeatedly exploit this loophole, so you can actually get banned from a mattress site or several sites if you aren't completely honest.

Why Go Through This DIY Effort?

The purpose of our hypothetical bed-building exercise above was to make it crystal clear that, yes, you can build your own bed, but you probably don't want to. There is little difference in price between a professionally made mattress and an unmade one, the option to return the product is a great perk, and a warranty can protect your investment for the mattress's useful lifespan.  

How much you can expect to spend on a queen-sized bed if you follow our advice and shop at reputable retailers

The typical cost of an innerspring mattress is 0.

Innerspring mattresses have a coil system that is protected by and separated from the sleeper by several thin layers of foam. This is done to prevent the sleeper from feeling any pressure points caused by the coils. The majority of modern mattresses feature pocketed coils, which provide isolated suspension and permit pressure management on a localized basis, much like the keys on a piano. A mattress with pocketed coils is ideal for side sleepers because it distributes weight evenly and provides support where it's needed most. The rib cage and lumbar region of back sleepers are supported by the coils as well, thanks to the way they fill in empty space.

The typical price of a foam mattress is 0.

The most common type of mattress found in "bed in a box" products is a laminated foam mattress, which consists of three to five foam layers and a fabric cover. There are more than two-hundred online retailers selling these beds, but we can only suggest a select few. They are effective in most settings due to their pressure-relieving memory foam comfort layer and their ability to correctly align the spine. Some foam mattresses off gas for short amounts of time, so they aren't a good option for people who are overweight or who have fragrance sensitivities. We've compiled a list of reputable vendors below.

Average Price of a Hybrid Mattress: $2,000

Because of the coil system and other premium components like memory foam, natural latex, gel foams, and higher end textiles used for the outer covering, the price of a hybrid mattress is significantly higher. These mattresses are typically much taller and may have pricier quilted tops or pads in their uppermost sections. Though there are hybrid mattresses that are softer and more luxurious, those who are heavier or prefer a firmer feel will likely benefit more from purchasing one of these mattresses. On our Recommended Vendors page, you'll find a few of our top picks.

You can expect to spend around $1,500 on a latex mattress.

Latex mattresses, especially those made from botanical or naturally derived latex, are more expensive than other mattress types. This is because latex has many desirable qualities, including a long lifespan (50 years or more if treated properly), extraordinary support, and comfort. Moreover, it is labor-intensive to harvest on commercial plantations. The total cost of a latex mattress is higher than that of a polyurethane one, because latex is more expensive and the base layer is not usually made with polyurethane. Many "hybrid" latex mattresses have a thin layer of natural latex (2-3 inches) atop a polyurethane foam core; however, neither the latex nor the polyurethane foam are 100% natural or derived from plants.  

The typical price of an air mattress system is $1,500.

To avoid confusion, adjustable air bed systems are not the same as camper-style air beds that are inflated with a small foot pump or small remote pump but rather a fully integrated system of air chambers, various comfort layers, and a control mechanism. and can be controlled from a distance with a remote that alters how hard they are vs. internal firmness, simulating the sensation of floating; bed's adjustability; partners who can't agree on a comfortable sleeping surface Within our Trusted Dealer network, Habitat Furnishings is the only retailer we endorse.