Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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I have a king size Spring Air pillowtop that I bought from Overstock.com 3 years ago. I am unhappy with it because it has formed some serious grooves where my wife and I sleep. I've considered buying a new mattress with a topper but to save some money for now I have been thinking about removing the pillowtop and using the spring part of the mattress. If I were to cut off the pillowtop, which type of topper should I use? I tend to like a cooler room when I sleep and I am worried about the excessive heat from a memory foam. I get hot easily. Should I be looking at a latex topper? What is the thickness I should get? Should I get both memory foam and latex toppers? I've also heard about making your own mattress from scratch, getting a foam base and building from there. Do you think I could do this for under a grand? |
Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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You are right that memory foam can be hotter. I tried 2" of Sensus 5lb. memory foam and found it too hot. I have not tried some of the "cooler" memory foams, but I might soon.<BR><BR>Latex should be cooler. Sleelikeabear.com has Celsion latex, which is suppose to breath even more than regular latex. You can buy in 1,2,3" increments. It is kind of expensive thourgh, and I have not used it or shopped around for better prices.<BR><BR>There is a difference in feel between latex and memory foam. MF conforms to you body more and may reduce pressure a little better. Latex is more springy, and allows for better movement (since it does mold to one position). A combination might work as well.<BR><BR>You will probably need at least 2", unless you like it pretty firm. The best strategy might be to buy in 1" increments (possibly starting with 1 2" soft/medium piece) from a place that takes returns. That way you can find what will work best for you. Something like 2" of medium firmness and 1" of soft latex might do the trick. <BR><BR>Some people also wool toppers, like snugfleece. That adds some softness and supposedly wool will moderate hot an cold temperatures. I am a bit skeptical about the cooler in summer bit, but I have not tried first hand to know for sure.<BR><BR>Lower thread count sheets can help with heat issues. All cotton or cotton wool filled mattress pads can help as well.<BR><BR>Search in this forum for "Jimsocal mattress surgery" to see how he did mattress surgery.<BR><BR>http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/mattress-surgery-performing-foam-ectomy-my-englander-mattress-w-photos/6307-0-1.html This message was modified Nov 5, 2009 by sandman
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Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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Part of me is thinking I might do well buying a mattress from Costco. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11319321 I have a box spring already and a frame. Can I reuse it? This message was modified Nov 5, 2009 by spliff
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Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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For a foam bed like that, you probably need a firm foundation. If you box spring is pretty firm it might work, or you could put 3/4" of plywood over it.<BR><BR>The Costco bed you are looking at is all foam, so it might get hot. It says the top layer is "nutratemp", so that might be less hot than "regular" memory foam. I tried the Celeste from Costco, and it seemed pretty well made. I think it had "cooler" memory foam on top as well, and I don't remember getting too hot on it. I ended up returning it though, because it was too firm.<BR><BR>Costco also had some memory foam toppers, including 3" of "right temp" memory foam. That might work for you if you cut off the foam layers of your current mattress. Not sure if it would be too hot though.<BR><BR>I am not sure how long the all foam bed will last. Non-latex foam tends to break down more quickly and develop body impressions. <BR><BR>If you have good springs on your bed and add latex, it will probably last longer.<BR><BR>At least Costco has a good return policy. This message was modified Nov 5, 2009 by sandman
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Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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Looking on this forum I see a lot of people that make their own using foam by FBM. If I get the 6 inch firm core with a 3 inch medium topper then something soft on top like the cuddlebed, do you think that is a good option too? I don't want to spend a lot of money but I'm willing to pay like a grand for something that will good quality and last a while. |
Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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I think the first thing you need to decide is the type of mattress you want: innerspring, latex, or foam. Have you tried laying on the different types to see what you like best? Your cheapest option is to add memory foam to the innerspring you have. If you have good springs, that is not a bad option. |
Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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If your mattress is only 3 years old the springs are probably in good shape. Go ahead and remove the pillowtop. You might find that much of the foam underneath is in good shape too and all you need to add is an inch or two of latex or memory foam to make it better than new. I performed mattress surgery on a Spring Air -- mostly to remove the uncomfortable tufting on the top that was quilted with 2" of supersoft convoluted PU foam. Once I did that I discovered that the 3" piece of firm PU foam over the springs was useable too, and actually pretty hard. I added a 1" Talalay topper in the 24-26 ILD range and a 2" 4 lb memory foam topper over that--both of which I already had. The bed has never felt better! Removing the pillowtop will allow you to assess the situation and decide whether to replace or refurbish. If you go with the later you might be able to do it for a few hundred dollars in foam. P.S. Check your foundation. Most mattresses these days don't come with real box springs. They are just boxes covered in fabric without springs. You should be able to determine exactly what you have simply by looking and feeling. If there are springs in there you can feel them just by running your hand over the surface. A foundation will be smooth. All you're going to feel are the wooden slats under the surface material. If you decide to replace with any kind of foam mattress you're going to need a foundation NOT a boxspring. |
Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
| I decided to get a mattress from FBM. I ordered the 6" firm latex core and a 2" medium latex topper. We'll see how it feels. I should get it maybe next week if I'm lucky. |
Re: Removing pillowtop and using a foam topper
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spliff wrote: I have a king size Spring Air pillowtop that I bought from Overstock.com 3 years ago. I am unhappy with it because it has formed some serious grooves where my wife and I sleep. I've considered buying a new mattress with a topper but to save some money for now I have been thinking about removing the pillowtop and using the spring part of the mattress. If I were to cut off the pillowtop, which type of topper should I use? I tend to like a cooler room when I sleep and I am worried about the excessive heat from a memory foam. I get hot easily. Should I be looking at a latex topper? What is the thickness I should get? Should I get both memory foam and latex toppers? I've also heard about making your own mattress from scratch, getting a foam base and building from there. Do you think I could do this for under a grand? Use the springs and foundation of the current mattress. You can try just replacing the pillowtop but once you get inside it and see the crappy foam even UNDER the pillowtop you will most likely want to replace that, too. Once you replace all the foam with quality foam you'll be in good shape. http://www.whatsthebest-mattress.com/forum/mattress-surgery-performing-foam-ectomy-my-englander-mattress-w-photos/6161-A-1.html |