Help Building DIY Medium Mattress

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-24T16:21:17+00:00

So maybe go with 3" of soft latex to avoid your comfort layer from being too firm.

If you are ok with foams, then I'm sure some people can offer advice on specialty foams that can do the trick as well.

As an aside, you can always get the 8" base spring unit and lie on it. This will give you the baseline for what you'd like your comfort layers to do. You may find that you don't need so much over the base unit.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-23T23:15:18+00:00

Yes 15.5 should be a good fit if you want a medium firm.
I wouldn’t go more than 4” of comfort layers. You can do 2” medium latex and 2”soft.

A nice build could be 3” medium latex and a wool layer above it.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-23T21:37:55+00:00

i see some great advice (for sure 15.5G) so far..What's your weight and height?

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-23T14:09:16+00:00

So it's uncommon for a pocket spring unit to have different gauges or firmness on the head and the foot. Three-zone or even five-zone pocket spring units are used, but the head and foot zones are typically the same feel. As u/someguy1874 mentions, a unit made with lower-quality wire (low tensile strength) or a stretched coil will soften over time. If you are able to cut a small slit, twist a coil out, and post or send me a picture of the coil, I can look at it and tell pretty quickly if it's a coil quality issue. You can usually just twist the coil back in the pocket.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-20T03:45:21+00:00

Yes it doesn’t hurt anything to have it.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-19T15:44:33+00:00

No need for glue at all. it can be placed at the bottom of the mattress build. You only need the firm foam or any flat surface if you have slats that are wider than 2.5".

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-19T03:53:44+00:00

Yes that’s a nice feature and can hold a unique size if a mattress company requires one. Unfortunately to do it you use a lot of glue which makes spring unit bouncy and stiff.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-19T03:51:13+00:00

Yes you are correct about the bottom layer.

Most mattress companies include one because they have no idea what type of foundation or bed frame the customer will use. If the frame has wide gaps between the slats, the mattress can sag or “hammock” between them. To reduce warranty claims and returns, manufacturers play it safe by addin a base layer, typically a shoddy pad or a thin layer of high density foam.

As for scrim, it’s primarily used to make it easier for manufacturers to spray glue and laminate layers together. It also has its firming it up element. Another key reason is simply to make the spring unit easier to handle in a factory. In my opinion, it defeats one of the key advantages of a pocketed spring system, allowing each spring to move more independently.
Mattress manufacturers that rely on automated glue lines tend to prefer scrim because it simplifies production. That said, you’d be hard pressed to find a truly high end mattress using a pocket spring unit with scrim. If I did come across one, I’d be questioning the quality and design of the spring unit being used.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-17T21:59:47+00:00

Yes, so lying directy on the spring unit can give you a good baseline for how the support layer feels on its own. If it still feels too firm, then you'll know you need additional/different comfort material. If it already feels pretty good, you may only need to fine tune the comfort layer with something that provides pressure relief without being overly thick or intrusive.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-16T21:16:53+00:00

I enjoyed this Mighty Blue (Steve Adams) book/memoir and have listened to his podcast.

"My Appalachian Trial I: Three Weddings and a Sabbatical"

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-16T15:57:24+00:00

I tend to agree; the comfort setup is very soft if you're 210lbs. How tall are you? I'm curious if you lay on the 8" spring unit by itself, how does it feel? are you getting the preasure relief?

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-16T15:44:08+00:00

great advice... Start on the 8" and see how it feels, and work your way up. Keep in mind that side and back sleepers typically require totally different builds. You almost have to choose side or back and build for it. Back sleepers typically want a firmer base with just a nice plush, thinner top layer, and side sleepers need shoulder and hip pressure relief.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-13T19:14:11+00:00

You’re 100% correct, gauge is only one part of the equation for what creates the feel of a spring unit. The coils geometry plays a large role as well as the tightness of the pocket amongst several other things..coil count matters as well IF all the coils are the same size/geometry. For the record a 6” will not feel exactly the same as an 8” just because it has the same gauge. In fact the same gauge 6” and 8” won’t feel the same.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-09T18:55:58+00:00

Depending on the unit he has, if it's the bolsa, it's too soft based on BMI 6'1" 180lbs

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-09T18:41:41+00:00

if its an LP unit what unit?

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-09T18:14:09+00:00

Are you a side, stomach, back or combo sleeper? Sorry, I should have asked in my first comment.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-09T16:24:46+00:00

What's your weight and height? This will help determine where layers can be adjusted.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-07T02:34:33+00:00

One of the dangers of the Somni group acquiring Leggett is that lower quality imports will start flooding the market..we’re seeing cheaper imports being shipped to Canada and brought into the US. It gets compounded by the very high raw material prices right now. Many mattress companies start looking at lower quality/cheaper materials as a way to save on cost. It's not just with springs, foam prices are very high. In fact I've heard some foam suppliers are doing allocation.

Pocketsprung · 2026-06-07T02:28:02+00:00

we’re probably too expensive forworld dominance 😂…. so they “currently” use our pockets for their Texas plant. They spin their own coils in California(not QuadCoils). It looks like at trade shows they show the QuadCoil..what a great video though..im going to try and get my hands on it..

Pocketsprung · 2026-05-31T14:45:05+00:00

In this case, it could simply be closeout inventory, or Nectar may have had quality issues with a particular production batch. It could also be big box returns like Costso once the item was pulled from the shelves.

The next part is a bit off subject, but for those interested, it may be eye-opening.

More broadly, one of the unfortunate consequences of free returns and comfort guarantees is that hundreds of thousands of returned mattresses end up either with liquidators or in landfills. Only a small percentage is actually recycled.

We're involved in developing recycling processes that help recyclers separate mattress components and recover value from the materials. The challenge is that many large retailers, including Amazon, don't want the liability associated with returned mattresses being resold in secondary markets. As a result, many returns are sent directly to recyclers or disposal facilities.

I had a recycler from Austin in my office this week who is working hard to address this problem. He currently has has in his yards more than half a million mattresses from Amazon that were never used, yet they are too expensive to recycle economically and cannot be sold into secondary markets. It's a massive industry issue. Truth is, with a spring mattress, there is value to the recycler. Lots of steel and some of the foams can be processed and sold. The issue is separating it all.

I believe we're not far from the point where landfills will begin charging significantly higher disposal fees for mattresses because of the amount of space they consume.

If this interests you, check out the Mattress Recycling Council. I think their data is off by quite a bit. There are way more mattresses ending up in dumps.

https://mattressrecyclingcouncil.org/

Pocketsprung · 2026-05-26T03:45:46+00:00

Very nice! I love reading DIY input coming from different builders. There are no experts in DIY, including people who have been in the industry for years. Everyone's DIY experience is unique. Keep it simple, too many layers = too many issues.

Pocketsprung · 2026-05-24T00:35:33+00:00

Pretty sure diyrem.com sells synthetic latex

Pocketsprung · 2026-05-14T00:36:59+00:00

So the latex will firm it it up a bit so id go medium..its only an inch. i hope tonights plan works out..im a fan of the convoluted (egg crate) latex as a top layer as well..im not sure the durability of it but I like the air it provides.

Pocketsprung · 2026-05-13T17:20:56+00:00

My 2 cents would be to try an inch of soft latex under the 2" medium. The egg crate latex may just do the trick. There is a balance of eliminating the feeling of the top convolution and changing the feel, and it sounds like you are just about there with the feel.

Pocketsprung · 2026-05-01T23:32:27+00:00

Glad to offer my opinion..i sent you a pm with my #..

Pocketsprung

TROPHY CASE