firm mattress

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paulga

Guru
Joined
May 28, 2018
Messages
1,382
Location
United States
Vessel Name
DD
Vessel Make
Marine Trader Sundeck 40'
The mattress in the sleep cabin is plush soft but my waist already complains in two months. I cannot enjoy the softness due to previous waist conditions. For several years before living aboard, my setup is 2" mattress topper on 2" tatami mat.

The current mattress has rounded corners, so the tatami mats are not compatible in the shape. I have not seen a mattress sold in store that is firm enough to me. is there a suitable wood material say 1/2" thick, cut it in shape and sand the edges smooth, (squeeze it into the aft cabin) lay on top of the existing mattress?
 
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Have you tried a gel mattress topper? Baby recommended it to me as a "cool" (not hot) mattress. The dang thing (3" thick) was hard as a rock. I say that as a person who loves her squishy mattress and feather pillows.
 
Thanks.
when I lay down on bed, I feel the lack of support. so I'm seeking a firm foundation. Gel does not have the structure to provide this support.

Have you tried a gel mattress topper? Baby recommended it to me as a "cool" (not hot) mattress. The dang thing (3" thick) was hard as a rock. I say that as a person who loves her squishy mattress and feather pillows.
 
Go here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010GN29IG

Choose the tier and size/thickness you want, and they will cut it for you. You may need to do some research on the different tiers to understand what you need.

The rounded corners can be made using an electric knife - then all you need is a cover. If your current one has a cover, just use it.

We bought all the cushions and mattresses we needed for our sailboat from them. The prices are competitive, and the shipping was super quick. We bought Tier 14 for the settee and bed because we like ours pretty firm - but they have some that are even firmer than tier 14. And if you like a 2" topper and a tatami mat, then you may want something of a firmer tier.
 
Adding this foam on top of the current mattress would make the bed a bit too high. Deserting the expensive mattress does not seem a great idea. It was probably moved in the cabin in a roll then let it take shape. Moving the mattress out would be a project if the mattress cannot slip through the doors

Go here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010GN29IG

Choose the tier and size/thickness you want, and they will cut it for you. You may need to do some research on the different tiers to understand what you need.

The rounded corners can be made using an electric knife - then all you need is a cover. If your current one has a cover, just use it.

We bought all the cushions and mattresses we needed for our sailboat from them. The prices are competitive, and the shipping was super quick. We bought Tier 14 for the settee and bed because we like ours pretty firm - but they have some that are even firmer than tier 14. And if you like a 2" topper and a tatami mat, then you may want something of a firmer tier.
 
If you are going to start over with a different mattress, I've used these guys a few times with good success. They have specs on foam so you know what density and firmness you are getting.

This is pretty firm foam
https://www.foambymail.com/product/lux-hq-foam-mattress.html

and this is firmer
https://www.foambymail.com/product/lux-hq-foam-mattress.html

If you want really firm just go to a carpet store or big box hardware store and get carpet padding that you can stack a couple layers thick to get the right amount of cushion.
 
Adding this foam on top of the current mattress would make the bed a bit too high. Deserting the expensive mattress does not seem a great idea. It was probably moved in the cabin in a roll then let it take shape. Moving the mattress out would be a project if the mattress cannot slip through the doors

If the expensive mattress doesn't suit your needs, then deserting it may be the only (best) option.

An electric knife will cut any foam into suitable bits for stuffing into contractor bags - I've done it several times.

You can also cut it into larger chunks, but still big enough to get out of the door, then store and re-purpose into cushions for a settee or something.

And that link I sent you is for about twenty different tiers of foam available in multiple thicknesses and sizes. You choose what you want and they will cut it to size. But you have to do the research into what you want and tell them.
 
The mattress in the sleep cabin is plush soft but my waist already complains in two months. I cannot enjoy the softness due to previous waist conditions. For several years before living aboard, my setup is 2"

The current mattress has rounded corners, so the tatami mats are not compatible in the shape. I have not seen a mattress sold in store that is firm enough to me. is there a suitable wood material say 1/2" thick, cut it in shape and sand the edges smooth, (squeeze it into the aft cabin) lay on top of the existing mattress?

There are many mattress makers who do shapes for boats and various construction, hard, soft, thick, thin, etc... Handcraft Mattress Company (boatbeds.com) is one example...

-Chris
 
Thanks.
I will take measurements and get a quote.

There are many mattress makers who do shapes for boats and various construction, hard, soft, thick, thin, etc... Handcraft Mattress Company (boatbeds.com) is one example...

-Chris
 
Have you considered a memory foam mattress. They come in different firmness.

We turned a crappy , much to soft foam mattress that allowed hitting the plywood below into a bed that allowed another 8 or so yrs of use before we replaced it.

We did the same with our trailer mattress for much the same reasons.
 
Have you considered a memory foam mattress. They come in different firmness.

We turned a crappy , much to soft foam mattress that allowed hitting the plywood below into a bed that allowed another 8 or so yrs of use before we replaced it.

We did the same with our trailer mattress for much the same reasons.

I'm considering this one with 7.5" coil. it's the only one labeled extra firm. not sure if it comes in a roll.
 
We’ve had 3 different mattresses made for us over the years. One was an inner spring and 2 were latex. In each case, we visited the shop and talked about what we wanted and the firmness.

You're in a big metropolitan area and there should be several companies at least that make mattresses. Good luck.
 
Been there and done that. Adding toppers will not make the bed firmer. The center is collapsed and adding foam will do nothing. You are on a platform bed with no box spring.

Comfort Sleep Systems in Branford, CT made mine. I have had it 10 yrs. I made a pattern of the shape out of paper. Brought the pattern to them and chose the mattress I wanted / needed. FIRM. Make sure the material is mildew proof and has a barrier on the bottom. Otherwise, condensation will ruin the mattress in a few years.
They custom make (stack the ingredients) all of the mattresses on site, they even sell to other sellers who just mark up their products.
Strongly recommend them and local to you.
 
Not sure where you are but in most major cities, there will one or two mattress factories that will build whatever you need. (The one I used in Sacramento is a great little family business.) I took a template of my aft cabin platform, discussed what I needed in terms of support and longevity. They literally laid out different foam density layers on the factory floor until I got what I wanted. Picked it up a week later and couldn’t be happier with it.

They’re usually in the industrial part of town. Good luck

Tak
 
Thanks. I found a nearby family-owned mattress factory and did a quote. for the desired firmness, they sell 3699 for the latex or 2399 for the foam option. I don't expect to spend this much on a mattress. within 1000 sounds more reasonable to me.


Not sure where you are but in most major cities, there will one or two mattress factories that will build whatever you need. (The one I used in Sacramento is a great little family business.) I took a template of my aft cabin platform, discussed what I needed in terms of support and longevity. They literally laid out different foam density layers on the factory floor until I got what I wanted. Picked it up a week later and couldn’t be happier with it.

They’re usually in the industrial part of town. Good luck

Tak
 
using an electric knife -- do you mean to cut open the outside fabrics at each corner and use an electric knife to trim the corner to a round shape? then stitch the outer fabrics?


Go here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010GN29IG

Choose the tier and size/thickness you want, and they will cut it for you. You may need to do some research on the different tiers to understand what you need.

The rounded corners can be made using an electric knife - then all you need is a cover. If your current one has a cover, just use it.

We bought all the cushions and mattresses we needed for our sailboat from them. The prices are competitive, and the shipping was super quick. We bought Tier 14 for the settee and bed because we like ours pretty firm - but they have some that are even firmer than tier 14. And if you like a 2" topper and a tatami mat, then you may want something of a firmer tier.
 
OUCH! Mine was $500 for approximately 6’ x 7’ layered foam with a nice cover. What city are you in?
 
using an electric knife -- do you mean to cut open the outside fabrics at each corner and use an electric knife to trim the corner to a round shape? then stitch the outer fabrics?

Yes.

By "electric knife," I mean one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-74312-Electric-Knives/dp/B0BNQXR1MQ/ref=sr_1_4

You can get them at Wally World for around $15.

If you're careful and take your time, you can make pretty good shapes with them in foam.

And after, you can sew the covering back together to fit the new shape or, for a berth mattress, you could just fold it under and safety-pin it.
 
Also - for what it's worth - on *this* boat we just bought a queen mattress from Wally World and cut it down to fit.

I think it's 8" high and decent quality - more firm than soft.

We paid $300 for it.

We will buy better foam from the Amazon seller I posted earlier and make our own, and then convert this one into a V-berth mattress in the future.
 
Thanks. it's the first time I know walmart has an other name as wally world.

Also - for what it's worth - on *this* boat we just bought a queen mattress from Wally World and cut it down to fit.

I think it's 8" high and decent quality - more firm than soft.

We paid $300 for it.

We will buy better foam from the Amazon seller I posted earlier and make our own, and then convert this one into a V-berth mattress in the future.
 
have you worked on the corners of a coil supported mattress

the corner also have coils, this means some coils need to be removed using electric knife, i'm not sure if this is easy to do

Screenshot 2024-02-22 212248.jpg

If the expensive mattress doesn't suit your needs, then deserting it may be the only (best) option.

An electric knife will cut any foam into suitable bits for stuffing into contractor bags - I've done it several times.

You can also cut it into larger chunks, but still big enough to get out of the door, then store and re-purpose into cushions for a settee or something.

And that link I sent you is for about twenty different tiers of foam available in multiple thicknesses and sizes. You choose what you want and they will cut it to size. But you have to do the research into what you want and tell them.
 
If you are going to start over with a different mattress, I've used these guys a few times with good success. They have specs on foam so you know what density and firmness you are getting.

This is pretty firm foam
https://www.foambymail.com/product/lux-hq-foam-mattress.html

and this is firmer
https://www.foambymail.com/product/lux-hq-foam-mattress.html

If you want really firm just go to a carpet store or big box hardware store and get carpet padding that you can stack a couple layers thick to get the right amount of cushion.
I bought a 3" and a 6" to stack up, with the 6" on top. interestingly, the 3" is still soft but the 6" is very hard.
 
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