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Everything You Need to Know About Making a DIY Mattress

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Even though we live in an age of the mattress in a box, more than a few people prefer to go the DIY mattress route – be it because of financial, ethical or practical reasons. While it may seem a little daunting to build your own bed, it actually is quite easy. You will need a few, very specific DIY mattress components and a lot of elbow grease.

A traditional bed is made up of a foundation/frame, a mattress and bedding. Most households have at least one traditional bed. Then we have the less traditional ones such as futons, sofa beds, cots, trundles, bunk beds, adjustable beds and more. These beds come in all sizes and, of course, the mattress you choose has to correspond to each bed size.

Why DIY your own mattress?

Chances are, you probably didn’t stumble into this article by mistake and you already are thinking of DIY-ing your mattress. But for those of you who are wondering what’s the point of going through all the trouble when you can easily purchase a mattress with all the trimmings online, then let us count the ways why you should do it yourself:

  1. It’s cheaper – A great all foam mattress, tailor-made to your sleeping position, would cost you upwards of $700 for a standard Queen size. If you want a hybrid, the price goes up a little more. If you have aches and pains that you want to address, then add a couple hundred more. If you’re vegan and eco-conscious, make that double. And if you want a “specialty” mattress, be prepared to shell out some serious bucks.
  2. All mattresses are the same – The secret’s out, folks. Fine, we’re not saying that a DIY mattress is going to be on par with say, a Tempur-Pedic, but guess what, there really isn’t going to be much of a difference. All mattresses are essentially just foam stacked together. Our ancestors slept on hay stacks and feathers – don’t be fooled by today’s flashy marketing.
  3. It’s a rewarding experience – Let’s face it, we’ve all gone soft nowadays. If we want something, we click a couple of buttons and it’s at our doorstep the next day. We’ve even forgotten to look up at the stars to map out constellations – we use an app. Don’t even get me started on Alexa. The point of DIY is that you do it, with your own two hands. You put in the time, the effort, the sweat and maybe even a couple of cuts (if you’re accident prone like me) but the end product is something all your own. Something you’ve created, something you’ve made. Bonus: you’re in complete control. You make exactly what you like and need.
  4. Bragging rights – Alright, alright, this one is not really a proper reason but I dare you to tell me I’m wrong. If you’re a man, you definitely get bonus points with the ladies when you say you’ve built something yourself. If you’re a woman, then you’re basically a goddess.

DIY Brief History lesson

The DIY (do it yourself) movement has been around since time immemorial but became a recognized movement only in the 20th century. Long before that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, manuals have been published that taught one to do everything from woodworking to mixing antidotes for poison.

Joseph Moxon, British lexicographer and hydrographer to Charles II, wrote what is considered to be the first English How-to book for tradesmen and of doing things yourself he stated, “… many Gentlemen in this Nation of good Rank and high Quality are conversant in Handy-Works.. How pleasant and healthy this Diversion is, their Minds and Bodyes [sic] find.“

Today, you can Google just about anything you want to DIY. Not to mention, millions of tutorials and how-to videos on YouTube and even TikTok (Dalgona coffee, anyone?). And of course we still have our books (both old and new) and manuals with countless more being published every single day.

But why DIY though?

Sure, the desire behind wanting to do/build/create something yourself could be spurred by more practical reasons but there is no denying that there’s just something about creating something with your own two hands that makes it an even more fulfilling experience. Building your own mattress will not only benefit you in a physical sense but mentally as well. As they say, if nothing seems to stand up to your standards, it’s always best to create your own.

DIY Mattress basics

Mattresses come in different types and sizes as well. There are also other important things to consider such as firmness levels, types of foam, coils and covers. For constructing your own mattress, you will essentially need the following components:

  • A foam base support layer – usually made out of a dense polyfoam, the base support layer is the thickest part of a mattress and supports all the other layers
  • Springs (if you prefer to make hybrid mattresses) – the coil support layer could either be made from plain steel coils or pocketed coils. Pocketed or individually wrapped coils help prevent motion transfer
  • Foam comfort layers – these layers are what gives your mattress its comfort and firmness. They can either be made from memory foam, latex foam (such as talalay latex) or a specialized blend of foams. These can just be one foam layer or a couple of different layers.
  • Cover – usually made from cotton, the mattress cover helps to protect the mattress as well as helping to keep everything intact. Some covers are treated or lined with a chemical fire retardant layer but if make your own cover from scratch then you have a say in what type of fabric or material to use.

Depending on your preferences, you may also need:

  • Wool batting toppers – usually added to DIY mattresses to add loft, wool is also thermo-regulating and breathable. Wool is naturally flame resistant so a wool batting topper can add an extra layer of protection from the unlikely event of your mattress catching fire.
  • Mattress toppers – used to rectify a mattress’ firmness level. So if you have a mattress that’s too soft, you can add a hard mattress topper to give it a firmer feel and vice versa.
  • Mattress protectors – waterproof and stain-resistant, mattress protectors keep your mattress moisture and stain free

Before you bust out the tools…

It is important to have a bit of an understanding about mattress sizes and types, foam types and the all-important sleeping position before you do anything. Doing so can help you save time, money and effort.

Standard mattress sizes

  • Single – 30″ X 75″
  • Twin – 38″ X 75″
  • Twin XL – 38″ X 80″
  • Full – 54″ X 75″
  • Queen – 60″ X 80″
  • King – 76″ X 80″
  • California King – 72″ X 84″

Mattress types

  • Innerspring mattresses – also known as the traditional mattress most of us are familiar with. Innersprings use a coil system as their base support structure.
  • All foam mattresses – are exactly that: all foam. They come in a variety of foam types such as memory foam and latex or foam blends.
  • Hybrid mattresses – a more modern take on innersprings, hybrid mattresses also use a coil system as their support structure but also use foam as their comfort layer and base layer.

Foam types

  • Memory foam – developed by NASA for use on space shuttles, they released the design for public use in the ’80s, much to the delight of mattress companies. Memory foam is more resilient than regular foam and molds easily to a person’s body shape. Manufacturers have also added their own little spin on memory foam and have come up with open-cell memory foam (to make it more breathable) and gel memory foam (to make it cooler).
  • Latex foam – those who are more eco-conscious would usually opt for a more natural mattress and latex mattresses are usually made from natural latex from the rubber tree (Talalay and Dunlop latex). Some latex mattresses though could be made from synthetic latex or a blend of synthetic and natural latex.

Sleeping position and firmness levels

  • Side sleepers -those who sleep strictly on their sides. Side sleepers would benefit most from sleeping on soft to medium soft mattresses. This relieves pressure on the shoulders and hips.
  • Back sleepers – those who sleep strictly on their backs. Back sleepers would benefit more from sleeping on a medium firm to firm mattress. This helps keep their spinal alignment in check.
  • Stomach sleepers – those who sleep strictly on their tummies. Stomach sleepers would benefit most from sleeping on a medium to medium firm mattress. This helps support their hips while keeping keeping their spine straight.
  • Combination sleepers – are sleepers who shift between different sleeping positions. They would benefit more from a medium soft to medium mattress as this provides the most support for combo sleepers.

Build your own mattress: a step by step guide

Now that we’ve got the preliminaries out of the way and you have an idea of what type and size of mattress you would like to build, you would need:

  1. Mattress cover
  2. Foam for comfort, support and base layers (memory foam if you plan to build a memory foam mattress, latex if you plan to build latex hybrid mattresses)
  3. Pocketed coils (if you want to build a hybrid)
  4. Industrial strength adhesive (if you plan to glue your layers together)

At this stage, you should already have the precise measurements of the mattress you want to build according to your foundation or bed frame. Most stores already carry pre-cut foam that fits most standard mattress sizes. You should also have an idea of how thick you would want your mattress to be before purchasing any materials.

Once you’re ready with your all DIY mattress components, find a clean, flat surface you can work in. Assemble your materials and take them our of their packaging. Be aware that some memory foams have an off-gassing upon arrival – you may want to air them out for a day or two before building your mattress.

DIY all foam mattress:

  • Unzip your cover and lay it out on the floor.
  • Lie the base layer of polyfoam inside the cover.
  • Next, place your preferred foam support layer on top of the base. Make sure that your layers are aligned.
  • Add adhesive with each layer, if using.
  • Then place the comfort layer on top of the support layer. If using multiple comfort layers, make sure to lay the firmest one down first and the softer foams on top. Again, make sure all layers are aligned with each other.
  • Lay down the wool batting on top of all the layers if using.
  • Zip up the cover.

DIY hybrid mattress:

  • Unzip the mattress cover and lay it out.
  • Lie the base layer of polyfoam inside the cover.
  • Place the layer of pocket coil springs on top of the base layer. Make sure the edges of the coils are aligned with the edges of the base layer.
  • Place the first comfort layer of foam on top of the coils. If using multiple comfort layers, make sure to lay the firmest one down first and softest up top. Make sure all layers are aligned with each other.
  • Lay down the wool batting on top of all the layers if using.
  • Zip up the cover.

DIY all foam natural latex mattress

  • Unzip your cover and lay it out on the floor.
  • Lie the base layer of high density Latex inside the cover.
  • Add adhesive with each layer, if using.
  • Then place the comfort layer on top of the base. If using multiple latex layers, make sure to lay the firmest one down first – the top layer should be the softest latex. Again, make sure all layers are aligned with each other.
  • Lay down the wool batting on top of all the layers if using.
  • Zip up the cover.

And that’s it. Simple as. You don’t need anything fancy or innovative (here’s a secret: a whole lot of them are just filler words) and you surely don’t need to spend a whole lot of money to get your desired benefits out of a mattress.

At the end of the day, you want a mattress that’s durable, practical and comfortable. Most mattresses have the same end goal in mind anyway – to give you a good night’s rest. Why spend more when you can DIY?

Michelline Norton
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