DIY is an Absolute Game Changer
Superior Value
DIYing your own mattress is far more cost-effective than traditional options. It bypasses unnecessary factory labor, corporate marketing, and retail sales costs.
Customized Comfort
By handpicking your materials and firmness levels, you create a sleep surface that’s uniquely suited to your body. You’ll be able to create an unparalleled level of comfort that transcends ordinary mattresses.
Exceptionally Eco-Friendly
The repairability of a DIY mattress makes it a true champion of the environment.
Unlike traditional mattresses, which often end up in landfills, DIY mattresses can be easily repaired or have components replaced, extending their lifespan and reducing waste.
Plus, you can choose to use wholly organic and sustainable materials, further minimizing your environmental impact.
Durability for Decades
With the ability to easily replace or upgrade components over time, DIY mattresses promise unparalleled durability that stands the test of time.
While traditional mattresses typically need to be replaced every 6 to 8 years (and often don’t even last that long), a well-maintained DIY mattress can last for decades, making it a wise long-term investment.
Mattresses Are NOT Complex
A mattress is basically comprised of two simple layers:
- A Softer Pressure-Relieving COMFORT Layer
- A Firmer SUPPORT Layer
Stack ’em up & wrap ’em up in a zippered cover. That’s it! An exceptional mattress can, quite literally, be as elegantly simple as that. Or, you can splash out and get as extravagantly extra as your over-the-top heart desires.
A typical COMFORT LAYER is usually between 3” to 6” thick. A popular choice is to have two 2″ or 3″ layers of different densities so you can swap them around if needed. DIYers often go for memory foam or latex foam in their comfort layer. Some people use both.
A typical SUPPORT LAYER – whether it be made of durable pocket springs, resilient latex, or economical polyurethane foam – is generally between 4” and 8″ thick, depending on your size and preferences.
If you want to get fancier than those two basic layers, you’re not alone. Plenty of DIYers add temperature-modulating wool batting as a very top layer. A 1-inch organic coco coir mat makes a breathable & cooling base layer under pocketed coils. Etc, etc.
Do You REALLY Know What You’re Sleeping On?
Some modern mattresses may contain components associated with chemicals and materials that could raise health or environmental concerns.
Industrial Glues
Industrial glues are frequently used in factory-sealed mattress construction due to their powerful adhesive properties. However, these glues may contain potentially hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of VOCs has been associated with short-term health concerns, such as eye and respiratory irritation, as well as potential long-term risks, including certain cancers. In factory-sealed mattresses, buyers are unable to confirm whether or not these glues are present, as the materials are inaccessible and typically not disclosed.
FRAGRANCEs
Some mattresses are treated with “fragrances,” which can be made up of hundreds—or even thousands—of different chemicals. These scented additives help conceal odors produced during manufacturing. However, they may trigger allergic reactions and, in some cases, include phthalates that can interfere with hormone function.
Chemical Flame Retardants
Factory-sealed mattresses may include chemical flame retardants to meet flammability regulations. These can include halogenated flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), brominated tris (BT), and chlorinated tris (CT).
Studies have linked certain flame retardants to health concerns, including liver toxicity, impaired learning and neurological effects, altered thyroid hormones, reproductive issues, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and an increased risk of cancer.
FiberGlass
Fiberglass is frequently used as a fire barrier in factory-sealed mattresses to comply with flammability standards. While fiberglass itself is non-toxic, exposure to fiberglass dust can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. Long-term or repeated inhalation of fiberglass dust has the potential to contribute to respiratory issues. In factory-sealed mattresses, fiberglass is typically embedded within layers, but if the mattress cover is damaged or removed, consumers may unknowingly be exposed to these fibers.
Polyurethane Foam
Many mattresses use polyurethane foam, which may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for years. Certain VOCs may irritate the respiratory system, worsen asthma, and increase the risk of cancer. Despite its name, “memory foam” is simply another form of polyurethane—often mixed with small amounts of plant oils and other chemicals that also release VOCs. Even “plant-based” foam typically relies heavily on polyurethane.
Additionally, exposure to moisture in some polyurethane foams may produce byproducts called semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), which research has linked to neurotoxins and carcinogens such as naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene.
DIY is a Much BETTER Option
Free of Toxins
When you DIY, you decide exactly what goes into your mattress. Don’t want any industrial glues, fiberglass, poly foams, or chemical flame retardants? Great! You don’t need them.
You Decide
Your mattress, your way. Want to make a wholly organic mattress? A vegan one? Fully Biodegradable? You can do that easily. We even share terrific blueprints you can follow.
A Mattress as Unique as You Are
When you DIY, you can customize your mattress to match your height, weight, and sleep style.
Get More For Your Money
DIY Mattresses are an Excellent Value
You pay for the mattress components you choose, and that’s it.
You aren’t paying for a fancy showroom.
You aren’t paying for a marketing department.
You aren’t paying for a sales team, their commission, or anything else.
This way, your money goes toward upgraded mattress parts instead.
Save Money Now & for Decades to Come 💰
The beauty of a mattress with a zippered cover is how easily you can access the inside layers to customize, repair, and upgrade… for many, many years to come.
A DIY Mattress is Customizable, Repairable, and Upgradable
Factory-Sealed Mattresses are an Environmental Disaster
We throw away many millions of mattresses yearly. Most with expensive components that are still in great shape. Simply because modern mattresses are designed to be unrepairable.
It’s become a massive environmental disaster on a global scale.
HOWEVER!
A DIY mattress is fixable, changeable, and upgradable…
for decades.
