Read this before you try your DIY build

I set out to build a 3”x3”x3” latex foam king size mattress as cheap as possible without compromising on quality.

I’m 5’10” and 160lbs, mostly side sleeper.

Here’s my build:

Sleep EZ dunlop 3” firm (ILD wasn’t specified) $372 on sale

Latex Mattress Factory dunlop 3” Medium (28 ILD) $334 on sale

Latex Mattress Factory dunlop 3” Soft (19 ILD) $294 on sale

Sleep on Latex non-quilted 100% cotton zipper 9” topper cover $159

Grand total: $1159

Here’s what I learned: You need AT LEAST 2 people to to assemble your build. Latex on latex is almost impossible to align properly and these things are heavy as hell.

I should have opted for the “extra firm” base layer, my bed frame is kinda low to the ground and has wooden slats, and I can kinda feel the slats if I step on the bed. But it was such a pain to assemble I’m not even going to bother trying to replace the support layer and deal with trying to return one of these behemoths.

Topper covers come A LOT cheaper on amazon and elsewhere but I didn’t think to look anywhere else stupidly.

Sleep EZ and Latex Mattress Factory ship from the same warehouse in AZ so I got all the mattress packages at the same time. This was pretty convenient. I would have ordered them all from the Latex Mattress Factory but the Sleep EZ firm topper was slightly cheaper.

There is a fairly significant odor initially. If you have room to let them air out for a few days individually and out of direct sunlight or heat sources like air ducts or radiators, that would probably help with the odor dispersal. I’ll be getting an additional non-quilted fitted mattress pad to help with the latex air seeping through the thing Mattress cover from Sleep on Latex. Supposedly the off-gassing intensifies for about a week and then goes away.

Make sure your bed frame is sturdy because these things are super heavy

Just to reiterate a safety disclaimer: because there’s no wool or fire retardant layer, this build is 100% not fire proof, so if you wish to replicate it with a little more safety precautions then you should look into a 1” wool barrier or other options.

All in all it’s super comfy and I feel great knowing exactly what’s in my mattress.

Cheers!

*Also please let me know if you have any advice regarding a potential solution to feeling the slats when standing that doesn’t involve another latex layer. I’m tempted to just get a giant sheet of thin wood or something to out under the mattress and see if that helps.