The Princess And The Pea
November 24, 2014 6:34 AM Subscribe
Is it possible to make a mattress firmer, or am I better off buying a new mattress?
I like a really firm mattress. I'm currently sleeping on a mattress borrowed long term from my landlord, and it's extremely squishy. (I'm not sure if this is due to age or quality or just not being the mattress for me.)
I'm hoping to improve my mattress situation for as little money as possible. My first idea was to get some kind of mattress topper, but I spent yesterday afternoon looking at those in Bed Bath & Beyond and they all seem squishy and memory foam ish and not really what I'm looking for at all.
I'm pretty sure the old sheet of plywood trick is not for me, because I have a murphy bed and, again, the whole thing is a loaner so I wouldn't want to get the mattress full of splinters or throw off the weight balance of the murphy bed or anything like that.
As a last resort, I'm willing to just buy a new mattress. But do I really have to?
I like a really firm mattress. I'm currently sleeping on a mattress borrowed long term from my landlord, and it's extremely squishy. (I'm not sure if this is due to age or quality or just not being the mattress for me.)
I'm hoping to improve my mattress situation for as little money as possible. My first idea was to get some kind of mattress topper, but I spent yesterday afternoon looking at those in Bed Bath & Beyond and they all seem squishy and memory foam ish and not really what I'm looking for at all.
I'm pretty sure the old sheet of plywood trick is not for me, because I have a murphy bed and, again, the whole thing is a loaner so I wouldn't want to get the mattress full of splinters or throw off the weight balance of the murphy bed or anything like that.
As a last resort, I'm willing to just buy a new mattress. But do I really have to?
A mattress support or a new mattress are really your only choices. Toppers are meant to soften, and you can't change the interior of the mattress.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:06 AM on November 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by SLC Mom at 7:06 AM on November 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
There are two ways in which a mattress could be "too squishy".
One of them is if the mattress sags, because the springs underneath are dead and it's unsupported - it's not really a mattress problem, it's a bed problem. This is what the plywood would help.
The other thing is if the interior stuffing of the mattress is too fluffy, the interior springs are non-resistive, the foam is too soft, etc, such that when you press on it, it compacts all the way instead of trying to spring back. There is nothing you can do about this but buy another mattress.
To see which problem you have, pull the mattress out of the Murphy bed and sleep on it on the floor tonight. If that helps, then plywood would help. Otherwise, there's not much you can do.
posted by aimedwander at 7:27 AM on November 24, 2014 [5 favorites]
One of them is if the mattress sags, because the springs underneath are dead and it's unsupported - it's not really a mattress problem, it's a bed problem. This is what the plywood would help.
The other thing is if the interior stuffing of the mattress is too fluffy, the interior springs are non-resistive, the foam is too soft, etc, such that when you press on it, it compacts all the way instead of trying to spring back. There is nothing you can do about this but buy another mattress.
To see which problem you have, pull the mattress out of the Murphy bed and sleep on it on the floor tonight. If that helps, then plywood would help. Otherwise, there's not much you can do.
posted by aimedwander at 7:27 AM on November 24, 2014 [5 favorites]
Firm mattress lover here. Even the best firm foam bottoms out. In my experience, around 10 years. Good luck.
posted by Jesse the K at 9:18 AM on November 24, 2014
posted by Jesse the K at 9:18 AM on November 24, 2014
I had a too-soft mattress. I bought a giant, thick sheet of plywood and put it underneath. I don't think it did anything other than make the bed slightly taller.
I sold it on Craigslist with a promise about a complete lack of bedbugs and a bemoaning of its overwhelmingly implacable softness and then bought a mattress that, while it doesn't hurt to lay down on for 15 minutes, does begin to hurt my shoulders/ankles/hips if I sleep on it plain due to its firmness. I then added a mattress topper that softens it to a presently acceptable level. If/when it begins to feel too soft, I can always just take the topper off. I am very happy with it.
posted by vegartanipla at 10:10 AM on November 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I sold it on Craigslist with a promise about a complete lack of bedbugs and a bemoaning of its overwhelmingly implacable softness and then bought a mattress that, while it doesn't hurt to lay down on for 15 minutes, does begin to hurt my shoulders/ankles/hips if I sleep on it plain due to its firmness. I then added a mattress topper that softens it to a presently acceptable level. If/when it begins to feel too soft, I can always just take the topper off. I am very happy with it.
posted by vegartanipla at 10:10 AM on November 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
So you're in LA, right? My MIL bought a bed in Koreatown that is made entirely of plywood, with a light padding on top of it, for $400 (which I think included $50 delivery). Standard queen size. It's perfect for her (she insists that all Koreans sleep on these type of beds in order to avoid back problems) but too firm for me as is. But with the addition of an eggshell padding it is very comfortable. It's in our guest room and for health reasons I've been sleeping on it for about 6 months. It took some getting used to but after the first couple of weeks it has been great. Only downside is it's heavy as f*ck so changing the sheets is a bit burdensome, otherwise no troubles. I was just impressed with the price. I've no idea what store specifically she got it at, but apparently these beds are so common that it should be easy to find a place with a little legwork.
posted by vignettist at 12:16 PM on November 24, 2014
posted by vignettist at 12:16 PM on November 24, 2014
One less expensive option might be a dense futon mattress. Those are typically very firm and often don't have springs. They're less expensive and you can order them online and they come in a big box right to your door.
posted by Crystalinne at 12:53 PM on November 24, 2014
posted by Crystalinne at 12:53 PM on November 24, 2014
I don't know a lot about the mechanics of this, but I have definitely had the experience of going the other direction -- last summer I switched out a custom wood frame out for a matched box spring and the bed went from *very* stiff to a nice balance between comforming and supportive.
So my experience would suggest that you can indeed stick a slice of something stiff underneath and move it back to the stiff/supportive direction. It doesn't have to be plywood.
posted by weston at 4:41 PM on November 24, 2014
So my experience would suggest that you can indeed stick a slice of something stiff underneath and move it back to the stiff/supportive direction. It doesn't have to be plywood.
posted by weston at 4:41 PM on November 24, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 6:39 AM on November 24, 2014