Hacking a Pillow-top Bed

Pillow-top beds are great and all, but over time one's butt has a tendency to mash down the top layer of foam padding. This curvy bed might be nice for a back-sleeper, but as a stomach-sleeper I was getting pretty tired of waking up with a stiff back. Hence, I performed an autopsy on my bed to determine if it was in fact just the top surface or a deeper cause. As it turns out it is quite simple to mod a bed of this type for optimal sleeping performance. The following steps will show you how to hack your own bed for maximum sleepability.

Step 1 Stab it.

Examine the mattress. The mattress is made of several layers of foam and springs and it is all wrapped up with a soft looking textile, kind of like a burrito. The pillow-top layer is a bunch of foam quilted together and then sewn onto the wrapping material. It turns out that you can pull this wrapping away from the underlying foam.

So the first step is to pull the wrapper off the bed and stab it with a nice sharp knife. Be sure to cut below the pillow-top so you will be able to remove it as a whole piece. Also, be sure not to stab your foam, it may be very soft.

Comments

[lemonie]

The picture shows that the foam is built up in sections - are these of different grades - I'm thinking of the two stripes in the middle - and are they glued together?
Also, does the pink lettering say "CHILD" or "(141LD)"?

L

[cybanical]

The top layer is actually one piece length-wise. It's been molded with varying density. However, the long stripe down the length is a seam between two different pieces. I guess they were fitting scraps together. Oh and that letter, kinda creepy if it says Child eh? I think it's the latter.

[lemonie]

OK thanks - I guess there's some design in this even if it is a bit cheap. L

[canida]

I'd recommend adding another layer or two of cloth between you and that foam - say a nice mattress cover, padded or not. If it's hot and you sweat directly into the foam you'll be very sorry! Foam holds odors and grows bacteria surprisingly well. ;)

[cybanical]

Oh yah, I forgot to add that, thanks. I've thrown a big airy fleece-like blanket and pad on there. The foam definitely feels like it would be a big ol' spongy-petri-dish.