V Berth Mattress

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rwidman

rwidman

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My boat is big enough for a couple and has a nice galley, head, etc.* One improvement I would like to consider is the matteress in the V berth.* Even though the previous owners put a foam topper on it, it's pretty hard and uncomfortable to sleep on some nights.* We have a Tempurpedic at home and love it.

Any suggestions for improving sleeping comfort or sources for decent mattress material or custom mattresses?* Priced within reason?

308594700.jpg
 
My wife got a memory foam "pad" for the queen berth in our aft cabin. It was way expensive and I wish I could tell you the brand. It's only a few inches thick but it turned a pretty uncomfortable berth into the most comfortable thing either one of us sleep on anywhere--- at home, travelling around the country or overseas, on the boat, etc.

The problem with most boat berths is that the mattress or cushion sits on a wood panel as opposed to multiple springs in a frame. If the mattress or cushion bottoms out on the panel underneath it when you lie on it, extreme discomfort can be the result. That few inches of whatever it is that my wife got keeps this from happening plus supports our bodies in a very comfortable, natural way. We intend to get the same sort of pads for the berths in the V-berth although so far the people who've slept up there as guests have found the stock cushions very comfortable.
 
I will second the memory foam recommendation. We have that on a couple of our beds, at home and at Saltspring and they are the greatest way to convert a regular mattress into the best you can remember sleeping on.
On our boat, however, we inherited a foam mattress when Janet's folks moved from their home into "a home". It is over 8 inches thick, and is every bit as comfy as the memory foam mattresses. I have no idea what it cost new, except that I think it must have been quite a bit. I had to modify the bed to get it in, as it was 2 inches thicker than the previous mattress, that was already reducing the headroom. Well worth the effort, and now each of our master beds qualify as the most comfortable around.
I don't treat guests that well, as you wouldn't want them to be hard to get rid of, but others might. Our forepeak cushions are 4" from the "Foam shop" and have generated no complaints. No compliments either.
 
We learned this trick fr om some friends who ran Bed and Breakfasts, most recently in Pt. Townsend.

Buy 'Mattress Foam' - this is purpose designed for beds, it is available in multiple firmnesses. Put a light cotton zippered cover over it.

No box spring - just lay it over slats of wood spaced a couple of inches to let it breathe.

Other than flipping it over once every couple of years, it will last as long as you will.

Our home mattress is now 25 years old and as good as new.

It is 7" tall and medium firm. For years we put an 'eggcrate' type soft foam over the top to make it a bit more cushy, but about 3 years ago I bought a 2" memory foam topper to replace the eggcrate. This makes an aggregate 9" mattress.

A very good choice for the most part - the downside is when the in-laws come over, they insist on sleeping on the bed and are reluctant to leave.


On the boat, I bought a 3" memory foam topper to go in the forward v-berth. In addition to the 3- cushions in the V-berth, there is a filler wedge that makes the bed area as wide as a King size at the widest, then tapers toward the bow. I put the topper over the entire mess.

It has been quite comfortable except the multiple cushions underneath are less than ideal as you actually begin to feel the cracks between the cushions (at the risk of sounding like the princess and the pea).

So, the solution was to buy 4" of Mattress foam - medium firm, cut to fit as a one piece mattress, put the 3" topper over it and now this becomes the bed no-one wants to get out of.


As we always use the V-Berth as a dedicated bed, we don't miss the multi-cushion scenario - If I ever want it back, I will bring the cushions from storage.


You can find "mattress foam" on ebay, much cheaper than buying from a wholesale foam supply house.

Memory foam toppers are also on ebay in varying thicknesses.


-- Edited by bshanafelt on Monday 14th of February 2011 10:30:48 PM

-- Edited by bshanafelt on Monday 14th of February 2011 10:31:15 PM
 
Go to Walmart and buy yourself a "temperpedic" mattress they sell; its a knock off but made of same foam. Use an electric knife to size it. I have been sleeping on one for3years and its great.
 
We have found the old style HEAVY foam rubber (that is lightened with hollow tubes up from the bottom ) is the best on a slab of plywood.
 
We got a 12 inch memory foam mattress at Sams Club for 400 bucks...shaved the corners off to fit our berth.* FWIW, I diid shop some custom mattresses and they were all over 1000.**
 
marinetrader wrote:

Go to Walmart and buy yourself a "temperpedic" mattress they sell; its a knock off but made of same foam. Use an electric knife to size it. I have been sleeping on one for3years and its great.

Looking at the photo, the original cushions are somewhere around five inches thick.* I suspect is the same foam used in seat cushions.

Would replacing the original foam with matteress foam work or would I need additional thickness?* At some point it's going to be too high to get in and out of comfortably.* The 2" or so foam (not in the photo) that the PO put over the cushions moves and bunches up.

BTW: I have used an electric knife on foam before, but Harbor Freight is selling an electric hot knife for about $20 that looks like a better foam tool.

image_1713.jpg
Click to expand...
*
 
I guess I should have said, it's a dedicated bed. Never used for seating. There's a small center cushion for the gap in front. We don't use that either, it makes it hard to get in and out.
 
Foam for beds and foam for seating are quite different , that's why so many "convertible " ideas , guest sleeping on a table work so poorly.

Real temper foam was available in the light aircraft market , different density layers to suit various weight individuals for decades Thanks NASA..

The FOAM was not the problem in creating a bed mattress , keeping infestation , dust mites et-al out of the foam was the hassle.

It took Temper foam a couple of Years to have the covering perfected.

I am not sure Wallmart or La Tienda de Juan has this patented covering material.
 
FF wrote:

Foam for beds and foam for seating are quite different , that's why so many "convertible " ideas , guest sleeping on a table work so poorly.

Real temper foam was available in the light aircraft market , different density layers to suit various weight individuals for decades Thanks NASA..

The FOAM was not the problem in creating a bed mattress , keeping infestation , dust mites et-al out of the foam was the hassle.

It took Temper foam a couple of Years to have the covering perfected.

I am not sure Wallmart or La Tienda de Juan has this patented covering material.
Click to expand...
If it's the covering that protects it, cutting it will destroy that protection anyway.

Figuring out how to get that strange shape out of the least amount of foam may turn out to be the hard part.

*
 
When we bought Hobo, the master berth, had a custom latex mattress that had been extended 3 " on 3 sides. The owner was a big guy. The mattress didn't fit the area though. We found a mattress manufacturer in Seattle who re-cut the mattress to it's proper size (we supplied the pattern) and put a new mattress cover on it for around $200. It's an option if you can get the foam you want.

Larry/Lena
Hobo KK42
Puerto Medero, Chiapas, MX
 
Larry M wrote:

When we bought Hobo, the master berth, had a custom latex mattress that had been extended 3 " on 3 sides. The owner was a big guy. The mattress didn't fit the area though. We found a mattress manufacturer in Seattle who re-cut the mattress to it's proper size (we supplied the pattern) and put a new mattress cover on it for around $200. It's an option if you can get the foam you want.

Larry/Lena
Hobo KK42
Puerto Medero, Chiapas, MX
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure the existing cusions have covers with zippers so it wouldn't be a huge problem to replace the foam with something better.

I don't know if there's a foam or mattress shop local to me, but it might be a good idea for me to check with them if there is.* It could save me from a mistake.

*
 
we went to the Original Mattress Factory and they made a mattress using the existing foam pads as a template. I think it ran about $600. It is quite comfortable and fits like a glove. No affiliation with the company.
 
bnoft wrote:

we went to the Original Mattress Factory and they made a mattress using the existing foam pads as a template. I think it ran about $600. It is quite comfortable and fits like a glove. No affiliation with the company.
Click to expand...
Hey, it's only a three hour drive for me!* Something to consider.* Thanks.

*
 
The Internet keeps telling me about mattress dealers, but only one company in town that sells and custom cuts foam. So I just called and a guy for whom English is not his first language answers. He says they sell memory foam but they don't stock it. He also says it "won't work" for a boat.

I thanked him and hung up. "Plan B", I guess.

I'll measure tomorrow so I can try calling some other places or see what I can cut out of a standard mattress.

-- Edited by rwidman on Thursday 17th of February 2011 01:32:03 PM
 
rwidman wrote:

The Internet keeps telling me about mattress dealers, but only one company in town that sells and custom cuts foam. So I just called and a guy for whom English is not his first language answers. He says they sell memory foam but they don't stock it. He also says it "won't work" for a boat.

I thanked him and hung up. "Plan B", I guess.

I'll measure tomorrow so I can try calling some other places or see what I can cut out of a standard mattress.

-- Edited by rwidman on Thursday 17th of February 2011 01:32:03 PM
Click to expand...
I assume you are checking upholstery shops?

*
 
Carey wrote:


rwidman wrote:

The Internet keeps telling me about mattress dealers, but only one company in town that sells and custom cuts foam. So I just called and a guy for whom English is not his first language answers. He says they sell memory foam but they don't stock it. He also says it "won't work" for a boat.

I thanked him and hung up. "Plan B", I guess.

I'll measure tomorrow so I can try calling some other places or see what I can cut out of a standard mattress.

-- Edited by rwidman on Thursday 17th of February 2011 01:32:03 PM
Click to expand...
I assume you are checking upholstery shops?

*

I probably should.* I was searching on "memory foam" and "foam rubber".

*
 
rwidman wrote:

*
Carey wrote:

*
rwidman wrote:

The Internet keeps telling me about mattress dealers, but only one company in town that sells and custom cuts foam. So I just called and a guy for whom English is not his first language answers. He says they sell memory foam but they don't stock it. He also says it "won't work" for a boat.

I thanked him and hung up. "Plan B", I guess.

I'll measure tomorrow so I can try calling some other places or see what I can cut out of a standard mattress.

-- Edited by rwidman on Thursday 17th of February 2011 01:32:03 PM
Click to expand...
I assume you are checking upholstery shops?I probably should.* I was searching on "memory foam" and "foam rubber".Go to the yellow pages and call your local upholstry shops.

*


-- Edited by Carey on Saturday 19th of February 2011 10:29:22 AM
 
I don't know about the bugs and such but our V-berth mattresses were old , too thin and darn uncomfortable.
3 or 4 yrs ago we went to costco and got a 2" memory foam topper and it turned the berths into a comfortable place to sleep. The new foam simply lies atop the old foam.
My wife wrapped them completely in sheets and we haven't had any problems with bunching.
I had a large pair of shears and it did a good job of cutting the topper to shape.
 
V-berths are the pits if you're sleeping with an intimate*partner.* Better to reconfigure with an off-set double berth.
 
FF wrote:

We have found the old style HEAVY foam rubber (that is lightened with hollow tubes up from the bottom ) is the best on a slab of plywood.
Click to expand...
For what it's worth,* I think what Fred is talking about is called Latex pin core foam* He's right, it's VERY comfortable, but with a price to match.* We just went through this, and quotes for a queen size piece were around $1000.00.* We kept looking for a solution, and visited several upholstery shops, only to find most types of foam were really expensive.* While at a Jo Anns fabric shop, we were ready to buy a couple pieces on sale for half off, but another customer told us to check Fred Meyer's, so we did.* They sell large sheets of different densities for $19.00 ea.* We bought four, two very soft, and two firmer, put one on top of the other and love the result.* I have no idea what type of foam it is, and it may break down quickly, but meanwhile, it's darn comfy and it was hundred's of dollars less than anyone else......................Arctic Traveller

*
 
The previous owners of our boat put in custom mattresses from boatbeds.com. Both the aft stateroom and the V-berth. The v-berth mattresses fit perfectly. The mattress sides are angled to match the sides of the hull. While probably not an inexpensive option, they are nice.
 
Being a liveaboard, I wanted the best mattress I could find. I went with a handcraft mattress that is made for the marine environment and love it! http://www.hmcwest.com/index.html
They custom make in various grades and prices. Mine was made to fold in half easily to get it in and out of the boat. Once,* it got soaked in fresh water from a leak. We just stood it up on the aft deck for a few days and it dried out fine, no mold, mildew or rust. The springs are powder coated.
Highly recommended.

That being said, most major mattress companies can custom make mattresses. I had one made by them for a couch that folds out into a bed. Very comfy as well.
 
Keith wrote:
" I wanted the best mattress I could find. I went with a handcraft mattress that is made for the marine environment and love it! http://www.hmcwest.com/index.html
Click to expand...
Keith:* I did the same thing and it's one of the best improvements I've made on the
boat.

*
 
C lectric wrote:

I don't know about the bugs and such but our V-berth mattresses were old , too thin and darn uncomfortable.
3 or 4 yrs ago we went to costco and got a 2" memory foam topper and it turned the berths into a comfortable place to sleep. The new foam simply lies atop the old foam.
My wife wrapped them completely in sheets and we haven't had any problems with bunching.
I had a large pair of shears and it did a good job of cutting the topper to shape.
Click to expand...
We did exactly the same thing, both on the boat and at home. Never a bad nights sleep (unless the admiral is snoring).

*
 
*
We have memory foam over mattress foam and are very happy with the comfort . We have it covered with a high quality marine fabric has lasted and weathered very well. Hope this help you. PJ
 
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