Why Not Regular Mattresses?

[mattiejo]

I had mattresses made for my Hunter 310. Other than the shape they were Innerspring mattresses.
I could've had the springs coated but the manufacturer said I didnt need that, particularly in fresh water. The bottom was vinyl for any condensation issues.

You could use a ccx regular mattress, no problem.

[Matt Johnson]

Roof underlayment is what Hypervent is made from. Here's an over priced example to show the similarities in the base product:

https://www.amazon.com/Roofing-Under...21147624&psc=1

Matt

Originally Posted by Sea Wolf

Boats tend to have moisture and dampness. Whether you use foam or a mattress, the heat of your body will produce moisture where the mattress meets the platform. After a lot of research, I found hypervent, which is a thick thread like polymer that allows air circulation between the mattress and the platform. We installed it with the polymer (not the backing) against the Foam mattress and that ended the moisture problem. I don’t see why it wouldn’t have the same result with a standard mattress. It’s not cheap, but well worth the money. https://www.hyperventonline.com

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Roof underlayment is what Hypervent is made from. Here's an over priced example to show the similarities in the base product:

https://www.amazon.com/Roofing-Under...21147624&psc=1

Matt

Awesome!! Thank for this!

I have to put an airtight and waterproof mattress bag on for allergies anyway, plus I’ll float it up on this stuff. Should make for a really good berth!

[MurrayC]

We have some original cushions from our 1975 Dufour 35. Extremely heavy latex foam and superior to anything we have seen since. Nevertheless we built new cushions and bed with foam. We learned to go to a good upholsterer to find out where to get better foam- the market is saturated with lousy foreign product. Scandinavian beds have used foam mattresses for a long time. If one of them fits the get the best you can find - the one we have for our double bed at ho me is so heavy two old farts can hardly lift it. Of course, boaty shapes vary so a rectangular mattress may have to be cut down

[Chotu]

Note to everyone:

My berths are 80” x 60” queen size.

Everything fits. I don’t need to cut anything. I designed the whole boat to accept off the shelf, standard things.

[David Mathis]

Several years ago we had a foam mattress topped with 2" memory foam made by Albany Upholstery, Albany, NY. It's an odd shape to fit the hull contour and takes king size sheets. It fit perfectly and is as comfortable now as the day it was installed. We've had no issues with it and would recommend the company to anyone looking to get a new mattress for their boat. After sleeping on this foam mattress for many summers, I would never recommend one with springs. As to why foam mattresses are in boats? My guess is comfort.

These open cell foam mattresses come vacuum packed so they're really compressed and take much less space than when unpacked. Closed cell foam can't effectively vacuum packed so shipping would be an issue as would getting it into the boat. Also, closed cell foam tends to be much more rigid so it's unlikely that it would be as comfortable.

[MoonlightSailor]

Spring loaded futon mattresses are also a decent option.

[CarlF]

We made a mattresses with 3 layers of foam from here for about $370 for a queen size:

On bottom - 3" of high quality conventional foam (HD-36HQ)
Next - 3" of latex
On top - 2" egg crate topper (LuxHQ) - for extra coolness from ventilation

We don't have a case around the foam. Just cut to size with scissors and tucked a bottom sheet over the whole thing. The foam doesn't slide around. We replace the top layer every few years for $50 if it picks up stains or odor (we don't use a mattress pad as they cost more than the topper)

Best mattress I've ever had afloat or ashore. Do put something under the mattress. We used a $70 set of wood bows from Ikea that I shorted to fit using a handsaw.

https://www.foambymail.com

[dgmyles]

I spend my working days selling mattresses (unfortunately), foam mattresses are traditionally used on boats for 3 reasons.
1 Shape, most boats have weird shaped berths.
2 Head room, traditional spring mattresses are thicker than most boat mattresses.
3 Cost, a traditional spring mattress is more expensive than 4 inches of foam.

So if these 3 issues aren't an issue for you than go with an off the shelf mattresses that you are comfortable on. A previous reply mentioned to not put the mattress directly on the glass/ply because of moisture and mould. This holds true for any mattress of course. Another previous reply talked about how good pocket spring mattresses are, I couldn't agree more you will get a much better night's sleep on a pocket spring mattress than some simple foam mattress.

Having said all that if you want the best of the best have a look at a tempur mattress, you will never get a better night's sleep.

[Scrubcutter]

I have been using the Froli Travel bed kit on my v-berth for a few months now and it has transformed my bed. Not cheap and a pain to set up, but it allows air to circulate under the squabs and feels a bit more like being on an innerspring mattress. as we are just coming out of a damp Wellington winter, there is a huge difference in the amount of condensation under the mattress. The only other down side is that it does raise the mattress height a few cm so if you're already vertically challenged in you berth then this will make it tighter. No metal parts so no rust!

[ejjawhite]

We sent away to Amazon for foam twin mattresses and cut them to follow the contour of our V berth cushions. You can order by thickness and have memory foam sandwiched on as well. We don’t live aboard, but I’d suggest the garden store and get some wood or plastic lattice to place under the mattress.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

There are mattress makers who offer boat shapes with pocket springs. Handcraft Mattress Co, for one.

There was at least one long mattress thread here (4-5 months ago?) that mentioned several other brands and mattress solutions...

-Chris

There's a place here in town that does custom built mattresses, I think it's quite common actually. I brought them a template and they made up a mattress for our vee berth. Fits great and is about the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. Except for the pointy end of course. Cost was about the same as the standard one they made for the house. Only downside is it's about twice as thick as the factory cushions so headroom is reduced. Wasn't a lot up there in the first place.

[Sailor 99]

Originally Posted by Chotu

My entire life I’ve assumed I needed to buy foam to create comfortable cushions for berths.

...




So, why do we use foam and not just a regular mattress??

I have a true queen size berth in each stateroom. Can I just buy a queen size mattress (without metal springs) and put it in?

Mostly it is about the shape. If you an put in a queen bed then by all means. We have.. We went to Ikea and bought one of their rolled up coil spring mattress.



The other thing is getting it into the boat. Your not going to get a regular queen bed in a boat if it is not rolled up. When you want to take that mattress out you will need to cut it up

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by acem

What about a waterbed!?!?

Weight for one,
Approx 2 Ton of water in a queen sized water bed,
But they are very comfortable on land on a concrete floor to support it,

[chrisr]

i am really surprised no-one has mentioned the hammock

heaps of advantages over any mattress !

cheers,