Best Customizable Mattress (2024): Buyer’s Guide

Have you ever found an amazing mattress that would otherwise have been perfect if not for some flaw that made it wrong for you? Maybe it didn’t have enough cooling technologies. Maybe it didn’t have the right cover. Maybe it wasn’t the right firmness.

The good news is that more and more companies are now making mattresses with customizable features. Sometimes you can choose your cover or firmness level. Some mattresses might even let you pick what is in certain layers.

And many companies now offer a full lineup of the same mattress with firmness and hybrid options. This reduces the chance of you finding an otherwise perfect mattress with a fatal flaw.

Best Customizable Mattresses of 2024

The Amerisleep AS mattress lineup allows you to customize your firmness and your support core. For the support core, you can choose between durable foam and bouncy coils. And the firmness options run the gamut from pleasantly plush to supportive and sturdy.

The option most commonly chosen by shoppers is the Amerisleep AS3, the brand’s versatile medium feel mattress. This is the middle-of-the-road firmness level. Originally available only as a memory foam mattress, the AS3 also comes in a bouncy hybrid version.

SEE ALSO: Amerisleep Mattress Review

Those who want a custom mattress that lets them make decisions about every layer should check out the Brooklyn Bedding Custom Mattress. The Brooklyn Bedding Custom lets you decide everything from the firmness level to the comfort layer material and even the fabric for the cover.

SEE ALSO: Hybrid vs. Memory Foam Mattresses

If you need a non-standard size, the Mattress Insider custom mattress builder might be the way to go. They can build everything from truck and RV mattresses to sofa bed mattresses to international mattress sizes and more!

SEE ALSO: RV Mattress Sizes and Dimensions Guide

Those who need a custom mattress that’s cooling no matter what should consider the Nolah Evolution 15. The customizable firmness means that everyone of every sleep position and body type can enjoy this mattress.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress That Won’t Sag

If you want to adjust your firmness based on your mood or needs from night to night, check out the Saatva Solaire. The Solaire’s air chambers make it possible for you to change firmness with the touch of a button.

SEE ALSO: Best Air Mattress For Everyday Use in 2024

Couples who want to build a bed that suits both of their needs without dealing with the expense and hassle of building a mattress from scratch can check out the GhostBed Split King Bundle. The bundle lets you get a set of split king adjustable bases and your choice of GhostBed mattress.

The adjustable bed is non-refundable but comes with a lifetime warranty, while every GhostBed mattress has an extensive warranty and a 101-night sleep trial period.

SEE ALSO: Best Split King Adjustable Beds

Those who want a customizable mattress that they can alter with a flip should check out the Layla Hybrid. Layla’s signature flippable firmness means you can customize your feel on your own anytime you want.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Guest Room

If you want a technologically advanced mattress that knows how well you sleep better than you do, check out the Pod Pro by Eight Sleep. This mattress allows you to customize its temperature on both sides of the bed as well. So you’ll never sleep too cold or too hot again!

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Hip Pain

Those who want a luxury mattress that lets them select the perfect firmness level for their size and sleep style should check out the Helix Mattress lineup. These mattresses are designed with everyone in mind, from little kids to plus-size sleepers. Shoppers can even take a sleep quiz to determine what mattress construction they should choose!

Perhaps the most popular choice is the Helix Midnight Luxe, the upgraded version of the original Helix Midnight. This option offers a medium feel to broadly suit most sleep styles, along with cooling features and targeted support. It’s primarily for side sleepers, but other styles can enjoy it, too!

SEE ALSO: Best Hybrid Mattress for Side Sleepers

How to Customize Your Own Mattress

Material and Construction

A mattress’s material is the main determinant of its feel. The type of mattress you pick dictates everything from responsiveness to temperature regulation to durability and even price. So you need to be aware of how the materials you choose for your customizable mattress will impact your sleep experience.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is among the most popular bedding materials, thanks to its affordability, comfort, and durability. This special type of flexible polyurethane foam is specifically designed to cradle and support the human body.

This talent is nowhere more evident than in a memory foam mattress’s contouring ability. This material can follow the curve of your body to offer better pressure relief and more customizable support than just about any material on the market. Because of this, memory foam is often heralded as one of the best mattresses for joint pain.

Memory foam is also a practical solution to your sleep needs. While it’s not as durable as latex foam, memory foam mattresses are still quite sturdy and will last anywhere from one to two decades. And since it’s made of petroleum products instead of natural ingredients, it’s much less expensive than its latex counterpart.

Memory foam only has a couple of issues. The biggest issue is its lack of responsiveness. Without coils or layers of bouncy transition foam, memory foam can have issues with slow response time and body impressions.

Memory foam can also have issues with heat retention.  This used to be more of a problem than it is now. Copper infusions, gel microbeads, and open cell construction all help keep memory foam breathable and cool it off. Still, they can never be as cooling or breathable as latex.

Natural Latex

Natural latex is whipped from the sap of the rubber tree. There are two basic types of latex: Talalay and Dunlop. Talalay latex is the lighter and more contouring of the two, while Dunlop is denser and more durable. All latex foam is highly durable, of course, but if you want the most durable of the durable, Dunlop is the way to go.

Latex wants to hold its own shape. That means if memory foam is not responsive enough for you, latex might solve your problems – especially if you’re an active sleeper who likes to move around at night. That means those who love to toss and turn should consider latex for their customizable mattress.

Hot sleepers who want a cooling custom mattress should also think about latex. This highly breathable foam beats the tar out of memory foam when it comes to breathability and temperature control. Even when it comes to gel memory foam vs latex foam, gel foam doesn’t dissipate heat as well as latex.

Despite its coolness and responsiveness, latex mattresses do have some issues. Its tendency to hold its own shape makes it slightly less contouring than memory foam. So it may not be ideal for those who need the ultimate pressure relief.

Latex is also extremely expensive, with most models being far from a budget mattress. Its durability makes up for that in the long run, but you’ll be paying a high upfront price.

SEE ALSO: What is GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard)?

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are exactly what they sound like: a cross between two different types of mattresses. In this case, hybrids offer the best of both coils and foams. These mattresses consist of a pocketed coil support core topped with at least two inches of foam, though the foam may be thicker.

Hybrids can feature any type of foam, from latex foam to memory foam and even newer types of foam that are just coming onto the market. Latex hybrids are best if you want the ultimate cooling and responsiveness because they combine breathable and springy foam with breathable and bouncy coils.

Those who want a cooler, more dynamic memory foam experience should consider a memory foam hybrid. The coils fix memory foam’s issues with overheating and slow response time while still maintaining its adaptability. This means you get all of memory foam’s good qualities and none of its bad ones.

Pocketed coils can move independently of one another because they’re all wrapped in their own individual foam or fabric cases. This makes for a much more durable, less noisy, and less saggy support core.

The main issue with hybrid mattresses is their cost. They are not quite as durable as latex mattresses, and they cost almost as much. This means they’re the most expensive mattress type over the course of their lifetimes. That can be a big problem for people shopping on a budget.

SEE ALSO: Hybrid Mattress Buying Guide

Innerspring

Of all the most popular mattress types on the market, innerspring mattresses are the ones we recommend avoiding. They do have a couple of redeeming qualities. For instance, they’re bouncier and more breathable than virtually any other mattress type. However, this is where their positive attributes end.

Innerspring mattresses feature interconnected coils called open coil systems. These systems cannot move independently of one another. That means they tend to sag underneath your heavier parts instead of contouring with you.

Open coils are also not individually wrapped. So they can start to squeak and creak after a while. And the fact that they’re interconnected means they are terrible at motion transfer control – so couples should beware.

SEE ALSO: Best King Size Mattress

Firmness Level

Mattress firmness level is measured on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest. Typically, you won’t find mattresses that are softer than a 3 or firmer than an 8. This is because mattresses that fall outside of this range would have either no support or no firmness – and no one wants that.

The factor that most impacts your firmness needs is your preferred sleep position. Your sleep style determines where your body contacts the bed, how your weight is distributed, and where you’re most likely to experience pressure. This is why your sleep style decides your firmness baseline.

The other factor that impacts your firmness needs is your body type. If you fall outside of what mattress manufacturers have determined to be the average human weight range (130 to 230 pounds), you may find that you need to increase or decrease your firmness to get the right balance of support and pressure relief.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers tend to need medium-firm mattresses. They need sufficient contouring to keep their spines aligned, compressing under the buttocks and rising to meet the dip in the lumbar region.

At the same time, mattresses for back sleepers need lots of lift to keep their bodies lifted on top of the sleep surface. Medium-firm mattresses offer all the contouring and support you need if you sleep on your back.

Combination Sleepers

Combo sleepers like to change things up night after night or even several times during the night. This means they need an equal balance of pressure relief and support. A mattress for combination sleeping must be comfortable for multiple sleep positions.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers need the most pressure relief of all the sleep positions. When you sleep on your side, your body puts a lot of pressure on the bed because the weight is distributed over less surface area. This means that if your mattress is too firm, that pressure can be exerted right back onto your sensitive shoulders and hips.

Soft or medium-soft mattresses will absorb this pressure by allowing for deep compression. So your sensitive pressure points can sink deep into a mattress for side sleeping and be cradled to prevent pain.

Stomach Sleepers

On the flip side, stomach sleepers need firm mattresses so that they can avoid suffering lower back pain. Sleeping on your stomach allows your pelvis to sink into the bed. When that happens, your spine gets overarched. This leads to pain in the lumbar region.

The right mattresses for stomach sleeping can keep your pelvis lifted and your spine aligned if you sleep on your stomach. This can, in turn, ensure that you wake up pain-free.

Body Type

Your body type doesn’t ultimately decide what firmness level you need. But it does have an impact on your overall firmness selection. Those who fall between 130 and 230 pounds can generally stick to the firmness level that corresponds to their sleep position.

If you fall outside of this weight range, however, you’ll need to take that into consideration. This means you may need to go up or down a firmness level based on your weight. For instance, combo sleepers typically need medium mattresses. But if you’re a heavier combo sleeper, you might need a medium-firm mattress.

Those who fall under 130 pounds are considered petite sleepers. Petite sleepers may need to go down a firmness level from the one that corresponds to their sleep position to get the kind of deep compression they need. Mattresses for lightweight sleepers should offer ample amounts of pressure-relieving cushion.

On the other hand, those who are heavier than 230 pounds are considered plus-size. Plus-size sleepers will likely need to go up a firmness level. If you don’t have a firm enough mattress for heavy sleepers, your sleep surface can allow you to sink into it. This can leave you feeling stuck or push your spine out of alignment.

Overview of Mattress Sizes

If you’re trying to match a custom mattress with a frame meant for a standard sized mattress, keep in mind the common dimensions.

FAQs

How do I know which firmness level my custom mattress should be?

The best way to figure out what firmness level you need is to take a look at your sleeping position. Your preferred sleep position is the biggest deciding factor of your firmness level baseline. You can make alterations based on your body type and your preferences from there.

Side sleepers will need the softest mattresses because they need lots of deep compression and pressure relief for their hips and shoulders. Combo sleepers need medium mattresses that are versatile enough to accommodate multiple sleep positions.

Back sleepers need medium-firm mattresses that can compress under the buttocks while still supporting the lumbar region. Finally, stomach sleepers need the furnace mattresses to keep their pelvises lifted and their spines aligned.

If you weigh more than 230 pounds, you may need to go up a firmness level from the one that corresponds to your sleep position. Conversely, if you weigh under 130 pounds, you will likely need to go down a firmness level. Those who fall between these two numbers can generally stick to the firmness level that works for their sleep position.

Can I customize any split king?

One of the reasons split king mattresses are so popular is because they are so easily customizable. All you need to do to customize your split king is get two different bases and two different mattresses.

Each partner can have their own twin XL bed base and their own twin XL mattress that suits their needs. That means you can get whatever firmness level you want and whatever material you want. Best of all, you can use whatever adjustable base settings you want on your side of the bed. You can share a bed without compromising at all, and this is true of all split kings.

Which material is best for my custom mattress?

That depends a whole lot on your preferences, as different materials offer different benefits. Those who want a highly durable and all-natural mattress should generally stick with latex foam. Those who want a highly contouring and pressure-relieving mattress should consider memory foam.

If you want the ultimate in cooling and responsiveness, hybrid mattresses might be for you. And if you just can’t give up that bouncy feel, you may have to stick with an innerspring mattress – though we recommend hybrids in place of innerspring beds because they are much more adaptable and motion-isolating.

Can I customize my mattress size?

Typically, mattresses come in the standard size run that starts with the regular twin and goes through the king sizes. However, there are a lot of non-standard bed sizes that you can choose from.

For example, there are several alternative queens that you can select. The California queen and Olympic queen are 60 by 84 and 66 by 80 inches, respectively. So if you want a little more width or length without going up to an oversized king, one of these mattresses could work.

There are also several oversized kings that you might consider. The Texas king offers a ton of extra width at 80 by 98 inches. The Wyoming king adds some width to the California king at 84 by 84 inches. And the Alaskan king is a truly enormous mattress, coming in at nine by nine feet.

How much should I pay for a custom mattress?

Since custom mattresses are custom, you can theoretically pay almost anything for one. It all depends on the size and material involved. If you want an affordable mattress, consider memory foam. This durable foam is whipped from petroleum products, so it’s easy to make and not all that expensive in comparison to natural foams.

The average price for a pure memory foam mattress is $1,100. That means sticking to a memory foam custom mattress can also help you stick to your budget. If you want a little more luxury in your life, consider latex or even a hybrid. Natural latex foam provides highly breathable and responsive comfort that beats memory foam in terms of bounce and temperature regulation.

Hybrids offer a combination of foam’s adaptability and coils’ bounce. Both latex and hybrid mattresses may offer more advantages than memory foam, but they come at a price. You can expect to pay on average $2,100 for a latex mattress and $1,750 for a hybrid.

Bottom Line

People are different, and they have vastly different preferences when it comes to their sleep surfaces. Or sometimes they need to fit a bed inside a specialized frame, such as an antique bed. Or a hideaway bed, like a mattress for Murphy bed.

This is why so many companies are now offering customizable mattresses that allow you to choose your feel and firmness without having to build a whole mattress from scratch.

This can be the most convenient option for those who need a little bit of customizability but don’t want to spend the time or effort finding a custom mattress maker. If you want the freedom truly set up the best mattress for you, looking at your custom mattress options can be the way to go.

Dr. Burns tests each mattress at eachnight’s facility to make sure the recommendations are based on real, expert reviews.