In a previous post we described our efforts to improve mattress ventilation and comfort in the Pullman berth by installing Hypervent underlay and a Tufted Topper. The good news is that, so far, the underlay together with the topper we bought as a partial replacement for the original full mattress cover have both worked well. The Hypervent keeps the mattress dry and the topper is nice and warm.
Unfortunately the mattress itself has been a big disappointment. After spending plenty of nights on it, and despite being in generally good shape, we found we just couldn't get comfortable. We both like a firm bed but, even with the two ply construction of supposedly 'firm' and 'medium firm' foams, the mattress was just way too soggy for us. It had to go! We considered getting another foam mattress made with a harder grade, or maybe memory foam, but after we did some more research it became clear that no latex construction would ever give us the firmness we wanted.
Unfortunately the mattress itself has been a big disappointment. After spending plenty of nights on it, and despite being in generally good shape, we found we just couldn't get comfortable. We both like a firm bed but, even with the two ply construction of supposedly 'firm' and 'medium firm' foams, the mattress was just way too soggy for us. It had to go! We considered getting another foam mattress made with a harder grade, or maybe memory foam, but after we did some more research it became clear that no latex construction would ever give us the firmness we wanted.
So, we started looking at custom inner spring mattress designs.....wow they are pricey! But, after we recovered from the initial sticker shock and started looking more closely at designs and features, we thought that the investment was probably worthwhile. A grand is a lot to pay for a mattress barely the size of a standard double but, as we plan on moving aboard in the near future, we considered a good bed to be an essential piece of our 'dream'. Old Matelot backs aren't nearly as resilient as they used to be plus we reckon a good nights sleep in a comfortable berth will help us tolerate the loss of some of our other shore-side amenities! After a bit more research we ended up at Handcraft Mattress Company in Irvine CA.
We looked at several other mattress builders but finally settled on HMC as we thought they offered the best combination of quality, cost and turnaround plus they offered the most solid solution to the accessibility issues of the Pullman berth. On the B-Plan Freeport the mattress is fully captured by bulkheads at the head and the foot and by the hull on the outboard side. The remaining side only has an opening about two thirds the length of the berth. Making matters worse is a wide shelf that runs the full length of the outboard edge and the foot of the berth.
This restrictive design of the berth and the limited space for installing and removing the mattress, plus the need to periodically access the hatches in the berth base, sometimes quickly, are all challenges for the mattress design. Getting the old one-piece foam mattress in and out of the berth was a total pain but, as it was very flexible, with a lot of effort it could be muscled through the opening. Obviously an inner spring can't be twisted into a pretzel like foam so a one-piece design wouldn't work. HMC came up with a two piece, centre split design with a zipper to address the various accessibility and installation issues.
Once we had agreed the design we had to make a paper template of the berth base. That wasn't too difficult, although working through the limited access space without ripping the template in the process was hard on our backs and knees! We shipped the template off to HMC and waited. A little over two weeks later a huge box arrived! The photos below are our first trial run, assembling the mattress on the floor at our apartment.
Looking from the foot toward the head. Note the bevel on the one side to accommodate the angle of the hull. The two pieces aren't zipped yet.
Here is the zipper being connected.
This restrictive design of the berth and the limited space for installing and removing the mattress, plus the need to periodically access the hatches in the berth base, sometimes quickly, are all challenges for the mattress design. Getting the old one-piece foam mattress in and out of the berth was a total pain but, as it was very flexible, with a lot of effort it could be muscled through the opening. Obviously an inner spring can't be twisted into a pretzel like foam so a one-piece design wouldn't work. HMC came up with a two piece, centre split design with a zipper to address the various accessibility and installation issues.
Once we had agreed the design we had to make a paper template of the berth base. That wasn't too difficult, although working through the limited access space without ripping the template in the process was hard on our backs and knees! We shipped the template off to HMC and waited. A little over two weeks later a huge box arrived! The photos below are our first trial run, assembling the mattress on the floor at our apartment.
Looking from the foot toward the head. Note the bevel on the one side to accommodate the angle of the hull. The two pieces aren't zipped yet.
Here is the zipper being connected.
The two halves partially zipped together.
Both halves fully zipped, with the custom mattress cover on. Neat huh!
The three photos below show the mattress installed in the berth. The two separate pieces went through the entry very easily and there was plenty of room to zip them together once in place. There is about 3/4" of space round all four edges. When we need to access the hatch covers we unzip the mattress, pull the inboard half out of the berth and slide the other half out of the way then both hatch covers are clear.
This two piece mattress design is a slick arrangement. It is a good solution for a berth with so many accessibility problems and most importantly it is extremely comfortable. An expensive but very effective upgrade.
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