Everything to Know About How to Cut a Foam Mattress

Memory foam
Everything to Know About How to Cut a Foam Mattress

How to Cut a Foam Mattress?

Memory foam is an old material that is mostly used in mattresses and toppers. The basic scientific studies lack suggestive evidence about memory foam mattresses enhance sleep and also help to provide relief if you have back pain. It can be difficult for you to search for memory foam mattresses that are already cut as per your needs. There can be many reasons behind getting a memory foam mattress cut. Some responses are discussed in this post ahead but there can be many other reasons as well. Cutting a Memory Foam Mattress can help in good fitting, proper adjustment, and many other things too. It is not difficult to cut a memory foam mattress now because there are so many tools that can be used to cut these mattresses. The different tools include an electric knife, craft knife, long knife, and many others too.

 

If you want customization options for your mattress so that it can fit in the space precisely, you need to follow a few steps to follow for knowing how to cut foam.  Following are the steps that must be followed got cutting a mattress or mattress topper:

  • Note the dimensions and size of the mattress chosen by you.
  • Remove the cover of the mattress.
  • Make use of a marker pen, ruler as well as a sharpened knife for measuring and marking the area which has to be cut.
  • Start cutting the mattress topper or mattress very carefully by placing it on a flattened surface so that there’s no need for extra compression.
  • Cut off the extra part and recheck the fit of the mattress cover.

Reasons to cut a memory foam mattress

There can be many reasons why you would want to cut a memory foam mattress. A few reasons are mentioned below as follows so read ahead:

  • Splitting a king-sized bed mattress into two individual mattresses.
  • Turning two double beds into just one by making use of a big mattress to overlay.
  • Customization of the shape and size of your mattress.
  • Customization of foam mattress for an unusually sized frame.
  • Fitting any memory foam mattress to a different area like within a boat, back of the van, mattress top over the mattress.
  • Reusing the parts of an already cut foam mattress for different applications like mats, makeshift pillows, and packaging material.

 

How to cut a memory foam mattress using an electric saw?

For using an electric saw to cut a memory foam mattress and mattress toppers, these steps are to be followed:

  • Know the dimensions and size of the mattress chosen.
  • Remove the cover of the mattress.
  • Assure to keep a ruler handy, marker pen to keep measurements of the saw blade to understand the depth of cutting.
  • Make markings of the place where the cut is to be done.
  • The memory foam mattress should be cut with accuracy by applying a little bit of pressure.
  • Cut the excessive mattress covering for a better fit.

 

Which knife should be used to cut mattress toppers or mattresses?

Both serrated and non-serrated knives can be used for cutting a memory foam mattress or mattress topper. However, it will be easier with a serrated knife to cut the mattress in the motion of a saw, but it can also leave a design that looks serrated on the mattress surface upon the foam after cutting. Also, with a non-serrated knife that is sharpened the user only needs to pull out the hand steadily through the material that is being cut allowing a good grip.

For thinner mattresses, heavy scissors might be used. Craft knives or utility might also be used due to their sharpness.

Saws and electric knives are simpler to use but don’t forget that you must place the foam in place to prevent distortion of the material.

knife

A hot wire can also be used. It is too good for those who want to carve intricate patterns from the foams with high density but you are supposed to be extremely conscious while you use this material. Once stopped, the foam gets melted in a single spot and it might appear messy. In general, it is not important to make use of hot wires until the shape of foam is small and the density is higher.

When talking about memory foam, this material is very strong and durable. Thus, you need not make use of very heavy tools to cut through memory foam mattresses. You can use either a knife or a normal one. Some commonly found types of knife that can be used to cut through a memory foam mattress are:

  • Carving knife: It is a very long and sharp knife used for carving. It is an ideal option to cut through a memory foam mattress. You just need to make use of very short period back and forth movements for cutting across the foam.
  • Craft knife: These knives are generally very sharp to work with foam. Additionally, they mostly consist of a lengthy, sharp tip that makes it easy for you to run through the material easily. Though in such a scenario, sawing must be avoided with other relevant motions. You can instead begin with a very low line cut on a shorter portion of the foam and cut gradually.
  • Extra-large scissors: In case a suitable knife is not available heavy scissors can also be used. Cut through a small foam portion and try using just the scissor top for better precision.
  • Long serrated bread knife: This knife must be sharp enough to be used as a bread knife and work on any kind of memory foam mattress. Sawing motions must be used for cutting across the material. You might find the edges a little ragged but that is not a major concern to worry about.
  • Electric knife: These knives can also be used for cutting across the memory foam mattress very precisely. The cut lines are very fine and perfect with no rough edges.

Can you cut a memory foam mattress at home?

It is okay for you to cut a memory foam mattress at home. However, there are some steps to be followed which include:

 

  1. Prepare the mattress 

Before anything else, you should make sure to get it checked with your manufacturer before cutting the memory foam mattress if you don’t want your warranty to get wasted unnecessarily. Just after getting the signal, a sharp knife has to be prepared along with measurement tape and marker. Make sure to sharpen your knife to make sure that the memory foam can be cut precisely.

There are so many sizes of mattresses available and one can easily use the basic dimensions to get help in the cutting procedure. Considering the places to use memory foam mattresses along with the headspace and foot space is also an important factor to consider. Also, memory foam mattresses differ from each other in terms of the materials that are used within the layers.

A few of the most common mattress sizes include twin XL, twin, queen, full, king and California king. You need to know all the dimensions to make the markings correctly. The cover has to be removed and another cardboard template traced as per the size needed.

 

  1. Make the cut 

If there is a cover on your mattress it can be cut off with the help of cloth scissors through the shorter side of your bed. It is not needed to cut the cover completely till the mattress can be taken out with ease. In this way, the cover can be reused once you resize it. Keep the mattress on a flattened surface and keep the knife in such a way that it is parallel places to the height of the bed. The focus is on applying lesser pressure while you cut the mattress to prevent differences in the shape and structure. How to cut a foam mattress is important to know if you want to get it customized as per your need.

If the memory foam is thick, the knife might not slice throughout the mattress. To make a clean-cut, don’t make a very deep cut at the beginning and a deep cut for next time. Few mattresses might also differ in terms of density in each layer and if the mattress is very soft, use cardboard on a single side to prevent extra compression.

The most reliable tool that can be used for cutting a memory foam mattress is a very sharp knife. Some of them go for a serrated knife because it provides more ease ness and comfort. You need not worry regarding serrated knife you must note that the mattress can be covered in any way. Many other tools can work equally food like shears and electric knives till the time the foam is handled. Am electric saw can be used if there is no space for working with the help of a hot wire.


FAQs

Is it possible to trim a mattress down to size?
If a latex mattress has to be downsized or upsized, it may be done without having to replace the entire mattress. You may cut the foams with a sharp electric cutting knife to make your mattress smaller. Simply cut each of your foam layers, but be careful since these blades are quite sharp and harsh.
Is cutting a mattress a good idea?
It is feasible to cut up your mattress if you are willing to put in some work. While it isn’t the simplest method for getting rid of your mattress, it is, in most situations, the most environmentally friendly.
Is cutting a gel memory foam mattress a good idea?
Yes. Because the gel particles are integrated with foam, there is no risk of gel escaping if you chose to cut your mattress.