Boat and V-Berth Mattress Toppers, Custom Cut

Why the factory cushion is not enough

Most production sailboats and cruisers ship with 3 to 5 inches of medium-density polyfoam in a vinyl or fabric cover. It is a cushion, not a mattress. After a few seasons it packs down in the middle, and you feel the plywood berth base through it. Most owners get another five years out of the original cushions by adding 2 to 3 inches of good foam on top, which is cheaper and much easier than re-covering the cushions.

The other problem is heat and moisture. A closed-cell foam or a cheap egg-crate pad traps sweat against the cushion, and the cushion traps it against the hull. Open-cell foam breathes and dries faster. Our gel memory foam is open-cell and our Talalay latex is naturally open-cell and mildew resistant, which is why we suggest one of those over a dense conventional memory foam on a boat. A stock RV size will do for a square aft bunk; anything else is a custom cut.

How to template a V-berth or aft cabin

Make a template. Tape together sheets of cardboard, rosin paper or a cheap plastic drop cloth on the berth, press it into the corners, and trace the outline with a marker where the cushion meets the hull liner. Cut it out, test fit it, then write the measurements on it: the widest point at the head, the width at the foot, the length down the centerline, and the length along each side. Photograph it with a tape measure in the shot.

For a V-berth, we usually cut the topper as two mirrored pieces split down the centerline, or one piece with the sharp point squared off a few inches, since a narrow tip of foam only gets in the way. A split also lets each side lift on its own for the storage lockers under the berth, and gets the pieces through a narrow companionway.

We cut straight lines and angled corners to the half inch, up to 80 x 84 per piece. Curved hull sides are cut as two or three short straight segments, which disappear under a fitted sheet.

Thickness and headroom on a boat

Headroom over a berth is the limiting factor. Many V-berths have 18 to 26 inches above the cushion at the head, less at the foot, and a quarter berth under the cockpit may have under 20 inches. Measure from the top of the bare cushion to the deckhead at the head of the berth and subtract an inch for bedding.

• 1 to 2 inch: quarter berths, pilot berths, and any bunk where you already bump your head. Also right for a cushion that is still in decent shape.
• 3 inch: V-berths and aft cabins with 24 inches or more of headroom, on a cushion that has packed down. The most common cruiser order.
• 4 inch: a big aft island berth on a powerboat, or a cushion you plan to replace later but not now.

We also make a full 8 or 10 inch RV mattress in stock RV sizes if you want to replace a square berth cushion outright.

Foam that can live in a damp cabin

Gel memory foam gives the best pressure relief for a hard berth base and is open-cell so it dries out. Talalay latex (2 or 3 inch, 24 ILD soft or 28 ILD medium) is the choice for boats that sit in humid climates or get closed up between trips: it is naturally resistant to mildew, breathes on its own, and springs back after being stuffed into a locker. Both are made without fiberglass or fire-retardant sprays; the memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified and the latex is Oeko-Tex certified.

Every piece is poured, cut and packaged in Phoenix and shipped free by FedEx Ground in the lower 48. We can ship to a marina office. Allow 24 to 48 hours to decompress on the berth, then sleep on it for 30 nights; if it is not right, returns are free. Custom pieces carry the same 5-year warranty as our stock toppers.