Sand Mattress? October 06 2016

Sand as a mattress filling?  This was not our idea but one of our customer's. In his email to us he said the only place he could sleep free of back pain was at the beach.  He was writing to know if he could use sand in our mattress kits instead of buckwheat hulls.  
I grew up near the beach and had also spent many nights sleeping on sand. I remember how it did give me lots of energy the next day.  I did some serious thinking about using sand as a mattress filling before getting back to my customer's inquiry.  
I could not get past a few obstacles with using sand though.  First, the ticking must be non-permeable (sand would leak through most fabrics, especially the open knit of our kit fabric) which meant very little air flow and this could eventually trap moisture under the mattress, creating an undesirable environment there.  Also, sand is a bit too firm and cold, so a topper layer (for most folks) would be needed, negating the contouring effect of the sand, which is the whole point in the first place.
Contemplating sand as a mattress filling was a great exercise, but it just reinforced how hulls create a great sleeping surface. Buckwheat hulls do create a very similar feeling to sand, but they also provide more desirable attributes for a mattress, the big ones being air flow and temperature / moisture control.

I have to admit there is something about being able to dig my toes into my buckwheat hull mattress; a true luxury.  It is just like being at the beach ... but without the sand.

Update: One of my favorite blogs, Root Simple, recently blogged about another healthy mattress company that actually is selling mattresses filled with white marble sand. I am so happy to see the trend in mattresses is going toward materials direct from nature and away from flammable, petroleum based materials.
Sand Mattress?
Idea for a DIY sand bag mattress!  
Note, this was just an idea and we have no plans to go into the sand bag mattress business!!  :)