Hi TLNTX,
I would be very cautious about using other people’s reviews or experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for you or the durability of a mattress and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on or vice versa (see post #13 here).
There is also no “standard” definition or consensus of opinion for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that is firm for one can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. This is all relative and is as much an art as a science. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress (see post #15 here). With your higher weight most mattresses will tend to feel softer and less “supportive” than they would to others that are in lower weight ranges because you will sink into the mattress more.
Since you are in a higher weight range there are some guidelines and suggestions in post #3 here that will be helpful as well.
Based on Dreamfoam’s description and forum feedback … the Ultimate Dreams 13" gel memory foam mattress is closely comparable to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe in terms of firmness/softness so you could test The Cloud Luxe (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to see whether it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
While the Ultimate Dreams 13" gel memory foam mattress would certainly be a great quality/value choice for most people that are in average weight ranges (lower 200’s or less) … In your weight range I would be cautious with any mattress that approximates the Cloud Luxe (or the Cloud Luxe itself) for two reasons.
The first is that higher weights tend to do better with firmer mattresses than lighter weight ranges and buying a mattress that has comfort layers that are too thick and/or soft or a support core that is too soft has a much greater risk of sleeping out of alignment and causing back pain or discomfort. While this isn’t a certainty because it depends on your weight distribution and physiology as well … the risk would certainly be higher and I would make sure you have done some very careful testing (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) on the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe so you are confident that it (or any other similar mattress) not only relieves pressure in all your sleeping positions (which is likely since it’s their softest mattress) but even more importantly keeps you in good alignment over the course of the night. I would keep in mind that you can always soften up a mattress that is too firm and needs some additional pressure relief but there is very little you can do to firm up a mattress that is too soft without removing and replacing the rs that are too thick and/or soft.
The second is about durability. Lower density foams will soften and break down faster than higher density foams and this could be an issue over time with heavier weight ranges as well. This more rapid foam softening can lead to the premature loss of comfort and support that is the reason you purchased the mattress in the first place and if a mattress is already “on the edge” of the comfort/support range that would be suitable for you then even a relatively small amount of foam softening can take you outside of comfort/support range that is suitable for you fairly quickly (see post #2 here). Memory foam won’t tend to develop impressions that will be covered by a warranty and foam softening and the gradual (or more rapid) loss of comfort or support isn’t covered by a warranty so you would have little recourse if this happens other than buying a new mattress. In general I would tend to reduce and minimize the use of 4 lb memory foam in your weight range. There is more about the variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
Phoenix