Advice on Memory Foam Mattress

[tsbuhr]

My husband and I have been sleeping on a queen size Tempurpedic mattress that we purchased in 2007. It was called the “Deluxe” model at the time. We absolutely love this mattress but are replacing it with a king. Over the winter, we went to the Tempurpedic store to find out what the comparable model was and was told it would be a Contour Signature. We purchased a barely used Tempurpedic mattress off of Craig’s List that we thought was a Signature based on the pictures and description…the owner didn’t know the model number. It turned out to be a Contour Select. We slept on it for about 6 weeks and tried to like it but it was too firm. We are back on our queen Tempurpedic and are hoping to find something similar that is a better value.

This forum is great and there is a good deal of info, but I am overwhelmed by all the information about different layers, materials, thickness, etc. I just want to find a larger version of the mattress we have, but would love to save some money. We originally purchased the Tempurpedic instead of a less expensive memory foam due to information overload. I knew we could get a better deal but wasn’t certain about the on-line products and which would be right, and didn’t want to spend the time to go from store to store and find other local mattresses.

We live in the Boston area and have looked at the web sites of the local options listed on this site and am not seeing a lot of memory foam…seems to be more coil and latex. It looks like there are some places where could have a mattress made from our specs but I don’t know what those would be. I’d also rather buy on-line as we don’t have much time for to drive around to different stores.

For on-line options, I’m not seeing only a few that are comparable to the Tempurpedic Signature (most are the Cloud line). Through searches here I see that the Christeli Astoria is supposed to be similar to the Tempurpedic Signature. I’m a bit concerned about the top. It has those buttons rather than the flat surface of the Tempurpedic that I really like. Would I need a mattress pad, thus changing the feel? Select Foam has a Contour Supreme that is supposed to be like the new Tempurpedic Supreme. I’m not sure if the Supreme is like the old Signature. The Christeli is ~$600 less than the Select Foam. Both have free shipping and reasonable return policies.

Any thoughts on these or other mattresses that would be similar to the Tempurpedic Signaure. Or better yet, the 2007 Tempurpedic Deluxe? Thanks in advance. This is a great forum and resource. I wish I had more time to dig in.

[phoenix]

Hi tsbuhr,

There have been a few changes in the Tempurpedic lineup since you purchased your DeluxeBed.

The old Tempurpedic DeluxeBed had the following layering …

1.2" TEMPUR Comfort Layer (5.3 lbs./ft. density) —Softer formula
2.8" TEMPUR Support Layer (5.3 lbs./ft. density)
Two Approx. 3" Airflow System Polyfoam Base Layers

The Contour Select which was introduced later had a very similar design …

1.2" 5.3 lb TEMPUR comfort layer
2.8" 5.3 lb TEMPUR support layer
6" Airflow Polyfoam Base layer - 2.2 lb density

… but as you discovered it was firmer (it was rated as a firm) than the DeluxeBed

The Contour Signature was slightly different and contained …

1.6" 5.3 lb TEMPUR comfort layer
2.4" 5.3 lb TEMPUR support layer
8" Dual-AirFlow System polyfoam base layer

… but was closer to the DeluxeBed in terms of its firmness level (medium firm)

None of these are currently being made any longer and none of their current mattresses have a similar design but the current mattress that would probably be the closest would be the Contour Elite which Tempurpedic rates as medium firm and contains …

1.2" Tempur HD 7.1 LB
2.3" Tempur Material 5.3 LB
Dual Airflow system
4.5" Airflow Polyfoam Base layer 2.0 LB
4.5" Airflow Polyfoam Base layer 2.0 LB

Comfort and softness can be somewhat subjective so not everyone will agree that one mattress is a good match for another one so I would suggest testing the Contour Elite in a store to confirm whether it feels similar to your DeluxeBed to you. The Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe may also be worth testing since Tempurpedic also rates this as a medium firm mattress. You could also test the rest of their current models to see if any of their other current models is the best match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences)

If the Contour Elite (or the Rhapsody Luxe) feels similar to your mattress or if any of their other current models are a better match for you then the tutorial post includes this link to some of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of and several of them make mattresses that are designed to approximate the various Tempurpedic mattresses and if you talk with them on the phone they will be able to tell you which of their mattresses are closest to the Tempurpedic mattress that you are using as a reference point (whether it’s one of their past models such as the Contour Signature or one of the current Tempurpedic model lineup).

We live in the Boston area and have looked at the web sites of the local options listed on this site and am not seeing a lot of memory foam…seems to be more coil and latex. It looks like there are some places where could have a mattress made from our specs but I don’t know what those would be. I’d also rather buy on-line as we don’t have much time for to drive around to different stores.

The Boston List includes quite a number of manufacturers or retailers that make or sell memory foam mattresses but you would need to test them in person to see which ones feel closest to the DeluxeBed to you. You could also call them to ask if any of their memory foam mattresses are similar to the current Tempurpedic mattress that you prefer.

Phoenix

[tsbuhr]

Thanks so much for the information. It is really helpful to know the change in the Tempurpedics as I was targeting the wrong one.

I called Select Foam, Restava and Christeli. Select Foam recommended their Regalis, which would cost $1709 including the Mattress Underground discount and a free foundation special. Restava recommends their Ivory or Astoria. The Ivory is $1,417 with the 7% discount. Finally, Christeli recommends the Astoria for $1163, including foundation and 2 pillows.

There are differences in length of trial periods but all have acceptable enough return policies and all offer free shipping. To this uninformed consumer, it appears that the Select Foam Regalis has a more similar build to the Tempurpedic followed by the Restava Ivory. The Christeli Astoria seems to be a completely different build and makes me a a bit nervous.

Other than differences in layers, is there anything that explains the price difference? They all seem like they use quality materials and stand behind their products. All are within my price range but if I can pay less and be happy, that is never a bad thing.

Thanks again for any input.

[phoenix]

Hi tsbuhr,

There are differences in length of trial periods but all have acceptable enough return policies and all offer free shipping. To this uninformed consumer, it appears that the Select Foam Regalis has a more similar build to the Tempurpedic followed by the Restava Ivory. The Christeli Astoria seems to be a completely different build and makes me a a bit nervous.

There is more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” another one in post #9 here that may be helpful. I would keep in mind that a mattress can be a good approximation for another one in terms of comfort/pressure relief or alignment/support but can have a different “feel” or design. It may still be a good idea to test the current Tempurpedic models in person so you have a better sense of how closely they match the mattress you are sleeping on before you decide on which mattress to purchase that may itself have some differences in how closely it matches one of their current models.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here.

Other than differences in layers, is there anything that explains the price difference? They all seem like they use quality materials and stand behind their products. All are within my price range but if I can pay less and be happy, that is never a bad thing.

There is more about this in post #14 here. In very general terms higher quality/density foams are more costly than lower quality/density foams of the same type although there are other factors involved in the raw material cost of foams such as certain performance benefits that are part of the foam formulation besides density as well.

I would also keep in mind that the return or exchange policy is part of the built in to the cost of a mattress will have an effect on the price because the majority of customers who don’t return a mattress would be paying for the minority who do. There are differences between the return and exchange policies for each manufacturer in terms of the length of the trial period, the minimum usage time before a mattress can be returned or exchanged, and the costs involved in returning a mattress that may be important to you in the minority of cases where this becomes necessary. The Restava return/exchange policy is here, the Select Foam return/exchange policy is here, and the Christeli return/exchange policy is here.

Phoenix