Christeli Briella Mattress

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

After 2-3 weeks of reading forum posts here and all of Phoenix’s great advice, I finally purchased my mattress from Christeli aka Luxepedic aka Park Place. I bought the Briella model, which is supposed to approximate the Tempur-pedic Cloud Luxe model. Here’s a rundown of the Briella:

  • 1" or so of a quilted aloe vera cover with “tufting” which is probably polyester fibers- verified by Christeli not to affect the “feel” of the memory foam at all
  • 5" of 5.3lb memory foam

Below the above comfort layer is a separate adjustable firmness “Ortho-Core” support half. It’s 2lbs in density, has edge support and has an additional layer on the bottom and top, which I am assuming vary in density and can adjust the “feel” of the mattress slightly to fine tune it. I really liked that aspect of this mattress and seemed pretty genius. Granted, it probably won’t be a dramatic difference, but should be enough for someone who wishes there mattress was just a little firmer or softer.

Based on reviews online, this forum, and my research, the composition of the mattress is actually closer to a discontinued Tempur-pedic model called “The Celebrity” (also 5" of 5.3lb) than the actual Cloud Luxe (2.75" of 5.3lb and 2" of 7lb), but I will get a feel of the mattress once I receive it this week. Not 100% sure why Tempur-pedic discontinued “The Celebrity” though, which is a little discouraging, but should overall meet my needs.

I also took your advice and bought the Sleep Suite Organic Cotton mattress protector and think its sleeping pretty cool so far on my current mattress.

Will update this with my review after I receive the mattress this week. Stay tuned!

2

Hi ekoprez,

Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

You certainly made a good choice in terms of quality/value and I hope you have the chance to share your thoughts and feedback when you have received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Just for clarity and reference … the Cloud Luxe actually uses 2.75" of the Tempur ES memory foam in the top layer (@ 4 lb density) over 2" of their HD 7 lb memory foam.

Phoenix

3

Thanks for the info!

I just received my mattress today and I was surprised how much heavier the box was that contained the topper. Being that it’s 5" of 5.3 lb foam it makes sense.

So far, it’s much more comfortable than my 14" Novaform from Costco. Not entirely sure how the flippable Ortho-Core base works, but it may be some density layering going on below? At any rate, its soft but not as soft as the Cloud Luxe, but I hope that will come in 30 days time. I’ll report back in a few weeks on comfort. I may even revisit the Cloud Luxe in a store to compare again.

Only gripe from my partner is that edge support doesn’t seem to work that well. Hoping this also improves as the memory foam expands.

4

Hi eko4prez,

Thanks for the update and feedback … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

I’m also looking forward to any updates you have the chance to share once you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a while.

The Ortho-Core has a different firmness level on each side (not density) so you can flip it to the softer or firmer side to change the feel and support of the mattress.

As you mentioned … a mattress will be firmer when it is brand new and will break in and soften over the course of the first 30 - 90 days or so as the foam loses any of its initial “false firmness”, the layers settle, and the cover stretches and breaks in a bit as well. Once this initial period is complete then further changes will be much more gradual over the years.

Phoenix

5

Just curious, what is going on inside the Ortho-Core that makes one side firmer and one side softer? From the cut-away here, it looks like theres a thick layer of polyfoam sandwiched between two thinner slices. I was assuming one of the slices may be higher in density to provide a more “firm” feeling, but based on your response it doesn’t seem to be the case. Any guesses on what’s going on under the hood?

6

Hi eko4prez,

If you look at the cutaway you will see that there is a thinner layer on each side of the Ortho-Core. One of these layers is firmer and the other is softer.

Density is a “quality spec” that is the most important part of the durability of a material and not a “comfort spec” which determines the softness or the firmness of a foam. Any density of polyfoam can be made in a wide range of firmness levels. That’s why you can’t tell the quality/durability of a material from lying on it (lower density and less durable foams can be just as soft or firm as higher density more durable foams).

Phoenix

7

There’s no delicate way to ask this, how much do you weigh? I tried the dreamfoam from amazon becasue I liked the cloude luxe, but my rear end sinks too far into the mattress getting me all out of alignment. I felt like the cloud luxe gave me the sinking into the mattress feel without sinking in too far. I am 5’7 200 lbs. Could you comment on the softness vs support of the Briella?

THANKS!!

8

I’ve been meaning to update my experience here after my first week. To answer your question Blackbird, I’m about 5’6 170 lbs and my partner is about 5’7 150 lbs.

The first week has been with the Briella great. I came from a Costco 14" Gel Memory Foam mattress which was described online as a medium feel, but was very firm for me, even after a month of ‘breaking in’ time. So compared to that mattress, this one is infinitely more comfortable (read: soft).

After the first week, I visited my local mattress store and laid on the Cloud Luxe again to see how well the Briella compares. What I can say is that it comes very close overall. The Cloud Luxe in-store may have had the advantage of being completely broken in, and I am also sleeping on a mattress protector which makes it a tad more firm, but despite these factors the Briella still is soft yet supportive. The Cloude Luxe is a bit softer though.

The only thing I don’t like about the Briella is it’s tack & quilted top. It has firmer memory foam sewed into the top and you don’t really get that “hand imprint” feeling since the 5.3lb memory foam is under the quilted top. Also, it makes the bed look lumpy, so I would have preferred a flat surfaced mattress like the Luxe, but it doesn’t detract from the “feel”.

However, for the price and comfort, the Briella is very good. It’s weird, I have woken up many mornings shocked that it’s the morning. On old mattresses, I’d toss and turn and be more cognizant of how much time has passed, but with the Briella I wake up and am in disbelief, kind of like when you take a nap mid-day and wake up not sure if it’s actually 7AM or 7PM. It’s a good feeling.

I’d also say that this is a side sleeper/back sleeper mattress. If you are a stomach sleeper, I’d go with the more countering but firmer Danieli model.

Let me know if you have any questions and I’m happy to help.

9

Hi eko4prez,

Thanks for taking the time to share such a thoughtful and detailed update … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

10

Mattress is great and the warranty is being updated on their website. Vinnie at Christeli cleared things up and I’m happy with my purchase and the customer service I’ve received.

11

Hi ekoprez,

Thanks for the update and feedback … I appreciate it :).

While I don’t pay a lot of attention to reviews (see post #13 here) … I do agree with you about the ethics of editing them without permission and it does call into question the validity of the rest of them.

I also tend to put much less weight on unrealistically long warranties than on the quality of the materials in a mattress purchase (see post #174 here) since they are mostly about marketing and only cover defects in construction and materials (which tend to show up early in the life of a mattress) and not the loss of comfort and support that is the main reason someone would need to replace a mattress.

Their warranty page doesn’t have many details about the specifics so if you can post the details of the warranty here (or attach a picture of the more detailed version) or share your comments about why you were unhappy with it then at least it won’t be edited here :slight_smile:

Phoenix

12

I spoke with Mike, one of their sales reps, and he stated that their warranty is lifetime, 15 year non-prorated and 50% for life after that, never dropping below that.

To what are you referring with the “bait-and-switch” mention?

13

Not sure where I belong in any discussions on mattresses with this website. I am looking for a new bed and looked at Christeli’s website. Is it just me or are others concerned that a) you cannot try the mattress in person. b) Christeli does not give money back. c) the warranty is not listed on website. d) twice I have called and told they would send me the warranty to my email and neither times was it delivered. e) they seem to think that a 3% rate for unhappy clients acceptable. f) and they get defensive about why they do not give money back. g) what if I fall into that 3% and cannot get my money back?

I know there are those who are happy with bed. Very few have problems, but even if every person liked their beds except me, the reviews would do me no good?

I need help with this mattress selection. I cannot afford a mistake. I also looked at Intellibed. There seems to be many beds in the foam arena that have fallen and failed. I am thinking Costco because of their return policy, but want the best mattress I can afford.I like soft, but supportive.

14

Hi catemarie,

I switched your post to a new topic so your questions wouldn’t get mixed in with another member’s topic … and I also deleted your second post which was a duplicate of this one.

These are all part of the “risk” and “risk management” that is involved with the purchase of any new mattress whether it is locally or online. Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice.

There is more about the different ways to buy a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that can help you assess and minimize the risk of any mattress purchase in post #2 here. There is also more about the most important parts of the "value of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses. There are many people that are quite comfortable with an online purchase and there are also many others that will only consider a local purchase. There are personal choices and there isn’t a better or worse choice … only a purchase that is inside your own personal risk tolerance.

There is also more about the pros and cons of an online purchase vs a local purchase in post #2 here and this topic.

An exchange or return policy is built in to the price of a mattress and there are many people who would prefer to pay less for a mattress than have the cost of a return policy added to the cost of their mattress. With return or exchange policies the people who don’t return or exchange a mattress pay for the ones that do and there are many people who are confident enough that they won’t need to return a mattress that they would rather not pay for the ones that do.

Many people that are committed to a memory foam mattress wouldn’t have an issue with no return policy if a manufacturer or retailer has many other good options available in different firmness levels because with their exchange policy the only real issue would be whether one of the Christeli mattresses would be suitable for them and finding the one that is “right for them”. If the first mattress turns out not to be a suitable choice then you would be able to use it as a guideline for choosing another mattress that was either firmer or softer and would be a better match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). They also list which of the Tempurpedic mattresses each of their mattresses are closest to so you have the chance to test a mattress that has a similar firmness level locally before deciding on the one that has the best chance of success for you. Again though … these are all part of each person’s personal value equation and risk tolerance.

While I would certainly want to know the terms of a warranty before a purchase … I would also keep in mind that a warranty only covers defects in the mattress and materials and not the gradual loss of comfort and support that is the main reason that people will need to replace a mattress. Warranties longer than 10 years are more about marketing than anything else and a warranty is not a reliable way to assess the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long you will sleep well on it before you cross the thresholds between sleeping well on a mattress to sleeping “OK” to “tolerating a mattress” to finally deciding to replace it. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here and there is also more about the most important factors that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people regardless of the length of the warranty in post #4 here.

If these numbers are accurate I think that most manufacturers would consider this to be a good return rate and would be happy with it and for the 3% that aren’t happy they still have the option of exchanging their mattress for another one.

I’m not sure why they would be defensive when this is just one of the many tradeoffs that are involved in how any manufacturer or retailer decides on their return or exchange policies. It’s also possible that you misunderstood an explanation for their policies as being “defensiveness”. Some return or exchange policies will be more attractive to some people and others will be more attractive to other people. There are many manufacturers for example that allow a return but their customers would pay for the shipping costs which may be a significant barrier to returning the mattress at all (especially if the cost of returning it is close to the cost of the mattress itself) and there are also many companies where any sale is final and they don’t have any return policies at all although this is less common with an online purchase.

First of all it’s important to be clear that you “won’t” get your money back so that you have no expectations that this would be possible. If you aren’t happy with your mattress then you would need to exchange your mattress for another one of their models that was a better match for you in terms of PPP. If for some reason the second mattress also wasn’t a good match for you in terms of PPP (which would be even less likely) then as long as you made sure that it wasn’t too soft then you could add a topper to the mattress to add any additional pressure relief or comfort that you needed (it’s much more difficult to “firm up” a mattress that is too soft than to soften a mattress that is too firm … see post #4 here).

I would be very cautious about using reviews (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information about either the suitability or the durability of a mattress and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a good choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).

If you follow the steps in the tutorial post one at a time you will have the best possible chance of making the most suitable, the most durable, and the best value choice that is the best “match” for all the criteria that are most important to you regardless of whether they are the same as anyone else’s criteria.

Phoenix