looking for med to firm feel for two people in king size… 250lbs and 170lbs… want a bed to firm feel… differences are brookly is latex topped and christeli is 5.3lb memory foam topped… looking for good support and durability… seems like brooklyn is really pushed on this forum but i’ve read some bad reviews… don’t here much bad about christeli…
Hi kchurch2213,
There are also no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) 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. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).
Latex and memory foam are very different materials with very different properties but the choice between them is more of a preference and budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about some of the differences between memory foam and latex in post #2 here but the best way to know which type of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms would be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience with each material in a range of different firmness levels.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
Both of them use good quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links that would compromise the durability or useful life of either of them or would be a cause for any concern.
Outside of being in different categories … I would also keep in mind that the only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a suitable “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) and how well you will sleep on it will be based on your own personal experience so the return/exchange policy of an online purchase can be an important part of the value of a mattress purchase.
Christeli has a 50 day trial period that allows a one time exchange for a firmer or softer model (and you are either charged or credited with any difference in price) .if your original choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for. They don’t offer any returns or refunds and there are no additional options if the mattress you exchange for also doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Brooklyn Bedding has a longer 120 day trial period that in addition to a one time exchange for a firmer or softer model (they are the same price) also allows you to return/donate your original choice for a complete refund so there is no risk involved in trying it outside of the time you spend sleeping on it and/or returning it should that become necessary.
I can help with “how” to choose but It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind once again that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
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Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
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Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.
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Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix
for heavy people over 240lbs would you be willing to say latex or heavy 5lb foam would be better for longevity. and heavy people…the beds i am looking at are
Talalay: 60S/40N — Dunlop: 100% Synthetic — Poly Foam: ~34-36 ILD - brookly bedding
christeli astoria which has a 3" layer of 5.3lb memory foam -not sure the specs on core
ULTIMATE DREAMS ARIA 12″ GEL MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS - 2 layers of 4lb memory foam totaling 4"
Hi kchurch2213,
While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs relative to your weight range that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” beyond that would be higher as well.
There is also more detailed information about the variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress (and the materials inside it) in post #4 here and the posts it links to as well.
If you were only talking about a single layer then I would give latex the advantage vs 5 lb memory foam in terms of durability and any additional “bonus time” you may experience but with a mattress that includes multiple layers and when you are looking so far into the future where there are so many other variables and more subjective considerations involved that can vary from person to person such as the loss of comfort and/or support relative to the comfort/support range that would be suitable for any specific person then it’s impossible to know for sure when it comes to a specific mattress design.
The Ultimate Dreams Aria has 4" of 4 lb memory foam which includes thicker layers of 4 lb memory foam than I would normally suggest in your weight range which would be more risky in terms of durability than either of the other two mattresses.
Phoenix