Hi,
I’m shopping for a regular (not an RV short sized) queen mattress for my RV. My situation is unique in that I will be living in my RV full-time for the next couple of years. I’ve been reading the helpful information on this site, but I’m beginning to feel overwhelmed. I’m nervous because I need to purchase a mattress in a box so I can get it into the RV bedroom, and once it’s in there, it’s likely never coming out and I’m stuck with it (unless I cut it into pieces). I’ve decided on latex (at least for the top layer), as I tend to sleep hot and I’m not a fan of the quicksand feeling of memory foam. So, here’s the facts:
-I don’t want to spend a lot, as I’ll only be using the mattress a couple of years. I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to remove it and take it with me if I sell the RV. I still want something really comfy/healthy in the meantime, otherwise I’d just get an air mattress.
-Side sleeper (but I’ve always gravitated toward firmer mattresses. I often have shoulder/neck pain and wake up with arms falling asleep. I’m thinking I should try something a little softer?)
-120 pounds
-Feel cold at the beginning of the night, but often wake up too hot.
I thought I had found a good deal with the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams mattress, at $599 for the queen. But it has quite a few poor reviews on Amazon. People are saying there are depressions in it after a short time. I thought latex is supposed to be more durable against that?
Next I looked at Brooklyn Bedding BME. It’s $750 for a queen, which is more than I really wanted to spend for an RV. I’m also unsure since Dreamfoam and BB are sister companies, and the Dreamfoam has those poor reviews. Even though the BME costs more, is it using the same materials?
I also considered buying a polyfoam base from Ikea or the Dreamfoam UD Crazy Quilt Flattop and then adding a 2" Talalay Latex topper from sleeponlatex.com. Then I read about the Sedona Sleep mattress, and saw that it was the same thing I was trying to do, except that I would know for sure that the base and topper are the same size. It’s more than I wanted to spend ($870), but because they are separate pieces, they may be removable from the RV and I could use them longer. Also, if the firmness isn’t right, I could probably still fit the topper out of the door to exchange it. I do have concerns about the topper moving around the mattress. I’ve used a topper before and it was about 4" smaller than the mattress and constantly shifting.
Lastly, I’ve also considered the 8" Sage mattress from Sleep Innovations, and adding an inch or two Talalay topper. The Sage is only $299.
Are there any other options I should consider? I would love a solution under $700.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … 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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) 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).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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 all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
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.
While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.
It may be worth considering a mattress protector that is quilted with wool which can help to regulate temperature in both directions. There is more about the pros and cons of different types of mattress protectors and some examples of each of them in post #89 here.
I would be very cautious about paying too much attention to some of the Amazon comments you are mentioning or reviews in general (either positive or negative) because they don’t generally provide any context or enough information to identify the many reasons that could account for the comments they are making. Latex in general is the most durable foam material in the industry so outside of any defects in the latex itself (which is very uncommon) if there is any sagging it would be in the quilting layers or the base layer under the mattress or in many cases what they are calling “sagging” is really what I call “virtual impressions” which are the result of choosing a comfort level that is too soft. You can see some more detailed comments about this 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 that once again 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).
There is more information about the pros and cons of the Brooklyn Bedding BestMattressEver and the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams latex mattress in post #4 here and the posts it links to that should also be helpful but both of them would certainly make great quality/value choices. Neither of them have any lower quality materials or weak links that would be a cause for concern in terms of the durability or useful life of either one of them for someone in your weight range.
You can see my comments about choosing a firmer mattress first with the intention of adding a softer topper later in post #2 here.
In most cases I would avoid this approach because of the uncertainty involved with making two purchase choices instead of only one and choosing a topper that would be suitable in terms of thickness, firmness, and PPP for a specific person on a specific mattress can sometimes be almost as difficult as choosing a mattress that doesn’t need a topper in the first place. I would generally focus on choosing a mattress that is likely to be a suitable match without a topper (unless you can test the combination in person or you are purchasing both online as a “set” that is designed to work together and they both have a good return/exchange policy) and then use the option to add a topper as a “backup” strategy in case your initial choice is too firm and doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for rather than a “primary” strategy.
If you do decide to try the mattress/topper strategy then if the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for both of you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing a topper and a link to the better online sources I’m aware of in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. A good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
My comments above would also apply to this mattress and I would also avoid buying any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/density of the materials inside it (see this article) so you can compare them to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress.
Outside of the Dreamfoam, Brooklyn Bedding, and Sedona Sleep mattresses you’ve already mentioned … some of the lower budget latex or latex hybrid mattresses that are listed in posts #3 and #4 here may also be worth considering.
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your more detailed conversations with each of them, your personal preferences, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers and any costs involved, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.