I have been looking for my Goldilocks bed for a while now and have narrowed down to DLX Premier Firm or Plank Firm Luxe to try. Most beds in stores feel too cushy and soft for me, 6’4” 210lb side sleeper. My hips sink too much compared to my shoulders and I hammock leading to back pain. I have tried the DLX premier firm before but the springs were damaged when they were rolled for shipping. The firm was almost too firm but with 1” of memory foam added in the cover it was a good balance and I’m sure would get better with break in. I opted to get a refund due to the damaged springs so I never got to fully trial it. I do want to say DLX customer service was perfect and helped out immediately. The plank firm luxe seems comparable in firmness but lower quality. I am now debating if it would be worth trying the plank firm luxe sight unseen or giving DLX another shot hoping that this time around there would be no spring issues. Let me know any thoughts
Hi Bear,
I have purchased the DLX Premier Hybrid for my MiLaw, and the Plank Firm Luxe for myself, 3 years and running. I am 6’ 220 (was 250+ when I bought the PFL) wife is 5’4 135. MiL is 5’3 170 at the time.
There is no question that the PFL is firmer than the DLX Premier, but in some ways the DLX is more comfortable for those who like a bit more cushion to rest their body on. Although my wife and I are side sleepers, I call us against the rule, sleepers. Everything they say we should like, never pans out. We like firm and there does not have to be a lot of cushion for our side sleeping. I like to say the PLF is firm, flat, but not hard.
The DLX PHFirm on the other hand is supportive, comfortable and you dont really feel like you are sinking into the mattress. I often like to compare it to the S&F Luxe Estate Firm Feel, but with better quality components, more durable mattress, and a zippered comfort layer that allows you to forever modify the mattress should your preferences change, or you simply by some stretch wear the comfort layer out.
I will tell you that my MiL wore out an over 2k BeautyRest mattress out in less than 14 months, due to a sink hole where her artificial hip hit the mattress with her side sleeping. This prompted me to buy her the DLX. I had them split the comfort layer firm/med, and they delivered it in less than a week at my begging. I needed to get rid of the BR, and I did not bother to invoke the warranty due to the labor intensive effort that emails, pictures and phone calls would have endured.
The DLX for her was amazing, her pain just went away within days. She had other health issues, but the hip pain, disappeared.
You are correct regarding the cover/panel of the DLX, it does offer a nice landing for folks who like a supportive mattress with a slight amount of on the mattress surface contouring.
As to the PLF being lower quality, perhaps, maybe, arguably, since the DLX uses 2.4lb foam and the Plank Luxe uses 1.8lb foam, denser foams are said to be more durable, so perhaps. Lets just say each has their own benefits for those folks who need to take advantage of them.
And wow, DLX had a damaged spring? That is actually the first time I have heard that. I guess it can happen to anyone.
You are looking at two very good mattresses in their genre. The DLX is a bit more versatile in that, you have 7 options for comfort. They even offer extrafirm latex, firm latex, medium and soft, along with the soft, medium and Firm HD polyfoam.
When I bought my PLF from @yawnder, long before they became a trusted member, it was sight unseen. I live in NJ they are in San Diego and it was coincidence I found them. I was looking at a firm Shifman at the time, and decided to give the PLF a blind try.
If you are unsure of which way to go, the more logical choice is the DLX PH. There are just too many options to make it right, whereas the PLF only has two, the very firm side and the firm side.
At 6’4 210 support is going to be a key factor, along with a proper foundation. 3z recommends up to a 4" spaced slat spacing, but I am suggesting you make certain to stay under 3", with slats that are rigid and do not flex, something in the 3/4 thick range and 2-3" wide slats. Or if you are using an adjustable base like my MiL, her yawnder4 adjustable uses solid wood decking to support the mattress.
As a side sleeper, you will likely enjoy the cover/panel of the DLX right from the start. If you are a solo sleeper and are unsure, and looking to get a queen or a king, you can opt for the split comfort to start, this way you can either switch sides on the mattress for testing, or if you have a preferred side, you can move the split layer to your preferred side when you determine which you like best. You will be hard pressed to recognize that split comfort middle with the construction of this mattress, so no worries there.
Hopefully, this gives you a personalized read of both mattresses.
If you have any questions, always here to help.
Maverick
Thank you for such a detailed reply Maverick, youre the perfect person to ask seeing as you have both! Its definitely good to hear that the DLX PH firm is softer than the PLF. When you say this is it compared to the PLF firm side or softer side? If it is both it sounds like it would be in my best interest to give DLX one more shot with hopefully intact coils this time. I do agree that the coil issue is very rare and I do not blame them at all, these things happen with large scale production. If you had to rank the two side by side firmness wise how would the DLX PH firm, PLF soft side, and PLF firm side compare on a scale from 1-10 for you?
I would say, as I always do, that the firmer side of the PLF rates about 9–9.5/10, while the flip side is closer to 8–8.5/10. We sleep on the firmer side. In comparison, I would rate the DLXPH Firm around 7.5–8/10.
These ratings are from my perspective as a 220 lb sleeper, based on how the mattress feels when I first get on it and after lying there for about 15–25 minutes. I pay attention to how flat the mattress remains, whether I sink in at all, and how straight my body feels while lying on it. I don’t use a weighted basketball or any diagnostic equipment, just personal testing and comparison. For reference, a 10/10 would mean no depression at all.
I also take note of how my body feels against the surface. Most mattresses give you a bit of initial response when you lie down, some sinking, contouring, and a little “play” in the material. With the PLF, however, you feel flat. Not in the sense of lying on the floor, the floor feels hard, while the PLF does not feel hard at all. It may sound contradictory, but once you experience it, you’ll understand.
After lying on dozens, if not hundreds, of mattresses and comparing their manufacturer ratings to my own, you develop a sense of how flat each surface feels and how much give or contour it offers. For example, with the DLX, I can actually feel a bit of contouring to my body on the firmer side of my mother-in-law’s mattress (likely due to the cover/panel of the mattress), whereas my PLF has very minimal contouring at all.
There are some mattresses that, when you lie on them, offer a lot of contouring, sometimes a couple of inches worth, but then you feel the firm support system engage and hold you there. A good example of this is the Titan Plus Elite. It has a very comfortable, luxury-firm feel that initially greets your body, but the firm support system underneath prevents you from sinking in any further.
By contrast, mattresses with a less firm support system allow your body to contour not only through the comfort layer but into the support layer as well, making the entire mattress feel more conforming. The Titan Plus Elite, in a way, feels like imagining the PLF with a luxury pillow top added on.
I am often quoted as saying there is more than one mattress that will work for a sleeper, even when the feel is different. It is all about how the mattress is constructed and what foundation is being used. When I tested a couple of the Hastens mattresses. Their medium was like lying on a stack of pillowtops stacked on each other. So much so, that my feet actually started to incline and feel like I was on an adjustable base, when I was not. Oddly, I felt nothing it was like I was suspended on a cloud. No hammocking, not flat, just floating. The first thing that came to my mind was, yeah, I can do this. Then I tried one that was super firm, their firmest, and yeah, I felt it. Isaac, at Hastens said, the way I described my experience on their “medium” is how a 350 or 400lb football player type describes their firm. I could actually feel the firm a bit more on the Hastens than the PLF. Of course this was after floating on their 2000T and Grand Vividus.
It sounds to me like the DLX may be the safer choice here. As someone who prefers a firm feel, I could definitely see myself being comfortable long-term on the DLX Firm as well. I can say the same about several mattresses I’ve tested recently. The Helix Plus Elite, for example, was extremely comfortable. The Titan Plus Elite is another excellent mattress, I was so impressed when I tested it upon its release in July 2024 that I ended up buying one for my guest room.
It is all about the right combination of build and thoughtfulness of construction, quality of materials and proper foundation.
Hope this helps and I did not confuse you.
Maverick
The contouring you describe is a little confusing. At the core of it I want a firmer support that adequately supports my hips while still allowing for some give for my shoulders while side sleeping. This has really been a hard balance to find but it is sounding more and more like I should give @DLX one more try. In regards to the brooklyn bedding line up it sounds like you are very well versed in them. From what you are saying I am thinking the PLF would most likely require me to use a topper with it. The Titan plus elite does sound nice but I am a bit hesitant with a large amount of comfort layers on top without trying it firms. I was also considering the signature firm but I am not sure if the standard coils are enough for me when the comfort layers would still be softer than DLX and PLF. The Titan plus luxe also looks like it could be an option but at the end of the day it feels a little like shooting in the dark for Brooklyn Bedding. One last side note is I am using an Ikea frame with replaced slats 3"x0.75" spaced less than 2" apart, with extra reinforcements under the center beam so I dont think the bed frame is playing any roll in my hips sinking in most mattresses Ive tried
I’m not sure where the confusion might have come from, probably my usual long winded response, so let me clarify. The PLF doesn’t contour much at all. I use a two-pillow setup, with an oxygen pillow as my top pillow, it’s the firmest, highest-loft version offered by @EuropeanSleep / European Sleep Works. With my base pillow underneath, this combination lifts my shoulder enough so it doesn’t press into the firm comfort layer of the PLF.
For most people, if the pillow loft isn’t right on the PLF, it can lead to shoulder discomfort. By contrast, when I test my mother-in-law’s @DLX, I still prefer a higher-loft pillow setup, but the cover /panel on the DLX are more forgiving. You don’t sink in deeply, but just enough that the top layer relieves shoulder pressure regardless of pillow height.
Typically, if you sink into a mattress more—especially at the shoulders, you’d want to reduce pillow loft to prevent your neck from angling upward uncomfortably.
Both the DLX and PLF provide solid body support. The PLF achieves this with its firm spring system and firm comfort layer. The DLX, on the other hand, uses 2.4HD foam and a robust support core, still supportive, but not as firm as the PLF. You have to consider the entire setup: the DLX offers more contouring than the PLF, largely thanks to its cover and panel design.
The Titan Elite takes that contouring even further. Despite its luxury-firm feel, its strong spring layer prevents excessive sinkage beyond the cover/panel layer.
Based on everything you’ve described, the DLX seems like the clear first choice.
Maverick
Hey Maverick! I just went and tried the S&F estate firm 14.5” at mattress firm again. It sounds like the 14” estate lux (I believe their step up from the mattress firm version) is comparable to the 14” medium dlx. The one at mattress firm was close but still a little too soft with the soft pillow top. This is reinforcing my thoughts with getting the firm dlx PH. I wanted to ask which coil height you purchased. I’ve seen some posts saying the 12” and 14” don’t vary much and others saying the 12” with 6” coils will be firmer. The 8” are 13.75g ~780 count for queen and the 6” are 15g ~1000 count for a queen from what I’ve seen
I purchased the DLXPH with 8" coils, as the 6" version wasn’t available at the time. The 6" option will feel slightly firmer overall. For those who enjoy the initial feel of the S&F Lux Estate or the Aireloom Firm, the DLXPH offers a very similar experience, at least it did to me, but with greater durability, longevity, and versatility.
I realize some might say, “You’re comparing a DLX to an Aireloom or the storied Stearns & Foster?” But when you consider the initial comfort upon lying down, then look deeper at the construction, such as edge-to-edge coils versus perimeter foam encasement, foam density, and the overall adaptability of the design, the comparison becomes much more reasonable.