Do I dare buy a mattress online?

[phoenix]

Hi mightynurse,

You may be using the wrong search. The search window at the top of each page searches only the pages of the site and not the forum. The “search forum” tab at the top of the forum searches the forum and not the site and provides options for the type of search you want to do. A forum search on dreamfoam (you can just click this) currently turns up 835 posts that mention “dreamfoam”

1. Does the fact that DreamFoam is listed on this site imply an endorsement of the product and/or company?

I don’t recommend any specific mattresses becausse there is no way for me to know which mattress is suitable for each person (that’s up to individual research following the guidelines and each person’s personal value equation) but I believe the manufacturers and retailers that have been invited to become members of the site are among the best quality/value available and are “official recommendations” of the site yes. Just keep in mind that no matter what the quality or value of a mattress … if it doesn’t match your needs and preferences and you aren’t comfortable sleeping on it then it would have little value to you.

2. I see that DreamFoam is listed together with Brooklyn Bedding; how are they connected? One thing I have found particularly confusing in the mattress world is that certain styles of mattresses seem to be marketed under different names. Is that the case here? Is DreamFoam an online version of one of the Brooklyn Bedding products?

They are sister companies with common ownership that sell through different channels. There is some overlap but Brooklyn Bedding if focused more on a line that can be customized both before and after a purchase or are in a more premium range while the Amazon Dreamfoam channel is more focused on a lower budget range or “finished” mattresses that don’t have the ability to further customize after a purchase. Both are focused towards online sales although those that are close to their manufacturing facility can go there with an appointment and test their mattresses in person.

3. The product I originally posted about, the Ultimate Dreams Gel Memory Foam mattress, seems to meet our requirements in terms of our needs and our budget. In your opinion, is this sufficient to take the plunge, considering the fact that this site acknowledges the limitations of testing mattresses in “controlled” retail settings, and the fact that trying out mattresses has been useless for us in the past? Our feeling is that, for $800, it’s probably worth it. I would also welcome the opinions of other members as well.

I can only speak to the quality and value of a mattress and from this perspective I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a mattress from any of the members here. There is more information in mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here about making a suitable choice for your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and your own personal testing on similar mattresses or more detailed conversations with a manufacturer or retailer is the best way to make your comfort choice. They know more about their mattresses and which body types and sleeping styles tend to do best with each choice “on average” than anyone else.

Purchasing a mattress online carries more risk than local testing (that is done carefully and objectively) and your confidence that you have made the best choice (based on testing similar mattresses and/or more detailed conversations) along with the ability to exchange or return a layer or a mattress and the costs involved are all part of each person’s risk tolerance and personal value equation that can be part of the risk of any purchase. Only each individual can decide what is “worth it” to them and my role is to make sure they are aware of all the criteria that may be important to them so that they can eliminate the worst choices and make the best possible final choices between “good and good”. There is also more about the pros and cons of online vs local choices in this thread so you can decide which is best for you. Each person may have very different thoughts about this based on their own unique experiences and beliefs.

Phoenix