I had finally settled on a 14" four-layer plush mattress from Lucid when I stumbled across this forum. After doing (a lot! thanks, Phoenix!) of reading, I see that would have been a bad idea. I did some reading, some price comparison, etc.
I’m a side-sleeper, and a fairly big guy on top of that (6’3", broad shoulders, 230 lb.)
Based on this, and some communication with the company, I think I have settled on the 13" gel-foam mattress from Dream Foam. I’ve had some trouble searching these forums for info on them (I think because both words appear so much and some say “dream foam” others DreamFoam…)
In any case, I’m looking for any advice on this brand & model. I think I can get what I want (queen 13" gel foam) for about $630, price is a real consideration :-/
Thanks for the advice, and thanks everyone for their information & dedication here… helped me see through the marketing bluster and not waste my money!
You’ve probably read some of these but as you know I would be cautious about Lucid and I would read post #6 here and post #2 here along with this topic and the posts they link to before considering them. A forum search on Lucid (you can just click the link) will also bring up more information about them as well.
A forum search on ultimate dreams 13 gel memory foam or on dreamfoam 13 gel memory foam (you can just click the links) will bring up most of the forum posts with comments and feedback about it (without including too many posts about other mattresses).
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 quality/value comparisons between mattresses but it really boils down to …
Your confidence that a mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and your recourse if it isn’t.
Checking to make sure that a mattress uses good quality and durable materials that are suitable for your body type.
Making good quality/value comparisons between your finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
While the Ultimate Dreams 13" gel memory foam mattress would certainly be a great quality/value choice for most people that are in average weight ranges (lower 200’s or less) … you are also “on the edge” of a weight range where I would be cautious about softer mattresses and I would also tend to reduce or minimize the use of 4 lb memory foam as well because they will tend to be less durable for those that are in higher weight ranges regardless of the manufacturer that uses them.
The mattress is similar to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe in terms of softness so I would first make sure that you have carefully tested the Cloud Luxe to confirm that it isn’t too soft for you in terms of PPP (you can use the testing guidelines in the mattress shopping tutorial for this).
It also uses 3" of 4 lb memory foam and I would be cautious about this as well with your weight (see the foam density guidelines here). The same cautions would also include the much more costly Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe as well which uses 3.5" of 4 lb memory foam.
If you have confirmed that the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe isn’t too soft for you (which would give you a good reference point for the Ultimate Dreams 13" gel memory foam mattress), and you are OK with the possibility of a shorter useful life than would be the case for others that are in a lower weight range, then it would certainly be well worth considering and would be a great “value” purchase compared to many other mattresses that use the same or even lower quality/density materials but are in much higher budget ranges.
Thanks for the advice… I did read through most of the already-posted advice and noted the Cloud Luxe comparison on a similar thread… I also figured out how to use your forum’s search features a little better after my post
I like the Luxe, it is definitely on the cushy end of things. It’s really hard to say how I would feel about a full night (or many) on one, but I was always raised to think that a firmer mattress is better for you… and it is, assuming you sleep on your back. It’s really only been the past month or so, as I’ve been first considering and then researching this purchase, that I’ve realized it’s all wrong for me. I always sleep on my right side, and have developed some minor problems with that shoulder as I’ve gotten older. I’m hoping that this will stop those problems…
I appreciated particularly your comment about mattress life vs. weight, as I didn’t consider that. I know that I’m right about the high range, but I expect that the trade-off will be worth it.
I’ve had memory foam toppers before, so I’m not a total stranger to the material, but a full-on mattress is new waters for me. I’ve slept on a few over the past years, at friends’ houses & etc., and found them suitable but often too stiff. After talking to owners and to my mother, who has a $300 Chinese foam bed, I felt like this was really the way to go. I had read your comments about Lucid, and seeing that DreamFoam is running a 10% off sale, I couldn’t see a reason not to spend the extra $100… and then a little more on some luxury sheets
I figure it’s a good investment both in fewer chiropractic bills down the road and in a good night’s rest - I’m also buying some proper blackout curtains and a Phillips “sunlight” alarm clock – and that if the mattress gives me five good years’ use, I’ll be really happy.
I really, sincerely appreciate your presence on this forum & the advice you’ve offered to me & to so many. I’ll do my best to offer some updates as I go along…
If you are a side sleeper then you would definitely need a softer/thicker comfort layer to relieve pressure points than you would need if you are a back or a stomach sleeper. There is more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”. A mattress can have both “firm support” (to help with alignment) and softer comfort layers (to help with secondary support and pressure relief) all at the same time.
[quote]I figure it’s a good investment both in fewer chiropractic bills down the road and in a good night’s rest - I’m also buying some proper blackout curtains and a Phillips “sunlight” alarm clock – and that if the mattress gives me five good years’ use, I’ll be really happy.
I really, sincerely appreciate your presence on this forum & the advice you’ve offered to me & to so many. I’ll do my best to offer some updates as I go along…[/quote]
I’m glad the site could help you. You certainly made a great quality choice for the budget range you are in … and congratulations on your new mattress
I’m looking forward to any comments and feedback you have the chance to share when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Hi DarklyDreaming! If you’re still around, it would be great to hear about how the Dreamfoam bed has been for you over the years. Fingers crossed that you come around!
