Buying a mattress has been one of the most frustrating experiences that I can remember, I wish I found this site sooner.
I am considering buying a Dreamfoam Aloe Alexis and I am hoping someone here can help me feel more comfortable with purchasing this bed. It is incredibly difficult to buy a bed that you cannot lay on. Chuck from Dreamfoam has been incredible answering my questions, so I guess I am trying to verify my conclusion that this is the right bed for us.
A little of our story:
I am 310 6ā5" back sleeper, my wife is 5ā6 140 primarily side sleeper. We spent $2k on a Simmons Beautyrest a little less than 5 years ago and my wife and I starting waking up with back pain in the morning a few months ago. We previously had a warranty call on the bed and were explained on how the mattress warranty works, but there was no visible indentation on the mattress so there was nothing the manufacturer would do for us. So we decided to buy another bed (before we found this site). We ended up purchasing a 14-inch Sleep Innovation Memory Foam mattress from Amazon, which I am in the process of returning. The mattress was too soft for me, I felt after laying on the bed for a while my pelvis sank and my back became uncomfortable. My wife absolutely loved the mattress and is sad that we are getting rid of it.
After doing some research on this site and talking to our local mattress store I have come to the conclusion that a latex bed would be probably bit the best fit for my weight. The local mattress shop did not have any latex beds to try, but they did try to sell us a Tempurpedic Contour Elite which we both thought was comfortable, but way out of our price range.
Initially I thought possibly getting a memory foam bed with higher quality materials would be a good fit, but Chuck at Dreamfoam and local sales person that we spoke to said durability would be an issue with any memory foam. My wife is against getting another spring mattress, so by the process of elimination it would seem like latex would be a good fit.
Chuck at Dreamfoam recommended the Aloe Alexis over their Total Latex because of the extra layer of latex. Can I reasonable durability from this bed even though it is not 100% latex? Also, chatting with Chuck think we are going to order split comfort levels. 3 for my side and 6 for my wife, does this sound reasonable?
I am in the same boat. I am a big guy also(260). I have gone through the spring beds about every 5 years. I tried a few beds locally but ended up going with the Aloe Alexis. I just went with it yesterday (happy dance). I love the idea of the two comfort levels within the mattress. I am going with the medium firm level 5. If I can get great sleep for 8 years I will be thrilled. I donāt know how many āChucksā are at Dreafoam but he went above and beyond any of the other places I called. I also am getting my free pillow!!
Iām assuming that youāve read the mattress shopping tutorial but two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the āvalueā 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).
While I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that donāt involve what you will āfeelā on a mattress, and help with āhowā to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress or combination of materials is the best match for you based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
The first āruleā 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 āmatchā for you in terms of ācomfortā or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or how a mattress will āfeelā to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or ātheory at a distanceā that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or if you canāt test a mattress in person then your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Having said that ā¦ when you canāt 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 (which would certainly include Brooklyn Bedding) and who can help ātalk you throughā the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and āfeelā of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best āmatchā 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 āaveragesā of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about āmatchingā their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
All of the layers in the Aloe Alexis (two layers of Talalay latex and 2.17 lb polyfoam) are very high quality and durable materials so there would be no weak links in the mattress in terms of durability relative to your weight range.
One of the advantages of the Aloe Alexis as they mentioned is that it has two layers of latex instead of one so you have more options after a purchase to either rearrange or exchange a layer to customize the comfort and/or support of the mattress after a purchase just in case your original choice doesnāt turn out as well as you hoped for. As they also mentioned in king size it also has the option to choose a different firmness level on each side which can be very helpful for a couple that has very different body types or sleeping positions and different needs and preferences in a mattress. There is more about side to side split firmness mattresses in post #2 here.
While the only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be an ideal āmatchā for you in terms of PPP is based on your own personal experience ā¦ the firmness options you are considering certainly seem reasonable to me and the Alexis would certainly make a high quality/value and durable choice.
Iām looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding.
Thank you very much for your help. Weāve decided to purchase the Aloe Alexis. Now the anticipation starts! It is very difficult to buy a mattress, especially online, but this site provides so much useful information and I feel like I have made an informed choice, instead of taking a chance if that makes sense. Thanks again!
As you know I think you made a great quality/value choice and Iām looking forward to your comments and feedback when youāve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
First night on the aloe Alexis was pretty good. I am coming from a cheap spring mattress so Chuck warned me there will be a little bit of an adjustment. It is crazy how the bed ships to your door. Who would have known they could compress the mattress like that. As for the bed it took me about 10 minutes to get it set up. It took shape very fast. As for the actual mattress, being a big guy, I am surprised that I felt so well supported. I am a side sleeper so I wanted some cushion but did not want to be stuck in the mattress. I guess short answer I am impressed so far. I will give a follow up review in a month or so.
Just ordered the Aloe Alexis King after discussing the mattress with Chuck on the phone yesterday - very helpful. I was originally looking at the Ultimate Dreams Eurotop but after talking to Chuck I decided on the Alexis. Iām 6ā 1" and well over 300 and my wife isnāt small either so the additional support provided by the extra latex sounds a lot better to me. Iām anxiously waiting for the mattress to arrive so I can put it to the real test, a more comfortable nights sleep. Our existing mattress is a 15 year old top of the line serta perect sleeper spring that is well past itās useful life. I post again once Iāve had the opportunity to sleep on the Alexis.
As you probably know I think you made a great quality/value choice (especially for your weight range) and Iām looking forward to your comments and feedback after you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Thanks to the information on the forums and a few emails back and forth with Chuck from Dreamfoam I ordered a Aloe Alexis King over the weekend. Our 10+ year old Sealy is getting pretty horrible. I canāt wait to try our new mattress. Thanks TMU for all the helpful info!
My Aloe Alexis arrived yesterday. My Fedex guy was very happy that I was home to help him carry the 2 large boxes up to the house. It was easier to unbox the compressed rolls before I carried them upstairs to the bedroom. The rolls are pretty heavy so I would recommend getting some help.
I unrolled & unpacked the mattress parts and let them air out for five hours or so (the documentation recommends letting everything air out and expand for 24-48 hours.). Assembly is very straight forward since one box holds the base of the mattress which is already contained in the mattress cover, and the other box contains the foam pieces which you just have to insert into a zippered pocket in the mattress cover. There is a slight āvanillaā smell from the foam but nothing terribleā¦
Sleeping on the mattress last night was heaven compared to my twelve year old Sealy posturepedic. I woke up with a slight headache so I think there is some off-gassing going on. I probably should have followed the instructions and let it all sit out for a day or two. Iāll pull back the sheets today and leave the windows open. Hopefully that will take care of it.
So far I am very satisfied, as is my skeptical wife.
Iām well over two years on my Aloe Alexis and still sleeping very well. I cannot detect any issues with this mattress at all. Buying the Aloe Alexis was one of the best decisions ever.
I am new the forum and just bought a Aloe Alexis King size bed. Comfort level 5 because I like a firmer setup. Once the mattress gets here I will do a complete review.
This other thread was helpful in making the choice on the mattress itself not the comfort level. For that I talked to Chuck and also compared a comfort level from a different brand (Thomasville) after trying one of those mattresses in the store (Supreme 934).
Chuck, the Sleep Specialist, has been extremely helpful and donāt forget to mention that you are a member on Mattress Underground to get the free pillow.
Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding ā¦ and congratulations on your new mattress
As you probably know from your reading here I think you made a great quality/value choice and Iām looking forward to your comments and feedback once youāve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
After a lot of research and reading Iāve decided to order the Aloe Alexis mattress! Customer service at Dreamfoam bedding has been excellent. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences with the mattress! Iāll be back with a review of the mattress once it arrives.
