I’ve been reading lots of helpful information here and some other good sites and thought I had landed on the bed for me-- the DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel Memory Foam mattress for $799 (queen).
I brought my girlfriend to our local Sleepy’s store to see if she shared my delight.
The plan was to just go in, lay on it for a little bit, have her make a decision and then leave. Of course we were the only people in the store so we were approached by a salesperson. She claimed to be currently sleeping on a TempurPedic but if she could do it over again she’d get a ComforPedic (by Simmons). It felt a little more responsive than the cloud luxe, and I liked it-- but the kicker for my girlfriend was the ‘edge support’. The saleswoman had me lay on the edge of the cloud luxe and take note of how the edge seemed to collapse. What it was actually doing was conforming to the pressure I was applying, but okay-- fine.
The ComforPedic has some sort of extra support along the edges and it was a noticeable difference. My girlfriend was rather taken by this and now she’s against the cloud luxe/DreamFoam… so I’m back to square one.
For any DreamFoam owners; how is the edge support for you?
For anyone else; are there high quality alternatives to the $2500+ ComforPedic that offer the feel of the cloud luxe and the side support my girlfriend wants?
I think your girlfriend is being “sold” on a benefit that is questionable at best. If you have a firmer edge with a memory foam mattress that uses lower quality materials in the top layer (like the Comforpedic) then if the edge stays firmer when the parts you sleep on get softer (which they will) you would be sleeping in a “well”. If you use lower quality edge materials that soften anyway it wouldn’t make any real difference. In practical terms I would question the value of the feature with a memory foam mattress in the first place when higher quality memory foam (which the Comforpedic doesn’t use) doesn’t really need this kind of edge support. This is part of what I call the “managed environment” of a mattress showroom where salespeople are trained to tell their “stories” and create a “problem” which a mattress they sell “fixes” and then the customers believe the importance or “value” of the story they are hearing.
The Comforpedic would be a poor quality/value choice IMO but if this really is important to her then it may be worth the extra money and lower quality materials that come with it for her even though a good quality memory foam mattress with a good quality support core doesn’t really need it. It’s also a good way to save on the cost of memory foam by using lower cost polyfoam around the edges of some of the layers.
A couple of examples of mattresses that use a “wedge” for an edge support system that at least minimizes the use of polyfoam and the longer term issues that could be connected with its use are here and here.
I have spent some time in sales when I was younger and totally understand what you mean about the ‘managed environment’. I hadn’t thought about how if the edge support is firmer, it will essentially create a well over time. It makes a lot of sense, though.
Thank you for also confirming that the comforpedic also uses lower quality, shorter lasting materials than the DreamFoam.
My girlfriend has agreed to try the DreamFoam out. I will report back once we’ve had a chance to get a good idea of how we like it.
It’s amazing how many “tricks” can be used in a mattress showroom to change people’s perceptions and how talking points can sometimes replace real information. A friend of mine that has a great “beducational” series of videos about mattresses and the industry just released this one about the difference between factory training and an educated comfort consultant.
Most important though … congratulations on your new mattress
I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it.
