Dreamfoam Latex-Over-Foam vs. All (Natural) Latex

I have worked my way down to three seemingly high-value mattresses and would like some feedback on what you guys think would be the best choice for long term value.

I like the qualities of latex, but my most important factors are durability and price.

I live in a small city without much access to “high end” bedding retailers and the one or two we have simply don’t seem competitive on price (2-4x as much cost for the what seems to be basically the same product), so I’m pretty much settled on purchasing online.

I’m a large-framed guy (210-220, 5’11") and I share sleeping arrangements with a smaller partner (115-124, 5"1), both in our early 30s. She’s had some minor back issues since she was a teenager. We both sleep in multiple positions (front/side/back for me - side/back for her) and I prefer my mattresses soft, so I’m probably looking for something about 25 ILD. Latex seems to be the ticket to get the plush feeling I want while still providing appropriate support for her back. I also tend to overheat at night, so the cooling properties are appealing to me.

1) DreamFoam Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress
At $540 (after discounts), I keep coming back to this one because of the price. Seems like most users have a very good experience, here, but a few of the complaints seem like they could be issues with the quality of the foam base.

2) Arizona Premium Mattress Company Adjustable Ultra Plush
This is an all-natural mattress with different options for the base on each side and a shared top-layer. We do not tend to sleep on evenly-delineated sections of the bed, so I’m not convinced of the value of different bases. Should I expect the different bases to be highly noticeable if you’re spread out across them?

3) Spindle Abscond Natural Latex Mattress
Again an all-natural latex mattress, obviously, but this one is constructed of three layers of latex for more adjustable comfort and their 1-year comfort exchange option is nice insurance that you end up with a great mattress.

So the questions I have are:
How much difference should I expect in the durability of the foam base of the dream foam? Is it likely to significantly shorten the useful life of the mattress?

and:
Will the split base used in the Arizona Premium mattress be very noticeable when you cross the boundaries?

Hi CummingsSM,

You are certainly looking at some very good quality/value options :slight_smile:

While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular person because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person, if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new and meets the minimum quality specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer. There is also more about the many variables that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #4 here.

The “best” place to use slightly lower density and lower cost materials in a lower budget mattress that will have the least effect on durability are in the deeper layers of a mattress that are less subject to the mechanical stresses of compression when you sleep and will have the least effect on the durability of the mattress. If you were in a higher weight range (more than the low 200’s or so where you are) then you would be compressing the deeper layers more and a 1.5 lb support layer would have more effect on durability than it would if you are in a lower weight range and don’t compress the support layer as much. Just as a frame of reference … 1.5 lb polyfoam is an “industry standard” for the support core for most mainstream mattresses including mattresses that are in much higher budget ranges. The upper layers are the place where I would avoid compromising the quality of the materials because they are generally the weakest link of the mattress.

There is also more about some of the differences between a latex/polyfoam hybrid and an all latex mattress like the other two mattresses you are considering in post #2 here but if you are using a 10 year time frame as an expectation and reference point for the useful life of a mattress then the differences will be more about feel and performance than about a significant difference in durability (although there may be some). Beyond 10 years an all latex mattress would have more “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” than a latex polyfoam hybrid.

I should also mention that if you were to order a king size instead of a queen that you can also “split” the latex comfort layer into two different firmness levels.

There is more about the pros and cons of split layers in post #2 here. While the goal of a split layer design is to make a noticeable difference between each side (more with “support” than with “comfort”) … how much you would notice it would depend on your sensitivity and on the amount of the firmness difference between each side. The solid top layer would smooth out the transition between sides so it wouldn’t suddenly “change” from one side to another and the top layers provide more of the “feel” that you notice when you first lie on a mattress than the deeper layers. It would also depend on which part of your body was sleeping across the boundary because you would notice more of a difference in how much you sink in with the heavier parts of your body such as your hips/pelvis than you would notice with your lighter legs. If you were sleeping exactly on the middle of the mattress with the split along the midline of your body on your back for example with your head and feet straight from the top to the bottom (and not at an angle) you may notice that you were sinking in or “tilting” more on one side of your body than the other but it would be relatively rare for someone to sleep exactly in this position and most people would sleep more at an angle with only part of their body on the “other side” where the firmness difference would be less noticeable.

Phoenix

Thanks, Phoenix! You run a very helpful site here and your guidance in finding the right information is invaluable. It sounds like I will probably be pretty well off with whatever I pick.

Hi CummingsSM,

I would agree that all of the options you are considering would make a very good choice even though they all have differences in cost and the options you have available both before and after a purchase.

Once you are down to finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and none of them have any obvious weak links or lower quality materials in their design relative to your weight and your budget and if there are no clear winners between them then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your material preferences, your conversations with each of them, their prices, the return/exchange options they have, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

Indeed! The replacement, warranty and comfort guarantee options are pretty much what I’m left with to make this decision.

Dreamfoam has a 45-day guarantee (30-day minimum) with a $100 restocking fee and a 20 year warranty with a 5 year full replacement period (not pro-rated).

Arizona Premium Mattress offers a 20-year warranty with a 10-year full replacement period and a 60-day refund or exchange guarantee (customer pays shipping).

Spindle offers a 25 year warranty (the longest of them all) with a 10-year full replacement period. They also have a pretty amazing 3/4ths of an inch sag threshold, which is half of what the other manufacturers require to consider it a defect. Obviously, this is a very good choice if you really want to be sure you’ll get a long lifetime out of your mattress. They do not offer a refund or exchange, but will offer a one-time comfort adjustment within the first year for $150.

All seem like very good options, and I think the longevity of a full latex mattress may very well justify the cost, but I think I will probably select the Dreamfoam mattress for it’s untouchable price and solid refund guarantee.

Thanks again for your excellent guidance on this, Phoenix (and for all the information all of the members of Mattress Underground have supplied). I don’t know how anyone could make an informed decision without you guys.

Hi CummingsSM,

Out of all the criteria that you mentioned the length of the warranty (and especially any prorated portion of the warranty) would probably be the least important of all since mattress warranties only cover defined defects and not the loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening over time that is the biggest reason that people will need to replace a mattress. Most manufacturing defects in a mattress will tend to show up in the first year or two or ownership.

Assuming you decide to pull the trigger on the Dreamfoam … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Like the others you are considering it would certainly be a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

So, it took Dreamfoam a couple days to respond and sort out the preferred comfort level with me, but once they shipped it, I received the new mattress the next day (~36 hours total transit time). I was looking for about 25 ILD and the options from Dreamfoam were 24 (#7) or 27 (#6). I opted for the higher ILD #6 because I was afraid going too soft would be risky with my partner’s back concerns and both of our side-sleep patterns. I regret that and should have gone with my instincts for softness. However, the #6 is only slightly stiffer than I would prefer and on the whole, both of us love the new mattress.

I can’t feel the poly foam support layer unless I really try (by, for example, falling on to the mattress in a sitting position so that my full weight is amplified by some velocity and focused on my sit bones). The poly foam support layer definitely has a very different consistency and is very firm, but I simply never feel it, during the normal course of using the mattress, through the latex comfort layer. So from a comfort perspective, I believe the Dreamfoam mattress is very likely indistinguishable from a full latex mattress and I’m happy with my decision to select Dreamfoam…

I wouldn’t actually suggest doing it, but the bamboo cover is really probably soft enough to sleep on without extra bedding, I have some very nice modal sheets (which I highly recommend) and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, but the mattress cover is definitely softer than some sheets I’ve encountered.

The latex comfort layer is everything I hoped it would be and this is a massive improvement over my old inner-spring mattress. I got this mattress for $540 (10% off) with a free shredded latex pillow (thanks to this site) and other than my own decision to err on the side of firmness, I am completely happy with it. If I get 5 years out of this mattress (and I have no reason to think I won’t) it will be well worth the cost.

Thanks, Phoenix, for running a great site with so much great information and for helping me sort out my decision process Mattress Underground really made this process a success for me.

P.S. - I much prefer my existing latex pillows (one-piece foam blocks) to the shredded ones sold by Dreamfoam, but for free, I can’t complain, extra pillows can always be used somewhere.

Hi CummingsSM,

Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding and for all your other comments and feedback … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

I’m glad the site could help you and most important … congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I think you did well!

Phoenix

Hello CummingsSM,

It has been a year since you made your purchase and I am curious about any feedback you are willing to provide. I am considering the same mattress you purchased… After reviewing the comments on Amazon, there seems to be many who feel the durability is an issue after 3-4 months (claiming deep valleys in the top latex layer from compression) -which I thought was unusual for latex- and complaints about up to 6 months of off-gassing from the lower foam layer. I’m buying for my 12 yr old son who is currently 105 lbs, but that will soon change as he becomes an adolescent. The chemicals used in the foam is also a concern for his developing body and his asthmatic lungs. I’m not sure if you will see this request for feedback, but if you do, let me know. Or if anyone else wants to chime in with feedback, please feel free. This mom wants her growing boy to sleep well and healthy at night! :slight_smile: Thank you

Hi Phoenix,

Just a quick note to say thank you for this site. Shopping for a mattress is overwhelming.

Hi upanovr,

I would be very cautious about paying too much attention to some of the Amazon comments you are mentioning or reviews in general (either positive or negative) because they don’t generally provide any context or enough information to identify the may reasons that could account for the comments they are making. Latex in general is the most durable foam material in the industry so outside of any defects in the latex itself (which is very uncommon) if there is any sagging it would be in the quilting layers or the base layer under the mattress or in many cases what they are calling “sagging” is really what I call “virtual impressions” which are the result of choosing a comfort level that is too soft. You can see some more detailed comments about this in post #2 here.

Comments about a mattress “sagging” after only 3 months would generally be more about the firmness level they chose than on any abnormal sagging or visible impressions in the mattress itself.

Some people can be much more sensitive to certain smells (including the smell of latex) and may notice the slight smell of different materials long after most people wouldn’t notice it at all (and would tell you that it’s stronger than it would be based on most people’s sense of smell) .

The only reliable way to to assess the “safety” of different materials in more general terms is based on lab tests and the certifications they have for harmful substances and VOCs so that you have some assurance than the VOCs are below the testing limits for the certification (see post #2 here for more information about some of the more reliable “safety” certifications). If the materials in a mattress or the mattress itself has a reliable “safety” certification then for most people they would certainly be “safe enough” … regardless of the type of material or the name of the manufacturer on the label.

The polyfoam that Dreamfoam uses is CertiPUR-US certified and their latex is also Oeko-Tex certified so their materials would certainly be “safe enough” for most people.

In terms of durability … a latex/polyfoam hybrid that uses 3" of Talalay latex in the comfort layers and 1.8 lb polyfoam in the base layers would be a very durable choice.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you for your reply. I will review the specific posts you reference.

Take care