Dreamfoam Options

Interested to hear any thoughts on the current latex options from Dreamfoam. I am leaning toward the Freedom in a king size because it is latex throughout, but was curious how the Eurotop, Natural, and Ultimate Dreams compared with their foam cores. Are all of these options going to be durable for a decent amount of time (5+ years)?

I read on here the latex in the Freedom is of a lower quality than some others in the market, but unsure how big of a compromise that would really be.

We tried out the mattresses at CozyPure, and they were lovely, but I feel like the price is a bit of a stretch for our budget right now.

For amplification, after much testing, it appears I like mattresses a little more firm, and my sleeping partner prefers a softer mattress.

We were both not particularly impressed with the Temperpedic options, want to avoid anything with a pillow top, and found some of the iComfort series to be pleasant. Couldn’t get any model numbers from the mattress salesman to do any real comparison or analysis however…

Hi TheNavigator,

While I can’t speak to which of these would be the better “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and a more detailed conversation on the phone with Dreamfoam would be the best source of guidance about which of their mattresses or firmness options would have the best chance of being a suitable “match” for you … I can certainly speak to the quality and durability of the materials in each of them.

The Eurotop and the Ultimate Dreams are both a polyfoam latex hybrid that use blended Talalay latex in the comfort layers, 1.5" of polyfoam in the quilting, and a 1.5 lb density polyfoam base layer. The main advantage of the Eurotop is that it is a component mattress rather than a “finished” mattress and you can exchange the Talalay latex comfort layer if the firmness level that you chose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and you need a firmer or a softer latex layer (and you can also replace just the top layer if your needs or preferences change over time). There is more about a latex/polyfoam hybrid vs an all latex mattress in post #2 here.

You can see the foam quality guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here and there is much more detail yet about all the variables that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #4 here. The “best” place to use slightly lower density materials 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 are in a higher weight range (more than the low 200’s or so) 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 have a more average body type and don’t compress the support layer as much so for most people that are in the low 200’s or less the 1.5 lb polyfoam wouldn’t have a significant effect or be a weak link in the mattress in terms of durability. If you are in a lower budget range that doesn’t allow for the use of the highest quality or more costly materials from top to bottom then the deeper layers are the best place to make some smaller compromises for the sake of cost. 1.5 lb polyfoam is a “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 will be the weakest link of the mattress.

The Dreamfoam natural uses 100% natural Dunlop latex in the comfort layer and has a 2.0 lb polyfoam support core so it would be suitable for any weight range. The choice between Dunlop and Talalay comfort layers would be a preference issue (not a “bettter/worse” issue). There is more about how Dunlop and Talalay compare in post #7 here but the best way to know which type of latex you tend to prefer would be based on your own personal testing or experience.

The Freedom comes with three 3" layers of synthetic Dunlop latex which is also a good quality and durable material (see post #2 here). The standard layers come in soft, medium, and firm and it also has a zippered quilted cover that is firmer on one side than the other. It doesn’t offer a layer exchange but the layers can be rearranged in 6 different ways to customize the pressure relief and support of the mattress after a purchase by using the layers in a different order (the “standard” layering would be soft on top, medium in the middle, and firm on the bottom) and then you can also use the softer or firmer side of the cover for each of the 6 different foam combinations for a total of 12 different combinations. This gives you the ability to fine tune the comfort or support of the mattress after a purchase in 12 different ways if the standard configuration isn’t the best “match” for your body type or sleeping positions. With individual layers and a zip cover it would also make it possible to replace individual layers if one of the layers softens or breaks down before the rest (usually the top layer) or if your needs or preferences change down the road without having to replace the entire mattress. They have also said that they can supply different firmness levels on request other than their standard S/M/F layering (see post #12 here).

While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular 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 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.

It’s always more realistic to think of about 10 years as a maximum reasonable expectation for any mattress no matter what the quality or durability of the materials and then treat any additional time after that as “bonus time” because after about 10 years the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be the changing needs and preferences of the person sleeping on the mattress and even if a mattress is still in good condition after a decade … a mattress that was suitable for someone 10 years earlier may not be the best “match” any longer.

Having said that … with higher quality materials throughout a mattress and/or for people whose needs and preferences or physical condition or body type hasn’t changed much over 10 years then “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” with higher quality/density and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam or natural fibers is much more likely than with less durable materials.

In other words … if you aren’t in an unusually heavy weight range it would be realistic to expect that all of the mattresses you are considering would have a useful lifetime of well over your minimum 5 year criterium.

Phoenix

Beautiful, thorough answer, much like many of the others I’ve read on here. Thanks so much!

Greetings TheNavigator, and Hi Again Phoenix!

Being a new owner of the Freedom, I felt I should add one additional comment to the excellent description provided by Phoenix!

Much like you and your partner, we also have different firmness preferences. Out of the box, my first impression of the Freedom was that it was nice, but just a tad firm. On the other hand, my partner’s first impression was that it was nice, but a little too soft… So what I ended up doing was a side-to-side swap (there are 6 total slabs of latex in our King size), such that my side is now Soft/Soft/Firm, and her side is Med/Med/Firm, going from top to bottom. So far I’m very happy with this arrangement, as I am able to rest on both sides without shoulder pain for the first time in years. Despite the 6" thick soft layer, I feel supported/aligned on my sides and back. The Med/Med/Firm side is also quite comfortable and VERY supportive, and if I wasn’t as much of a side sleeper with wide shoulders, I would probably prefer that. Overall we are both very pleased (and sleeping much better), especially considering this was less than half the price of a latex mattress we were considering locally.

So to summarize my comment, at least in the King size Freedom, there are even more layer combinations to work with than just rearranging top-to-bottom, which may be a consideration/advantage you were not aware of. This type of side-to-side mixing of layers may be unorthodox, but since the mattress didn’t come with instructions, as far as I know it is fair game and hopefully won’t pose a problem with durability. I guess time will tell!

As a side note, I also took advantage of the forum member “pillow bonus” and am equally pleased with the Ultimate Dreams 100% shredded latex pillow. I’ve had various types of pillows including contoured, water filled, and different firmness/thickness of solid latex, and this is the only one so far that seems to provide the right balance of cushion and support for my large head whether on my side or on my back. The strange thing about their shredded latex pillow is it looks a tad under-filled and lumpy compared to my other pillows, but just seems to work exceptionally well at supporting the head and neck without strain. It also seems to just work really well together as a system with the Freedom latex mattress at distributing weight evenly and reducing shoulder pressure points even more for me.

GreenDean

Hi GreenDean,

[quote]Being a new owner of the Freedom, I felt I should add one additional comment to the excellent description provided by Phoenix!

Much like you and your partner, we also have different firmness preferences. Out of the box, my first impression of the Freedom was that it was nice, but just a tad firm. On the other hand, my partner’s first impression was that it was nice, but a little too soft… So what I ended up doing was a side-to-side swap (there are 6 total slabs of latex in our King size), such that my side is now Soft/Soft/Firm, and her side is Med/Med/Firm, going from top to bottom. So far I’m very happy with this arrangement, as I am able to rest on both sides without shoulder pain for the first time in years. Despite the 6" thick soft layer, I feel supported/aligned on my sides and back. The Med/Med/Firm side is also quite comfortable and VERY supportive, and if I wasn’t as much of a side sleeper with wide shoulders, I would probably prefer that. Overall we are both very pleased (and sleeping much better), especially considering this was less than half the price of a latex mattress we were considering locally.

So to summarize my comment, at least in the King size Freedom, there are even more layer combinations to work with than just rearranging top-to-bottom, which may be a consideration/advantage you were not aware of. This type of side-to-side mixing of layers may be unorthodox, but since the mattress didn’t come with instructions, as far as I know it is fair game and hopefully won’t pose a problem with durability. I guess time will tell![/quote]

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback and for adding the additional information about the Freedom mattress. As you mentioned a side to side split configuration (which they have available in the king size) is certainly a great way to accommodate two people that have different needs or firmness preferences. There is more about split firmness mattresses in post #2 here but it’s certainly “fair game” and can be a significant advantage for situations like yours and it also won’t affect the durability of your mattress.

Phoenix

I’m actually on the fence with the Freedom as well.

What would the difference be with the Ultimate Dreams, and the UD:Freedom?

I read a lot and it looks like the Freedom uses synthetic Dunlop, while Ultimate Dreams uses Natural Latex?

I think 1.5LB may be a bit too low density for a firm mattress addict like I am…

Would it be right to go with the Freedom as I was never able to find an all latex mattress at this price point…

Thanks!

Hi meraki1990,

Post #3 here earlier in this topic describes some of the differences between the some of the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams mattresses (their regular latex model, the Eurotop model, and the Natural model) and their Freedom mattress.

The density of polyfoam is an important factor in its durability but it has little to nothing to do with its firmness. Both low and high density polyfoams are available in a wide range of firmness levels from very soft to very firm.

While there are no weak links in the Freedom mattress in terms of the quality/durability of the materials and like the other Dreamfoam mattresses as well they are also great value in their budget range, this is something that only you can decide based on your budget, the type of mattresses and materials that you tend to prefer, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. There is 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.

Phoenix

Thanks for the quick reply.

It is very hard to just “read” and understand the different feels of the latex mattresses…

But I think I’ve gotten the hang of it- Dunlop seems to be the way to go for me as I prefer the firmness.

But I really am wondering if the synthetic latex is that much worse than natural latex?

Any opinions on the comparison between the synthetic and natural, maybe regarding firmness, would be greatly appreciated…

Thanks!

Ryan

Hi merak1990,

I would say that it’s not only hard but it’s almost impossible to know how any material will feel to you (regardless of how it feels for someone else) without a frame of reference based on personal experience. The only realistic way to know what something feels like will be based on your own personal testing or experience and if there are any local stores that carry different types and firmness levels of latex it may be a good idea to try them.

I would keep in mind that both Dunlop and Talalay come in a wide range of firmness levels so Dunlop could be either softer or firmer than Talalay depending on the firmness level that you choose.

That would depend entirely on how you define better or worse. They are different and each material has its own pros and cons. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about the synthetic continuous pour Dunlop latex in post #2 here. The natural and synthetic have similar but slightly different properties.

They both come in a range of firmness options from soft to firm so either one could be either softer or firmer than the other one depending on the firmness of the specific layers you are comparing.

Phoenix

thanks for the info, Phoenix and others. Ordered a freedom mattress, very excited!

Hi kingshorthair,

Thanks for letting us know what you decided and I think you certainly made a great quality/value choice.

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I hope you have the chance to share your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

I’m about to pull the trigger on a Ultimate Dreams model myself. Thank you so much for this site, I’ll be sure to post feedback when it comes!

Sidenote, does anyone know how long delivery takes?

Hi jsing95,

I’m not sure which of the Ultimate Dreams mattresses you are purchasing but they are certainly great quality/value choices … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I hope you have the chance to share your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

The actual shipping time will depend on where you are in the country but it’s normally a few days. They would be the best source of current information about how long it will be from the time you order till the time they ship your mattress for the specific mattress that you order.

Phoenix

I plan on ordering from Dream Foam. What size is the pillow in “the pillow bonus”?

Hi Little Big Gulp,

As far as I know the pillow bonus is a regular size pillow (you can call to confirm this with them). The “default” type would depend on the type of mattress you order. Memory foam mattresses would have a memory foam pillow and latex mattresses would have a latex pillow but you can request either one.

Phoenix