Hello,
We are looking for a decent low cost mattress for our RV. I do not wish to spend a lot for a bed we only use 4-5 weeks a year. I have researched (here and elsewhere) the Zinus brands (Sams, Walmart and Boyd ect.) and the Dreamfoam (and Brooklyn) offerings as they seem to be the prominent “budget” foam mattress manufacturers. Another consideration for us is the fact that we need a mattress that comes in a box because we are unable to get an innerspring mattress through the camper door. We have a Jamison Talalay mattress in our home and love it, but such is just not practical (cost wise) for the camper.
We are leaning heavily toward the Dreamfoam Bedding Ultimate Dreams Crazy Quilt Pillow Top Mattress, Queen, but I cannot find any specs related to the IDL of the foam layers for this mattress (thanks to you guys and others I think I finally understand that IDL term) . I have emailed Dreamfoam but they have not yet responded with this information…
Do you have any information that will help us??
Thanks!!
Knowing the ILD of the layers wouldn’t make any practical difference because ILD/IFD by itself is just one part of a bigger picture that will affect how soft or firm a material will feel for you (see post #4 here). It really won’t give you any meaningful information about how soft or firm the mattress would be for you or how good a match it would be in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) unless you were very knowledgeable and experienced with all the specs that can make a difference in how soft or firm an individual polyfoam layer feels to you and you were also familiar with how combinations of different firmness levels and layer thicknesses would feel for you. Most people don’t have enough knowledge or experience to be able to “translate” ILD/IFD information along with all the other specs that affect the feel and performance of a mattress into terms that would be meaningful for them or that they would be able to predict how the mattress feels and there are so many variables involved in mattress design that even experienced mattress designers are often surprised at the difference between what a mattress “should have felt like” based on the specs and “theory” and how it actually feels in “real life”.
While they are certainly a great quality/value choice for a low budget or temporary mattress … you would be much better off talking with them on the phone so they can help “talk you through” your choices using terminology and information that would be more meaningful and understandable for you.
Hi Slowdog, you mentioned this is for an rv. Does your rv contain a standard sized mattress? I’ve noticed some mattresses specifically have “RV” designations being just slightly smaller designed to fit the application. I don’t know if you’ve measured the mattress that you’re replacing but there is a chance (I don’t know your particular rv) that it’s not the same as a standard queen size for example that you’d find in a normal bedroom. It appears there can be a whole range of variance from short queens to sizes similar to a full xl, to odd sizes in between. Otherwise you may have found the perfect mattress, haul it inside the tight quarters of the rv only to find out it’s just a little too long or wide and won’t fit. (of course it could be modified and trimmed if necessary but that’s assuming you want to fuss with that and willing to void any chance of warranty or return if there is one).
Thanks for the advice, Phoenix, I will call them.
Brass, I have extended the bed platform in our camper to accommodate a full size queen mattress. I had done that previously when I had the bright idea to use an air bed (it was light)…but on our last trip it failed and left us with two small air mattresses intended for the beach…so now we are searching for a more reasonable and permanent solution. Incidentally, the original mattress in this camper lasted about a year of occasional use and then springs began to poke through!! Anyway, thanks for the good advice!!
Hi Slowdog, no problem. I don’t have much personal experience with rv’s, and their setups vary quite a bit. Sorry to hear about your air bed but good plan on extending the platform for a regular queen size. That definitely gives you more options not being tied to a specialty size and plenty of room when you’re camping. I would think you would be ok with a lower budget mattress lasting awhile even if they use slightly lower density foams since it would be used only occasionally. Less prone to showing early wear like one that was getting used on a daily basis.
I don’t know if there’s a way to test out any of the dreamfoam mattresses in person prior to purchase. Something like the dreamfoam 12 in 1 may give you more firmness adjustment for better fine tuning after purchase since the layers can be switched around but it may be more than you’re looking to spend for a travel mattress. Either the 12 in 1 or the Crazy Quilt are all poly foam so I’d think either would do well in the rv environment.
You may need to ask and explain the situation when you talk to dreamfoam if you were looking at other materials. I’m not sure how your rv is stored when you’re not using it and if it heats up quite a bit when closed up, how materials like latex or memory foam would do. Maybe Phoenix knows, usually it’s a non issue used in more climate controlled homes but an rv is sort of special circumstance.