I need a new Memory Foam Mattress

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi,

I had a 2 year old Luxe Pedic Wellington Queen that got destroyed in a flood when a water pipe broke in the ceiling of my home and I am lost as what to buy to replace It.

I bought the Luxe Pedic Wellington at the time because It was delivered from the factory in SC full size, not compressed but now (Luxe Pedic) now called christeli doesn’t sell them like that anymore, they come in two pieces and compressed which I’m not a big fan of.

I need to know if compression hurts the mattress and if not who makes the best memory foam mattress out there that comes in one piece?

I went to my local store and really like the Tempur-Contour Rhapsody Breeze and the Tempur-Cloud Luxe Breeze.

What’s comparable?

2

Hi kneeddough,

The first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choice no matter what your budget range or which types of mattresses or materials you tend to prefer.

It would depend to some degree on the specifics of the foam and on the type and degree of compression but in most cases short term compression during shipping or storage (for a few weeks) won’t have any effect on the durability or performance of the foam. There is no such thing as the “best memory foam mattress” … only a memory foam mattress that is “best for you” based on the criteria that are most important to you. A mattress that is the “best match” for someone else may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on. There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here.

There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress may compare to or “match” another one.

The tutorial post also includes a link to a list of the better online memory foam retailers or manufacturers I’m aware of and many of them sell mattresses that are designed to approximate specific major brand mattresses (usually Tempurpedic because they are the most well known memory foam mattress) and they will say so in their descriptions. In many cases as well … online retailers and manufacturers are very familiar with the Tempurpedic lineup and if you have a more detailed conversation with them on the phone they will be able to help “talk you through” which of their mattresses are closest to the Tempurpedic mattress that your testing indicates is the best match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). For example Christeli lists their Danieli mattress as being comparable to the Rhapsody Breeze and they list their Briella mattress as being comparable to the Cloud Luxe Breeze.

There may also be some local options that carry mattresses that are similar to the Tempurpedic mattresses but in more reasonable budget ranges as well and if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.

Phoenix

3

Zip 27601, I just went and laid on several mattress at a local store and I really like the Rhapsody Breeze.
What is your feeling on Enso, cause they are local to me here in NC.

4

Hi kneeddough,

The better options in the Raleigh/Durham area I’m aware of are listed in post #6 here.

While none of them would be likely to carry memory foam mattresses that were specifically designed to approximate the Rhapsody Breeze, there may be some that your testing indicates would also be just as good or even a better match for you in terms of PPP.

Outside of whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP … a mattress is only as good as the quality of the materials inside it so regardless of the name of the manufacturer … I would need to know the specifics of what was inside any mattress you were considering to make any meaningful comments about the quality of the materials (see this article). If you can list the specifics of the layers inside one of their mattresses you are considering then I’d be happy to make some comments about the quality of the materials inside it or whether it has any obvious weak links in terms of durability.

Having said that … Enso is one of the Zinus brands that tends to use lower quality/density memory foams in their mattresses. There is more about Enso in post #2 here and a forum search on Enso (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and information about them as well but in general terms I would tend to avoid them unless you can confirm that a specific model doesn’t have any lower quality materials or weak links that would be common with most of their mattresses.

Phoenix

5

I’m looking at the Conform - SELECT-Conform Regalis Luxe and the Conform - SELECT-Conform Regalis Luxe from Select Foam.
Whats are your thoughts on those mattress and what about all the negative reviews for this company on this site and the BBB?
It makes me very nervous.
I emailed Matt and Chris from Select Foam to give them a chance to respond directly to me about my concerns, but so far I have not heard back from them.

6

Hi kneedough,

They use high quality materials in all their mattresses that are the same or better than the specs of the Tempurpedic mattresses they are designed to approximate so from a quality and durability perspective they are a great quality and value choice. They are one of the members of this site which means that I believe they compete well with the best in the industry.

[quote]what about all the negative reviews for this company on this site and the BBB?
It makes me very nervous.[/quote]

The large majority of their customers are happy with their purchase and they have a great return policy for those that aren’t and they are also very knowledgeable and provide good guidance to their customers that talk to them before and during the purchase process to help them make the most suitable mattress choice.

Having said that … they need to improve their customer service for the minority of customers that have issues after a purchase (either with a delivery or with the refund process or with other issues that need to be resolved) because there have been too many delays with issues that should have been resolved more quickly and smoothly or through better communication. While some of these reviews have been the result of some unrealistic expectations of customers or requests or “demands” for something that was outside their policy where customers were “expecting” something that wasn’t reasonable or even possible … and a few have even been the result of customers that were trying to “pressure them” to receive some benefit that they weren’t entitled to with the “threat” of negative reviews … some of these have also been legitimate and have been the subject of some very “frank” conversations I have had with them (see post #2 here for an example).

You can see some of my thoughts about the BBB in post #4 here (and post #3 before it with another members experience with them) and post #4 here (both of which talked about Select Foam). One of the other members of this site for years refused to become a member of the BBB on principle alone (many businesses don’t think highly of the BBB and their methods at all) and had an “F” rating because of one complaint that they didn’t even know about. Once they became a member … their rating changed from an F to an A overnight. This is “normal procedure” for the BBB. While they provide a paid service that can be useful … I certainly don’t take their ratings as being definitive … especially for businesses that have chosen not to become a member or that prefer to resolve complaints outside of the BBB process where the outcome or resolution of a complaint never shows up on the BBB site or in their rating.

To my knowledge … none of Select Foam’s customers has ever failed to receive a refund they were entitled to but there have been some customers that experienced some delays in resolving issues or receiving refunds that I think were the result of poor after sales service or communication on their part and these have been the source of some genuine and justifiable frustration in the case of a few of their customers and they are well aware (if for no other reason than my “frank” conversations with them about this area of their business) that these types of experiences and reviews can certainly affect the buying choices of some of their potential customers that otherwise wouldn’t hesitate to purchase from them.

Overall they are a good quality/value choice in terms of their mattresses and in “most” cases their service as well but there have been too many exceptions when there have been issues after a purchase that needed to be resolved more quickly and effectively and they certainly need to improve this area of their business IMO.

Phoenix

7

Looking at a mattress from MyLuxuryMattress.Com.

What do you think of the specifications?

They are CertiPUR-US certified.

Box Top Mattress
1.5" Quilted Bamboo Material over Super Soft Foam
3" Preserve Memory Foam in the Box Top, 5.0lb density, IFD 15
1.5" Airflow Preserve Comfort Foam, 1.8lb density, IFD 24
7.25" Preserve Base Foam, 2.4lb density, IFD 36

http://www.myluxurymattress.com/bamboo-fabric-memory-foam-mattress.html#2992

8

Hi kneedough,

The quilting layer is inside the guidelines here of “no more than about an inch or so” of unknown or lower density materials and all the other layers are good quality materials so unless you were in much higher than average weight ranges there would be no obvious weak links in the design.

Phoenix

9

Well I pulled the trigger today and bought the Select Foam SELECT-Conform™ Regalis Luxe 12".
Now I wait :slight_smile:

Thanks Phoenix for all your input!

10

Hi kneeddough,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I think that the Regalis is one of their most popular mattresses (and is similar to the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Breeze) and it certainly uses some very high quality materials.

I think you made a good quality/value choice and I hope you have the chance to share your feedback once you’ve received it.

While it can be difficult to decide on which mattress to purchase … sometimes waiting for your mattress once you’ve made the purchase can be the hardest part of all :slight_smile:

Phoenix

11

Hello Phoenix,

I was wondering if you can assist me with my Memory Foam Mattress buying too. I tried out the Tempur-Contour Rhapsody Lux and enjoyed the firmness of that mattress. What would be a good equivalent with the same durability? I was considering BedInABox (Tranquility GEL with Natural TENCEL) but I noticed it got some bad reviews on this website. My zipcode is 60616. Please assist, thanks!

12

Hi Timothy,

I’m certainly happy to help with any more specific questions you may have but the first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information , steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

There is more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress in post #2 here that can help you identify and minimize the risks involved with each of them but if you have done some careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) and you are confident that the Tempur Contour Rhapsody Luxe is the best match for you in terms of PPP then the tutorial post includes a link to a list of the better online memory foam sources I’m aware of (in the optional online step) and several of them sell mattresses that are designed to be similar to many of the Tempurpedic lineup.

There is also more about the different ways that one mattress can “approximate” or “match” another one in post #9 here that you can use as a reference point when you are comparing mattresses but most online manufacturers/retailers that specialize in memory foam mattress will be able to provide you with good guidance about which of their mattresses would be closest to the Rhapsody Luxe in terms of “feel”, pressure relief/support, and the quality/density of the layers.

I would be very cautious about using other people’s reviews or experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for you or the durability of a mattress and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).

Having said that … you may be referring to the information in post #2 here about the quality/density of the memory foam they use and I would tend to avoid memory foam mattresses that use 3 lb memory foam unless you are in the lowest budget range where there are no other better and more durable options available to you.

The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Chicago area (subject to the “value” guidelines here) are listed in posts #2 and #4 here. I don’t know if they carry a mattress that would feel similar to the Contour Rhapsody Luxe to you but I would include My Green Mattress/Quality Sleep in your research since they will likely have among the best quality/value choices available in your area and you may find that one of their mattresses is a better “match” for you in terms of PPP than the Rhapsody Luxe.

Phoenix

13

Thanks a lot Phoenix.

I read your posts and learned a lot. I noticed you said stay away from less than 3lbs density foam and emphasize a lot on the materials that the mattress is made from. I am planning to spend around $1500 on a new queen size mattress.

What are the minimum specifications I should have?

What would be an ideally pounds of density foam for durability?
Ideally, how much gel should the mattress have?
Is there any particular foam that I should have in the mattress?

I am planning to check out couple mattress over the weekend and like you said in the forums, it would be impossible to test durability, but comfort is the only thing we can really test for. I am hoping to find a mattress that will contain all the specification that you would recommend for a $1500 queen mattress, so I can decide which mattress feels comfortable.

Also, you have been a great assistance and very prompt with your response. Which makes me wonder, do you get any benefit for doing this?

14

Hi Timothy,

The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidel;ines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

[quote] I noticed you said stay away from less than 3lbs density foam and emphasize a lot on the materials that the mattress is made from. I am planning to spend around $1500 on a new queen size mattress.

What are the minimum specifications I should have?[/quote]

3 lb density “foam” can either be a very high quality material or a very low quality material depending on the type of foam it is. The foam density guidelines I would suggest are in post #4 here.

There is no specific theoretical “ideal” with mattress specs either in terms of the suitability or the durability of a mattress because there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved including your body type and sleeping positions, the types of materials and mattresses you tend to prefer, and your budget range but there is more detailed information about the many factors that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to.

There is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for any particular person but if a mattress is well inside the comfort/support range that is suitable for someone and isn’t close to the edge of the range that is too soft for someone when it is new and meets the minimum quality specs that are suggested in the guidelines I linked 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 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 and with the most durable mattress constructions and materials it wouldn’t be uncommon for someone to sleep “well enough” on a mattress for 20 years before needing to replace it.

You typically won’t be able to find out the gel percentage in most foam layers but the choice between different types of materials or mattresses is a preference not a “better/worse” choice. Some people may like the feel and performance of a mattress that contains some gel foam layers and some may not like mattresses that contain gel materials at all. There is more about gel materials in post #2 here.

Outside of making sure you choose good quality versions of the types of materials you prefer … the type of materials or mattresses is always a preference choice.

You can see how the site and the time and efforts that go into it are supported in the Our Services/how we survive link in the main menu and there is more detailed information in post #4 here.

Phoenix