My wife and I recently ordered the Ultimate Dream latex mattress from Amazon. As many have commented, Chuck was a pleasure to work with; we appreciated his input as we selected our desired firmness. We ended up going with a “cushion firm” 5 (6’2", 170, stomach sleeper & 5’3", 100, back sleeper). We’ve both preferred slightly firmer mattresses in the past, but since this is our first latex/foam mattress, we were unsure how to gauge people’s various assessments of the default “6” mattress. Looking forward to trying it out and sharing my 2 cents with the forum, but right now, feel excited to have this type of mattress for a value I’d never have imagined was possible before discovering this website.
Hi rickyb2t7,
Congratulations on your new mattress 
I’m looking forward to your feedback as well when you’ve had the chance to sleep on it.
Phoenix
I also wanted to echo the many people who have expressed gratitude for this website. We’re about to move to Texas and needed a new mattress so we looked on this website and felt that the dream foam mattress was ideal for what we needed in terms of price, quality and type of mattress. We’ll let you guys know how it goes once we get it!
Hi CalvinBW,
Congratulations on your new mattress
I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it.
Phoenix
Has anyone been back to review or am I missing them somewhere??!
I am going to order the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress and just wanted to get a feel for the durability, I read only one review of how this mattress sags but who knows, the owners could have been overweight.
I think we want to go with a 3. We like firm. However, some reviews on Amazon said a 7 was too firm! I can’t imagine that could be possible. I know choosing a mattress is so subjective though…
Hi smckay858,
There are lots of reviews of many of the Dreamfoam mattresses throughout the forum mixed in with posts that have questions or other comments or feedback. A forum search on Ultimate Dreams Latex (you can just click this) will bring up hundreds of posts that mention it including many reviews.
I would be very careful though about using reviews as a way to choose a mattress (see post #13 here). One person’s “too firm” can be another’s “too soft” and each person is unique. A mattress that is “perfect” for many people may be completely unsuitable for many others depending on their body type, sleeping positions, sensitivities, and preferences.
You can’t “feel” the quality of a material and since a mattress is only as good as it’s construction and the quality of the materials that it uses … the best way to know the likely durability of a mattress is to know the quality of all the materials and components inside it. Latex is the most durable of all the foam types (polyfoam, memory foam, latex foam) and you can read more about mattress durabilty in post #4 here and the other posts it links to.
Phoenix
Hello,
I just discovered this site after looking for latex mattresses on Amazon and finding Dreamfoam. I am amazed at how much cheaper the prices are than in local stores here in Austin, and would like to give it a try.
I have a really basic question that is probably obvious to everyone but me :S . I have my grandmother’s old cherrywood full size bed frame, currently with an ancient box spring and mattress. After hip surgery and back issues I have to make a change as soon as possible, as sleeping has become rather painful. I now understand that I should look for foam or latex rather than innersprings due to being a side sleeper, but would prefer latex as I am fairly sensitive to chemicals.
Is it possible to use a Dreamfoam mattress with this basic bed frame setup? Could I leave the box spring in place or do I need to purchase some other base or platrorm for the dreamfoam mattress? The box spring I have is sitting on wood slats.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
Hi AdrienneH,
There is really nothing “wrong” with an innerspring mattress for side sleepers and the choice of materials and components in a mattress is really a matter of preference. Any type of components (innersprings, polyfoam, memory foam, latex, or other materials) can be made in a way that is suitable for different body types and sleeping positions. It’s much more a matter of the design of the mattress being suitable for you than the type of materials used. having said that … latex is certainly a very high quality and durable material.
Foam mattresses generally do much better with a firm non flexing foundation than a box spring (with a few exceptions for some mattresses that are typically thinner and are specifically designed to be used with a box spring. Even if you were buying an innerspring mattress though that needed a box spring though I would replace the one you have if it’s that old because a box spring or foundation is an important part of your sleeping system and your mattress needs good support underneath it with no sagging or soft spots as much as you need good support from your mattress.
You can see some suggestions here from Brooklyn Bedding (Dreamfoam’s sister company) that specifically suggest to avoid box springs for their foam mattresses. The foundation thread here also has many good foundation options in a wide range of prices that will work well for foam mattresses…
Phoenix
Well, I have written reviews on Dream Foam mattress that can be purchased from Amazon. You can also read the real reviews on the same product page at Amazon, you will get reviews from the real users who are using the mattress.
Hi nualadson,
You are the second member here that has come here to advertise the site you linked (see here) and I will remind you once again that advertising isn’t allowed on the forum and is against the forum rules.
I deleted your link once again and any further member registrations or comments that link to the same site will be deleted completely and the members that post them will be banned as spammers.
Phoenix
Hey just wanted to say thanks to Phoenix and all the other contributors. Largely because of the info in this thread, I’m on my way to purchasing our first-ever latex mattress - the Ultimate Dreams for our young son. Thank you!
Hi wtarter23,
I’m glad the site could help you … and congratulations on your new mattress
You certainly made a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it.
You probably know this already but just in case … if you purchase the mattress from the Dreamfoam site instead of Amazon there there is an additional 10% discount and you would also have the advantage of their 45 day trial period as well.
Phoenix
Just placed my order and should be expecting my bed sometime in the next week and a half. Honestly excited. I been sleeping in a recliner for 2 months and a couch. Will def be giving updates for those on the fence. Thanks to Phoenix too for the reply to my thread yesterday.
Went with the Ultimate Dreams Latex at a 6 level.
Hi Del,
I’m glad the site and forum was helpful … and congratulations on your new mattress as well
I’m also looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix
Phoenix - I’m going to go on a bit of a rant here as I’m starting to think the entire mattress industry is a scam…
And specifically - memory foam / gel /latex variants.
Here is my feedback who bought the Ultimate Dreams Latex Mattress from amazon in June of 2012. When I first got the mattress - probably for the first year, it was fine, not stellar. I’m 5’9 155lbs - I primarily sleep on my side or back, sometimes on my stomach. 3 years later, my lower back definitely hurts when sleeping on the mattress - the upper layers have worn down and now my pelvis dips too much which puts pressure on my lower spine and back muscles.
First question - why does DreamFoam and Brooklyn Bedding operate as essentially two different companies when its the same company? Why are both companies based in Phoenix AZ and both are praised on this forum. I’m truly hoping that the administrator of the mattress underground having the handle - “Phoenix” is merely coincidental. Also coincidental is Sleep AZ a highly recommended manufacturer is also based out of Phoenix (whats up with Phoenix?).
Here’s where I get REALLY frustrated - all of the reviews of 95% of these memory foam mattress that are under $1000 are completely bogus. Its not that I don’t trust the reviews, its the fact that people review these mattresses after having slept on them for 1 -2 months. Try 2-3 years. Go to the amazon review page for the Ultimate Dreams model and not to my surprise, dozens of people have the exact same experience as me. 2-3 years later, the mattress has already sagged and hurts to sleep on.
Phoenix - if you recommend such companies and are so critical with materials used - why has this occured so frequently? To me it indicates that the quality of materials used is sub-par like most memory foam mattresses.
My Final question - I seem to sleep much better on innerspring mattresses due to their support. Why has the industry moved in a direction to go away from innerspring mattresses. Over time, I’d think foam would degrade and sag much quicker than steel coils. I just don’t understand how “foam support bases” are so highly recommended - the science doesn’t seem to add up in my head. Oddly enough 2 years ago I ordered a $300 “i coil” mattress from amazon for a 2nd bedroom - that mattress has better support and is more comfortable to sleep on 2 years later than the Ultimate Dreams.
I know this is a rant but I’m tired of how seemingly hard it is to find a quality product without breaking the bank
Please advise me on a real recommendation
Hi yukoncornelius,
I switched your post to a new topic of its own because there are many questions that are outside the scope of the original topic you posted in.
[quote]Phoenix - I’m going to go on a bit of a rant here as I’m starting to think the entire mattress industry is a scam…
And specifically - memory foam / gel /latex variants.[/quote]
I certainly wouldn’t agree with you that the entire industry is a “scam” but I think that your comments are coming more from your disappointment than from any deeper understanding of the industry itself and with your experience I can certainly understand that. Your comments are also somewhat generic so they really can’t be answered in any specific terms and they also involve some complex issues that aren’t quite as simple as you may wish them to be but I’m certainly happy to make some comments about the main points you made.
There are several questions in your “first question” but I can comment (or link you to comments that I’ve already made) about each of them.
You can see some comments about mattress impressions and mattress reviews that deal with your question in post #20 here and in post #2 here.
You can see some comments about the differences between Dreamfoam and Brooklyn Bedding in post #4 here (before Brooklyn Bedding made the switch to selling their current “simplified choice” mattress … see post #1020 here) and in post #2 here. It’s certainly no secret that they are sister companies that are made in the same factory and they each target a different market which is a common practice in the industry (Just like car companies can have different brands).
I have been asked many times about my username being the same as the city where 4 of the 47 current members of the site are based and you can see my comments in post #4 here.
[quote]Here’s where I get REALLY frustrated - all of the reviews of 95% of these memory foam mattress that are under $1000 are completely bogus. Its not that I don’t trust the reviews, its the fact that people review these mattresses after having slept on them for 1 -2 months. Try 2-3 years. Go to the amazon review page for the Ultimate Dreams model and not to my surprise, dozens of people have the exact same experience as me. 2-3 years later, the mattress has already sagged and hurts to sleep on.
Phoenix - if you recommend such companies and are so critical with materials used - why has this occured so frequently? To me it indicates that the quality of materials used is sub-par like most memory foam mattresses.[/quote]
It actually doesn’t occur frequently at all relative to the total number of mattresses that are sold with mattresses that use higher quality materials (although it does occur with a relatively small percentage of mattresses for some of the reasons that I’ve mentioned in my earlier links).
Having said that … I agree with your point that most reviews are “mostly meaningless”.
While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would be very cautious about about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because any mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on and reviews in general certainly won’t tell you much if anything about the quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
The materials in your mattress certainly aren’t “sub par” in any way but if your mattress is one of the few that has a defect (which is certainly possible) and there are visible impressions that are deeper than 1.5" then I would encourage you to talk with Dreamfoam about a warranty claim.
Good quality foam materials can be just as durable as innersprings and in most cases the weakest link in a mattress is in the upper layers rather than the deeper support layers anyway. There is more about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people and circumstances in post #4 here.
While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability and assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses (including innersprings) are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).
“Support” is also often misunderstood and many people believe incorrectly that “firmer is better” or “more supportive” or that one type of support system is “better” than another when the real goal of a “supportive” mattress is to keep the spine in good alignment and this requires the type of contouring support that allows some parts of the body to sink in more and some parts of the body to sink in less and this will vary on an individual basis. There is more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support/alignment” and “comfort/pressure relief” and “feel” and how they interact together.
Innerspring mattresses are still by far the most common type of mattress sold in the industry but they have developed somewhat of a bad reputation because so many of the innerspring mattresses that are sold in the industry are made by the major brands which have lowered the quality and durability of the materials in their mattresses over the last 10 - 15 years or so and most of them tend to use lower quality materials in the foam layers above the innersprings (see post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here). An innerspring mattress that uses good quality materials can certainly be just as suitable and just as durable a choice as any other type of mattress.
I don’t make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial)or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Having said that … there is also more information about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or any exchange/return options that are available to you).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress relative to your weight that you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else (including me) would have the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences and hopefully my replies have helped you gain some clarity about some of the many complex questions you were asking.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix…
I do wish you would make more direct recommendations. Your knowledge is immense but its almost overwhelming at the level of research that you require people on this forum to do (literally takes hours and hours of reading on here). An outline or cheat sheat would be very helpful. Just outright say - you really do need THIS level of material for a top layer or core (thats what I"m going to get at below). Instead you require someone to essentially become an expert to understand something that is very difficult to understand without proper experience.
I don’t believe my mattress was defective - I believe its low quality material.
I should’ve stated that before buying the ultimate dreams mattress - I ordered a “linenspa” from amazon which had excellent reviews . My experience was that it was nearly impossible to sleep on - hard as a rock. So I now take all of these reviews and foam based mattresses in general wiht a huge grain of salt.
From my experience it seems that all of the layers above the core or base layer is really what matters. My linenspa - terrible top layer. The ultimate dreams has failed because of the 3" “latex”. I have a question out to chuck at Dreamfoam to give specific specifications on the latex they use on that mattress. How is it possible that they are able to adjust the firmness of the latex - do they end up using lower quality latex or blend based on the choice of the customer? That to me is what happened with me (and I chose the recommended 6 on their hard>>>soft scale).
So on that subject, more than 3" of a top layer seems like a slippery slope to having those layers dip and essentially the feeling of support is totally gone after 2 years. I see these innerspring mattress and other foam mattress with either low quality top layers or like 6" of top layer - that to me now seems like a massive red flag.
I’d rather have a consistent top layer - around 2" with a base that will support me for years. Thats generally why firm innerspring mattress with a quality pillowtop feels so good to me. I don’t know why I’ve never been able to feel that support on a foam mattress. That said my ultimate dreams was good when I first got it - though I do with it would’ve been more firm.
TOP LAYER - I sleep on my back and side, sometimes on my stomach - what do you really suggest for me. Material AND thickness.
BASE LAYER - 1.8 vs 2.0 foam (seems this is used very frequently) - Is 2.0 noticably better? What about just getting an all latex mattress.
I almost feel like at this point if I’m spending over $700 - why am I going to mess around with this same combo of 1.8/2.0 foam with a top layer thats going to fail.
SLeep EZ’s ROMA natural latex - 9" total with 6" of dunlop latex. This is currently $795 for a queen - this seems to have infinitely better materials for that price considering almost the entire mattress is actually natural latex… compared to yoga bed, leesa, brooklyn’s best bed ever, etc.
Please advise, thank you again. Sidenote - as far as trying to do a warranty claim - seriously? Cmon man, I think you know that warranties are completely bogus and it would be impossible to show a level of sag in inches without a body on the mattress. The sag or loss of support occurs when my body lays on it and the layers are unable to support properly.
Hi yukoncornelius,
I wish I could as well or that there was some algorithm that could predict this but unfortunately nobody has a crystal ball that can predict which specific mattress you will sleep best on with any certainty based on specs or “theory at a distance” and I would be very skeptical of anyone who claims that they do. It just doesn’t exist.
If you’ve read the tutorial you will see that I specifically recommend “against” trying to become an expert and to focus instead on learning “just enough” so that you can recognize and find the experts that already know what you would otherwise take many weeks or even years to learn.
While I understand that you may believe this … it certainly isn’t factual or correct regardless of your belief.
As I mentioned … I would also take mattress reviews with a big grain of salt.
While there are many different types and blends of latex … outside of defects all of them are very durable materials relative to other types of foam. Dreamfoam uses blended Talalay latex in their comfort layers which comes in different firmness levels or ILD’s (you can see the different firmness levels here) which is how they adjust the firmness of their mattresses. All the firmness levels are the same type and blend of Talalay latex and one isn’t any lower quality than another although softer foam layers will tend to be less durable than firmer foam layers with any type of foam material. There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here.
ADMIN NOTE:Removed 404 page link | Archived Footprint: latexfoam.com/products.html
Again this depends entirely on the quality and durability of the materials. If there is more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality and less durable materials in the upper layers of a mattress then the thickness of any lower quality comfort layers can certainly make a difference but with higher quality materials it wouldn’t.
Any mattress that is a good match for you in terms of PPP (regardless of whether it would be a good match for anyone else) that also uses good quality and durable materials would certainly be worth considering regardless of the specific design. Some mattresses that may use 2" of some type of foam material on a specific type or firmness of innerspring may work well for you while other mattresses that use 2" of a different type or firmness of foam or the same foam on a different innerspring may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on.
I can only repeat what I’ve said before about making specific mattress suggestions because once again the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial)or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
There is also more about the different ways to choose the most suitable mattress (either locally or online) that can help you assess and minimize the risks involved of making a choice that isn’t as suitable for you as you hoped for in post #2 here.
Foam density (at least with polyfoam and memory foam) is the most important measure of its durability not firmness and any density of memory foam or polyfoam can be made in a wide range of softer or firmer versions.
Unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and specs and different layering combinations and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (or a relatively small percentage of people overall) … I would tend to avoid using individual specs such as layer thicknesses or ILD numbers or other complex combinations of specifications to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you and focus more on your own actual testing and/or personal experience. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you don’t fully understand then the most common outcome is information overload and “paralysis by analysis”. Choosing a mattress based on complex combinations of specifications would be among the least reliable ways to choose a suitable mattress.
I would certainly agree with you that the Roma mattress would also be a great quality/value choice and that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress and assuming that it’s a good match for you in terms of PPP and that you like the “feel” of Dunlop latex it would certainly be well worth considering.
While the choice between different types of mattresses is a preference choice and not so much a “better/worse” choice (see this article) … there are certainly many others that prefer innerspring mattresses in general as well so you certainly aren’t alone in your preference.
Phoenix
Phoenix - I really appreciate your diligence in responding to everyone on this forum.
Respectfully though - if you re read your response - you sound like a politician and actually didn’t answer the core of my questions. You also contradict yourself. Joe - you don’t need to find an expert, you need to know just enough and seek the help of an expert. Ok Phoenix - I found you (the expert), but you answer questions with more questions or pose hypothetical questions. I ask your advice and you essentially answer people with “well I could tell you this or suggest that - BUT that doesn’t matter because its all your preference”. So good luck.
I’m really not trying to be disrespectful but you shoudl be more direct with people and stop being a politician. Every response you give is a novel that essentially all lead to the same outcome - dear visitor of this site, good luck on finding a local mattress store that has examples of all of these types of materials because in the end I refuse to recommend anything. Its an impossible situation.
What mattress do you own and how long have you owned it?
If the latex top layer of my mattress is durable - than the base failed. If the base failed, and cannot support my 155lb body - then the materials are low quality. Why do you think it failed. Just a material defect?
“Foam density (at least with polyfoam and memory foam) is the most important measure of its durability not firmness and any density of memory foam or polyfoam can be made in a wide range of softer or firmer versions.”
So here’s whats funny - you weigh heavily on specifications. In your point here you say that the density measure - 2.0 vs 1.8 - its not that simple. A certain make of 2.0 density polyfoam core could be FIRMER (and sag less over time) than another manufacturer’s 2.0. Therefore there are hidden variables in the specifications you always seek from people. In this case, I would argue that you tell people “yes ultimate dreams has great materials on paper, there are few gaps from waht I see”. How can you say that? You don’t know how firm it is? How can someone even order a mattress online and determine what works for them from your tutorials and PPP if there are these hidden variables? Again - its seemingly impossible.
I appreciate direct answers, thank you.
Hi yukoncornelius,
Rather than go around and around in circles (and I have already answered all your comments and questions in your last post) … and with “all due respect” back to you … if you don’t find the information here helpful then I am happy to use my time to reply to others that will find the information more helpful than you seem to and you are always free to find what you “want to hear” at any other site on the internet.
You can also see a reply to a similar comment to another member in post #4 here.
No matter how many times you may ask the same question in different ways (and it doesn’t appear that you are understanding the answers I’ve supplied) … what you seem to be asking for (someone that has a crystal ball) doesn’t exist … no matter how much you may “want it to exist”.
You can see the details here and I purchased it in the summer of 2010 but my own needs and preferences would have little to nothing to do with which mattress will work best for you.
It may be worthwhile to reread these comments from my previous replies once again …
Phoenix