We are in the market to purchase another memory foam mattress. We’d like to spend a bit less than what we originally spent for our Tempurpedic 8" without sacrificing in terms of quality. We’re looking for a King size memory foam mattress for $1000-1200. Any suggestions?
Hi JAS,
The Tempurpedic 8" Contour (which is the one I’m assuming you mean) had a .8" comfort layer of Tempur material (5.3 lb memory foam) over 2.8" of Tempur material (5.3 lbs) over a 4.4" polyfoam airflow base layer (which is @ 2.2 lb convoluted polyfoam).
This means that you have 3.6" of good quality memory foam over good quality base foam. Of course there are many different memory foams and polyfoam used in a base can have different levels of firmness so having a mattress with the same specs in terms of material quality may not produce the same feel or performance so you would need to make sure that the pressure relief and spinal alignment was good on any mattress you are looking at but this at least would give you the basic construction you are looking for.
Some of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of are listed in post #12 here and I would look for memory foam mattresses that have comparable specs and then talk to them about the “feel” of the mattress.
I would also consider a local purchase because you could actually test the mattress to make sure it was suitable in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) before buying it which would be less “risky” than an online purchase.
If you let me know the city or zip you live in I’d be happy to let you know of any local options I’m aware of.
Phoenix
I live in NYC. The Tempurpedic mattress I have is actually an 9" Classic which I purchased in 2007. Tempurpedic actually refused to give me the specs but I’m going to try and match the makeup of the new mattress with these specs.
Hi JAS,
You can see the specs of the Classic here. It has the same memory foam comfort layers (.8" and 2.8" of 5.3 lb memory foam) but a little thicker base.
Phoenix
This is the list of memory foam mattress companies that are CertiPur certified. Can you tell me the 3 or 4 that you believe produce the highest quality mattresses at fair prices? I like the idea of supporting companies that are willing to subject their products to an independent testing organization. CertiPUR-US® Directory - CertiPUR-US
ADMIN NOTE: Removed 404 link|Archived Footprint: certipur.us/pages/for-consumers/find-products/ & replaced with latest CertiPUR list
I’d also like to know what you’ve heard about Novosbed. They seem to use high-quality materials but with fairly reasonable prices. I’m trying to decide between Novosbed and Restava.
Hi Jas,
I haven’t “analyzed” all the memory foam choices on the list but there is a small list of memory foam sources that I consider to be good quality and value in post #12 here. I would also give priority to any of these mattresses that disclosed all their layering (so you can make meaningful comparisons) or that were available locally (a local purchase can be less risky).
The guidelines that I use to compare mattresses are listed in post #10 here (one of which is CertiPur certification or as a minimum alternative North American poured foam) so once you know the layering and the quality specs of each mattress you are considering it becomes much easier to quality/value comparisons to another mattress. While this doesn’t say anything about the suitability of a particular mattress for your body type and sleeping positions or your preferences (there are many different types of memory foam that can each perform and feel differently) and also doesn’t take into account the ability of the retailer to help you make the best choice … it will at least provide a way to make more meaningful mattress comparisons.
Some of my thoughts about Novosbeds are in post #4 here but since that time they appear to have added the CertiPur certification to their site. They were apparently using Chinese memory foam from URE Plastics but it now appears that this is not the case. They were not so helpful when I last talked with them about the source or safety of their foam so its nice to see they’ve had a change of heart. I would consider them as a realistic option (and compare their mattresses, knowledge, and service to the other memory foam sources I listed) since they’ve at least “met” the criteria that are important to me and they also seem to have a good return policy.
Phoenix
I had a complete conversation with one of the owners of Novosbed. About 2 months ago they switched to a manufacturer in Pennsylvania. And they were very transparent with their specs. Anyway, thanks for your feedback. I’m going to pull the trigger on their mattress and will share my experience.
Hi JAS,
I haven’t talked with them or even looked at them for some time and it certainly seems clear that they’ve changed … for the better.
Thanks for your feedback … and congratulations on your new mattress 
I’m looking forward to your review once you’ve had the chance to sleep on it.
Phoenix
I’m also buying a few mattresses for our guest rooms. Is there a significant difference in terms of durability between 2" of 3.5lb memory foam and 2.5" of 4lb memory foam? We expect to have guests 50-60 days of the year. Any thoughts?
Hi JAS,
I don’t think I would call the .5" difference “significant” but there would be some difference if everything else was equal (such as both being manufactured by a good quality foam manufacturer that wasn’t using high levels of filler material in their foams).
Because both of these are fairly thin memory foam layers … you would “go through” them into the layers below them and the quality of the material underneath them (probably polyfoam) would also be a durability factor (it would also be compressing with use). Any materials over the memory foam would also be a factor (such as any quilting material in either mattress) because they would absorb some of the force that compressed the layers below them.
The softness of the memory foam would also be a factor because softer comfort layers compress more than firmer layers and while all memory foam would be classified as “soft” … some is comparatively softer than others.
Finally layer thickness would also affect durability. With a thicker layer, then the durability of the foam would play a more important role. For example if a layer was only 1" thick (such as in a quilting layer) then foam softening of that specific layer wouldn’t play as big a role in the performance of the overall mattress if the layers below it were higher quality.
If you look at the quality of the top 4" - 5" or so of material rather than just the memory foam itself then this may give you a better idea of their relative durability.
My guess is (assuming the support layers are similar and decent quality) that they would both be suitable for a guest mattress although the softness of the support or transition layer immediately below the 2" memory foam mattress would have a slightly bigger effect on its overall comfort and performance than the support/transition layer below the 2.5" of memory foam.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix, that is very helpful advice. Much appreciated.