Thanks for all of the information on your site. I’ve learned a lot and, lol, my head is now crammed full of mattress (and foundation) terms, companies etc!
We have a 17 yr old Tempurpedic Cal King (9") that sits on an old box spring. It has served us well and we are just now noticing some break-down. They must have used a great foam in 1999 for it to last this long. We’ve not had a problem with it sleeping hot but did have to air it out for a while because of the off-gassing. Oh, we paid about $2000 and it sits in a frame on top of a box spring.
Our guest mattress is a Sealy memory foam. It is a good feeling mattress but not like our Tempurpedic.
We’ve been to a Tempurpedic dealer/Mattress Firm and have tried out all of the confusing different different levels/variations of the new mattresses. We always ended up going to the Contour Elite Breeze. It is a LOT more than $2000. I really like the idea of buying a mattress made in the USA and this is actually made right where we live (Albuquerque) so we would be supporting our local economy too.
On the OTHER hand, the prices are unbelievably high and it is obvious that there is a lot of profit margin built in for the dealers, the large manufacturing plant etc. Our mindset was that they are the best, the one that everyone else tries to copy. It looks like that isn’t necessarily the case.
Can you recommend a few other mattresses that would have a similar feel to the Contour Elite Breeze? We prefer a “firmer” feel. It seems as if the newer foams have more of a problem with sleeping hot so the cooling properties are nice. (Maybe my husband wouldn’t have to have extra blankets on?) We aren’t too heavy (180 and 140) if that helps.
As an aside, we also loved the Allura model . ( I think that they are closing it out) Way too much money goes into the outer materials on this model. It also might be something that feels wonderful for a couple of nights, until you realize that you don’t have good support.
We also went to another dealer that has Intuition mattresses. Comfortable but I don’t want to get something made in China. (Costco also has a couple of foam mattresses but they also come from China.)
I do love to “do the Google” and now know that they are several other US manufacturers to choose from but we would most likely be buying it online without being able to test it out.
We’re going to get a split Cal-King and an adjustable base. If you have a couple to suggest, that would be great too. (I did see a section here for bases so that is probably already covered.) We would like head/foot adjustmen, wireless controls, massage for the torso and legs (not a must) and it must be QUIET. (We’ve both had problems with acid reflux so are hoping that elevating the head will help that.
I appreciate any input that you have. I did see a similar request (Contour Elite) but it wasn’t for the Breeze variation and it seems to be a different beast.
I don’t think it had as much to do with the quality of the foams that they were using in 1999 compared to the same density memory foam that they use today as much as that you were just fortunate that your mattress maintained its comfort and support for you as long as it did because there are many other people that purchased the same mattress that needed to replace it after a much shorter period of time. It probably helped that the mattress was in a firmer range so that the normal foam softening and breakdown that is the most common reason that people need to replace their mattress had less effect on you than it would have had with a softer mattress where a smaller amount of foam softening would be more likely to put you across the threshold where the mattress was too soft for you (particularly under the heavier parts of the body) and put you outside of the comfort/support range that is suitable for you to sleep on.
I would certainly agree that it isn’t the case. Unlike the other major brands … for the most part Tempurpedic does use good quality and durable materials in their mattresses but there are certainly other local and online options that would be better quality/value choices than Tempurpedic which tend to be significantly overpriced compared to other memory foam mattresses that use similar quality/density materials that may be just as suitable, just as durable, and better “value” choices. There are some comments about Tempurpedic mattresses in post #2 here and you are paying a significant premium for the name on the label which has little to nothing to do with the quality and durability of the materials or how well you will sleep on a mattress.
The “hand feel” of most gel memory foams will be noticeably cooler than regular memory foam and they can provide some cooling benefits when you first go to sleep at night but temperatures will tend to equalize over time at which point the insulating properties of the memory foam will become dominant. The amount and type of gel in the foam can affect whether the temperature benefits will last longer or shorter and the cell structure and amount of airflow through foam will also play a very significant role in reducing heat buildup in the material but in general terms … gel memory foam can sleep a little cooler than regular memory foam when you are first going to sleep at night but in most cases the benefits of the gel tend to be temporary and don’t normally last over the course of the night.
Many of the newer memory foam formulations or gel memory foam formulations are more breathable and have a faster response time (less “memory”) and are less temperature sensitive than older formulations because of consumer complaints about heat and about the “stuck in sand” feel that were more common with older memory foam formulations that have a slower response time so there would be less people that have temperature regulation issues on most of the current memory foam mattresses now than there were years ago but memory foam in general (either gel or non gel) will tend to sleep warmer than other types of foam materials such as polyfoam or latex. There is more about the different properties that can be formulated into of different types of memory foam (gel or non gel) in post #9 here and in post #8 here.
While it’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here.
In very general terms … the layers and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow and temperature regulation than layers and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer mattresses.
If you didn’t have temperature issues on your previous Tempurpedic mattress then it would be much less likely that you would have temperature regulation issues on any memory foam mattress that is in the same firmness range although if you choose a softer memory foam mattress then it would be more likely that you may sleep warmer.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to 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”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable 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 more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting materials) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover and quilting, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a reliable way to match one mattress to another one in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP based on the specifications of the mattresses (even assuming that you can find out all the specifications you would need for both mattresses you are comparing in the first place).
Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so unless a manufacturer specifically says in their description of a mattress that one of their mattresses in the same general category is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” another one in terms of firmness or “feel” and PPP and/or they are very familiar with both mattresses and can provide reliable guidance about how they compare based on the “averages” of a larger group of people that have compared them (different people may have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare) … the only reliable way to know for certain how two mattresses would compare for you in terms of how they “feel” or in terms of firmness or PPP (regardless of anyone else’s opinions of how they compare which may be different from your own) would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.
Having said that … if you are researching online memory foam mattresses then the mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of some of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) and several of them make memory foam mattresses that they describe as being reasonable approximations of the general firmness of many of the Tempurpedic mattresses. Several of the other retailers or manufacturers that are on the list that don’t specifically describe their mattresses as being similar to one of the Tempurpedic models would probably also be able to give you more information about which of their mattress would be the closest approximation to a Tempurpedic mattress that you prefer as well.
I would also keep in mind that the “feel” of a mattress is very subjective and different people can have very different opinions about how a mattress feels. The “feel” of a mattress also isn’t the same thing as the firmness of a mattress or whether a mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness and PPP so another memory foam mattress that has a different “feel” may be just as suitable for you to sleep on and have a similar firmness level even though it may “feel” different.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with (including Tempurpedic mattresses) than anyone else.
A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally suggest a mattress that they honestly believe has the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but once again at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
There may also be some local memory foam memory foam mattresses that may be just as suitable and just as durable but you would need to test these in person to make sure that they are just as good a “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP as the Tempurpedic you are considering and you would also need to make sure that they are able to provide all the information you need about all the materials and components in the mattress (see this article) so you can make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links that could compromise the durability and useful life of any mattress that you are considering purchasing.
If you also wish to include local options in your research then subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Albuquerque area are listed in post #5 here.
In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …
Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.
Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight/BMI range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress (see the durability guidelines here).
Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.