I’m considering a new foam mattress. Currently I have an (older) Sealy memory foam mattress and we like it, just looking to upgrade in size and perhaps quality. I think my preferences are alot like most people’s; cool, not too soft, not too firm. That being said, I think I’ve narrowed down to Leesa and Tuft and Needle. Can anyone speak to these and how they compare to each other or maybe how they compare to a Sealy memory foam.
Not necessarily set on these two, so feel free to put other suggestions out there. Not very price conscious and will happily spend a few hundred more for a better product.
While other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular store or business can certainly be very helpful … I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress so I would be very cautious about about using anyone else’s suggestions, experiences or reviews on a specific mattress (either positive or negative) or review sites in general 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. In many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (even if they are in a similar weight range). In other words … reviews or other people’s experiences in general won’t tell you much if anything about the suitability, quality, durability, or “value” of a mattress for any particular person (see post #13 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to 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 choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the 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 if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
While again nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
The major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with avoiding any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).
Neither one of the mattresses you mentioned are memory foam mattresses and outside of using higher quality materials they would also feel very different from most Sealy memory foam mattresses (which I would avoid anyway).
You can see some comments about Leesa and Tuft & Needle and the type and quality of the materials they contain inside them along with many of the other what I call “simplified choice” mattresses in post #2 here and the first post in the same topic would also be well worth reading. Forum searches on each of them (using the search tab on top of the forum) will also bring up much more information and feedback about most of them as well.
I would be cautious with the Leesa because the 2" of 3 lb memory foam in the Leesa is a lower quality/density material than the minimums I would generally suggest in the durability guidelines here and I would consider it to be a potential weak link in the mattress and it may be worthwhile looking for a mattress that uses higher quality/density materials although the 2" of Avena polyfoam above the memory foam would improve the durability of the memory foam somewhat compared to having the same lower density memory foam in the top layer of the mattress.
There are no lower quality materials or weak links in the Tuft & Needle that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress for those that are in a BMI range of less than 30 but I would be cautious if you are in a BMI range of 30 or more where a mattress with higher quality/density and more durable materials may be a better choice.
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) than anyone else.
I would always keep in mind that there is no such thing as “one mattress fits all” and any specific mattress may be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of people, a “good” match for a larger percentage, and an “OK” match for a larger percentage yet but the only way to know for certain whether a mattress you end up choosing will be a “good enough” match for you to keep it (even if it isn’t the “best match” out of all the mattresses that you “could have tried” instead) will be based on careful testing in a store and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
Many online mattresses (including the ones you mentioned) have a good trial period and return policy so you can try them in your bedroom instead of a showroom with little risk (outside of the time you spend sleeping on it and/or returning it if that becomes necessary or any costs involved in the return process) so if it’s not a “good enough” match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP you can just return it and try another mattress if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for but once again you will only know whether it’s “good enough” and you won’t know whether it would have been better or worse or how it compares to other mattresses that you could have purchased instead that you haven’t actually tried in person. This is one of the disadvantages of buying a mattress online that you can only try “one at a time” vs local testing in a store where you can compare many mattresses side by side at the same time.
If you are considering online options in general then outside of the simplified choice list the mattress shopping tutorial includes several other links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may also be well worth considering.
If you are also interested in some local options that you can test in person before a purchase then if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the lists you wish to deal with 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 Dallas/Ft Worth area are listed in post #4 here.
The Leesa was the first bed in a box I tried and it was awful (for me). I sank through it like a stone (I’m 185 pounds) and in the morning there was a huge crater where my body had been that took several minutes to fill in. Back pain every night I used it.
I’m sorry to hear that your Leesa mattress didn’t work out for you as well as you hoped for.
For the sake of others that are reading this though … each person has unique needs and preferences in a mattress so a mattress that would be a “perfect” choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (or vice versa) that has a different body type, sleeping style, or preferences and sensitivities.
While your experience indicates that the Leesa mattress wasn’t a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) … it also wouldn’t be relevant to someone else and I wouldn’t suggest that anyone purchase (or avoid) a mattress based on anyone else’s experience on the same mattress when they sleep on it.
My wife and I have a Tuft and Needle and love it. It was very firm on the first night, but by the second night, we were used to it. We have loved sleeping on it ever since. We are around 150lbs…
It’s great to hear that you are happy with your Tuft & Needle mattress although my comments in the previous reply about each person having unique needs and preferences would apply as well.
*** NEW TOPIC SPLIT from a reply to post #8 here ***
Agreed Phoenix! We have been communicating with T&N about the purchase of another mattress from them because we are upgrading to a king. Our 1 year old queen will get a new assignment in the guest bedroom.
The T&N has changed since last year - it is evidently just as supportive but offers “more pressure relief.” I presume that just means that the top layer is softer. No way really to tell how improved it is without just ordering it.
We are toying with Dreamfoam and the new T&N. The casper is a little expensive for us when we are pleased with the cheaper T&N. Not sure which Dreamfoam would be comparable to the T&N but slightly more forgiving of the side sleeper. We have been looking at the Ultimate Dreams Aria (Supreme Gel). What can you tell us about these mattresses comparable to one another?
I split your post into a new topic of its own because your questions were starting to drift outside the scope of the original topic you posted in.
Yes … more pressure relief would “translate” into being a little bit softer. For some people it may be beneficial, for some it may be detrimental, and for some it may be more “neutral” but as you mentioned the only way to know whether it would be better or worse for any specific person would be based on your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
These are all very different mattresses that have different designs and combinations of materials and would all have a different “feel” and response even in the same firmness level. The Tuft & Needle has a high performance polyfoam comfort layer on top of a polyfoam base layer, The Casper has a synthetic latex layer on top of a memory foam layer on top of a polyfoam base layer, and the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams Aria has two memory foam layers on top of a polyfoam base layer.
There are also no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings in the industry and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
The Dreamfoam mattress that would be the closest to the Tuft & Needle in terms of the type and quality of the materials inside it would be the Arctic Dreams mattress (see this topic) which uses very similar materials and has a similar design to the Tuft & Needle but I don’t know how it would compare for you in terms of firmness.
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) than anyone else.
A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally make suggestions that they honestly believe have 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 (or how it compares for you to another mattress that you have tried) 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 in some cases) or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of most people’s personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Just wanted everyone to know that we settled on the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams mattress and were pleased for about 2 years. After that time, it rutted pretty badly where we were sleeping and became unbearably soft. We have contacted to company to make a warranty claim because we believe the ruts are 1.5"s or more. Will try to update where we go from here! Suggestions welcome. We are thinking of going back to Tuft and Needle now since the one we purchased a long time ago has held up VERY well.
I am sorry the Dreamfoam did not work out for you. We are seeing some consumers having issues with mattresses after 1.5 to 2 years, Typically this is about the time period I that a lower density memory foam will break down and cause issues. This also happens faster for higher BMI consumers (with your original weight of 150 lbs for each of you… I doubt you gained much weight during this time)
I am happy that you initiated a warranty claim, it can be a tedious process for many people, but from my past experience with Brooklyn Bedding and Dreamfoam they are very responsive, let’s hope it works out for you. It might be useful in the warranty claim process to take some pictures and measure the maximum depth indentation with a taut string placed across longitudinally/diagonally. (Feel free to post the photos here)
I have not heard of any changes to the T&N mattress since they were purchased by Serta… Serta / T&N news article.
Thank you again for your update and I’d be curious to know how it all works out for you. Good luck!
I am sorry the Dreamfoam did not work out for you. We are seeing some consumers having issues with mattresses after 1.5 to 2 years, Typically this is about the time period I that a lower density memory foam will break down and cause issues. This also happens faster for higher BMI consumers (with your original weight of 150 lbs for each of you… I doubt you gained much weight during this time)
I am happy that you initiated a warranty claim, it can be a tedious process for many people, but from my past experience with Brooklyn Bedding and Dreamfoam they are very responsive, let’s hope it works out for you. It might be useful in the warranty claim process to take some pictures and measure the maximum depth indentation with a taut string placed across longitudinally/diagonally. (Feel free to post the photos here)
I have not heard of any changes to the T&N mattress since they were purchased by Serta… Serta / T&N news article .
Thank you again for your update and I’d be curious to know how it all works out for you. Good luck!
My wife and I are the same weight. Definitely should not have become this soft so quickly. I am open to another model of theirs if they do give me a warranty opportunity toward a new bed. I see ultimate dreams is discontinued anyhow…
Thanks for the spring suggestion. I already submitted the claim and it has been 36 hours and still no answer. I will definitely keep the forum posted, no pun intended.
In the meantime, we flipped it over and are sleeping on the polyfoam. I awoke with no hip pain : )
You are very welcome, I am sure you will hear something soon.
No worries about asking about Brooklyn Bedding / Dreamfoam. They are no longer a member of our site for various reasons but we at TMU are very familiar with them, they used to be members and they are also a contract manufacturer for some of our members.
Most often it is just a business decision between TMU and former members as to why a company is no longer a member. We are constantly discussing BB with our consumer members and maintain a good relationship with them.
I look forward to your future updates or any other questions you may have
Private Messaging would not work as there are some technical issues with it and with too many channels of communication that compete for my time I decided to put the PM on the back burner. Please feel free to email me at: phoenix (at) themattressunderground (dot) com if it helps you decide if you want to update the forum with this information. I’ll be watching for your email.
In short, the company is sending us a new mattress. Not sure if I have any say in which it will be but I mentioned that my wife and I prefer a firmer than average feel, and by that I mean a very supportive mattress. We currently have the dreamfoam flipped over because of the degradation of the sleeping side and it is sleepable. Certainly better than the mush that is the other side…Im just grateful they are recognizing that the mattress should not have done this after 2 years at this price point.
Thanks for the update. I am also glad BB/Dreamfoam recognized the clear issue with your mattress. That is too bad you can’t choose, but it certainly can’t hurt that you communicated your desire for a “firm but supportive” mattress. Especially when they are replacing a defective mattress, it’s hard for companies to allow consumers to just start choosing new brands/models (although it totally makes sense for both parties).
Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns and good luck with the replacement.
