Mattress Shopping: Round Two!

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Good morning!

My hubby and I are brand new to the world of online mattress shopping, and honestly until recently (the last couple weeks) didn’t even realize we had options outside of the mattress chains and the brands they push.

What actually opened us up to this new world is the Purple mattress, with their raw egg test video and aggressive marketing campaign. We have an 8-year old Simmons Beauty Rest Pillowtop that is SHOT. Of course, after reading through the entire mattress shopping tutorial and spending two days reading through posts and articles on this site, I am no longer shocked and understand why! In fact, I realize that we should have shopped for something else instead of just dealing with pain and restless night a long time ago. :frowning: :stuck_out_tongue:

That being said, I wish we had found this site right away when we first started shopping a couple weeks ago. A little about us and our search thus far:

As I said, we started with the Purple bed. It extremely intrigued my hubby and after watching their raw egg test video, he was ready to buy one. I was a bit more hesitant (I am EXTREMELY analytic, which is generally a detriment because I often find myself in “paralysis by analysis”) and started to research it before just pulling the trigger. This is when we started to find all the other options that we didn’t even know existed. :blink: :blush:

Long story short (well, shorter! :stuck_out_tongue: ), we went to a local chain store (armed with virtually no knowledge on HOW to shop) and laid on some tempurpedic beds (knowing full well we weren’t going to buy one, but just checking out foam beds in general). For me, it was a no-brainer; I loved the Cloud Luxe Breeze more than anything else. He ended up agreeing, but also really liked one that was a little “firmer” (and apparently their most popular bed) too. I loved the way I felt “in” the Luxe Breeze and I felt too “on” the other choice (I don’t remember what it was, but I’m thinking maybe the Cloud Supreme?).

We went home and my hubby still wanted to order the Purple bed, but I talked him into the Leesa, solely on the fact that it was like $400 less and I figured it was better to start there, especially with their return policy. Again, hadn’t yet found this site and didn’t know anything about different materials, etc.

Our Leesa bed was delivered last Monday and so far, neither of us are fans at all and we’re fairly certain we’ll be returning it. So, round 2 begins, now armed with much more information from this site!

On the old Simmons (to which we added a memory foam topper from Costco a few years ago), hubby had shoulder pain and his arms fell asleep constantly. I had lower back pain and also had my arms going numb.

We are both combination sleepers, but primarily side sleepers. I do find myself occasionally waking up on my back in the morning, but if I try to fall asleep that way, I’m uncomfortable.

On the Leesa, I am forcing myself to try and fall asleep on my back, as hard as it might be, because this particular mattress is far more comfortable for me that way. I am having shoulder pain and my right arm going numb (which lingers and gives me issues all day). We both have some lower back pain, but it’s fairly mild compared to the old bed. Hubby is having MUCH more shoulder pain with this bed. Both of us are waking a lot and having to adjust our sleeping positions.

We have a King IKEA Brimnes storage bed with the Lonset slats. We have a very stretchy (probably some kind of nylon/spandex?) mattress protector on it. It’s extremely thin and we bought it when we bought the Simmons bed 8 years ago.

Both of us feel far too “on” this bed and not “in” it at all. It may be just an adjustment, but we both prefer the feel of a pillow top and sinking in more.

Since getting the Leesa earlier this week, I have continued to research, which is how I found this site. I have since read entirely through the mattress shopping tutorial and have learned quite a bit. Currently, these are the beds we are most intrigued by: Luximattress, Novosbed and Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams (either the Supreme Gel or the 13" Gel). We found the Dreamfoam because of their claims of being similar to certain Tempurpedic beds and so far, they’re the only foam beds we’ve really laid on or are AT ALL familiar with. We now realize we’ve only done Step 1 in shopping, but the Cloud Luxe Breeze was #1 for me in Step 1! :stuck_out_tongue:

We realize this still very well may change and that all these beds are dramatically different from each other. On Monday, we are planning on going to a large showroom (probably something like Star Furniture) to go through the 5 steps and try a ton of different beds and then come home and research the construction of them. Our finalists very well may change, as may the type of bed we’re interested in!

I will add that a few years ago, hubby laid on a Tempurpedic GrandBed and he has never forgotten it. He said that it was the first time that he actually felt like he could fall asleep in a public place. I tried to look it up and see what materials and construction were used, but as Phoenix has noted, they’re not exactly forthcoming with their materials, densities, etc. so that has been fairly wasted time!

So that’s where we are in our search, round two! Very thankful to have found this site and really looking forward to discovering more about our PPP’s with some in-store shopping. We are in zip code 77429 (Houston, TX) area, so any recommendations on where to shop would be great, but we’re absolutely not opposed to shopping online at all (and have really expected to go that way, since the return policies are so generous and the prices are so favorable).

Thanks again for this amazing site and wish us luck as dive in and essentially start over, armed with fantastic knowledge on what to look for this time! :lol: B)

2

Hi angiebullock,

Welcome to the site … and I’m glad you found us :slight_smile:

You’ve probably seen this already but there is more about the Purple mattress and the buckling column gel they use in post #2 here.

While it sounds like your Leesa mattress may be a little to firm for you … I would also keep in mind that there will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and the materials settle and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here). This could typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress (higher density materials can take longer) and it can be surprising to many people how much their sleeping experience can change over the course of the first month or so. Unless your “symptoms” are too severe and/or it’s obvious that it wouldn’t make any difference … I would generally suggest sleeping on any new mattress for a few weeks at a minimum before deciding whether to keep it.

If you prefer an “in the mattress” feel then you may either prefer a mattress that has memory foam top layers which has the typical slow response and more “in the mattress” feel of memory foam (unlike the Leesa) or if you choose a mattress that has more resilient materials in the top layers like polyfoam or latex then you may prefer a mattress that has thicker/softer top layers and is in a softer firmness range.

I would keep in mind that there are 3 main types of “foam” (memory foam, polyfoam, latex foam) that all have very different properties from each other so I would be very cautious to make sure you know the type of foam that is in any mattress you are considering. Layers that are closer to the sleeping surface will have a bigger effect on what you “feel” when you sleep on a mattress than layers that are deeper in the mattress.

Again you may have read this already but there are some comments about the Luxisleep mattress in post #10 here. It uses good quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or “weak links” that would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress relative to more average weight ranges but as you probably know it’s not a memory foam mattress.

The Novosbed mattresses and the Dreamfoam mattresses you mentioned are memory foam mattresses in the same general category as the Tempurpedic mattresses you tried (see this article). They are both members of this site which means that I think highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. There are also no lower quality materials or weak links in either of them that would compromise the durability or useful life of their mattresses relative to more average weight ranges.

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 the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Houston area are listed in post #2 here.

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 the 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 and/or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.

One of the advantages of trying mattresses locally is that you can try many different types and styles and firmness levels and compare them to each other in “real time” based on your actual experience rather than just “theory” instead of trying one mattress and not knowing how it compares to the other mattresses that you could have tried or purchased instead.

Of course many online mattresses 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 you can just return it and try another mattress although of course you won’t know whether it would have been better or worse or how it compares to other mattresses that you could have tried that you haven’t tried in person.

In both cases it’s really a matter of risk management and “tilting” the odds of success in your favor as much as possible.

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course to any other comments or questions you may have along the way.

Phoenix

3

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you so much for your welcome & your reply. We were able to go mattress shopping this weekend and we laid on A LOT of beds. We were able to test out different memory foam beds, hybrids and a couple Talalay latex (Aireloom).

We were surprised by how much we actually liked the “feel” of the hybrid beds, but they just had way too much motion transfer for us. We also liked the latex and how “springy” it was, but again, there was a fair amount of motion transfer compared to the memory foam beds and we didn’t feel quite as “in” those beds.

We again came back to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe as our favorite bed. My second would have been the Cloud Supreme and hubby liked a hybrid second best. We both preferred the beds that were on the super soft end of the spectrum and we laid on them for a long time, in our normal sleeping positions. We also did the tests for the comfort and support layers.

So after our outing, we eliminated the Luxisleep and it came down to the Novosbed and the two Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams (13" gel or 12" Supreme gel). We decided to give Chuck at Dreamfoam a call and he was so helpful! If I hadn’t spoken with him, we would have likely pulled the trigger on the 13" gel foam, but after speaking with him, giving us our sleeping positions, weights, etc. he recommended we go with the slightly firmer 12" Supreme gel! He said that the bed will almost certainly feel firmer than we expect at first, but within the first 30 days as the “false firmness” wears off, it will feel better.

He also explained that since memory foam does change over time with heat and pressure, he felt that in the long run, we would be happier with the firmer bed and it would serve us longer. And finally, he explained that we could always add a thin topper or something to a bed to soften it up, but you can’t really “firm” it up.

He was so knowledgeable and helpful (and gave us a coupon code for two free pillows for being a member of this site! :lol: ) that we decided to pull the trigger an ordered our Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams 12" Supreme Gel bed this morning. Yay!!

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information you have made available so we could be more informed shoppers! We will be sending the Leesa back after the 30-day period is up (he said it was a decent bed, but like you, thought it was likely just too firm for us as my shoulder pain has just kept increasing and continues to get worse, not better).

We recognize that this particular bed will likely require that break-in period to feel amazing, but are very hopeful to at least seem some relief of extreme pain symptoms fairly quickly as we transition to the new bed. We’ll come back and keep you posted as we adjust to our new bed! :woohoo:

4

Hi angiebullock,

Thanks for letting us know what you ended up deciding … and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

You certainly made a great quality/value choice and I’m 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

5

So how is it? Seriously thinking of purchasing the Dreamfoam Supreme Gel.

6

Hi JeanneS,

Welcome back! You posted a similar question asking for people’s opinions of similar mattresses in three different threads, so I thought I’d answer you in one place here. :slight_smile:

While other people’s comments can certainly be helpful regarding the knowledge and service of a particular business … I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and I would be cautious 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).

This is one of the main reasons that this site will never be a “review” site, as there are just too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in choosing a mattress to make specific suggestions based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or theory at a distance that can possible be more accurate than your own careful and objective testing (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) which is always the most reliable way to predict which mattress will be the best match for you in terms of PPP (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). The only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good “match” for your specific body type and sleeping style will be based on your own personal experience, and if you’re considering something online then a detailed conversation with the manufacturer will be your best resource, as you can use their expertise to “help them help you,” as they’ll have your best interests at heart. You can also at that time familiarize yourself with any exchange/return policies that the manufacturer might have in case your purchase doesn’t work out as well as you had hoped.

You had previously stated in July that you were choosing the Brooklyn BME Medium. Did that purchase not turn out to be a good match for your own PPP?

Regarding the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams Supreme Gel and Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel mattresses, they use good quality materials and there are no obvious weak links in their mattress in terms of durability for those that are in more average weight ranges. You are certainly looking at a great quality/value choice, and Dreamfoam is a member of this site, which means I think highly of them.

The materials in these two mattresses are similar (there is 2" of 5lb. memory foam in the Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel mattress), and if the materials are suitable for your weight range (see the foam quality guidelines here), then the choice between them will be based more on your personal preferences rather than being a better/worse choice.

The Brooklyn Bedding BME Medium that you said you purchased in July used 2 – 2" layers of latex in the upper layers, with a 6" - 2 lb. polyfoam core, where the Dreamfoam mattresses you’re asking about use memory foam in the upper layers.

Latex and memory foam are very different materials with very different properties and both of them come in a wide range of different versions that each have differences in their properties and a different “feel” or firmness level but the choice between them is more of a preference and budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about some of the general differences between memory foam and latex in post #2 here. Some people tend to prefer the faster response and more resilient and “on the mattress” feel of latex and some prefer the slower response and more “in the mattress” feel of memory foam and some people may prefer some combination of both of them but the only way to know which one you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own careful testing in a store or your own personal experience when you sleep on them.

Of course, every layer and component in a mattress including the cover and any quilting layers will have some effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and component both above and below it and on the mattress “as a whole” so the overall design of a mattress and whether it’s a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) is much more important than the thickness of any specific layer or layers which is only one of many variables that can affect how well a mattress works for you. The only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a good “match” for your specific body type and sleeping style will be based on your own personal experience.

Phoenix

7

Hi, Thanks for your input. I have returned my BB BME. With it, I woke up in more pain than when I went to bed. I always felt like I was fighting the mattress in order to get comfortable, especially on my side. I developed lower back pain and rib pain by morning. It made an already painful shoulder and hip pain considerably worse. I had to add a 2 inch foam topper, but it gave no relief. Now my right shoulder had developed a tingling/numbness down to my hand. I am hoping that by changing to Memory foam I will get some relief. I wasn’t sure which of the DF’s to pick. Chuck said that the Supreme would do a better job, since my husband sleeps hot and the 13" softer version would sleep hotter. We shall see…I just soooo want to get a good nights sleep.

8

Hi JeanneS,

We are very happy with our bed! It did turn out to be initially too firm for us, so I called them and explained that and they promptly shipped us out a mattress topper designed to turn the bed into the 13" (at no additional cost).

I have been very impressed with not only the bed itself (which suits us well!), but the company and customer service process.

I would suggest calling and chatting with them if you are considering one of their mattresses. They are extremely knowledgeable and I believe our purchase was better for it vs. just ordering off the internet!

Good luck!! :slight_smile:

9

Thanks for your help. I pulled the trigger on the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams Supreme Gel and returning my Brooklyn Bedding BME. Crossing my fingers that it the one!

10

He JeanneS,

I’m sorry that your Best Mattress Ever didn’t work out for you, but you at least had the foresight to choose a product that had a good exchange/return policy.

I’ll be interested to learn what you think of the Dreamfoam mattress once you’ve had a chance to try it out for a while.

Phoenix