Moving from Chatham and Wells Innerspring XF to Dreamfoam Eurotop Firmness Level 2

Talked with Chuck/ dreamfoam yesterday and looking at a Eurotop level 3 or a level 2 firmness. Finding it a bit hard to decide with out being actually able to try the bed. Of course we have the option with the Dreamfoam Eurotop to change out the firmness level of the comfort layer so that is a good peace of mind.

We currently have a 12 year old Chatham and Wells Jessica Xfirm and we liked the firmness but it is just worn out now. Afraid the firmness level 2 might be just too firm. Wondering if anyone has any recent experience of moving from an xfirm innerspring to a Dreamfoam Eurotop and anything they could share about the firmness?

Anyone try a “1”?

Hi TPFXF,

Hopefully some of the forum members that have purchased the same mattress in one of the two firmness levels that you are considering will see your post and share their comments but I would be very cautious about using other people’s experience on a mattress as a reliable indication of what you will feel on the same mattress.

Unfortunately here is no “standard” definition or consensus of opinion for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that is firm for one can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else 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. This is all relative and is as much an art as a science. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress (see post #15 here).

When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the options they have available based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or sometimes to other mattresses that they are aware of that you may be familiar with than anyone else.

As you probably know from your reading here you are certainly looking at a great quality/value choice. Just in case you weren’t aware of it as well if you order any of the Dreamfoam mattresses from the Dreamfoam site instead of Amazon then there is an additional 10% discount on your purchase and you would also have the benefit of their 45 day comfort guarantee as well.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix, many thanks for taking the time to help me along and sharing your knowledge. Very much appreciated especially the heads up about the 10% discount!

I have been discussing the firmness level with my wife and she really wants the bed to be quiet firm and our current bed is an extra firm inner coil. From reading other posts and information on the site the general impression that I have is that the Dreamfoam Eurotop is often slightly softer than expected, no matter what firmness level is chosen.

Chuck was very helpful and equates their level 2 with an innerspring extra firm, but of course one really doesn’t know until one tries it for a while. Right now I’m between a 3 and a 2 and hoping to find a perspective to help me make a decision.

Thank you again for your help…TPFXF

Just to say we have been sleeping on the new Dreamfoam Eurotop mattress for a few nights now. Thinking that the Firmness Level 3 we ordered might be a bit soft for us. We were previously sleeping on an XFirm Inner Coil and were not sure whether to get Firmness Level 3 or Firmness Level 2 in the new Latex mattress.

We went with the level 3. Sleeping on the Latex/Foam mattress is definitely different. It is softer yet is supportive. I called Chuck@Dre2mfoam and he has encouraged us to wait at least another couple of weeks before changing the firmness. He says that often when customers go to switch a level , by the time the new level arrives they want to stick with the old.

So perhaps that could be our experience. On the other hand we were sleeping on an Xfirm and suspect I may have been too cautious getting Firmness level 3, as firmness level 2 may be more equivalent to the Xfirm inner coil we were sleeping on. I will talk to my wife and see if she is willing to wait.

-King Eurotop Mattress Shipped 10 days after order
-3 days by Fedex Ground

  • Looks to be very well made
    -Ordered Foundation from Dream Foam ( Seems well made and easy to unfold)

Hi TPFXF,

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

I would also tend to wait for a few weeks before deciding on any changes to your mattress because it usually takes some time for a mattress to break in and to get used to a different sleeping surface than you were used to (see post #3 here).

Phoenix

So we have had the King Eurotop Latex for about 3 weeks now but my wife wants to move up a firmness level, from a 3 to a 2. We have noticed that we did indeed adjust to the bed and it feels different after a few weeks. Overall we are very happy with it but we have come from an Xfirm innerspring and my wife is really the one who still wants it firmer.

I called Chuck and he was very helpful and easy to work with. He said he would exchange the comfort latex top immediately and gave me another option. He could keep my side a firmness 3 and make my wife’s side a 2. Great offer but I have decided to go with the 2 as well.

Because I ordered direct from Dreamfoambedding.com Chuck says the cost of the exchange will be $150 upfront and when we ship back our current latex top he will credit us $75. Plus he pays the shipping both ways and sends a prepaid return label. If you order from Amazon it is $200 upfront for an exchange and $100 returned. I like buying stuff from Amazon becasue they are golden for us on customer service, returns etc and the can negotiate with Marketplace providers, but I am very glad I went direct here as it is also cheaper with the 10% discount.

I am very happy with all this. My job was to get a decent mattress for myself and my wife. Tired of dealing with the existing model of sales rooms I went in search of something else and found it. How can one every be sure they have chosen a good mattress without sleeping on it for a while, so having the ability to exchange our comfort levels is critical when we can’t pre test the bed and when there are two of us with potentially different requirements. The Eurotop is more expensive to purchase but it is a higher quality mattress, plus critically the comfort level can be exchanged.

Also most importantly this bed comes with a 45 day comfort guarantee. We are about 21 days into that and when we receive our new firmer top (going from a 3 to a 2) then they will reset the guarantee and we get to start another 45 days. My wife thinks I did a great job but the truth of the matter is that it seems that I didn’t just buy a quality mattress but I purchased it from a quality company as I fell that I am getting quality customer care.

Seems also that they keep the Latex comfort level in stock so it should be shipped in a day or two and only a few days ground from Phoenix to CA.

Will update again after we get firmness level 2 up and running.

Thanks…TPFXF

Hi TPFXF,

Thanks for taking the time to share such detailed comments and feedback … I appreciate it!

It’s always great to have the option to make firmness changes after a purchase when and if they are needed and I’m looking forward to your comments when you receive the “2”.

You certainly appear to like very firm mattresses :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Received the new Latex Comfort Layers for our King Size and installed it last week… We have a Eurotop Firmness level 3 and are moving to a firmness level 2 as we want it firmer.

First off this thing is really easy to change out. Just unzip (We left the base of the zip engaged) the Bamboo Cover and directly underneath is the removable comfort layer which is 3" of Talalay Latex. We have a King so there are two separate Latex sections. Took them out and popped the firmer ones in to match the originals. Very simple.

Have to say it is much firmer. We are very surprised at how much it has changed the feeling of the bed. It is significantly firmer. Probably a tad firmer than we would like, but we know now that the feel of it will change over time and in particular the first few weeks. No way would we consider a comfort level 1.

I must check with Dreamfoambedding how long I can hold onto the original latex tops before sending them back for our $75 Refund. A small possibility that we might go back to the 3. But for now we are sticking with the 2 and expect to get used to it in the next week or so.

Will update again when we have had a little more time with the new comfort level. - TPFXF

Hi TPFXF,

Thanks for the update.

It sounds like the “2” is closer to the firmness you were looking for … especially after it’s had a chance to soften a bit over the first few weeks.

I believe you have 45 days to decide on which one to keep and which one to send back but as you mentioned I would check with them to confirm that.

That would be great.

Phoenix

We have kept the Comfort Level 2. We started off with Comfort Level 3 on a Dreamfoam King Eurotop but wanted something firmer and switched to Comfort Level 2.

It is much firmer. We have been sleeping on it for about two weeks now and seem to have settled into it.

Sent the original Latex Top #3 back with the prepaid Fed Ex Labels and will get our $75 refund in a few days.

It was hard to predict what level of firmness we wanted and I was also unsure as to whether my wife would like the mattress firmness that we initially selected as you only know when you sleep on it for a while.

So for me having an exchangeable level of comfort was huge and we did take advantage of that.

Dreamfoam were very easy to deal with and so glad I went direct as there is a 10%discount and less expensive to exchange.

All in all very happy with the outcome here…Best…TPFXF

Hi TPFXF,

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback about your layer exchange … I appreciate it!

It’s great to hear that the level 2 worked out well for you :slight_smile:

Phoenix

General question about the basic Ultimate Dream vs. Eurotop model. My husband is a big guy (6’4" and 250#) and I am 5’11 @ 180#. I know from previous posts that we are on the border of weight issues relative to the durability factor of the UD. We looked at the Eurotop, which has more in the support layer - would this be sufficient at a moderate firmness level to boost the longevity of the mattress? I realize the comfort layer can be adjusted, but I am more interested in durability. We are also looking at a Cal. King size - does the larger surface area make any difference in longevity? Bottom line, since we are pretty much sold on the UD, is spending the extra money on a Eurotop model worth the expense, or are we just buying the flexibility to accommodate the comfort level? Someone else in a previous post also mentioned the Aloe something, also made by Dreamfoam, as a high end choice as well - but for the added expense would the results be noticeable?

And, by the way, this is my first post, after signing up today. I have read and read various forums and articles, and thank you so much for providing this service!

Thanks, Wendy

Hi wendym,

I noticed that you registered with your email as your username which means that automated spambots will be able to harvest your email and add you to their spam lists. If you’d like I can remove the @ and the domain after it and change your username to just wendymlevin (or any username you wish).

The single biggest factor in the durability of a polyfoam material is it’s density not thickness or the surface area of the mattress.

Both the Ultimate Dreams latex and the Ultimate Dreams Eurotop use the same density polyfoam in their base layer and both have the same 3" thickness of Talalay latex in the top layer and when you are in a higher weight range then you will tend to “go through” the top layer more and compress the support layer more deeply which means that it’s density would play a bigger role in the durability and useful life of the mattress than it would for those that are in lower weight ranges. The main difference between the Eurotop and the Ultimate Dreams latex is the options you have available after a purchase to exchange the firmness of the latex comfort layer (in the case of the Eurotop) and if you are using the same firmness latex in the comfort layer in both of them then their durability would be closely comparable.

As you can see in the guidelines here … in your weight range I would consider a higher density base layer in the range of 2 lbs or higher.

It may also be worth considering the Ultimate Dreams Natural which uses a Dunlop latex comfort layer with a 2 lb base layer or the new Brooklyn Bedding mattress (Brooklyn Bedding is a sister company of Dreamfoam) which uses 4" of latex (2" of blended Talalay latex and 2" of synthetic Dunlop continuous pour latex) on top of a 2 lb base layer as well (and also has a free return policy). You can read more about it in posts #6 - #10 here and in post #3 here.

If you are referring to the Aloe Alexis then it uses two 3" layers of latex instead of one and also has a 2.17 lb polyfoam support core so with a total of 6" of latex instead of 3" it would be closer to the feel and performance of an all latex mattress than either the ultimate Dreams latex or the Eurotop and it would be more durable as well (see post #2 here and post #2 here). It also has wool in the quilting which would be more temperature regulating and it also has the option to rearrange the top two layers or change the firmness of either of the two latex layers so it has more flexibility to fine tune the feel and performance of the mattress than either of the other two you mentioned but of course it is also more costly because it uses higher quality and more costly materials and components and contains twice as much latex.

Phoenix

Phoenix,

First of all, thanks for the catch on my registration. And please do change that username to just wendy. I would appreciate it.

So, bottom line is that you are recommending an upgraded version, with more support, such as the Aloe Alexis. The cost is more, but it does look like you still get the benefits of the Ultimate Dream, with increased supportiveness.

The wool layer helps with temp control, so that looks good for us. Would you think that the more latex feel would make motion transfer better or worse than the UD? This is my husband’s #1 issue.

You mentioned the ability to adjust the top two layers of latex to customize the feel. Is this an extra cost, or all part of the total quoted price for the bed itself? Seems like it might work well all around for us.
Wendy

Hi wendym,

I changed your username to wendym because wendy was already in use. I hope that’s OK. I also moved your posts and my replies to a new topic of it’s own so that our conversation wouldn’t get mixed in with another member’s topic.

The benefits of higher quality/density materials would be that they will be more durable and have a longer useful life than lower quality/density materials. The support of a mattress is a function of its design not the durability of the materials inside it.

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” and “pressure relief” and “feel”. These are all separate issues from the quality and durability of the materials inside the mattress.

There is more about the most reliable ways to choose a mattress that is the most suitable "match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) either locally or online in post #2 here that can help you make the best possible choice and help you identify and minimize the risks involved in making a choice that turns out not to be as suitable as you hoped for but when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer who can help “talk you through” the options they have available based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences and which of the firmness and layering options they have available will have the best chance of success than anyone else.

Since the top layer in all the mattresses you are considering is latex the motion transfer would probably be similar in all of them although it may be slightly better with the Alexis but they will have more personal experience with all the different mattresses they manufacture so they would be a more reliable source of guidance about any smaller motion transfer differences between them than I would.

If you rearrange the layers in the Alexis (using the firmer latex layer on top) then of course there wouldn’t be any extra cost but if you exchange one of the layers for a softer or firmer version then there is a minimal cost involved for the exchange (see post #7 here). The same mattress is also available from Brooklyn Bedding if you call them directly (although they don’t list it on their site any longer since they introduced their new mattress) and if you purchase it from them then the trial period would be 120 days and the cost of a layer exchange would be a flat $75.

The Dreamfoam Natural and the Brooklyn Bedding #BestMattressEver and the Aloe Alexis all use high quality materials that would be suitable for your weight range so you are certainly looking at some great quality/value choices. Once you are down to finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and none of them have any obvious weak links or lower quality materials in their design and if there are no clear winners between them then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your material preferences (the type and blend of latex layers you would prefer), your conversations with each of them, their prices, the return/exchange options they have, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

Phoenix, thanks for all of your help. This has been very valuable information. i will keep you posted re: my progress and the outcome.
Wendy

Hi WendyM,

You are certainly looking at some high quality/value and durable choices and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding :slight_smile:

Phoenix