Hi cabert,
Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the tutorial post here includes most of the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how to avoid the worst ones.
I really don’t know because I’m not familiar with it and I don’t know the strength of the wood slats. It also looks like the middle slat may have been replaced because it’s not one of the curved slats like the others (unless this is part of the design to help with the structural integrity of the bedframe itself). I also don’t know if there is any flex under the slats where they attach to the center beam and if there isn’t it could create a firmer section in the middle of the mattress.
I would normally suggest using a rigid non flexing support system under a memory foam mattress because a flexible support system can change the feel of the mattress compared to what you tested in the store (if it was on a solid non flexing base) but hopefully the retailer should be able to tell you more about the strength of the slats or the weight the bedframe is designed to hold and I would also check with the manufacturer of your mattress to make sure it meets their warranty criteria.
Your budget is certainly enough to buy a good quality memory foam mattress but there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved not to mention too many differences between different types of memory foams or gel memory foams to make any specific mattress suggestions (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here) although I’m always happy to help with “how” to choose. If you tested the Cloud Luxe using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post and it was a good match for you in terms of PPP then there is a list of some of the better online memory foam manufacturers and retailers in post #12 here and many of them sell a mattress that is designed to be a reasonable approximation of the Cloud Luxe (or in some cases other mainstream memory foam mattresses that are more widely available including some of the other Tempurpedic mattresses). There is also more in post #9 here about the different ways that a mattress can “match” another one that may be helpful.
If you aren’t able to test a mattress in person then the best way to decide on which mattress is the best “match” for you is a more detailed conversation with the retailer or manufacturer so you can tell them the results of your testing and any other information about you and your criteria that would be helpful so they can use their knowledge and experience to help you decide which of their mattresses would have the highest odds of success based on the information you provide them and the “averages” of their customers that may be similar to you.
I would also avoid more “generic” suggestions based such as the thickness of any gel memory foam layer that may be “required” because there are many variables involved in the sleeping temperature of a mattress (see post #2 here). There are also other methods that can be used to “cool down” memory foam besides adding gel and there is more about this in post #6 here. Finally there is a wide range of differences between different types of gel memory foam and their effect on sleeping temperature and there is more about this in post #9 here and in post #8 here.
This list includes all the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the general Northern Virginia / Washington, DC area so I’m glad you found it.
I don’t keep any records of the mattresses which the retailers in the various lists in the forum carry on their floor which is constantly changing and would be impossible to keep up with so I would call and talk with any retailer or manufacturer you are considering visiting before you go there so let them know your criteria to make sure carry some mattresses that seem to be reasonable candidates for testing. Only your own careful and objective testing or personal experience can really tell how close a mattress will be in terms of PPP although if they are willing to provide the specific details of their mattresses you can at least confirm the quality of the materials or how close it may be in terms of the design (which may have little to do with how the mattress feels). I would personally never visit any retail store or manufacturer until I had talked with them on the phone first (which is part of step 3 in the tutorial).
Both of these are good quality/value choices in their price ranges and they are both included in the online memory foam suppliers that I linked earlier. Based on their own description and on forum feedback the Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams is similar to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe except it may be just a little firmer. They would be the best sources of information about the specifics of their mattresses because they will know more about their own mattresses and how they “feel” to most people (although this can also be subjective) than anyone else.
I think the Northern Virginia list and the online list I linked include the better options I know of that are available to you.
Phoenix