Narrowed it down to Christeli now which model?

EXCELLENT site. So much information!

Well three years ago we purchased a Tempurpedic Contour Select at a local store that was a scratch and dent model. We were told from the store that it would have the full warranty. Well… Came to find out that was not the case. The store is no longer in business and we are stuck with a mattress with two inch permant indentations. It is killing my back and my wife’s back. LOVED it when it was new.

We (after EXTENSIVE research and reading all the articles on your site) have narrowed our choices down to Christeli. We are looking at the CHARLESTON 14.5" and the DANIELI 13.5". I really liked the higher density foam in the Tempurpedic. I guess my question is which one will give the same sinking feeling as the Tempurpedic Contour? I am 6’1" 230 and my wife is 5’7" 140. I am a back sleeper and my wife is a side sleeper.

Are there other companys that I should be looking at as well to get the same feel?

Thanks,
Dave

Hi bucboy14,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I’m sorry to learn about your issues with your Tempurpedic from a scratch and dent store, and unfortunately as you found out, items that are listed as this are not offered with a manufacturer’s warranty (they’re often mattresses that have already been returned for warranty defects). I strongly encourage anyone to proceed with abundant caution when considering a purchase of this nature. This video speaks about this a bit more. I’m sorry you had this happen to you.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to tell how a mattress will feel and perform for any specific person based on the specs or density of the materials as compared to another and it would depend entirely on the person and which mattress design was a better match in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP. The only way to know would be based on your own careful testing or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.

Both of the Christeli mattresses you mentioned also use good quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links that could compromise the durability or useful life of either of them relative to any weight/BMI range either but once again when you can’t test a mattress in person then your best source of guidance about which of their mattresses may be the best “match” for both of you will be a phone call with Christeli, and ask them which model they offer would best approximate the Contour Select.

I would also keep in mind that Christeli has a 50 day exchange policy that allows you to make a single exchange for another mattress but they don’t offer a refund policy so if you don’t sleep as well on one of their mattresses as you hoped for then your only options would be to add a topper (if the mattress is too firm) or to exchange the mattress for another model that is either softer or firmer.

Just for your own information, the last older specs I have of the Contour Select are:
1.2" TEMPUR® softer material Comfort Layer (5.3 lb/ft3 density)
2.8" TEMPUR® firmer material Support Layer (5.3 lb/ft3 density)
6" Convoluted HR, AirFlow System™ Base Layer

I’m not able to maintain a listing of all of the offerings that manufacturers currently have available, but in general there are really 3 ways that one mattress can “match” another one.

The first of these is in its feel and performance. While the quality of materials may not be the same (lower quality materials can feel the same as higher quality materials when they are new but won’t remain close to their original specs for as long once they soften and break down more quickly) they may “feel” very similar in side by side testing … at least for a while.

The second of these is with the quality of materials. This means that two mattresses may use the same quality of materials as another mattress and may have roughly the same durability but they may not feel the same because different foams of the same quality can have a very different feel and different designs and layer thicknesses can also mean that two mattresses with the same quality materials can be very different as well.

The third way they can match would be in design where one mattresses uses the same thickness of materials and layers and the same quality materials as well but they still may not feel the same because of differences in how similar quality materials can feel and differences in the softness or firmness of similar quality materials. In this case for example you could have one mattress that used 2" of 4 lb memory foam over 2" of 5 lb memory foam over 6" of 2.2 lb foam which could feel very different from another mattress that used the same quality/density of materials but where the feel and performance was very different.

So different mattresses may approximate another one (they will not likely be identical) in one or more ways … feel, material quality, and design. You may be able to find a mattress with a total amount and density of memory foam that is similar to the Contour Select, but in each mattress the type and properties and mixture of the memory foam will be slightly different along with the differences in the support system, so there really will be no way to get the “same” feel. But you may be able to find something similar, and the best way to determine that would be a detailed phone conversation with any memory foam company/manufacturer you are considering.

If you want to look at other brands, you may wish to start with the members listed in post #21 here who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance on the phone that can help you make good choices. There are a wide range of memory foam options included in the choices there and I believe that all of them compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency. In addition to the online members of the site listed in the previous membership link … post #12 here has some of the better online memory foam options for those who are looking for a memory foam mattress.

I’ll be interested to learn about any details you receive from Christeli should you phone them, and any subsequent decisions you make.

Phoenix

Thanks Pheonix! I will do some research on the others and give them a few phone calls.

One more question. Since the Memory Foam didn’t break down but the underneath support foam did, would we be better off looking at a latex mattress? How do the higher end latex mattresses compare in durablility to higher density memory foam? My Grandparents YEARS ago had a latex mattress that was wonderful!

Thanks again for this incredible site!

Dave

Hi bucboy14,

A good high-density memory foam (let’s say 2.0 lb. or above) certainly can be a durable material. As your mattress was a “scratch and dent”, we really don’t know what was wrong with the product and it’s entirely possible that it was made with a defective foam core or the item was abused in such a way to damage the foam.

I’m not sure if you’re asking to switch to a mattress that has latex for the support core (instead of polyfoam) and still has memory foam in the upper comfort layers, or if you’re asking to go to an all-latex mattress. If you like the feel of memory foam (which you stated that you do), there certainly are many quality choices of memory foam mattresses that use durable polyfoam cores layered with good quality memory foam, and they have a good comfort life. If you decide to go with an all-latex mattress, you certainly could do that as well, but the feel of course would be different from the feel offered by memory foam. Latex will generally be your most durable material of all foams.

You’re welcome!

Phoenix

HI Phoenix.

I spoke with Christeli today and got the updated specs on three of their models. I was given this info only after assuring the manager that I would not post them online, as they don’t want people copying their design. I really want to discuss the updated specs with you, so that you are aware of the changes. They are significant and a bit shocking. I will say that they no longer have any mattresses with 5-lb or higher density foam. I’d love to discuss it with you some time and am fine speaking via phone if you’re interested. I just want to keep my word and not post the data, if I can avoid it.

Hi 560andrising.
Thank you for letting us know about Christeli changes.