Hi scottebene,
You would do this by following the steps listed in the mattress shopping tutorial that I linked to in the second paragraph in my earlier reply to you. There you will find the steps necessary to compare one mattress to another and learn about the quality of materials.
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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) 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 you will sleep), durability (how long you 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 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 the 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.
Again, you should read the mattress shopping tutorial so that you can learn about foam qualities and how to compare the specifications of one mattress versus another. The Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams Latex uses a 1.8 lb polyfoam core that is 6" thick, and it uses 3" of Talalay latex on top of that. There’s 1.5" of polyfoam quilted to the top covering. This can be ordered in multiple firmnesses which will be determined through a phone call with one of the Dreamfoam customer service staff when/after you place your order. The Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress Ever uses a 2 lb polyfoam core and has a 2" layer of Dunlop latex under a 2" layer of Talalay latex. So there is more “premium” material in this mattress as compared to the Ultimate Dreams Latex and the polyfoam is higher in density. I described the Artic Dreams specification to you in my previous reply, and it would be more of a good value/budget mattress when minimizing your price was a priority but you still wanted to procure something using high quality products relative to that low price point.
While price is certainly important of course … the “value” of a mattress purchase is what is most important and price is just one of many factors that can affect the “value” of a mattress purchase. There isn’t a “formula” that can be used to assess or “calculate” the value of a mattress because there are so many different variables and criteria involved that can affect the price of a mattress that can each be more or less important to some people and not to others who may have completely different criteria or definitions of “value”. The value of a mattress purchase is also relative to how a mattress compares to the other finalists you are considering or to other mattresses that are available to you in your area (or online if you are also considering online options). There are many reasons that a mattress that may be “good value” for one person or in one area of the country may not be good value for someone else that has very different needs and preferences or that lives in a different area.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other 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).
I also addressed this in my earlier reply, discussing that there is no one consensus (nor could there be) for what a “medium” or “plush” mattress might be, and nothing can replace your own careful personal testing (which I think you are going to attempt in Phoenix).
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, options, and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local or online lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. Dreamfoam lists the specifications of their mattresses on their web site, and using this information can assist you in looking locally for mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations. But note my caution in my previous post about attempting to “match” one mattress to another, and the often futile nature of those attempts.
The Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel Memory Foam Mattress uses a 6" polyfoam core that is 1.8 lb, on top of which is placed a 2" layer of 5 lb memory foam and on top of that is a 3" layer of 4 lb memory foam. As you stated in your previous post that you are a warm sleeper, and this is a memory foam mattress, this model may not be the best option for you.
I think your planned visit in Phoenix to a Brooklyn Bedding showroom will be by far the most valuable thing that you can do so that you can translate the specifications online into “real world” comforts. Good luck with your visit and I’ll be interested in learning about anything that you tried out and liked. Have fun!
Phoenix