New Tuft and Needle Model???

All,

Thanks for the help. I have the old TF model, which some describe as too firm, but I found perfect. However, now I need a larger mattress and according to TF, the new model is considerably less firm.

The old TF model was perfect. What other brands should I consider if i’m looking for something similar given that the new model is not as firm? Or should I just give the new model a shot?

Thanks

Hi bbconair,

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 bbconair (or any username you wish).

There is more about the new Tuft & Needle design in posts #2 and #6 here.

Hoopefully some of the members that have tried both of them will see your post and share their thoughts about how they compare.

I would also keep in mind that different people can have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others 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 compared to other mattresses they have tried (see post #15 here). What this all boils down to is that the few people that have tried both mattresses in person may have very different opinions about how they compare in terms of firmness but I think it would be fair to say that their new mattress is “somewhat” softer and also more “supportive” because of the specific foam formulation and higher density foam they are using in the comfort layer of their new design.

In the end the only way to know whether it will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or will feel “firm enough” for you will be based on your own personal experience and since they have a great return policy there is little risk in trying it to see whether it is in the firmness range that you prefer.

I don’t know of another mattress that uses the same materials and design and since most mattresses are unique the only reliable way to know how any mattress feels or how it compares to another mattress will be based on your own unique perceptions and personal experience.

There is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress (either locally or online) that is the most suitable “match” for your specific needs and preferences (or to another mattress) and how to identify and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them in post #2 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 specifics of their mattresses 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 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 to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or even to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else. In this case I think that Tuft & Needle will be the most reliable source of guidance about how their old and new versions compare in terms of firmness based on the “averages” of their customers because they will know about more customer feedback than anyone else.

This is much too broad a question to be able to answer with any specifics because there are dozens of manufacturers that would be well worth considering that make good quality/value mattresses that are relatively firm. Since there is no consensus about firmness ratings between manufacturers and consumer feedback can vary so widely and is so subjective and relative … the only reliable way to know how firm a mattress will feel to you is based on your own personal experience. Which of your many options would be “best for you” would also depend on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the firmness options that are available, your budget, the type of mattresses and materials you tend to prefer, and the options you have after a purchase to exchange or return a mattress or change the firmness level just in case your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

Having said all that … the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to some of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) and there are also some lower budget options listed in post #4 here that may be worth considering as well.

There may also be some local options that are worth considering (that you could test in person for firmness before a purchase) and if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of that are close to you.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses but In the end you are the only one that can decide which of all the many options you have available would be a suitable firmness or the best “value” for you.

Phoenix