Novaform vs Tempurpedic

Hi All -

In the market for a new mattress (on the firmer side) and I have narrowed my options down to 2 different Costco models: the Novaform Firm (currently on sale online thru Sunday for $750) or the Tempur-pedic Essential Firm 10" (Costco specific model currently on the road show thru next weekend for $1999). I am told it is most similar to the TP Contour Supreme 11.5’’ with the difference being that the Essential firm does not have the small airflow space between top layer and 2nd layer of foam.

I’ve had an original TP for the past 16yrs and loved it until recently when i noticed it was starting to lose its shape and sagging. And when I say original, I mean original When i bought it there was only 1 model and the only choice was bed size (king, queen, full, etc). I am happy to get another IF its worth the added expense. I am told the Essential firm is similar feel to the original with various upgrades.

At the time I bought my original TP, there were no other big players in the market and not a lot of choices. But I know that market has changed dramatically, so i am wondering:

Is the Tempurpedic that much better a bed over the Novaform (which I cannot test in store). And which one would you go with if these were your two choices? Is one more durable / have a better shelf life than the other? Is the Tempur foam worth the added costs (denser foam, better quality, etc)?

The only other model I would maybe consider if the Novaform Bella Venta which is listed as Medium Firm (also on sale at Costco) but again, not sure how these compare to the TP.

I dont mind paying the difference if it is worth it, since my experience with TP has been good thus far. Then again, if the $750 bed is just as good, no need to spend the extra $$$.

Thanks so much,
Blasky

Hi blasky,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

The purpose of this forum is not to tell you what mattress to buy, or inform people of what mattress I might buy (this would have no bearing whatsoever on what you should choose), but instead help provide you the tools so that you can analyze and select a mattress on your own. It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

In this situation you would need to 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. Unfortunately, Costco doesn’t provide that information on their web site, but if you’re able to procure that for the Novaform Firm and post it back here I’ll be happy to comment upon it.

Regarding the Tempurpedic, while they do tend to use better quality materials in their mattresses, they don’t tend to share that information much publicly. You’d again want to be provided the details of the layers within the mattress before making a decision on this or any other product.

When selecting a mattress, the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

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).

As for “value”, 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).

But overall, the first thing I would recommend before making any purchase decision is to find out the specifications (densities) of the foams in all of the mattresses you’re considering. If you’re not able to procure that information, I would consider purchasing any such an item a more “risky” choice.

If you are looking for other quality memory foam options, while not a complete list, there are some quality memory foam manufacturers in the site members listed here, all of which I consider to be among the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.

I hope that’s helpful.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix -

Very helpful… thanks for all the great info and links. I will see what I can dig up and post my findings. Thanks again.

Blasky

Here is some info I was able to dig up…

Novaform Firm:

Mattress Thickness: 12"
1 inch Top Layer of FlexTech foam for a uniquely responsive surface
1 inch Middle Layer of Ultrasoft memory foam for a layer of gentle support
10 inches of Base foam for long-lasting durability and overall stability

Novaform does not list what density the foam they is but from other websites and what they publish, I can deduce that their top comfort layers are 3-3.5lb/ft density, while their base layer is 2lb/ft density.

Tempurpedic Essence Firm - 10" thick.
Seems hard to find this info, but did find an article that said they use some of the more dense base foams out there 5+lb/sf. I doubt tempurpedic will share the exact specifics but will try to call them tomorrow. If I find any additional info I will post.

Since this is a Costco exclusive model, i will post their marketing material here since it is not found on the retail site.

Hi blasky,

The information you have on the Novaform model, while listing the layers (found on the Costco and the Novaform site), do not list specifics of the density of the foams used in this specific mattress, and I would not deduce from other mattresses that they produce what is in this particular item. The FlexTech foam is also not a memory foam, so it would most likely be a different density from the memory foam beneath.

Tempurpedic does not use 5 lb density foam in the base of their mattress (which would be polyfoam). It’s usually in the 2 lb range, but as I mentioned in my previous reply this isn’t information that they generally share publicly. Memory foam layers in the 4-5 lb range are more common for them, but again without specifics with either item I would consider this a more “risky” purchase. If you go to the Jordans web site you can see some of the more common Tempurpedic specifications.

Phoenix

Hi, was wondering if anyone were able to determine more details about the specifications of the Costco specific Tempur-Pedic Essential Firm 10" mattress? Curious if anyone has actually tried this mattress and your experience with it?

Hi mmsleep.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I don’t personally have any experience with Tempur-Pedic Essential Firm 10" Mattress, but you can see a general description on Costco’s website here. While Tempur tends to use better quality materials in their mattresses, unfortunately, neither Tempur nor Costco are listing the set of specifications needed to determine quality and suitability. If you’re not able to find out the information listed here, I would consider purchasing any such an item a more “risky” choice, but if you’re able to somehow procure it and post it back here I’ll be happy to comment upon it.

Hopefully, someone that owns it will see your post and share their experience with it…

Phoenix