Obasan Verses Ultimate Dreams Mattress

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

After much searching I seem to really like the Obasan Silhouette Top Pad (PFLO) with the Silhouette Marseille Noir Firm. I’ve read some articles recommending the Ultimate Dreams mattress and found some topics here in your mattress forum. The Obasan is a bit pricey, which I’m willing to pay if it really is that much better, but I’m wondering if these two brands are comparable.

The Obasan I’ve found has the top pad that can be replaced or exchanged to get the right comfort level and offers a split bed option so my husband can have the comfort he prefers as well. For a california king the quote is $3400. We live in Irvine, Ca and I’ve visited quite a few stores trying to find the perfect mattress. I think I have with the Obasan at Ergo beds but would love it if there is a way to get it at a more economical price.

We currently have a Tempurpedic which I dislike, husband loves it. I need much firmer, I’m a side sleeper and sometimes back. I struggle with headaches, neck and shoulder tension/pain and low back pain. I toss and turn all night and never wake up feeling rested since we go this mattress 5 years ago. I’m 5’3" 190 and husband is 6’ 225 which is why I like the idea of a split bed so we both can sleep well.

Thanks!

2

Hi Gracie1@,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

The Silhouette Marseille Noir (firm) I believe is the same mattress as the Berkeley Ergonomics BE 1500, who most likely produces this item for Ergo Beds under the Silhouette label. The nestled pocketed springs are very high quality (from Germany) and the Talalay latex used is natural. The cover uses organic cotton quilted to Plein Air wool. This item uses good quality and durable materials, and I do think highly of the Berkeley Ergonomics line of mattresses. As you mentioned this model can be made with dual firmnesses, and if Ergo Beds offers the same number of variations as Berkeley Ergonomics, there are four different comfort choices.

I believe the topper you’re describing is also from Berkeley Ergonomics, called the Posturflo. This unique topper uses microsprings and the same Plein Air wool quilted to organic cotton to create an extra layer of plushness when placed upon a mattress. This would also be a good quality and durable item.

The Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams is a different design from the Silhouette. I’m guessing that you’re referencing the Ultimate Dreams Total Latex, based upon some of your comments. That model uses a latex core (can be natural Dunlop or Talalay at two different firmnesses) and then a 3" layer of Talalay on top of that which can be adjusted/exchanged to different ILDs. The quilt is a layer of organic wool and a thin piece of polyfoam. In a California king mattress this item can be split into different comfort configurations on the left and right side.

Again, I think that you’re actually comparing a Berkeley Ergonomics/Silhouette mattress (not an Obasan) to the Dreamfoam mattress.

Both products use good quality and durable materials. Dreamfoam is known for offering some very good quality components at affordable prices. The Berkeley Ergonomics also uses very high quality materials and imports their unique springs and microsprings from Europe, so the “value” of a mattress purchase from BE includes more than just the material value of the mattress.

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).

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.

The good news is that you are choosing between “good” and “good” regarding componentry, but there certainly is a difference in that componentry (one item using springs versus a latex support core), so that preference would also enter into your value equation.

If you have more specific questions I’ll do my best to be assistive.

Phoenix

3

Thank you for your quick and detailed response. I went ahead today and ordered the Silhouette mattress and pad and feel better after your response and all the helpful links and forum posts to help guide the way. What a gift your site is! I’ll be sure to post back how the experience is on the purchase.

Thank you!

4

Hi Gracie1@,

Thanks for the update, and congratulations on your purchase! :cheer: I’ll be interested in learning about your purchase once you’ve had a chance to sleep on it for a while.

Phoenix

5

I just ordered the Obasan Acadia 3.0 after debating between it and one of the Dormir mattresses. Does any one have experience with either? I’m wondering if I made the right choice after seeing another member post on this site they they couldn’t get the layer configuration right with their Obasan–I real worry since the price point is so steep. I’d welcome feedback!

6

Hi DR.

While I’d like to congratulate you on your new mattress purchase I also understand your concern in case the mattress does not meet your particular needs. The good news is that for the Acadia mattresses, they do a free, one-time comfort exchange after 30 days of sleeping on it, but they do not accept returns if the product was opened … so you are a bit in a catch 22. With the layer exchange, your odds of a good match increase considerably. While the product may work well for you the return policy is prohibitive to give it a try as they clearly state in their return policy that the mattress must be unopened, unused and in the same condition that you received it and that you’d have 14 days to return the item for a full refund minus shipping. (The delivery date is marked as the day the package was delivered in the shipping company’s system.) You may wish to call them and let them know about your concerns and ask for their recommendation. Ideally, you’d want to test something locally and if in the first week you experience any discomfort or pains then you can move to plan B and return it. I wish I could be more helpful but hopefully, someone that has some experience with the product sees your post … but of course, their own experience in terms of comfort/support will most likely be different than yours.

I look forward to any updates you might have along the way if you decide to keep it and fine tune it with the layer exchange in case the purchase did not turn out as well as you hoped for.

Phoenix

7

Thanks for your response, Phoenix. John, the person with whom I spoke at Obasan, told me that they do a complimentary comfort layer exchange, and that the customer is not expected to return the latex layer that they don’t use. This seems to address the concern that you identified, and indeed that I had as well. I will post my experiences with this mattress when it arrives.

8

Hi DR,

Thank you for the added information that may be useful to those considering the Obasan.
I’m looking forward to any ongoing updates you have the chance to share.

Phoenix

9

I’m writing with an update after sleeping on my Obasan Acadia 3.0 mattress. It is dreamy! For context, I have had lower back (muscular) pain over the last several months. I tried various mattresses–Loom & Leaf, Naturepedic, and Savvy Rest. I liked the zoning that Obasan offers and hoped it would offer targeted back support. My hopes have borne true. This is probably the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on–enveloping and yet also still firm. Even though one can normally expect a period of adjustment, I had no adjustment issues as yet. I woke up feeling better than I have in as long as I can remember.

For those of you who can’t try out this bed in person (I was one of these customers), I wouldn’t let this deter you if this mattress is within your budget. Obasan’s representative told me that the majority of their sales are over the phone. After taking information about their client (height, weight, sleeping position, age), they use a “formula” for configuring your bed layers. Even in instances when I have personally tested out mattresses that felt comfortable in the showroom, I have often been disappointed after sleeping on the mattress later. I learned that testing out a mattress in person is no guarantee that the mattress will work; in my case, the majority of those purchases actually didn’t work for me in the end.

Obasan has a 90-day exchange period as well to make any adjustments to the latex components. I liked being led through the process and feeling like I was being personally taken care of.

Their bedding is also the most exquisite I’ve personally seen. Their summer wool duvet was just gorgeous, and the mattress protector constructed with attention to detail.

This may read as an effusive post, but after a rather wearying experience over the past five months trying out different mattresses, it’s difficult to suppress my happiness.

10

Hi DR.

Thank you for your heartfelt update. I am excited for your success and comfort with your “dreamy” mattress. :lol:

It’s always interesting “watching” forum members go through their “learning process” and decision making as you did: You’ve certainly made the right “call” and I am glad that Obassan’s representative was so helpful and that you now wake up pain-free.

I’m hoping that you’ll be able to provide more updates as time goes on regarding your new mattress.

Phoenix

11

DR, I am very happy to read your review of the Obasan. I too am worried about the price and keep wondering if we can find something less expensive somewhere. I am also in Canada (GTA). The price is my only concern, and the fact that the base is $1000 on top.

12

Hi workitoutgirrl.

There is a list of Canadian manufacturers/retailer listed by MFC in post #56 here that you may wish to look at that seem to better fit your budget criteria.
Some other options that you may wish to consider of the Trusted members of this site (in alphabetical order)

[indent] Dormio
Memory Foam Comfort
Restmore Bedding [/indent]
which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations, and I would not hesitate to recommend them for your consideration,

You may also wish to check out the Balancer - Das Original that was brought up a few times recently on our site.

I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course any additional comments or questions you may have along the way that I or any of the Expert members of the site can help with.

Phoenix

13

Thanks. i appreciate that. I was able to find a comparable match to the Obasan I was considering. I know they are basically the same company. Is there something differentiates the 2 from eachother? I am so torn, because if I go with the Dormio, I may need to also buy a latex topper for comfort, which will essentially bring the cost to the same as the Obasan. Getting to one of the stores is difficult, and my partner told me “just pick one, already” haha. Not in those words, but he said to pick the one we “need”, which is so difficult. Soon, we will be able to sleep together again :wink:

14

Hi workitoutgirrl,

We have 3 models of organic latex mattresses on our website. However if you found a model from another manufacturer, chances are we can make it for you. Simply contact us with the model name and any other information you have (such as the thickness and the ILD of each latex layer) and we will be happy to give you a quote.

Good luck in your search

15

From what I gathered, the difference between the Obasan and some of the other organic latex mattresses is that the Obasan offers zoning (different density for head, back, and feet).

I purchased the CozyPure LaNoodle topper for one of my other latex beds (not the Obasan, which was comfortable enough). It is very therapeutic as a topper and a little less money than buying a fully latex 2" or 3" layer for comfort. The noodles move around a bit (there are other posts on this site about it), but the comfort is worth the maintenance in my thinking. I believe CozyPure runs Thanksgiving sales (I bought mine on sale in the fall), and they also ship to Canada if I remember correctly. This is an option if you buy a Sleeptek or Dormio and ending up wanting a bit more plushness.

16

I also want to add in here that we ended up liking our SavvyRest latex bed, too (it’s in another residence), but it did take me a lot of layer exchanges to figure out how to configure the three latex layers. This was a bit arduous and not good for my back (all the moving around of the awkward and heavy layers). I slept on it last week while we were at our other residence and it’s great–especially with the CozyPure LaNoodle topper I bought for it.

The one advantage of Obasan is that, after gathering information about your weight, height, age, and sleeping position, they configure the mattress for you. They also do a complimentary layer exchange in case it’s not quite right.

17

Hi DR,

Thank you for your suggestions(s) and for sharing your experiences and thoughts, I am glad Cozy Pure’s LaNoodle topper is working so well for you. It seems to be a favorite for many people that try it. As you know CozyPure is a member of our site and over time I had many conversations with Cheryl (owner) so I know firsthand of the care and attention they pay to each aspect of the design and detail that goes into manufacturing any of their products.

You certainly made a good value/quality choice. :slight_smile:

Phoenix