Well about a week or so ago my fiance and I found out we were moving into a new apartment and made the decision that one thing we wanted to upgrade during our move was our bed. As I have gotten older I have found that researching and buying the right thing the first time usually saves a ton of money and headache in the long run. Little did I know, that mattresses were more complicated than buying anything i've ever purchased before lol.
I have spent the last few days reading and researching threads and stickies on here and everywhere only to be spun in circles and end up having know idea what the right choice is. Just when I think i’ve found the perfect mattress I read something convincing that says otherwise. usually from here. (amerisleep, dynasty, amazon stuff) I am hoping to provide some of you pro’s here with my information of what we are looking for and you can point me in the right direction of a good manufacturer or even a specific mattress. After reading some threads with similar questions ill try to provide any information that can help you help me. anything i’m missing just ask.
Current mattress: 7 year old, Queen size, sealy Blue lake 8" memory foam.
The foam has formed weak spots and heats up quickly over time, my fix for this has been a mattress topper which actually has made the bed quite comfortable. and Helped with the hot sleeping issue some.
The mattress topper is a 3" thick 4lb density from amazon. Amazon.com
I live in long island, NY
I am 5’10 185lbs, have slipped discs in my neck and back and a bad left shoulder. ( I sleep either on my back stomach or right side but I usually end up tossing around to find a comfortable spot. I also find that I get hot when I sleep. so a mattress that helps with that is important to me as well.
My fiance is 5’4 110lbs and really only suggested we get a slightly denser feeling mattress then what we have now with the memory foam mattress topper.
We are looking to upgrade to a king size, slightly denser feeling or more supportive then the mattress topper that we currently have but not to firm. Something that will minimize any hot sleeping issue. Something that minimizes motion transfer and that wont break the bank. As a point of reference, Up until I found this website we were pretty sure we were going to buy the Amerisleep Revere kingsize bed.
It sounds like you’ve read the mattress shopping tutorial which has 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 that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and 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 that are involved in each of them 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, durability, and value.
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 for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components would be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing or personal experience … hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Having said that … I can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer any questions you may have along the way that I am able to help with, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress is the best match for you in terms of PPP and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including your budget or course).
There is also more about the many variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here that can help you choose the combination of materials and components and the types of mattresses that will have the best chance of keeping you in a temperature range that you are comfortable with.
It sounds like you have read step 1 and step 2 of the tutorial so step 3 would be deciding on the local stores or manufacturers that you wish to visit. The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Long Island area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked) are listed in post #4 here and it also includes a link to the New York City list as well.
The tutorial post also includes two links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of as well (in the optional online step).
The materials in the Revere mattress include 3" of 4 lb memory foam (which is a medium quality/density memory foam) and the support layer is 9" of 1.5 lb polyfoam which is a lower quality/density material than I would be comfortable with in a mattress in this budget range (see the foam quality/density guidelines here). It also doesn’t compare well to the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Breeze they are comparing it to which uses much higher quality materials. While it may be a better than average choice compared to some of the mainstream manufacturers … based on the criteria that would be important to most of the forum members here there would certainly be better quality/value online options available to you in this budget range that also have a better exchange/return policy that won’t cost nearly as much for return shipping if the mattress doesn’t work out as well as you hoped for and you need to return the mattress.
After further reading i’m considering the dreamfoam brand. That seems to be a highly regarding brand as far as quality and value go on this website. The only concern I would have would be the sleeping hot issue. I keep the room very cool and always have a fan which in my current sleeping situation posted above seems to work most of the time. Maybe a latex mattress is something I should consider? I have absolutely no experience with them so thats why im hesitant. Is there is a specific mattress dreamfoam sells that compares to that based on my description you would suggest looking at? also, when they describe the mattress as plush, lets say in the 13" gel memory foam but it has 3" of 4lb gel memory foam, 2" of 5lb memory foam, 8" base of premium base foam, wouldn’t that feel denser or firmer? I was under the impression that higher density is firmer foam.
As you probably know Dreamfoam is one of the members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency.
I would also keep in mind though that you aren’t buying the brand and would only be buying one of many mattresses that they make so outside of how suitable any mattress is for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) the most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is the type, quality, and durability of the materials inside it and how it compares to the other mattresses you are considering based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are important to you regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label.
In very general terms latex is more breathable than memory foam so it would tend to sleep cooler than memory foam as well. There is also more about the many variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here that can help you choose the combination of materials and components and the types of mattresses that will have the best chance of keeping you in a temperature range that you are comfortable with.
There is more about the differences between memory foam and latex in post #2 here but the choice of materials in a mattress would be a preference choice not a “better/worse” choice. Not everyone likes the “feel” of latex (just like many people don’t like memory foam or other materials or types of mattresses as well) so it’s usually a good idea to do some local testing to make sure you like the general feel and performance of latex or any other material you are considering. Both memory foam and latex mattresses come in a wide range of firmness levels but they are very different from each other in terms of how they feel and respond and they each have a unique type of softness/firmness that different people may translate differently based on their subjective perceptions of softness/firmness.
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 (such as Dreamfoam) 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 to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
The density of memory foam (and polyfoam) isn’t directly related to firmness and any density of memory foam can be chemically formulated to have a range of firmness levels and many other properties as well (see post #9 here and post #8 here). Every layer and component of a mattress will also affect the feel and performance and firmness level of every other layer and the mattress “as a whole” and there are also many variables that can affect the firmness of a mattress besides the firmness of one of the layers inside it (see post #4 here). Density is the most important factor in the durability of memory foam or polyfoam but it has much less to do with how it “feels” and you can’t feel the quality or durability of a material when you sleep on it.
Based on feedback on the forum and on information from Dreamfoam as well … their 13" gel memory foam mattress is closely comparable to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe (perhaps just a bit firmer) so you can get a good sense of it’s firmness by testing a Cloud Luxe locally. The Cloud Luxe is Tempurpedic’s softest mattress.
The Dreamfoam Supreme gel memory foam mattress would be comparable to the Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme which would be firmer than the Cloud Luxe (mainly because it has less memory foam in the top layers).
Well I just got home from my local sleepies… and after laying on the cloud luxe for about 10 minutes my fiance and I both looked at eachother and said… yep this one… we tried a few others and didn’t like them, either too firm or not enough conformity. The salesman was pushing this beautyrest phenom but I thought it felt like a big sponge. The cloud luxe felt just right and when the salesman says the king size is right around 3900 on sale, the dreamfoam basically sells it self. Im sure based on the reviews here and coming from what I have now it will be more then excellent.
few more questions,
bedframe/foundation suggestions for this mattress?
Specific mattress protector you suggest that may help with cooling and wont ruin the feel of the mattress?
Phoenix, with all your knowledge in this industry, what mattress do you sleep on? lol
Assuming you decide to pull the trigger on the Dreamfoam … congratulations on your new mattress
There is more information about support systems that are the most suitable for different types of mattresses in the foundation post here but any firm flat non flexing surface that provides some airflow under the mattress would be suitable. In general the firmer it is, and the greater amount of support surface it provides to the mattress the better (as long as there is some airflow). The only thing that I would avoid is a foundation that has slats that are more than 5" apart.
I don’t have any specific suggestions but there is more about the pros and cons of different types of mattress protectors in post #89 here. The most common choice for a memory foam mattress would be one of the thin membrane types which are mostly waterproof and will have less effect on the feel and contouring of a memory foam mattress but they are also “semi breathable” so for some people they can sleep a little warmer. Natural fabrics (such as cotton) or a semi synthetic fabric (such as Tencel or other rayon/viscose materials such as rayon from bamboo) will generally tend to be a little cooler than synthetic fabrics such as polyester.
You can see the specifics of my mattress in post #4 here.
As you can see I prefer the feel of Talalay latex but of course my preferences may be very different from someone else’s preferences.
[quote]Currently Torn between dreamfoam ultimate dreams gel 13"
or Brooklyn bedding Medium firmness
any input is appreciated. [/quote]
The main difference between them is that the Brooklyn Bedding #BestMattressEver has latex comfort layers and the Dreamfoam 13" gel memory foam has memory foam comfort layers so it will really depend on which of these two very different materials you tend to prefer.
There is more about the differences between latex and memory foam in post #2 here but the best way to know which one you tend to prefer would be based on testing some latex and memory foam mattresses locally.
Other differences would include …
The differences in cost. The Dreamfoam 13" gel memory foam mattress is a slightly lower cost than the Brooklyn Bedding #BestMattressEver when you include the discounts available. Dreamfoam has a 10% discount available if you purchase one of their mattresses on their site and provides a “pillow bonus” to the members of The Mattress Underground and Brooklyn Bedding offers a 5% discount to the members of The Mattress Underground.
The return options. Brooklyn Bedding has a 120 day free return policy and if you purchase the Dreamfoam 13" gel memory foam from the Dreamfoam site they have a 45 day comfort guarantee that is $99 for return shipping.
The firmness levels. The Dreamfoam 13" gel memory foam is a soft mattress that is similar to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe … although they also have other memory foam mattresses in different firmness levels … while the Brooklyn Bedding #BestMattressEver gives you the choice of soft, medium, or firm.
so basically, other then finding a place locally that has a latex mattress to try out, maybe going with the brooklyn bedding medium bed is the least risk. If we like it, great! if not, we know which direction to go from afterward without losing anything.
I agree that the Brooklyn Bedding mattress would have the least risk because there is no cost involved in returning it so if for some reason it doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for then all you would be risking is the time you spent trying the mattress or returning it.
If you did decide on the Brooklyn Bedding mattress all you would have to do is decide whether you would prefer soft, medium, or firm and if you are undecided then they will be able to provide some guidance if you talk with them on the phone.
