I’m new to all this, and am pretty overwhelmed with all the info I’m trying to understand. All I want is a new mattress that works
We bought a basic TempurPedic about 15 years ago, and it’s in need of replacements.
After quite a lot of research, I was about to buy a Leesa, and then discovered the Loom and Leaf, and then discovered the Christeli, and then found this forum. I am 6’ and 220 lbs, and have struggled with mattresses that are too firm in the past - they hurt my hip. My wife prefers a firmer mattress, but has been ok with the TempurPedic.
I can’t afford a high end TempurPedic, but think I like memory foam. Would be interested in comments on Loom and Leaf / Christeli, and to understand if there are better alternatives to TempurPedic out there. I am looking for a good quality mattress that will last us another 15 years, but without the TempurPedic markup.
A mattress that “works” is the common goal of everyone that comes to the forum
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site 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 many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else has the same criteria or circumstances or would make the same choice.
I’m assuming that you’ve read 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 most 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 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” and 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 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).
You were fortunate to be able to sleep well on a mattress for 15 years!
I would always keep in mind that the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to 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” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate 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).
While I can’t speak to how any mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances … outside of PPP the 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 “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 information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/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.
There is more information about what I call “simplified choice mattresses” in general in post #1 here and there are some comments about Leesa and Loom & Leaf and many of the other simplified choice mattresses in post #2 here in the same topic. Forum searches on Loom Leaf and on Leesa (You can just click the links) will also bring up more comments and feedback about both of them.
There are also some comments about Christeli and some of the other better online options for memory foam mattresses I’m aware of in the online memory foam list here (which is one of several links to lists of the better online options I’m aware of that are included in the optional online step in the tutorial) and a forum search on Christeli (you can also click the link) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.
There are certainly many other smaller manufacturers that make memory foam mattresses that also use high quality/density and durable materials besides Tempurpedic that are in significantly lower budget ranges than Tempurpedic.
While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.
There is also more detailed information about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to different people in post #4 here and the posts it links to.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
Thanks, Pheonix…sorry for the long delay. We were desperate, so ended up purchasing a Novaform ComfortGrande Gel Memory Foram Mattress (King) from Costco. Unfortunately that didn’t to so well, and we are both finding it too firm for us.
We would like to try and find a mattress similar to our original TempurPedic, and both liked the way it conformed to our body shape. I think we’re leaning away from Gel, and we’d go for a Medium option at this point:
I’ve been doing some more research, and came up with the following options:
Addable - $649.99 - you seem to recommend the quality of their materials, but am a little concerned they are so cheap compared to the others??!!
Brooklyn Bedding - $900 - seems to be a very popular choice. Worried that their warranty is for 1.5" indents vs .75?
Kiss Mattress - $895 - worried about latex top? We seem very sensitive to pressure points. Also 1.75" indents?
Novosbed - $1200 - more expensive - longer time to be able to return. Warranty is for only .75" indents.
Very interested in your thoughts on these, and if I’ve missed any other good options that would give us good conforming and good quality.
I’m about 230lb sadly at the moment - will this affect any of the beds above?
I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out as well as you hoped for but it may be a blessing in disguise because the Novaform mattresses don’t meet the quality/durability guidelines that I would normally suggest that I linked in my previous reply. The good news is that Costco has a great return policy.
The tutorial includes a link to a list of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) but 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 and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
There are also some comments about all of the mattresses you mentioned in post #2 here in the simplified mattress topic and post #1 in the same topic would be well worth reading as well.
Since the only way to know for certain or confirm whether any mattress will be a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP or how it will compare to another mattress will be based on your own personal experience … if you aren’t confident that an online mattress will be a good match for you then the options you have available after a purchase to exchange or return the mattress for a refund would become a much more important part of the “value” of an online mattress purchase so I would also make sure you are comfortable with the exchange/return options that are available and any costs involved “just in case” and in spite of the “best efforts” of everyone involved (both you and the retailer you are buying from), the mattress doesn’t turn out to be as suitable a choice as you hoped for.
The good news is that all of the options you are looking at have a great return policy that allows you to return the mattress at no cost if it doesn’t work out for you.
All of the manufacturers you mentioned are also members of this site which means that I think highly of them and that I believe they compete well with the best in the industry in terms or their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
There are some comments about Addable in post #2 here in the simplified choice mattress topic. They would certainly be suitable for someone in more “average” weight ranges but I would be cautious for those that are in higher weight ranges. The “matchmaker” on their site along with a conversation will tell you if it’s a suitable choice in your weight range.
Mattress warranties only cover manufacturing defects and they don’t cover the gradual (or more rapid in the case of lower quality comfort layers) loss of comfort and support that comes from foam softening that is the main reason that most people will need to replace their mattress. In other words the length of mattress warranties have little to nothing to do with the durability or useful life of a mattress or how long it will be until you need to buy a new mattress. If there is an actual defect in the materials it will usually show up early in the life of the mattress (usually in the first year or two) but knowing the quality/density and durability of the materials in your mattress is always a much more reliable way to assess the relative durability and useful life of a mattress than the length of a warranty. There is more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
The BestMattressEver uses high quality materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in the mattress relative to any weight range that would be a cause for concern in terms of the durability or useful life of the mattress.
Having said that … the comfort layers in this mattress are latex rather than memory foam. Latex and memory foam are very different materials with very different properties but the choice between them is more of a preference and budget choice than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about some of the differences between memory foam and latex in post #2 here but the best way to know which type of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer in general would be based on your own testing and/or personal experience. It certainly won’t be anything like your old Tempurpedic mattress.
This mattress also uses high quality materials that would be suitable for any weight range. Latex can be a very pressure relieving material in a suitable firmness level but once again the only way to know for certain whether any mattress will be a suitable “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own personal experience. It comes in different firmness levels so once again if you do decide to purchase this mattress I would make sure you talk to them to find out which firmness level would have the best chance of success. My comments about latex vs memory foam would apply here as well.
This would be a more traditional memory foam mattress and like the others would be a good quality/value choice as well. They also have a great return policy but once again they would be the best source of guidance about which of their firmness levels would be closest to your old Tempurpedic.
It seems to me that your next step would be to decide whether to choose a mattress with memory foam comfort layers (like your old Tempurpedic) or with latex comfort layers. This would cut your finalists in half.
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design relative to your weight range and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations with each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials, the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
I think we’ve decided on memory foam, rather than latex.
My wife stopped into a local store, too, and ended up liking the TempurPedic Cloud Elite the best. I’ve been digging through the list of foam manufacturers again that you list, but struggling to figure out which one might be the most similar.
If you want to see what each layer density is for the tempurpedic line, look here: https://furniture.jordans.com/nav/cat1/mattresses/cat2/mattresses_mattresses/manufacturer/tempurpedic/0
Credit goes to phoenix for the link; I only remember it because my friend got one of these and his wife ended up hating it. ended up getting something from nest due to sleeping hot and hating the stuck feeling. At least with the densities, you have a place to start.
EDIT: don’t put too much weight on the anecdotal experience my friend had, its more of a value equation and those tempurpedic beds are pretty pricey in my own humble opinion.
Comfort Layers: 2.4" TEMPUR-ES 4.1LB
2.4" TEMPUR Material 5.3LB
Support System: Dual Airflow System
3" Airflow Base layer 2.0LB
5" Airflow Base layer 2.0LB
Any idea why there are 2 layers at the bottom with same spec?
Is there any validity to that? I couldn’t tell you and won’t even hazard a guess, way beyond my google-fu skills. That’s a question better left for the manufacturer/retail membership or Phoenix to answer, lol.
There is more information in post #9 here about the different ways that one mattress can “match” or “approximate” another one. Every layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting materials) will affect the feel and performance of every other layer and component and the mattress “as a whole” so unless you are able to find another mattress that uses exactly the same type of materials, components, cover and quilting, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a reliable way to match one mattress to another one in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) based on the specifications of the mattresses (even assuming that you can find out all the specifications you would need for both mattresses you are comparing in the first place).
Mattress manufacturers generally try to differentiate their mattress from the mattresses made by other manufacturers and don’t normally try to “match” another mattress that is made by a different manufacturer so unless a manufacturer specifically says in their description of a mattress that one of their mattresses in the same general category is specifically designed to “match” or “approximate” another one in terms of firmness or “feel” and PPP and/or they are very familiar with both mattresses and can provide reliable guidance about how they compare based on the “averages” of a larger group of people that have compared them (different people may have very different opinions about how two mattresses compare) … the only reliable way to know for certain how two mattresses would compare for you in terms of how they “feel” or in terms of firmness or PPP (regardless of anyone else’s opinions of how they compare which may be different from your own) would be based on your own careful testing or actual sleeping experience on both of them.
Having said that … if you are researching online memory foam mattresses then the mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of some of the better online memory foam options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) and several of them make memory foam mattresses that are designed and and that they describe as being reasonable approximations of the general firmness of many of the Tempurpedic mattresses. Several of the other retailers or manufacturers that are on the list that don’t specifically describe their mattresses as being similar to one of the Tempurpedic models would probably also be able to give you more information about which of their mattress would be the closest approximation to the Tempurpedic Cloud Elite as well.
Convoluted foam is softer than a solid layer of the same material and in some cases can allow for more airflow through a mattress as well (although this may not be as effective in the deeper layers). Different combinations of materials and components in a mattress are just a way to achieve the firmness, feel, and performance that are part of the design goals of a mattress. There is also more about convoluted foam layers in post #2 here. While the density of memory foam and polyfoam is the single biggest factor that can affect the durability of the material … I would also keep in mind that two foam layers that are the same density may not have the same firmness level because a specific density of foam can be made in a wide range of firmness levels. Since the information they provided doesn’t include any information about the firmness of each of the two layers or any of the other specs of the foam layers … it’s not possible to tell if they are the same based on the density of each layer alone.
