Questions about Dreamfoam, Ikea Mattresses and Frames, Addable

[phoenix]

Hi The Riddler,

[quote]I ended up ordering the 10" Arctic Dreams mattress and while my wife and I sleep great on it, we may end up returning it as well. It is a bit too soft so we end up sinking way down into the mattress to the point it is hard to move around on it. Also the edges compress so much it almost kicks you out of bed if you are too close to the edge.
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As we discussed before, this is a slightly softer version than you first Arctic Dreams 8" mattress, and at your higher BMI you may not like this comfort. There is no extra edge reinforcement system built into this mattress, so sleeping too close to the edge it will be a bit softer.

Also, there is a “mountain” (picture a tent) in the middle of the mattress that seems to be there whether it is on our frame or on our floor. The other mattress I returned was the same way.

Hyperbole aside, I can’t tell you if what you are describing is some normal softening on the sides of the mattress where you sleep and the center of the mattress staying a bit firmer and not being broken in as much, and if that is accentuated and accelerated by the base you are using (which would still be evident if placed on the floor for one night). Two mattresses doing the same thing would normally lead my thoughts in that direction.

Perhaps what it comes down to is that I want a ~$300 mattress to perform like a more expensive one!

While price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality, a less expensive mattress will necessarily have shortcomings as compared to items using more costly materials, which we’ve touched upon in some of the other posts in this thread. It certainly would be nice to get “million dollar” performance on a ten-cent budget.

Will any of these online foam mattresses struggle with edge support and a “tent” in the middle (maybe due to being compressed)?

A higher density, thicker and firmer base foam can assist with edge reinforcement, and there are some models that do include a racetrack foam edge system, or models that use innersprings with edge reinforcement systems. The lowest priced mattresses usually can not afford such systems in their design. There are some comments about edge support in post #2 here and the posts it links to. And as I can’t see your mattress, I can’t determine if what you’re describing as a “tent” is a by-product of the normal breaking-in process of a mattress, something accentuated/accelerated by the base you are using, or a defect, but two mattresses doing the same thing have me thinking it is more of an issue of perception or usage in your home, as compression wouldn’t cause a product to raise in the center of the mattress. But this is all “theory at a distance”.

One question I have–is firmness more due to the density level of polyfoam/memory foam or is firmness more due to ILD level? Or are they directly related?

In polyfoam density and hardness (IFD/ILD) are not necessarily related, as they are in latex. A harder polyfoam would be a higher IFD/ILD, and the higher the density the more durable that foam will be.

Also, what characteristics in a foam mattress do I need to look for to have the highest edge support possible and to have more of a feeling of laying “on” the mattress as opposed to “in” the mattress?

Firmer foam layers and materials that are more resilient (higher density polyfoam, latex, innersprings) can all be good choices in the place of softer polyfoams, softer latex or memory foams. It is possible that you may prefer the feel of innersprings used for the deeper support of a mattress, as opposed to a polyfoam core, based upon your previous experience.

By the way, as a total side note-I realize that many of these online mattress makers do not own their factories, but I guess they just give said factory the specs and have them build the mattresses. Do you have any knowledge of what factory Tuft and Needle is made at, or Eve Mattress?

Tuft and Needle does final assembly in Southern California, and the Eve mattresses sold in the USA are made in Indiana. This isn’t meaningful information that would make a difference to the average consumer, as they wouldn’t be familiar with different mattress manufacturing facilities, so it’s not something that I generally track.

Phoenix