I have read through the stickied posts, people’s reviews, and I am now leaning towards a T and N or DreamFoam mattress.
Once I checked the list of recommended buyers, and saw both on the list, it comforted me knowing that I could get a quality, reputable mattress for my price range, max of a 1000.
Now that I’ve had some information overaload, I’m just looking for some basic pointers to guide me in the right direction.
I’m still undecided between a latex mattress, or a memory foam (and in this case, the Latex Dreamfoam or the Dreamfoam gel 13")
However, I was reading the reviews on the 10" TandN as well as the 12-in-1 DreamFoam. The 12 in 1 feature of that seems really superior and a good selling point, but is it the jack of all trades? Meaning does it sacrifice quality to be able to accommodate 12 different types. For example. a pocket knife, is very versatile, however, the saw blade on it is nowhere as functional as using a real saw - is that type of dilemna present here?
So basically, can someone touch on how the DreamFoamGel 13" vs. Latex Dreamfoam vs. 12 and 1 vs. Tuft and Needle 10" compare head to head - from a pretty high level.
(Furthermore, it is necessary to note about me: I usually prefer mattress more on the softer side, and I am 5’11 and 175 lbs. for reference).
There are a few important parts of the mattress shopping tutorial that you may have missed (and I realize that there’s a lot of information there) so I’ll expand on a few of them here since they answer most of your questions.
The choice between memory foam and latex is a purely subjective preference and not a “better worse” choice. There is more in post #2 here about how they compare but the only way to know for certain which one you may prefer between a fast response and non temperature sensitive material (like latex) and a slow response and temperature sensitive material (like memory foam) is your own personal experience. It may be a good idea to test each type of material at local stores to see which one you tend to prefer.
The only way to choose a mattress is either based on your own personal testing and experience or if you can’t test a mattress in person then a more detailed conversation with a knowledgeable online retailer or manufacturer where you can provide them with more information about your body type and sleeping style along with the mattresses you have slept on in the past or tested and liked. Nobody else can feel what you feel or tell you what you may prefer based on “theory at a distance” (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here)
The 12 in 1 uses 2 lb polyfoam which is a good quality durable material. There is more about the factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #2 here and posts #28 - #30 in this topic also had some questions that were very similar to yours which should be helpful.
The Tuft & Needle is a firm mattress that uses almost the same quality polyfoam as the 12 in 1 (about 1.8 - 2 lb), but since it can’t be customized it would be of most interest to those who prefer a firm mattress. It has a great return policy so it would be an all or nothing choice that either works or doesn’t with little risk.
The 12 in 1 customizable would be suitable for a much wider range of people because it has many configurations from soft to firm. While there is a return policy (if you order it from the Dreamfoam site) there is a modest cost involved. A component mattress also has the advantage of being able to replace just a single layer down the road if one layer has softened before the others (the comfort layers in a mattress will generally soften before the other layers) or if your needs or preferences change over time without having to replace the entire mattress. The short answer is that this is not a pocket knife example where something is sacrificed for the sake of convenience.
Both are good quality/value choices (and there are many mainstream mattresses that use much lower quality polyfoam in their comfort layers) but one is much more versatile and the other one is more dependent on its return policy to lower the risk of an online purchase.
I would also be very cautious about using mattress reviews as a way to choose a mattress since “comfort” is very subjective and what works well for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).
I hope this helps you make the final choice that is the best match for the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you
Thank you for your help Phoenix - geez, you put so much time and effort into each post - the individual attention is incredible!
I guess my next step is to go a store and test some out to see if I prefer memory foam or latex.
My area is Northern Jersey (Bergen County) Zip - 07436, can you see if you know any places you recommend I go to, to try some out?
Furthermore, I’ve reread your description on the 12 and 1 (how it’s not like a pocket knife) - would this mean it is in most cases a smarter choice then the Dreamfoam Latex? It just seems like it’s such a smart choice since it can cater to so many different types?
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of that are closest to you would be in the Northern New Jersey list in post #7 here and in the list for the New York City region in post #2 here (they have a fair bit of overlap).
This would depend entirely on your personal preferences about whether you preferred latex comfort layers or polyfoam comfort layers. Latex is a higher quality and more durable material than polyfoam but it’s also more costly.
Some of the Dreamfoam latex hybrids allow you to choose the firmness of the latex comfort layer(s) before a purchase but are “finished mattresses” so you can’t exchange the latex for a different firmness level after the purchase and some of them have exchangeable comfort layers that allow you to choose your comfort level before a purchase and also exchange it for a different firmness after a purchase as well if necessary but these are also more costly.
These types of comparisons between different types of mattresses are really apples to oranges comparisons and would depend on the materials you prefer, the budget range you are comfortable with, and the parts of your personal value equation (including the price of the mattress, your ability to customize a mattress before and/or after a purchase, and any return or exchange policies) that are most important to you.
There are certainly no bad choices between them and all of their mattresses are great “quality/value” in their budget ranges but only you can decide which mattress purchase has all the elements that make it the best choice and “value” for you.
So I have gotten to visit a few stores and test out some latex and memory foam mattresses.
It seems I tend to like the Latrex mattresses more - I like how they are more responsive/somewhat squishier when I get on them immediately. The memory foams I went on (even the gel ones) seemed very slow to respond (as you described I think in a post) and they seem firm - however, it seems like they would get very comfortable after 10 minutes (I tried to lay in each for about 5 minutes without tossing).
The bed comes with 2 of Ikea’s slats, the Sultan Luroy - which I guess is basic slats so that would work? Or is it worth it to spend the extra 100 and get the Laxeby? I was somewhat confused on the advantages of the Laxeby and would it be suitable for a latex or memory foam mattress?
The Malm bed doesn’t have any center support legs that provide support to the floor (it only has a metal midbeam) so I would make sure that it meets the warranty criteria for the mattress that you choose (some mattress manufacturers require center support with one or two legs that go to the floor).
Both the Sultan Luroy and the Sultan Laxeby should be fine for supporting either a memory foam or latex mattress if you are looking for a bit of flex under your mattress (vs a solid non flexing support surface). With the Laxeby you can adjust the tension in some of the slats (under the hips and shoulders) to customize the firmness level in that area or create a zoning effect under your mattress. This could be helpful for some people or situations if the mattress was thin enough to feel the effect. With thicker mattress you may not feel much benefit with the zoned slats.
