Hi J-Dude,
NOTE ADDED: In addition to this reply … there is more about the “simplified choice” or “one choice fits all” mattresses in this topic that includes more information that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between them.
Softness and firmness is very subjective and is also relative to the body type, sleeping positions, and sensitivity of the person. There are also different types of softness/firmness that different people will be more or less sensitive to (see post #15 here). Because of all the variables involved … different people would probably have different opinions about the relative softness or firmness of two different mattresses. In the case of a mattress that uses memory foam in the design then the softness or firmness of the mattress can also be affected by temperature, humidity, or the length of time that the memory foam is compressed over the course of the night.
The only way to know which mattress would feel softer or firmer for you (regardless of whether it would feel softer or firmer for someone else) would be comparing them in person in side by side testing but since this probably isn’t possible the only way to know whether a mattress would likely be the “right” softness/firmness for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) would be your own personal sleeping experience. I would also keep in mind that a mattress that is too soft (in either the comfort or support layers) can also be a very risky choice in terms of alignment regardless of how soft it “feels”. It would also be worthwhile talking with any online manufacturer or retailer that you are considering (none of these are mattress manufacturers) so that they can give you some idea of the relative softness/firmness of each of their mattresses compared to other mattresses that you may be considering or have experience testing or sleeping on that they may be familiar with.
Some of the members here that have tried more than one of them (and hopefully see your post) may also be able to tell you which one felt softer to them but most people would only be familiar with the one they actually purchased.
There is more about the risks of using a mattress on a solid surface (such as a floor) that doesn’t provide any airflow under the mattress in post #10 here. There is also more about the types of support systems that generally do best with different types of mattress in the foundation post here (and the two links in the second paragraph) but most foam mattresses (memory foam, polyfoam, or latex foam) will generally do best with a firm non flexing support system that is similar to the floor in terms of firmness and how it feels but has some ventilation and will raise the height of the sleeping surface to a more suitable level (although that’s a preference) and not a box spring with actual springs that flex underneath the mattress.
All three of the mattresses you are considering use different materials and components and the type of materials or the type of foam that you tend to prefer sleeping on is a personal preference that only you can decide.
There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you ask (and hopefully answer) the most important questions when you are purchasing a mattress and make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses. There is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress (online or local) in post #2 here that can help make sure you have realistic expectations about each type of purchase and help you minimize the risks of each type of mattress purchase as well.
In terms of how they compare based on the type and quality of the materials inside each of them …
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http://www.kissmattress.com/ is another new entrant in this category that is made by SleepEZ and is another true factory direct manufacturer with its own factory and is also a member of this site. They have two firmness choices to also cover a broader range of the bell curve that will fit most people than a single firmness choice with one choice on the plush side of medium and the other on the firer side of medium. They use 1.5" of blended Talalay latex over a 1.5" transition layer of 4 lb high performance polyfoam which they call float foam which has the conforming properties of memory foam without the slow response and very low resilience of memory foam which can lead to the “stuck” feeling that is common to many memory foams. The comfort and transition layers are on top of a 7" base layer of 2 lb polyfoam for deep support which is a higher quality material than you would normally find in this category. The cover is a high performance rayon/polyester blend. These are all very high quality materials and this is also a mattress that has no weak links in the design and would be suitable for any weight range without any qualifications. They also offer a pillow bonus to the members of the forum.
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The Love Bed by Nest Bedding is another new entry in this category. They have three firmness choices (soft, medium, and firm) so they will also cover a wider range of the bell curve that would be suitable for different people than a single firmness choice. They use 3" of blended Talalay latex on top of a 7" 2 lb convoluted polyfoam. The cover is a bamboo blend fabric and is quilted with about 1" - 1.5" of polyfoam (depending on the firmness choice) for a total height of about 10" - 11". They are also a member of this site. These are all high quality and durable materials and there are no weak links in this mattress and it would be suitable for any weight range.
Tuft & Needle in the 10" version has about 3" of 2.9 lb high performance polyfoam on top of a 7" 1.8 lb polyfoam support core. A forum search on Tuft Needle (you can just click the link) will bring up much more information and feedback about them … although some of it will be about their previous mattress design and you can read more about their new materials and design which uses higher quality/density material in their comfort layer in posts #2 and #6 here. There are no weak links in terms of the quality/durability of the materials in their mattress either.
Casper has a combination of 1.5" of synthetic Dunlop latex over 1.5" of 4 lb memory foam over a 7" 1.8 lb polyfoam support core. The latex provides some surface resiliency and freedom of movement while the memory foam underneath it provides some additional softness and contouring and motion isolation. While it would certainly be in a better quality/value range than most mainstream mattresses it may not be in the “best value range” compared to some of the other mattresses that are available to you (based on the information and sources on this site) that use the same or higher quality materials, are in a similar or lower budget range, and have more options both before and after a purchase to customize the mattress to your unique needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). Having said that … there are no obvious weak links in the quality or durability of the materials as long as you aren’t in an unusually high weight range that may do better with higher quality/density materials. You can read more about Casper in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
Leesa is a new entry in the so called “one size fits all” mattresses and you can read about them in post #2 here. Their mattress includes 2" of 3.75 lb high performance polyfoam over 2" of 3 lb memory foam over a 6" 1.8 lb polyfoam support core. As you can see … I would be cautious with a mattress that used 2" of 3 lb memory foam in the comfort layers which could be a weak link in the mattress in terms of longer term durability.
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Yogabed is another new entry in the “one choice fits all” category of mattresses. Their mattress is made up of .75" of “instant response” (which is most likely some type of high performance polyfoam) over 1.75" of “Yogagel” (which would be some type of gel memory foam) over 6.5" of a “breathable foam base” (which would also be some type of polyfoam) over a 1" support base (which again would be some type of polyfoam). There is some information about them including their replies to some questions about their mattress in this topic and as you can see they have chosen not to disclose the quality/density of the foams they use and like any mattress that doesn’t provide enough information to make an informed choice about the quality and durability of their materials I would avoid them completely.
UPDATE: One of the forum members was a little more persistent than I was about asking for their foam density information (see post #6 here … and thanks toddstrawser :)) and they use a .75" layer of 5 lb high performance polyfoam over a 1.75" layer of 4 lb gel memory foam over a 6.5" layer of 1.8 lb polyfoam core over a 1" layer of 1.8 lb polyfoam so there would be no obvious weak links in this mattress although although they do use less of the more premium (and more costly) specialty foams in their 2.5" comfort layers than the other “one choice fits all” mattresses which use between 3" and 4" of specialty foams in their comfort layers.
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4sleep.com is another new entry in this group of “simplified choice” mattresses. They use 1.5" of 3.5 lb gel memory foam on top of 1" 3 lb high performance polyfoam and 1.5" 3 lb high performance polyfoam. Their support core is 7" of 1.8 lb polyfoam with firmer edge support. There is a little more information about them in posts #4 and onwards in this topic. I have talked with Lori and she and her husband are committed to being transparent about the materials they use and providing good service and a good quality/value mattress to consumers. Like many in this category of mattresses they are working directly with a manufacturer in the design and construction of their mattress but they are not a manufacturer themselves. Kevin has years of experience in foam manufacturing and Lori has many years of experience in brand building and marketing. They use good quality materials and there are no obvious weak links in their mattress in terms of durability for those that are in more average weight ranges but with 3.5 lb memory foam and the 1.8 lb polyfoam I would be a little cautious if you are in a higher weight range (more than the low 200’s or so) where I would look for higher density and more durable materials to reduce the risk of foam softening and break down over the longer term. Like the others in this group they have a great return policy as well and are certainly in a better quality/value range than most of the mainstream mattresses made by the major manufacturers.
This topic also includes some brief replies from Casper, Leesa, and Tuft & Needle along with Dreamfoam (which is a sister company to Brooklyn Bedding) about what they believe sets them apart from their competition which may also be worth reading.
There are also some comments about these mattresses that would be relevant for those that are in higher weight ranges in post #3 here.
Hopefully you will also have read the mattress shopping tutorial so you will realize that there is no such thing as a mattress that is “universally comfortable” or the best match for a majority of people because each person’s needs and preferences and the mattress that is best for each person in terms of PPP can be very different from someone else.
One of the attractions of the newer breed of “all or nothing” or “one firmness choice fits all” mattresses that are being introduced in the market where there is only one firmness option available is that they simplify the buying and decision making process without having to spend time testing different mattresses which can be very attractive to some people but you will generally find that these types of mattresses will be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of the population, a “good” match for a larger percentage, and an “OK” match for a larger percentage yet. The only way to know which group you fit in will be based on your actual sleeping experience but for those where it’s not a “good enough” match then they all have a great return policy that lets you start all over again with choosing another mattress with little risk outside of the time you spent trying the mattress or returning it.
If you are considering one of these mattresses then it’s important to set aside the marketing information that you will find on most of their sites and make your choices based on more factual information so you can choose a mattress that is the best match for you in terms of PPP and on all the the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. If one of these is more attractive to you than the many other options you have available (after excluding any that have a potential weak link in the mattress) then at least there is little risk in trying them.
Phoenix