Hi KRTexas,
Matching one mattress to another can be a combination of subjective and objective comparisons that is as much as art as a science. While you’ve already read this … there is more about the different ways that one mattress can “match” another in post #9 here (for the sake or others who read this) but since each mattress uses different materials and one type of memory foam may have different properties or a different “feel” from another type of memory foam (even if they are the same quality and density) the most effective way to tell how closely one mattress “matches” another one is with your own personal experience and comparisons. A mattress can have the same design in terms of layer thickness and type and density of the foam but still “feel” or perform differently from another with the same design and another mattress may have a different design or density of materials and “feel” or perform very similarly depending on the specific properties of each foam layer and how they interact.
When a manufacturer compares their mattresses to another major brand in one or more ways (based on “feel”, quality/density, softness/firmness, or “overall design”) there may be many people who perceive it as “the same” or “very similar” and some who don’t so the return policy and any costs involved may be a more important part of your personal value equation in these types of comparisons in case you are one of those whose experience indicates that they aren’t “close enough” based on your own personal criteria or perceptions. This way your own experience can replace local testing and you are the one who can decide how close it is with only the risk of the return policy.
Unlike the specs you listed … the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe uses 2.75" of 4 lb memory foam over 2" of 7 lb memory foam over two 4" polyfoam support cores (with an unknown density which may be as low as 1.5 lb which is likely lower than they used to use in years past). They don’t provide any ILD specs for any of their layers (which isn’t that important anyway if you are testing a mattress in person and with memory foam ILD is not particularly meaningful because it can change with temperature, humidity, and the length of time the memory foam is compressed) and they no longer provide the “official” densities of their memory foam or polyfoam layers either.
The Tri-Pedic uses 3" of 4 lb memory foam over 2" of 5 lb memory foam and uses a higher quality/density 6" polyfoam support core (I don’t remember the density but they will provide it on request).
As you can see the design is somewhat different (slight differences in layer thicknesses and in the foam densities). They compare it to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe but they don’t say how it compares (which you may want to discuss with them) although in most cases this means that it would be comparable in terms of pressure relief and support and to some degree by “feel”.
As you can see here … I think highly of Rick and Relief Mart.
You can compare the quality and durability and design based on the specs and this would have little to do with how the mattress feels and performs. The middle layer of the Tri-Pedic is slightly lower quality/density than the Tempurpedic but with memory foam once you are past about 6 lb density or so then the durability benefits of higher density memory foams are not significant so it would be fairly comparable to the 7 lb memory foam in the Cloud Luxe. The Tri-Pedic has a higher quality and more durable base layer than the Tempurpedic.
Hopefully others that have tried both in side by side testing (or at least very close together in time to make up for the fact that our memory of subjective perceptions don’t last very long) can share their impressions about how they compared in terms of “feel” and the comfort/pressure relief and the support/alignment of each mattress.
The most accurate comparison though would be your own (which may be different from someone else) … and the risk involved would depend on the return policy.
You’ve probably seen this but just in case … some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Houston area that you can test in person are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix