Hi CJ23,
[quote]Hi, I am looking for something similar to the Tempur Pedic Rhapsody Luxe without the extreme price tag. The one I tried in the store seemed to be the perfect feel for me.
Throughout my search the Christeli Danieli and the Select Foam Regalis Luxe are the closest I’ve come across. They both use between 5 and 7 lb foam just like the Rhapsody. Most of the others I’ve seen only use between 3 tand 5. Select Foam compare their mattress to the Rhapsody Breeze but they use the 7 Lb foam like the Rhapsody Luxe. Unfortunately I see here that they seem to be having some issues with their customer service so the Christeli Danieli might be the safer choice of the two. Does anyone have any experience with either of these two mattresses or have any other suggestions on another mattress that resembles the Rhapsody Luxe in specs ?[/quote]
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, layer thicknesses, layer firmnesses, and overall design (which would be very unlikely) then there really isn’t a 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 only on the specifications of the mattresses and even memory foam layers that have the same density can be different from each other in terms of firmness and how they “feel” and respond to temperature and pressure.
I would keep in mind that there are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer. Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
If you know the specifications of all the materials and layers in two mattresses you are comparing (see this article) then making durability comparisons based on the specifications of the materials and components in both mattresses is simpler than trying to compare “comfort” and PPP (which is much more subjective) but the durability of the materials in a mattress has very little to do with how a mattress will feel or perform because lower quality and more durable materials can feel the same as higher quality and more durable materials when they are new … they just won’t maintain their comfort and support for as long. In the case of memory foam … higher polymer density will improve durability up to about 6 lbs or so after which the benefits of increased density are diminished. In terms of durability … any memory foam that is in about a 4 lb or higher density range would be a suitable material for most weight ranges (lower 200s or less) and 5 lb or higher memory foam would be suitable for any weight range.
The short version of all of this is that if there are any differences in the design and components of two mattresses you are comparing (which there are) then the only reliable way for you to confirm for certain how closely they would compare to another mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (regardless of how they would compare for anyone else) would be based on your own careful testing or personal sleeping experience on both of them. Some people will be more sensitive to any differences between two mattresses than others so a mattress that feels “exactly the same” for one person may feel different for someone else.
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.
If you are researching online memory foam mattresses … 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 (outside of the two you are looking at) make good quality mattresses that are designed to be reasonable approximations of many of the Tempurpedic mattresses and several of the other retailers or manufacturers that are on the list may also carry (or could make) a mattress that would be a reasonable approximation of the Tempurpedic Rhapsody Luxe as well…
If for any reason you aren’t confident that a mattress you are considering would be a suitable choice then the options you have after a purchase including the the exchange/return policy (and any costs involved) would also be a more important part of the “value” of an online purchase just in case (and in spite of the “best judgement” of everyone involved) the choice you make doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for or doesn’t match your “target” mattress as well as you hoped.
It sounds like you have seen some of the cautions about Select Foam and I would also make sure that the total weight of the mattress confirms that the thickness and density of the foam layers are correct. You can calculate what a mattress “should” weigh by multiplying the thickness x width x length in inches of each of the foam layers and then dividing by 1728 to get the cubic feet in each layer and then multiplying the cubic feet by the density to get the total weight that the layer should weigh.
Christeli certainly makes good quality/value mattresses but I would also keep in mind that they don’t have a return/refund policy so you would only be able to exchange one of their mattresses for another one that was either firmer or softer.
Phoenix