Tempurpedic mattress advice needed!

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Guys,

We are on a quest to buy a new mattress. After shopping around for a while, we have narrowed down our choice for the following two: Tempupedic Weightless Select or Tempurpedic Cloud Prima. Although they are from different lines, we find them feeling quite similar, with Cloud being a tad softer. Price-wise they are also comparable. (We need a king size, and live in Edmonton, Alberta, just in case this information is relevant, and people can recommend local shops.)

I understand that Tempurpedic is not best in terms of value, however, our options here are limited. We would like to ask the following:

  1. Any general remarks regarding Weightless Select vs Cloud Prima. Which one is a better value? How are they going to perform over time? Any tips from people who own them would be greatly appreciated.

  2. If anyone knows any quality substitutes available in our area, please suggest them. They don’t have to be physically located here, as long as they are shipping within Canada we might be in the game.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Best regards,
George

2

Hi gm968,

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the mattress shopping tutorial here has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choices … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

[quote]We are on a quest to buy a new mattress. After shopping around for a while, we have narrowed down our choice for the following two: Tempupedic Weightless Select or Tempurpedic Cloud Prima. Although they are from different lines, we find them feeling quite similar, with Cloud being a tad softer. Price-wise they are also comparable. (We need a king size, and live in Edmonton, Alberta, just in case this information is relevant, and people can recommend local shops.)

I understand that Tempurpedic is not best in terms of value, however, our options here are limited. We would like to ask the following:[/quote]

Your options may not be as limited as you believe they are. The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Edmonton area are listed in post #136 here.

As you mentioned … I don’t believe that any of the Tempurpedic mattress are good value choices compared to many other mattresses that are available to you (either online or locally).

If you are committed to purchasing a Tempurepedic mattress then the specs of the Tempurpedic Weightless Select (as far as I’m aware because Tempurpedic doesn’t generally list or confirm their specs) are listed in post #2 here.

The specs of the Tempurpedic Cloud Prima (as far as I’m aware) are as follows …

Quilt
Easy Refresh Stretch Knit Cover
Smart Climate System, moisture-wicking,
Cool to the touch

Comfort Layers
1.2" Tempur-ES 4.1LB
2" Tempur Material 5.3LB

Support System
2.75" Poly foam Base 2.0LB
4.5" Poly foam Base 2.0LB

As you can see … they both have a 1.2" layer of 4.1 lb ES memory foam in the top layer but the transition layer in the Weightless Select is a more resilient high quality polyfoam while in the Cloud Prima it’s a high quality 5.3 lb memory foam. The Prima uses a higher quality/density base layer than Weightless Select. Neither one has any obvious weak links in the comfort layers so since the price is the same the main difference between them outside of the base layer would be that the Weightless has a little bit more resilient and responsive “feel” with a thinner layer of memory foam over the polyfoam transition layer while the Cloud Prima has more of a typical “memory foam” feel that is a little softer. I would say that it would be a preference choice based on which one is a better match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).

Either way … I would make some very careful “value” comparisons based on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you before choosing any Tempurpedic mattress.

[quote]2) If anyone knows any quality substitutes available in our area, please suggest them. They don’t have to be physically located here, as long as they are shipping within Canada we might be in the game.[/quote].

In addition to the local options available to you … the tutorial post also includes a link to a list of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional “online” step) that can be shipped anywhere in Canada that may also be well worth considering.

Phoenix

3

Hi Phoenix,

Thank you for your detailed reply – it is very helpful! I went through the links posted herehttps://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/the-serta-icomfort-mattress-whats-the-buzz/39/176.

I will try to visit some of these stores during the week. In the meantime, I was wondering if you can help me with the following. Which of the mattresses offered by these retailers/manufacturers would be similar in construction/feel to Tempur Weightless Select? I am willing to spend up to $3,000 on a king set and I would like to get the best value possible. It would be very helpful if you could suggest based on your experience and understanding which of the offerings provided locally can be a good value.

I mention Weightless Select because that’s the feel I like most, in general I am not used to “sinking in” feeling of traditional memory foam mattresses. I am open to the idea of purchasing mattress with a different construction and materials provided that it has similar benefits and feel.

As always, your advice is greatly appreciated.

George

4

Hi gm968,

There is more in post #9 here about “matching” one mattress to another but unless a mattress is specifically listed or described as “approximating” one of the Tempurpedic mattresses you would either need to test them in person to see how they compared in terms of PPP or if you are dealing with an online retailer or manufacturer that is familiar with the Tempurpedic lineup then you could talk with them and ask which of their mattresses would be “somewhat comparable” to the Tempurpedic mattresses you are considering.

I would generally suggest comparing all the mattresses you are considering against a common set of criteria rather than trying to “match” the other mattresses you try against any specific mattress which may not necessarily be the best “match” for you.

These types of comparisons can also be very subjective and different people can have very different ideas of how closely comparable two mattresses are in terms of PPP.

Nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for someone else to make these types of suggestions based on a formula or “theory at a distance” for someone else and what is the “best value” for one person can be very different for the next. I’m happy to help with “how” to choose but the specifics of “what” mattress to choose in terms of PPP or “value” is too individual to make specific suggestions (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). There is more in the tutorial post about “how” to find the best value for you (regardless of whether it would be the best value for someone else) but in general terms the “best value” would be the mattress that was best for you in terms of PPP and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you once you have narrowed your options down to final choices that are between “good and good” (step 5 of the tutorial).

Phoenix

5

Hi Phoenix,

Thanks again for your detailed reply. I understand that the nature of mattress purchase is highly personal endeavor, and hence I appreciate your advice on how to approach it.

However, what I was trying to ask in my previous question (which wasn’t successful) is notion of value. In the numerous replies (including herehttps://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/the-serta-icomfort-mattress-whats-the-buzz/39/176) you use the term “value”. For example, Tempurpedic is not “a good value” relative to some other mattresses out there. This concept can arguably be applied to a mattress purchase and can be part of the “how” process.

What I would like to know is the following: Among retailers in Edmonton area and among brands they carry, which mattresses are relatively better value? I understand that to answer this question you may need to know the prices, however, I was hoping that you know some of the manufacturers/brands, and hence would be able to give me a few names that generally have good reputation and price points. This will give me a starting point.

Thanks for your help,
George

6

Hi gm968,

You can read more about how I approach the “value” of a mattress purchase in posts such as post #4 here and post #2 here and post #7 here.

There is sometimes a tendency to assess the “value” of a mattress based on the relative cost of the raw materials that are inside it but a mattress isn’t just a commodity and performs a specific function that can only be assessed by how well and how long it performs these functions so while this may be part of the value of a mattress (if all other factors were equal for example then I wouldn’t pay double the price for a mattress that used the same amount of the same materials inside it as another mattress)… it’s only part of the value of a mattress purchase. Of course a mattress isn’t a commodity where the value of a mattress or how well you sleep on it can be known or predicted by using the price per inch of foam or the price per pound of fabric and this would be similar to buying clothes based on the price per pound of the fabrics.

I agree that for some people a Tempurpedic mattress may be the “best value choice” as unlikely as that may be when there are so many other mattresses available that use the same or better quality materials, would be just as suitable in terms of PPP, and are available in lower budget ranges. I think that for most people if they were assessing the “value” of a Tempurpedic mattress compared to the other options they have available it certainly wouldn’t be their first choice but for some people it may be and if they are making an “informed decision” based on “real information” rather than on “marketing stories” then for that person it may be the “best value for them” regardless of what anyone else may choose.

Again … the brand of a mattress is not a relevant part of the significant part of the “value” of a mattress purchase. It’s not possible for anyone to keep track of the specifics of every mattress on all the showroom floors across the country or the prices of each one in a constantly changing market so instead I help with a set of guidelines where each person can do that for themselves. Which mattress is the “best value” for any specific person always depends on the parts of their personal value equation that are most important to them and a mattress that may be the “perfect choice” for one person may be a poor choice for someone else regardless of the price or the materials inside the mattress. All the lists in the forum are designed to increase the odds that you will “connect” with more transparent, knowledgeable and experienced retailers or manufacturers that have your best interests in mind so that you can find the best value based on your own criteria. These are the ones that will already know what you would otherwise have to learn. Once you have completed the first two steps of the tutorial and have set your budget then it’s a relatively easy matter to talk with each retailer you are considering before you visit them to make sure that they carry mattresses that are in your budget range, that you can find out the quality of all the materials and components in the mattresses you are interested in, and that you are interested in testing.

Once you have identified the retailers or manufacturers you are most interested in working with (based on their websites and your initial phone calls) then the next step would be to test mattresses and narrow down your finalists at each store so that you can make a final choice based on the criteria that are most important to you and then the last step would be to compare the “value” of your finalists based on your own criteria.

Each list on the forum is a starting point because it has already eliminated many of the worst choices that most consumers who “follow the advertising” and don’t know “how” to choose a mattress based on PPP or the quality of the materials would otherwise end up choosing. In other words … the lists already include the “better” options and possibilities I’m aware of in each area and don’t include the worst ones so along with the rest of the information in the tutorial you don’t have to spend many hours testing mattresses only to discover that they don’t use good quality materials and wouldn’t be worth considering.

Phoenix