Hi Dorian,
I personally would assess the “value” of a mattress based on how it compares to other mattresses rather than compared to its “regular” price which may already be inflated or poor value. A mattress for example that normally sells “on sale” for $3000 and has been reduced to $2000 (33% off a “half price sale price”) but doesn’t compare well in “apples to apples” comparisons with other similar mattresses in the same price range still isn’t good value or a “good deal”.
To do this you would need to know the thickness and density of all the layers and the details of all the components of each mattress you are comparing.
There are several parts to assessing the “value” of a mattress that are all important but can vary from person to person which is why I can only provide help with “how” to choose never “what” to choose (see post #2 here about final choices) … particularly if I don’t know the specifics of each mattress.
The first part of value of course is the suitability of the mattress for all your needs and preferences in all your sleeping positions or what I call PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). A big part of this is how carefully and objectively you tested each mattress and how closely your testing predicts your long term experience on the mattress. There is good evidence that testing a mattress based on more subjective ideas of “comfort” have lower odds of success than random chance alone (see this study) … especially if your testing was done in the highly managed environment of many mattress showrooms where various sales techniques can have a significant effect on what you feel when you are testing mattresses … at least in the short term. I would personally consider a mattress that uses 7" of 4 lb memory foam (the Elation) to be a risky construction … especially if you haven’t spend at least 1/2 an hour or so on the mattress … because memory foam can soften over the course of the night depending on temperature, humidity, and how long it has remains compressed which means that if the memory foam layers are too thick that you may start the night in good alignment but wake up in the morning out of alignment.
5" of memory foam is still “soft” but a less risky construction IMO.
If a mattress isn’t suitable for your specific needs and preferences in your actual long term sleeping experience … then no matter what price you pay it would have little value to you.
The second part of “value” is the durability of the mattress. This is why it’s so important to know the density of all the polyfoam or memory foam layers. Lower density foam will soften and break down more quickly than higher density foam. The Optimum uses 4 lb memory foam which is “mid density/quality”. I would be cautious with this density of foam in layers that thick unless you were on the lighter side. I would be very cautious if you or a partner were in the 200 lb range or higher. No matter how a mattress feels and performs initially … how long it continues to do so is a significant part of its value.
The third part of “value” is the relative value of the materials in each mattress. Thicker layers of a certain material would of course have more “value” than thinner layers of the same material and higher quality/density materials would have more value than lower quality/density materials. This includes all the materials and components of a mattress … not just the foam layers.
The next part of “value” is the options you have if you make the wrong choice and the cost of these options. In many stores … exchange options can be very limited and you may be forced to exchange for an even lower quality/value mattress. Bear in mind that the cost of a comfort exchange can also be built into the cost of a mattress and that it’s always wise to test a mattress as if your first choice is your final one … no matter what exchange options may be available.
The next part of the value of a mattress purchase includes what is included in the purchase besides just the mattress. This could include products such as a foundation or box spring, a mattress protector, pillows, or various services such as free delivery, removal of your old mattress, or setting up your new mattress.
The final part of value includes all the more subjective and intangible parts of any mattress purchase. This could include the help and guidance you received in making the most suitable choice, the importance of supporting a specific retailer or mattress manufacturer, or any of the other reasons that purchasing from one retailer or manufacturer vs another may be more attractive to you.
If you add all of these together they all combine into what I call each person’s “personal value equation” which in the end is the only way to make final choices. In other words … which of your two choices have the benefits and tradeoffs that are most important to you.
Phoenix