Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel Memory Foam Mattress - First Impressions

[Joe2Malt]

Hello again,

Just wanted to give my first impression mattress review! As mentioned, the box came in looking like it was on the front lines of WWI but the mattress itself was in pristine condition. After the struggle to get it unwrapped, I got it set up of course I had to lay on it. Even without it expanding fully, I knew I made a solid choice. It was just as good as any big brand name with comparable memory foam layers. There was a bit of off-gassing but nothing major. After a week it has subsided quite a bit as well. After sleeping on it for the last week I am completely satisfied. It has a great balance of “sink in comfy softness” and support (keep in mind I’m only 150lbs). The materials used, build, everything is top notch.

Basically, if you liked the feel of the cloud supreme I wouldn’t hesitate to make the purchase of this mattress. Me and my girlfriend are sleeping great, and we wish we hadn’t gone so long without it! 5/5 stars

[phoenix]

Hi Joe2Malt,

Thanks for taking the time to update us and sharing your experiences

Phoenix

[bmbsqd7]

I am close to buying the Ultimate Dreams 13, but have a concern about alignment. Everybody seems to say the UD 13 is slightly more firm than the Luxe, but what exactly is meant by more firm? Does firm in this context describe the comfort and plushiness…or does it describe the posture of support and alignment so that your hips don’t sink as far in?

I have spent extensive time on the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe and the Cloud Supreme. The Luxe supported me correctly in all sleep positions. The position that was much more different than the Supreme was on my stomach - my hips sank too far down in the Supreme, but on the Luxe, my hips were held up higher and supported. I am wondering if this was a result of the 2" layer of Tempur-HD which is 7lb / cubic ft in the Luxe which might be holding me up better, rather than the 2" layer of Tempur material in the Supreme which is 5lb /cubic ft.

If my theory is correct, I am hesitant to buy the UD 13 because it uses a 2" 5lb / cubic ft layer instead of the 7lb / cubic ft layer that the Luxe uses. Will gel foam have a different compression modulus that will keep my hips held up and supported? I do not weigh much - 6’2" 165, but have very bad hips/spine problems.

This is concerning to me because I can try out the Cloud Luxe, but I can’t try the UD 13 before I buy (with its significant differences in construction) and there appears to be no returns.

[phoenix]

Hi bmbsqd7,

I don’t think there is any way to compare two different mattresses that use different foams and have different designs to the degree of specificity you are looking for. In most cases these types of comparisons are somewhat subjective and only a “approximation” based on a combination of the overall feel, pressure relief, and support of a mattress and are a way to give people a reasonably accurate idea of how the mattress will feel and perform using a widely known mattress as a reference point. Only your own experience can make these kind of assessments to the degree of accuracy you are looking for though.

In cases where your needs and preferences are in a fairly narrow range … then your recourse with an online purchase may become one of the most important parts of your personal value equation if the mattress is outside the range of what you specifically need or prefer (no matter how close it may be for someone else or even a majority of other people).

In this case … you would probably be wise to make sure the mattress was fulfilled by Amazon so you could return it should you need to (although their large item return policy can still be costly) or to choose a mattress that can be either adjusted or changed after a purchase through exchanging the mattress or an individual layer or choosing a mattress that has a return policy that will cost you little to nothing if you need to return it (such as their Cool Series here).

Because only your own personal experience can really answer these types of questions (and everything else is more of a “best guess” based on their experience and knowledge of “averages”) … an online purchase generally needs to include your confidence that you are making a suitable choice, your risk tolerance if you make a mistake, and the “value” of your options if you make a choice that isn’t suitable for you.

For most people it would be “close enough” but this wouldn’t be the case for every person because there are so many variables and unknowns involved in different body types, sleeping styles, physiology, and mattress designs and materials … all of which could affect how closely one mattress matched another in your actual personal experience. these types of comparisons are as much an art as a science.

Phoenix

[sheckylovejoy]

First off, thanks so much for all the info on this site. It’s so hard to find out anything real, as the mattress companies seem to like it that way. Thanks for cutting through all the marketing BS.

About me: 46 y.o. male, 5’11", 180 lbs. Side-sleeper with a little back-sleeping thrown in there. For 23 years, I’ve been sleeping on a firm innerspring mattress with a foam topper – at first latex and then memory foam. It all sits on a very stable all-steel bed with Euro-slats. I was pretty happy with the last topper I had, which was 4" of 3 lb foam. My shoulders are wider than my hips, so I tend to need the combo of very-soft-top and very-firm-bottom to keep my spine and neck straight on my side.

Anyway, last week, my elderly cat peed on the bed, and I had to throw out the topper. Since the mattress is so old, I thought I should probably just replace it, even though it is in remarkable shape for a 23-year-old mattress. At the same time, the “name-brand” MF mattresses are far too expensive for me. I went to Sit n Sleep and tried a bunch of the mattress and liked the Tempur Cloud Luxe the best. It gave me exactly the soft-top/hard-bottom feel I like, and far better than my current mattress/topper combo. I had just had a big lunch and was ready to pass out in the showroom.

The consensus here seems to be that the UD13 is a little firmer than the Cloud Luxe and softer than the Cloud Supreme. Is that your general take? Also, is it correct that the 4 lb layer on top of the UD13 will soften with time?

What I also liked about the Cloud Luxe was there way it gave way soflty but them hit bottom solidly, which I assume is from the 7 lb foam layer. I assume the 5 lb support layer in the UD13 will have some more give to it, is that right? I assume that will also soften with time.

In all, I’m afraid that the comfort layer is not soft enough on the UD13 and the support layer not firm enough, but I guess there’s no way for you (or me, since I can’t try it out) to tell. I think I’m going to test the waters as the price is certainly right, but it’s definitely a risk.

Final question: can you recommend a waterproof mattress cover for my cat? I can’t watch her every second of the day. The ones on Amazon seem to get poor reviews on their waterproofing ability

Thanks again for the great site and forums. You are truly the Mattress King.

[phoenix]

Hi sheckylovejoy,

The consensus here seems to be that the UD13 is a little firmer than the Cloud Luxe and softer than the Cloud Supreme. Is that your general take? Also, is it correct that the 4 lb layer on top of the UD13 will soften with time?

Perceptions of softness and firmness are subjective and relative to each person but I think in general that most people would describe the “feel” as being in the range you mentioned. All foams will soften over time depending on many factors but the primary factor in durability is foam density so a 4 lb memory foam would tend to soften more slowly than lower density memory foam and faster than higher density memory foam. There are many other factors involved though and there is more about durability in post #4 here and some of the other posts it links to.

What I also liked about the Cloud Luxe was there way it gave way soflty but them hit bottom solidly, which I assume is from the 7 lb foam layer. I assume the 5 lb support layer in the UD13 will have some more give to it, is that right? I assume that will also soften with time.

Memory foam has many different properties that depend on the chemicals that are used to make it which can affect many of its properties much more than the density (see post #9 here). Density is directly connected to durability and to some degree to the response time and ventilation of memory foam (lower densities tend to respond more quickly and tend to be more breathable) but firmness isn’t linked to density and any density of memory foam (like polyfoam) can be made firmer or softer independent of density. The subjective feeling of firmness and softness with memory foam also depends on its temperature sensitivity and on how long it takes to soften with heat. Some memory foams may start off firmer initially and then as they warm up become softer and the “feeling” of softness is also based on the speed of movement (just like with honey if you slap it it will be very firm but if you press into it slowly it will feel soft). The Tempurpedic 7 lb memory foam for example is generally considered to be softer overall than their 5.3 lb memory foams (although they also have different versions of their 5.3 lb memory foam that are either softer or firmer). Higher density memory foams also tend to be more conforming and will also tend to sink in less overall (they can become firmer as you sink in more deeply than lower density memory foams). In other words … it’s usually best to avoid generalizations about memory foam based on density outside of knowing that higher densities are generally more durable (up till about 6 lbs or so when the difference levels off) and will also tend to warm up and soften more slowly and have a little slower response.

When you are matching one mattress to another it can match based on a general subjective “feel” or softness, based on the quality and density of the materials, or based on design (the thickness of the layers and how they are arranged) and in some cases all three. You can read more about matching one mattress to another in post #2 here. The Dreamfoam 13" gel memory foam mattress approximates the Cloud Luxe in terms of feel (it’s slightly firmer) and has similarities in design (It has 3" of 4 lb gel memory foam over 2" of 5 lb memory foam over an 8" 1.5 lb polyfoam base layer and the Cloud Luxe has 2.75" of 4 lb memory foam over 2" of 7 lb memory foam over two 4" 1.5 lb polyfoam base layers) but it doesn’t match in terms of the memory foam densities (although again this has little to do with the firmness or softness of a memory foam). They provide the comparison to the Tempurpedic mattress so that their customers have a general approximation as to how the mattress “feels” in terms of softness based on most people’s perceptions of softness.

In all, I’m afraid that the comfort layer is not soft enough on the UD13 and the support layer not firm enough, but I guess there’s no way for you (or me, since I can’t try it out) to tell. I think I’m going to test the waters as the price is certainly right, but it’s definitely a risk.

A good indication would be to carefully and objectively test the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe (for at least 15 minutes and preferably longer to give the memory foam time to warm up) and if the softness of the comfort layers (pressure relief) and the firmness of the base layers (support) are suitable for you and you would be OK with what people would generally consider to be similar (a little firmer) mattress then the odds are good that it would work well for you. Both of these mattresses would generally be considered to be “soft” (the Cloud Luxe is generally considered to be Tempurpedics softest mattress) at least in terms of the comfort layers which is generally what most people “feel” the most.

Final question: can you recommend a waterproof mattress cover for my cat? I can’t watch her every second of the day. The ones on Amazon seem to get poor reviews on their waterproofing ability

You can see some suggestions for mattress protectors in post #89 here. The membrane type that are waterproof (or at least fairly waterproof) are generally quite similar and my sense is that most of the complaints on Amazon (which you will see for all of them to different degrees) are based on care instructions that weren’t followed although there may also have been some legitimately defective ones as well. If your cat claws through it then it would possibly allow any accidents to leak through but these are the only ones that are “mostly waterproof” outside of the solid vinyl type that don’t breath at all (will sleep warmer) and have that “crinkly” type of feel to them which most people don’t like at all. So the membrane type (and they would all tend to be very similar) in practical terms are the ones that most people who want something waterproof would generally choose.

The wool protectors are more “water resistant” but not “waterproof” although the NaturaProtect Deluxe that is linked there has both wool and the membrane so it may be more protective then either one by itself and the wool may protect the membrane from cat claws but it’s also more costly and would have a little more effect on the memory foam below it than a thinner protector without the wool. I own one of these and it has held up well for about 3 years so far and through quite a few washings.

Phoenix

[TheKdd]

Hi there,

I’m new to the site, kinda. Been lurking awhile. So glad I found you though since a mattress purchase is coming up quick and I was totally about to go strictly off of sleeplikethedead. I’m so glad I didn’t. Although the reviews there are nice, it’s also nice to get a more detailed look into just what you are getting!

We went to the mattress show room a few times now. I would have to say the only mattresses we have not tried are the sleep number. The mattresses we keep going back to are the Tempurpedic line. It just feels… supportive for me. I’m a side sleeper who has all kinds of back/hip/leg problems from a previous car accident. The mattress we have now, which has to be at least 20 years old (I think we got in in '92) innerspring, pillow top, certainly does not help. I feel older than I should feel. Is it because of the mattress? Maybe! Many times I have gone to the couch and slept more comfortably!

Anyway, the one I liked best was the Cloud Luxe. My husband preferred the Rhapsody. Those are HUGE differences. One is very soft, one pretty firm. However, since I am the wife, it’s all about me LOL Not really… actually, he didn’t dislike the Luxe, he just thought in the long run we may not like the softness… In the short run, I didn’t like the price for any of them. HOLY MOLY. Don’t they realize we have mortgages and kids? Sheesh! :ohmy:

I am sorta looking at this purchase as somewhat temporary anyway. Something to take us through, say, the next 5 years comfortably which should see the children of age and out, and our pocket book looking a little on the better side to afford something with a bit more lasting power? The UD being in the middle of Supreme and Luxe as far as softness though sounded like a good compromise kinda between my husband and myself. Plus, I would imagine anything, including a sidewalk would feel better to us than the thing we sleep on now.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for all the info on the UD, and to the OP for the review. Hopefully more will come in with updates. We will probably be making the purchase in the next couple of weeks (fingers crossed) and I will be sure to come back and let you all know the consensus!

[phoenix]

Hi Thekdd,

I certainly agree with you about the Tempurpedic prices.

Thanks for the kind words and I’m looking forward to your feedback once you pull the trigger and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

The “rules” in your house seem to be the same as mine … when there is a mattress conflict then I get half a vote and she gets one … and the majority wins

Phoenix

[sheckylovejoy]

Thanks for all the help, Phoenix. The MUnderground was super helpful in this decision. Quickie review of my experiences (x-posted on Amazon).

For starters, Craig at DreamFoam was very helpful, but also very slow at responding to emails. I wasn’t in a huge rush, so this was not a big problem.

I ordered direct from DreamFoam, not fulfilled by Amazon. Returns would be too problematic and expensive anyway. The mattress shipped the next day and arrived 2 days after that (I’m in So Cal, so it got here pretty quick from AZ). It comes compressed and rolled up in plastic in a long box, which was pretty busted up, but the mattress was cherry.

I am 5’10", 180 lbs and it was fairly tough to get it into the bedroom by myself, but I was able to get it in there and hoist it onto the bed. The bedroom is on the first floor, otherwise I would have needed a second person, likely.

I positioned the roll on the bed so that it would unroll in the proper position. After carefully cutting away the plastic wrapping, the bed unrolled and gained almost full height within a minute. No smell to speak of. An hour later I was happily napping.

The mattress is very soft with a nice feeling of firmness below, like the Cloud Luxe, but not quite as soft as the Cloud Luxe. I’m crazy about it and have gotten great sleeps on it so far. My girlfriend like a firmer bed, and she does not like it, so beware, it is not for everyone.

Overall, the DreamFoam is an OUTSTANDING value at $800 for the queen. To be honest, I prefer the Cloud Luxe, but more than that, I prefer the $3200 I saved.

[phoenix]

Hi sheckylovjoy,

Thanks for sharing your experiences and feedback … I appreciate it.

Your point that any mattress (regardless of quality or value) is not for everyone is a very good one and it’s always a good idea to test a roughly equivalent mattress locally whenever possible. I think though that most people who would like a mattress that has an overall “feel” that is just a little firmer than the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe have been very happy with it and it’s great to hear that you are one of them

Phoenix

[TheKdd]

Thanks for the welcome Phoenix! Yes, my vote holds more weight in this house LOL

And sheckylovjoy, question. I’m in So Cal also and wondered… I notice when ordering from Amazon, sales tax is attached of course. When you ordered direct, were you charged the same price as was on Amazon, and was there tax?

We are actually thinking of ordering two, one Cal King and one full for my daughter… the sales tax adds up A LOT.

Also, is the free pillow offer still good with them?

[sheckylovejoy]

No sales tax ordering direct in CA. It was $799 shipped for the Queen.

Just email Craig with your order and your MUnderground user name for the pillow

[Cloud9]

My wife and I have tried several different mattresses (all foam style). From the Tempurpedic Luxe and Supreme to the Simmons Comforpedics, Restonics Tempagel Healthrest, Evosleep Conforma 7.0 and several others including a local manufacturer, we were pretty happy laying on every single one of them. We pretty much just want something plush yet supportive. And all the beds we tried were more than capable of providing that. After reading the many reviews on Amazon and finding this site and learning about materials used in mattresses as well as the many helpful insights provided, we have decided to take the risk in ordering a bed online---- the Ultimate Dreams 13! For the price, even if we feel that it’s only 70 or 80% as good as the other beds we tried, I think we will be satisfied. Any better and we will be ecstatic! Majority of all our purchases are value driven, and this bed seems to hit that point pretty hard (even considering the price increases throughout the past year). I think if we get 5 comfy years out of this bed, then it will have been a GREAT bargain (and at that point become a FANTASTIC guest bed).

I have noticed that a lot of people don’t report back after getting their bed. I appreciate all the information and help that was provided during my search, and will provide back to the community once I receive our bed and have a chance to thoroughly test it out.

[pcunite]

Today, I ordered this bed in a queen (Ultimate Dreams 13") off Amazon (order fulfilled by DreamFoam). A few hours ago, I’d visited a local mattress store and fell in love with the Tempur Cloud Luxe. However, I could not make myself spend $4,200. I was previously considering the PacBed from BedInABox.com but this site gave me pause because of the the 3lb foam PacBed uses.

I will return and post a thorough review (in a separate post) for you all.

[phoenix]

Hi pcunite,

Congratulations on your new mattress

I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

[Ghostrider22]

Thanks everyone for your help on this topic. I’ve been looking at this mattress for awhile and after testing the TempurPedic Cloud Luxe and reading what everyone had to say about how this model compares to it, we felt like this mattress was a reasonable gamble for the money. Thanks to everyone who has contributed a review.

[phoenix]

Hi ghostrider22,

Congratulations on your new mattress

I hope you have the chance to share your experience on the forum when you receive it.

Phoenix

[tcat007]

This mattress sure looks like one of the better deals discussed on this site. I had been leaning towards the Bamboo Bliss ($1,045) directly from BB, since it isn’t too much more $$ than the Amazon “almost” equivalent Ultimate Dreams Eurotop ($899) (not equivalent due to wool cover and base foam density). But the UD 13" Gel at Amazon ($816), which appears to be the equivalent of BB Cool-Lux ($1,234), is considerably less at Amazon; from the pictures and description I can’t see much difference (1/2" more base layer on the Amazon version).

I have a “feel” for what the Bamboo Bliss might be like, with swappable firmness choices, #6 is probably my selection since we have an Ultimate Dreams full #8 and find it a little soft. The 13" Gel just says “soft”… what would that be, about a #8?

I’ve read memory foam and latex both lose the smell after a day or two. Or does one have more or less of an odor? I can still smell the Latex after 3 weeks, but is weak and doesn’t bother me.

Didn’t think selecting a mattress would be so much work… either option have a lot of positive reviews. So many thanks to Phoenix, where do you find the time!

I can try the Tempurpedic Cloud-Luxe locally, if we like it, we should like the UD 13" Gel, right?

[phoenix]

Hi tcat007,

But the UD 13" Gel at Amazon ($816), which appears to be the equivalent of BB Cool-Lux ($1,234), is considerably less at Amazon; from the pictures and description I can’t see much difference (1/2" more base layer on the Amazon version).

BB has about 4 or 5 different types of memory foam that they use in their mattresses so the type of memory foam in each may be different (you could ask for specifics), the thickness of the 5 lb memory foam is different (the BB Cool Luxe has 2.5" vs 2"), and the base layers (1.5 lb density vs 2.17 lb density) are different. I don’t know if the covers are different but the Cool Lux uses a knit cotton cover. They will certainly tell you about any other differences between them when you talk with them on the phone. They also have different return policies.

While “comfort” is subjective … most of the people who have purchased the Amazon 13" Gel mattress have said that it is about the same softness level as the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe … perhaps just a little firmer. The BB Cool Luxe may be a little softer yet.

I’ve read memory foam and latex both lose the smell after a day or two. Or does one have more or less of an odor? I can still smell the Latex after 3 weeks, but is weak and doesn’t bother me.

It can sometimes vary from mattress to mattress but in most cases any smell dissipates to low levels in a few days or less or in some cases a few weeks (depending on the mattress and on the sensitivity of the person). They could probably tell you if their customers have made more “odor” comments about one or the other but I don’t think this would be a factor in most people’s purchase decision between them.

Didn’t think selecting a mattress would be so much work… either option have a lot of positive reviews. So many thanks to Phoenix, where do you find the time!

Ironically enough … I don’t sleep much since I started this website

I can try the Tempurpedic Cloud-Luxe locally, if we like it, we should like the UD 13" Gel, right?

Both mattresses use the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe as a reference but they are slightly different.

You are choosing between “good and good” and both would make good choices if the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe is suitable for your body type and sleeping positions in terms of PPP so your final choice would really depend on the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Phoenix

[tcat007]

Wow! I made the “mistake” of going to a local “Sleep Experts” to lie on a Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe… really didn’t like it at all. Felt like quick sand. Unfortunately I lied on 3 or 4 others that I liked, now I have no clue what I want. I thought a “cheap” $700 Kingsdown set was comfortable. I think the one I liked most was a 12" Technogel, supposedly latex foam base and gel foam top (he wasn’t sure of the inches). They has a Beautyrest “black” that was comfortable, he had a floor special at $1750… that doesn’t sound too “special”.

If this Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel is anything like the Cloud-Luxe, I know I have ruled that out. Back to thinking a 12" Bamboo Bliss may be the way to go., although several of the Beautirest “gel top” seems as springy as latex, and probably something my wife might like. Pretty sure she’d like that Technogel, but it was like $3K…

I did try an adjustable base, they are very cool, may be something we get! Back to scratching my head.