Ultimate Dreams 13" Gel Memory Foam Mattress - First Impressions

Hi tcat007,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I think you made a great choice in terms of quality and value and best of all you can still make comfort changes if your choice isnā€™t quite what you wanted.

Iā€™m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it.

While of course I canā€™t help you with whether to buy an adjustable bed because thatā€™s a preference issue ā€¦ I can tell you that we still really like ours although we donā€™t use the massage feature as much as we thought we would. We use it mostly for reading, watching movies, or working in bed on ā€œlazyā€ days. For us at least it was a ā€œluxuryā€ more than a ā€œnecessityā€ but we still think it was worth it.

Phoenix

Any chance you can give us some initial feedback? I would love to hear you thoughts now and again 2-3 months down the road.
Jeff

Well, I just placed the order for the Ultimate Dreams 13 Cal King. I spoke with Chuck via e-mail so I could get the pillow as well. I also ordered the Sleep Tite Mattress Protector and the Sleep Master Platform for it.

I would imagine, being Christmas and all, I wonā€™t see it until the end of the week, but I will sure be back to give updates! I cannot WAIT to drag this nasty old cratered mattress to the curb! I actually woke up with this headache a couple of weeks ago that sent me to the ERā€¦ Iā€™m STILL fighting it, although itā€™s better than it was. Mind you, it may not totally be the mattress that did it, but I blame it anyway. :wink: ANYTHING will be better than what we currently have, so I would imagine that even if this one isnā€™t perfect, I will love it just the same.

Thanks for everything here! You made the process much easier. I am so glad I found you! Plus, I get a free pillow!

Hi TheKdd,

Thanks for the kind words ā€¦ and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

Iā€™m looking forward to your feedback once you receive it. It sounds like it will be none to soon!

Phoenix

Hi there everyone! I thought I would come back and update you on my mattress, therefore bumping kind of an old thread. :whistle:

Anyway, we received the mattress right before the end of the year, so itā€™s been what, about 3 months now.

Our initial reaction was good for both of us. My husband likes his mattresses normally a bit firmer than this, but was still ok with it. I like mine a bit softer so this seemed perfect. At first, we threw our old 3" gel memory foam topper (that was kinda new) on top but that made it WAY too soft and squishy, so we put that away.

First few nights we both seemed to have some back aches, but they were aches in different locations than usual. (Mind you, we were coming from a 20 year old innerspring, so NOTHING could be worse.) We figured it was just our bodies adjusting though and seemed to be correct in that assumption. After about a week, we were both sleeping like babies.

Neither one of us found the mattress to be too warm. We did buy a mattress protector. My daughter (who we bought the same mattress for in Full) does complain once in awhile about being too warm however. She has the same mattress protector so I guess itā€™s just based on our different body temps, rooms etc.

After 3 months, there are a couple of downsides I have found so far.

With it, we ordered the metal platform bed frame. It sits higher off the floor than a standard box which is nice (you can store more stuff under there) so that was a plus. The downside is this mattress seems to slip away from the wall itā€™s up against (we donā€™t use a headboard) so every couple of days I need to push it back against the wall. Itā€™s not that big of a deal though and probably nothing a little rubber tape or something for grip would fix. One day I will get to that.

The second problem I have run intoā€¦ My husband and I watch TV a lot in our room, so I use the area under the head of the bed to sit in a lot. Indian style, what have you. It seems me sitting there constantly has made that area softer than the rest of the bed and sometimes makes me quite uncomfortable when I do actually lay down to sleep. I know the fix is probably just to stop doing that, or start sitting in different locations on the bed every day, (or watch TV in a different room haha) but that kinda stinks. And, you canā€™t flip the mattress. We will probably rotate soon though.

I have a problem with RLS, have had it for most of my life (runs in the family)ā€¦ I was hoping a good memory foam mattress would help that. I can honestly say that itā€™s better than it was, not every night like it used to be, but it still does happen on occasion. (Searching on the internet I know many people that were asking about this about mattresses in general.)

Letā€™s see, what else is thereā€¦ Oh sheets. This mattress is pretty thick. My old sheets fit okay (they were deep pocketed to begin with) and I had bought new deep pocket sheets with elastic bands on the edges to keep them down. It seems to work pretty well with only a slip or two here and there.

We had also gotten a free latex pillow complimentary when mentioning Mattress Underground. My husband likes his a lot while I find it too high, heavy and a bit hard. I guess itā€™s personal preference. I am grateful for the pillow however! Thanks MU!

All in all I would say it was a very good purchase so far. Iā€™m hoping to solve the softness issue somehow, maybe put my big butt elsewhere I guess.

If anyone has any further questions, maybe something I didnā€™t cover, let me know!

Hi TheKdd,

Thanks for the update and for taking the time to share your experience ā€¦ I appreciate it :slight_smile:

While there is a wide range of heights available for bedframes, foundations, and mattresses which together will add up to the height of your sleeping surface ā€¦ a typical metal bedframe is about 7" - 7.5" high and a ā€œstandardā€ foundation would be in the range of 8" to 9" so the combination together would normally be somewhere in the range of 15" to 16.5". A fairly ā€œstandardā€ height of a sleeping surface would be somewhere in the range of about 26" give or take an inch or two so yours (14" + 13" = 27") would be in a fairly ā€œnormalā€ range although it may be higher than what you were used to with your previous sleeping surface.

This would be normal for any foam material (to different degrees depending on the type and density of the material) which will soften more under the more concentrated weight of sitting ā€¦ particularly in the first few months.

I would definitely suggest rotating your mattress on a regular basis for any mattress to even out the softening (see post #2 here).

An adjustable bed or a foam wedge behind your back (something like one of these or this) will also support some of your weight and reduce the weight concentration when you are sitting up and help slow down the process.

Phoenix

Thanks so much Phoenix! We have already rotated the mattress after reading your post. It feels better already. I will be getting a wedge of some sort to lay back on rather than sit so I can evenly soften the mattress more evenly.

As far as the platform, thatā€™s what I meant. Itā€™s still as high as our old frame/box springs off the ground, but because itā€™s a platform, it allows us to store taller boxes and what not under which is nice. It also apparently allows the cat to play under there haha. I have always liked a taller bed so having this one match our previous is nice.

Hi TheKdd,

Most of the cats I know think that their ā€œrequirementsā€ are the most important part of any decision in the household :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Hi all,

First time post here but have already read the forums pretty extensively. I still havenā€™t found exactly what Iā€™m looking for thoughā€¦

In my research, Iā€™ve been favoring a King Ultimate Dreams 13" Memory Foam. My wife and I have noticed for years we sleep well on the Memory Foam mattresses at Marriott hotels when we travel. So, I started out looking for something similar to this. I came across the UD 13" on Amazon and saw that it compares to the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe.

We tried a few of the Tempurpedic mattresses in-store and found we like the Cloud Luxe best but like the Cloud Luxe Breeze even better. Weā€™re both hot sleepers and on our current old innerspring we have to turn the air down to 67 or 68 most nights to stay cool. Iā€™d read that memory foam mattresses can sleep hot and this concerns me, particularly with ordering a mattress off the Internet. The Marriott mattresses never seem to but our innerspring does. I found the Marriott Foam mattress they sell online and all the disclose is that it is a ā€œ9ā€ deep foam mattress with a 10.5" box spring". They sell that for $1650 though and the UD seems like it would be better quality and value.

I found the BB PureCool Luxe that claims to compare to the Cloud Luxe Breeze but getting that in a King would be $2300 vs. $900 and would be out of our price range. Weā€™d really like to stay under $1000 but get the best mattress to fit our needs(which is why the UD 13" is appealing).

My question for the forum(and why I bumped a somewhat old thread) is am I missing any other alternatives? Is the UD 13" likely to bother us heat wise? If it does, would a mattress protector or something else help us with our heat problems? Is there any better mattress for us(side sleepers, prefer plush more than firm, tend to get hot) in the under $1000 price range than the UD 13"? Thanks for your help and thanks for even having this website! I would have never thought about half of what Iā€™m thinking about without your help.

Hi scar4343,

The list of the better online memory foam retailers and manufacturers Iā€™m aware of (including Dreamfoam and Brooklyn Bedding) is in post #12 here. As you probably know ā€¦ Dreamfoam is one of the members here which means that I think very highly of the quality/value of the mattresses they make and they compete well with the best in the industry.

Some people will sleep warmer on any type of memory foam (gel or otherwise) or even on any softer foam mattress so itā€™s not really possible to predict for any specific person. Even though most people would be fine ā€¦ any memory foam mattress (or even gel memory foam) can sleep warmer for some people. There is more about the many factors that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

As you suggested, the type of mattress protector you use along with your sheets and bedding can also have a significant effect on sleeping temperature. There is more about the pros and cons of different types of mattress protectors in post #89 here and more about different types of fabrics and sheets in post #7 here and the other posts and topics it links to.

There are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to use a formula or ā€œtheory at a distanceā€ to predict which mattress may be best for you (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

While itā€™s not possible for someone else to tell you which specific mattress to choose ā€¦ itā€™s certainly possible to help with ā€œhowā€ to choose. The most important part of the ā€œvalueā€ of a mattress purchase is always how well a mattress matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). In the end, only your own personal experience can confirm this.

Outside of the suitability of a mattress ā€¦ the quality and durability of the materials in the mattress would be the next most important part of deciding which mattress was ā€œbest for youā€. There is more information about foam quality/density guidelines I would suggest in post #4 here.

Once you are confident about the suitability of a mattress and the quality/density and durability of the materials ā€¦ then the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price and any return or exchange options) and how they all compare to your other finalists would also be significant parts of the ā€œvalueā€ of a mattress purchase and which of your final choices would be the best value for you.

Phoenix

Phoenix thanks for the fast reply and all the recommended readingā€¦ Itā€™s good to get some specific posts to read from you as thereā€™s just SO much information on this site that it can overwhelm. Iā€™ll read them all and let you know if I have more questions. Iā€™ll make sure that I post what we decide on and any feedback that we have. Youā€™ve been amazingly helpful! Thanks again!

Phoenix is right that you canā€™t predict how your body temp might be on the mattress compared to other people. I can only tell you my experience. I normally sleep hot pretty much on anything. I have noticed no difference on this mattress than any other, so I havenā€™t had that problem. I did buy the recommended mattress protector from Amazon, and used just some older sheets that I already had.

We also bought my daughter the same mattress, just in a different size, and the same mattress protectorā€¦ new sheets though. She does complain of being too warm. We will be buying different sheets for her bed in hopes that is the problem. Maybe something thicker, less cloth like if you know what I mean.

Thanks TheKdd,

The mattress protector you got is the Sleep Tite, correct? Since weā€™re upgrading from a Queen to a King and as a result buying: a new bedroom set, new comforter set, new sheet set and new mattress, I was looking at that mattress protector and some of the sheets I can get on Amazon and was wondering how they would work with this mattress. Your post in particular was helpful for this.

Down the road, I wouldnā€™t mind shelling out more money on sheets and a different mattress protector if needed but weā€™re already stretching our budget making all these purchases at once. Are you happy overall with the Sleep Tite protector?

I see you mentioned you ordered a metal platform for the bed. I have to measure the new bed frame to see exactly what I need but are you happy with the one that you ordered? You mentioned that the mattress slipped on it in a previous post. Iā€™ll be using a headboard so we shouldnā€™t have that problem. Are you having any other issues with it? Do you know which metal platform you went with as well?

Thanks

Yes it was the Sleep Tite for the mattress protector and so far, after about 5 months I have no complaints. It kinda feels like a terry cloth cover and the sides feel kinda thin but it has all stood the test of time and washings. Plus, I donā€™t feel hot but Iā€™m not sure if thatā€™s a part of the solution.

I would definitely go with better quality sheets. We were lucky on our bed and had nice sheets already for the size that were deep pocketed. My daughter, since we were ordering two of these and our budget was worn out, we kinda went cheap on the sheetsā€¦ thatā€™s why I think she has the warmth problem.

The platform is the Sleep Master and I actually am pretty happy with it. The mattress can slip a bit (my previous complaint) but itā€™s not too bad. Putting a bed skirt on it just right is kind of a pain but itā€™s not too bad. It feels very sturdy, no squeaking or anything, itā€™s as high as a normal bed frame with box spring would be which is nice. I also like that since there is no box spring, itā€™s about 13" high off the groundā€¦ that makes storing things under the bed very nice. I was able to put a couple of normal size file boxes under there. You definitely want to get a platform made for this mattress. Sitting on a box will ruin it from what I read, tons of complaints about that on Amazon.

Overall I have been very happy with the whole set (mattress, platform and mattress cover.) I would say my only complaint was how it softens more where you sleep quickly and the middle for us is less soft. So, on top of rotating it, I starting walking on it once in awhile in the places we donā€™t normally lay. It seems to help some.

Also, when we ordered, we made sure to go through Dreamfoam and not Amazon themselves. That way, for us, there was no tax and we could get the free pillow. The free pillowā€¦ itā€™s VERY heavy. My husband likes it to lean on when he is sitting up in bed. I kind of find it a nuisance and end up throwing it on the floor. Itā€™s too high for my head. Plus, I prefer something really mushy and soft, he likes more firm so it worked out.

Hope this helps!

Iā€™ve been researching this site extensively for the past few weeks - I now know more about mattresses than I ever wanted to know and definitely more than any of the sales reps at any of the stores Iā€™ve visited. Thanks for all the great information here. After seeing the great reviews on the UD 13, making a phone call to Chuck to get answers to my questions, and trying out the Tempurpedic Cloud Luxe, I think Iā€™m about ready to pull the trigger. Would love to see some reviews from owners of 1+ years to see how the mattress has held up, but at this price I think Iā€™m willing to take my chances. Could replace several times and still cost less than the Cloud Luxe!

I will be ordering one of these shortly.

Back Story:

My FiancĆ©e and I have been living together for 3 years. We are currently sharing a cheap-o ā€˜fullā€™ size inner spring mattress. Neither of us sleeps well, itā€™s been moved across 3 states, folded, abused, and generally not taken care of. Itā€™s about 7 years old, and about 2 years past needing replaced. We went to a local B&M store and both fell in love with ā€˜The Luxeā€™ but as weā€™re currently financing a wedding, rings, etc, are not willing to take on another carā€™s worth of debt for a better nights sleep. In lurking this forum for about a year, Iā€™m satisfied that this mattress will be close enough to what we loved in store that the 2 new laptops price difference FAR outweighs the fractional difference it will be between compared to the difference the luxe and our current bed would be.

With the price being ā€˜cheapā€™ at $700, we figure weā€™ll try it out, and if we donā€™t like it, sell it through craigslist for a small loss. That seems like much less of a hassle than trying to re-pack it in an attempt to return it (assume the worst, and youā€™re rarely disappointed).

Iā€™ll report back upon receipt, and like everyone else, likely vanish into the Aether for 5-7 years until I need to make another purchase.

Other useful tidbits (will be more relevant in the comfort review):

Iā€™m 6ā€™ 175 pounds of Pure Heat Generation (I cook under a sheet)
My fiancĆ©e is 5ā€™6" 120 pounds of AC (she freezes cuddled against me under a down duvet)

We are both back/side sleepers

Thanks for the mountain of information that is this site and itā€™s forums.

Hi paerley,

I know you havenā€™t pulled the trigger yet but congratulations on your upcoming purchase :slight_smile:

I can see that youā€™ve been doing some good research and Iā€™m glad the site was able to help you.

As you know I think you are making a great choice and Iā€™m looking forward to your feedback once youā€™ve ordered it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

Pulled trigger this morning (around 7:45 AM CST). Somehow, Amazon is estimating delivery today by 8PM, which just seems crazy/impossible.

Hi paerley,

That would be rather amazing if they were able to deliver it that quickly.

Iā€™m looking forward to finding out when you actually receive it and of course your comments and feedback as well.

Phoenix

Just received shipping info. I apparently chose the fulfilled by amazon option, so I probably missed out on the Mattress Underground free pillow, but I can live without it(I e-mailed them, but donā€™t expect them to fulfill the offer in this case). The expected delivery is now a much more reasonable Thursday. Weā€™re debating whether to sleep on it Thursday or not, as the waterproof cover thingy wonā€™t be here until Friday. We picked up some sheets at target to get us through to our wedding in September, though.

The saga continues