My wife and I are buying our first mattress and really struggling with all the types and options. We’ve tried a good dozen or so in stores, and we’ve found we definitely like something more plush. The Serta iSeries Hybrid 3000 Plush felt perfect. I never wanted to get up. I’m a 130lb curvy-bodied side-sleeper, and I loved the cuddly feeling of sinking into the soft memory foam, but I don’t know if the zoned support was the real hero for my comfort or if I’d like a cheaper bed with similar plush foam (or even just any old bed with a good memory foam topper). My wife and our dog also move around a lot in the night, and this bed had very little motion transfer (only mattress better in that regard that we tried was Purple).
On the other side of the spectrum, we did actually buy a Novaform 14" from Costco, but we returned it after desperately trying to break it in for about a month and a half. It was horrible for us. I’ve never had a bed hurt my hips and shoulders like that. Add to that, my tiny dog licking herself on the other side of the king bed shook the bed enough to keep me up, so motion transfer was awful. (The dog ended up not even sleeping on that bed unless she had her own plush blanket to sleep on because even she hated it O.o)
Is there any option for us that is closer in price to the Novaform but closer in feel to the Serta? We don’t care about cooling features at all - I love to relax outside in 100+ degrees, and my wife piles blankets on herself every night until she has her own little oven. Would a cheaper bed with a nice memory foam topper work? If so, what kind of bed or topper might work well?
Sorry to hear the Novaform mattress wasn’t a hit. The Serta iSeries Hybrid 3000 Plush mattress looks…decadent, haha. I went and pulled up the specs and it has 4" of memory foam in the comfort layer! That sounds like a sinking-in dream.
While we would love for you to consider DLX, given that you found perfection with the Serta iSeries Hybrid 3000 Plush, we don’t offer a product with a similar feel.
Our Premier 14” Hybrid has a comparable feel to models from the big brands and similar hybrid mattresses sold at big-box stores. Look for ones with pocket coils, quilted tops with visible stitching, and a total height of around 13”–14.5”. This model falls into the category of a mattress with a feel similar to a high-end hotel bed.
The reason DLX may not be the best fit if you loved the Serta iSeries Hybrid 3000 Plush is that our mattress uses a quilted cover and high-density foam in the layers closest to the sleep surface. In contrast, the Serta uses a smooth, non-quilted fabric, with memory foam as the top layer. The choice isn’t about one being better or worse, but rather personal preference. However, with DLX, you won’t get that cuddly, sinking feeling of soft memory foam since it isn’t the top layer.
The motion transfer in our mattress is good but not great—you may feel your partner’s movements. All-foam mattresses with a good amount of memory foam tend to perform best in reducing motion transfer, followed by hybrids that are foam-encased and have memory foam in the top layer. Our Premier and similar models come next in line—though there are always exceptions to these classifications, this serves as a good general guideline. Keep in mind that the bed frame and overall support system play a significant role in motion transfer, which is often an overlooked factor in reducing movement disturbances.
I know it’s a big investment, but if you find something that feels significantly better than anything else, I’d go with that one which sounds like the Serta iSeries Hybrid 3000 Plush. Unfortunately, we don’t know of a mattress with a similar design at a more affordable price.
I’ve been shopping around and felt similarly about the iSeries Plush. I recently tried a Sealy Posturepedic Elite Hybrid High Point II 14" Soft and found that it felt very similar. It’s slightly cheaper than the iSeries, but not by much.
Still haven’t decided on anything yet, though.
We’ve actually settled on a super low-budget option we’re really happy with. My wife says no other bed has ever been as comfortable for her with how curvy she is.
We got a cheap ikea mattress with zoned support (VALEVÅG), like the Serta we liked. Then we put a 3-inch tempurpedic topper from costco on it. I feel like the zoned support is more noticeable than in the Serta, and if I’m going to sit in bed, I find sitting on the firmer sections to be more comfortable. But like I said, my wife has never liked a mattress more, and I’d say its among the most comfortable for me, too.
I’m having a little trouble adjusting my mind to the new feeling compared to my old bed, which was very different, but I do really like the feeling. I feel almost zero uncomfortable pressure while sleeping on my side; in most beds, my shoulder and hips start to hurt. Plus, my body feels better aligned - less bent and crushed. And this for about $600 total for a king!
