Monday, April 16, 2018

Zinus Tuscan Metal & Wood Platform Bed Review

We recently decided to change up the platform bed (bed frame) that I use for mattress reviews, so let's take a look at the Zinus Tuscan Metal & Wood Platform Bed!

The Tuscan Metal & Wood Platform Bed! (Mattress not Included)

This bed frame is a platform bed (as the name indicates, of course!) -- i.e., it is designed for mattresses that do not require a box spring. The vast majority of modern mattresses don't require a box spring, so this fits the bill in almost all situations -- but if it doubt, check with your mattresses manufacturer.

See my video for the assembly:

Mobile user? Click here to watch directly on YouTube!

The Tuscan Metal & Wood Platform Bed (from here on I'll, just call it "the Tuscan") sits 14 inches
high. The most common mattress height that I review is about 11-12 inches tall, so the surface of the mattress will be about 25 to 26 inches off the ground. The under-bed clearance is 12" from the side, and a bit shorter from the foot of the bed. There's a fair bit of storage space underneath, if you're into that sort of thing, but note that there are 3 vertical center supports, so you can't fit one very large object under the entirety of the bed . . . for example, you couldn't store a full-size mattress underneath the queen size Tuscan.


The Tuscan is quite easy to assemble, it requires no tools outside of what comes in the box (other than a box cutter or scissors to cut things open). However, the ratchet tool that comes with it is pretty small, so if you have your own ratchet with the ability to attach a hex bit, that's better. I started assembling mine with the included tool, but gave up and got my own out part way through to make my life a tad bit easier. My actual assembly time was 36 minutes. It's not quite as fast as the Zinus QuickSnap, which I reviewed about a year ago, but it's still easy enough that most able-bodied adults would be able to do it.

It weighs 76 pounds altogether, and comes in 1 box. In my case, I was taking it to a 2nd story bedroom, so I opened it on the first floor and carried the components up stairs separately.






The assembly was what you see in the video (at "regular human speed," of course!!!). The instructions are easy and intuitive. Everything attaches with screws. The screws come in a nice packet that makes it very unlikely that a screw would be missing. There are a couple extra screws they give you just incase, which I appreciate.

For the price, this is a really good value. It's not the fanciest thing in the world, but it does the job. The headboard and footboard are made from composite wood, not one peice of natural wood. If you look closely you can tell, but it doesn't distract too much. It feels very sturdy and in my limited use so far, doesn't squeak at all.

I highly recommend it.



Vital Stats:
Available in King, Queen, Full, and Twin
Height: 14"
Under-bed clearance: 12"
Wooden Slats? - Yes (they Velcro in place in a really neat way!)
Space between slats: 2 1/2 inches approximately




Click below to view it on Amazon now!


You can also purchase it on the manufacturer's website -- see it here.




Preferred by 4 out of 5 Tuscan Raiders!


The above links are affiliate links; please see the disclosure at the bottom of this web page. Note that I paid full price for all products unless noted otherwise; all opinions are my personal reviews and preferences. Thanks for your consideration.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

DreamCloud Mattress Review

I was fortunate to be able to try out the DreamCloud mattress recently. In short . . . sleeping on it was
a dream for me! Read on to find out more . . .



Watch my video review here, or read on for more details!
Mobile user? Click Here to watch the video directly on YouTube.

The DreamCloud - my bedroom isn't QUITE as nice!
The DreamCloud Mattress is a very luxurious hybrid mattress. At 15" thick, it's one of the thickest mattresses available that' shipped directly to your home (compressed, in a roll - see my unboxing video here).

The DreamCloud has a wealthy-feeling cover that's made from a cashmere blend. It's hand tufted even though in the past I've been leary of tufted mattress tops, this one works. And it works well.

Below that is a your standard hybrid setup -- that is, about half comfort layers, and half pocketed coils. I'm not exactly sure of the makeup (although you can see that on their website), but I know there is some gel foam, regular memory foam, and latex in there somewhere. It's roughly half comfort layer, so that's a lot of comfort! The total thickness is 15" regardless of the size (Twin, Queen, King, etc). Note that because it's about 4-5" thicker than most other mattresses, you'll want to make sure your mattress protector and sheets are sized appropriately (most mattress protectors are set for this kind of setup, but some extra big sheets may be nice).

DreamCloud comes in one firmness level. On their website, they describe it as "luxury firm," with a chart showing that it's a 6.5 (on a 10 point scale of firmness, with 10 being the most firm). I would say that's about accurate -- it could be anywhere from a 6 to a 7 depending on your body composition and sleeping position. Of course, firmness is subjective to personal preference and sensation.

I tried out my DreamCloud for 15 nights, and pretty well loved it. Having said that . . .



HOW MANY STARS?


I will rate each category on a 5-Star Scale, where 5 is the best.


Construction: 5 stars

The construction is the best I've seen in a bed-in-a-box/roll (see unboxing video HERE). Everything about it screams "quality," and there were virtually no loose threads (OK, I found 1!) It comes shipped in a big roll -- like a large tent might come in -- with handles! As a guy who moves mattresses around his house a lot, I sure wish other companies would add handles! The handles are flat and sturdy.

The website states that the cover is hand-tufted, and each mattress takes 1-2 hours for the tufting process alone. They're also made in fairly small batches. It shows, too. Care was certainly taken in the construction of the Dreamcloud. Perfect score here.

Noise: 5 stars


There is no noise.


Smell: 4.75 stars

The traditional "new mattress smell" from all compressed mattresses was present, but very, very minimal. It had dissipated 90% within 24 hours, and was totally gone within 2-3 days. Now, after 2 weeks, if my nose is right up against it, I don't smell anything,


Feel: 4.75 stars

The cover has a nice feel. It's sturdy. It's taught. It's kind of like something a king would sleep on.

Feel is so subjective -- but, to me, it felt great. The tufting just works. It's kinda hard to describe.

The bounce is "just right" for me -- not too much, not too little. I don't like the "quicksand" or "getting stuck" feel you get with some memory foam mattresses. There's none of that here. I rest on the bed with just a wee bit of sinking in. It cradles my body rather than "hugging" or "enveloping" it.


Motion Transfer: 3.75 stars


Ah ha! You knew there had to be something that was less than perfect!

When my wife and I slept on the mattress together, and one of us would change positions, the other one could feel it. Now, it wasn't that bad, but it was noticeable. If we were sound asleep, we wouldn't feel anything if the other one moved. But, if I was still awake and my wife was just nodding off, and I changed positions, she could feel me move. My theory is with that nice, wonderful, thick comfort layer on top, it radiates movement laterally just a little because it's not so firm that the movement is totally halted (see the video for a better explanation). Note that my wife and I experience this on most mattresses, so this isn't out of the blue. It's fine . . . it's just not perfect. The only way we've been able to get rid of motion transfer is by using a firmer mattress.


Support: 4.5 stars


"Support" does not mean the same thing as firmness. This gets into tricky-to-describe territory, but means things like keeping your spine in alignment; does the firmness feel even, as opposed to lumpy or firm in spots without being firm in other spots? Do you sink in too much and "overcome" the top couple inches? This is always subjective. I am a back sleeper primarily but also sleep on my side some.

So, with this really hard to describe thing, how'd the DreamCloud do? It did really pretty well! When I was on my back, it came up to meet me and said, "hello, Doug's back. I see you need some softness but  also supportiveness [is that a word?] . I'm here for you." Back sleep was amazing. When I slept on my side, it was also amazing. My hips sank in just the right amount to keep my spine in alignment. It somehow knew that my butt needs to sink in more than my mid-back does. It just knows. Somehow. I think it has to do with what they call a 5-zone support system. I have no idea how it works, but it's awesome. It's a big deal for me, because my hind-end sticks out quite a bit more than the small of my back when I lie flat.

So why not a perfect 5 stars here? It's minor, but the edge support is a little different. For sitting, it's fine. But, the coils don't go all the way to the edge, and whatever foam they use to run all the way around the edge of the mattress isn't dense enough to handle my 200+ lb. frame when I slept right on the edge. Mind you, I'm talking about the outermost 2-3 inches. If, for some reason, you needed to sleep at the extreme edge of the bed, you might feel like it's slanting outward & downwards just a bit. I did it on purpose just for the trial purpose (you know, so I could tell you folks about it!). I could maybe see if you sleep with a pet or a child in the middle of your bed between you and your sleep partner, that could be an issue. Maybe. But not a big issue. For me, the issue was fixed by moving toward the middle 2-3 inches. No biggie.

The guts of the DreamCloud . . . there's a lot in there!


Pressure Point Relief: 5.0 stars


Other than a 100% memory foam mattress (ie, Tempurpedic style), I can't imagine better pressure point relief. Say goodbye to hip pain. Seriously, if you have chronic hip pain, get this mattress. Lower back pain? Yep, helped with that too. Shoulder pain? Yep, helped with that too. And none of the hotness or "stuck" feeling you can sometimes get with an all-foam mattress.


Conformity: 4.75 stars


What am I looking for in conformity? I want something that feels firm where it's supposed to feel firm, and soft where it's supposed to feel soft. That's a tall order (or a $5,000+ mattress), but let's at least get as close as we can. I want something that conforms to my body locally, but not globally. In other words, I want to sink into my mattress just a bit -- maybe an inch or two, but I don't want a giant valley to be formed while the mattress tries to accommodate my whole body.


I kinda gave it away already, but the mattress conformed to me just the right amount. I didn't sink in too much, but I sank in enough. I think 1-2 inches of sinkage when on your back is about right, and it was pretty close to this (I didn't have anyone measure while I laid there).


Customer Service: 4.0 stars

This is a hard one to grade, because I have only 2nd hand or 3rd hand reports to go off of. I never actually spoke to anyone at DreamCloud, but I did exchange some emails with them. They were very responsive.

The reason I can't give a perfect 5 stars is because of multiple reports of shipping delays. Their website states in the FAQ section to expect a shipping time of 1-5 days, but I've seen several people on Facebook, etc. say it's been more like 2 weeks. That's not a big deal as long as you don't have a reason to need the mattress in exactly 1-5 days. So just be aware it might be a couple weeks and roll with it.

[UPDATE - DEC. 2018: The FAQ section on the website states that once you order, it takes 5-7 business days to ship out. Then, the shipping itself is 2-5 business days. Altogether, that's 7-12 business days, or anywhere from a week and a half to two and a half weeks, roughly. I'm gla they're making it known up front. Must be popular.]

My theory is that since the mattresses are on the high end of the direct-to-consumer spectrum, and they make them in small batches (that's a good thing, as it leads to more attention to detail, at least in theory), it can be hard for them to predict when they're going to have a run. If there are a bunch ordered at once, they have to get them here -- they're manufactured in China (as it says on the tag) but the company headquarters is in the US.

If I hear reports of the shipping time improving, I will revise my rating.

Shipping:


I don't give a star-rating to shipping, but shipping is free. It is delivered by UPS, FedEx, etc. It comes in a large roll, compressed, which they will leave on your doorstep. There is no cost to you if you decide to return it during the trial period.

You have the option to choose "white glove delivery" for an extra $150. This means that someone will deliver it in person instead of via UPS or FedEx, and that person(s) will carry it to your room and set it up for you. That extra fee also includes haul-away of your old mattress, if you choose (depending on your state, a mattress recycling fee may be required).


Other info worth mentioning:

Let's talk about the warranty -- it's a "Forever" Warranty. You can read the details on the DreamCloud web site, but I'll summarize here -- for the first 10 years, if there is a defect, they will replace the mattress (this includes indentations of 1.5 inches or more -- which is very standard in the mattress industry) at no cost to you. Beyond the 10th year, they will either replace OR repair the mattress at the company's discretion.

Once in the lifetime of your mattress ownership (after the 1st year), the company will pay for your mattress to have a professional cleaning! (Up to a $300 value)

Also once in the lifetime of your mattress ownership (this time after 5 years of ownership), the company will pay for the cover to be reconditioned at no cost to you.

Even more impressive is the 365 day trial period! To me, this is the #1 reason why you should try it. There is nothing to loose other than a little inconvenience if things don't work out. Go ask the guys at the mattress closeout store in your town if they'll agree to that (but don't hold your breath!).



OVERALL SCORE:



4.61 stars

(out of 5)




Summary:


PROS:

- Amazing pressure point relief

- Amazing support & comfort

- Just the right amount of "sinkage"

- Would be an excellent choice for someone with chronic hip or shoulder pain

- 365 night no-risk trial period with free shipping

- Extras like a free cleaning and a free cover reconditioning


CONS:

- A little difficult to sleep within 2-3 inches of the edge

- If two people share the bed and one moves a lot, it may not be the #1 choice

- Shipping times (at current) seem to be running 2 or so weeks.



Final Thoughts:

It's the nicest mattress I've slept on in my adult life. I guess that pretty much says it all. I really, really like it for all the reasons I mentioned above. What more can I say? I know there are other good mattresses out there, but I think this one has to be near the top. I know it's not one of the cheapest online mattresses, but this is one of those times in life where you get what you pay for. You spend a lot of time in bed . . . get one you like! I do realize comfort, firmness, and lots of other factors are matters of personal preference, but with a 365-night risk free trial period, what do you have to lose?

Prices & Info:

If you decide to try out a DreamCloud, I would really appreciate it if you use one of the links on this page to get to their website, as it helps out my blog and YouTube channel just a bit!


DreamCloud has been offering a discount of $200 for as long as I've known of its existence. There is no discount code needed, it's automatically included at checkout.

The prices below first list the "raw price," and then the net price after the discount.

Twin: $699 [net $499]

Twin XL: $899 [net $699]

Full: $1099 [net $899]

Queen: $1199 [net $999]

King or Cal King: $1399 [net $1199]


(Note: Prices were updated as of June 2019. Always check prices on the manufacturer's web site as prices can change.)


What do you think? Feel free to share any comments! If you have questions, feel free to ask and I will try my best to answer.






I was provided with a DreamCould mattress in exchange for my review. If you use one of my links to get to their website, and subsequently buy (and keep!) the mattress, I earn a referral fee which helps to support this blog and my YouTube channel. In addition, other links on this blog are considered to be "affiliate links" (such as the links to products through Amazon) and I am paid a small referral fee if you click one of these links and subsequently make a purchase. This costs you nothing. All opinions are my personal reviews and preferences, and do not represent the opinion of any particular company. Thanks for your consideration.