TEMPUR-Flex Collection

The New TEMPUR-Pedic Hybrid Line

(2017 Update)

 

In 2013, TEMPUR-Pedic branched out from their all-foam mattress product line when it introduced the TEMPUR-Choice Collection, consisting of hybrids of memory foam and air support. Two years later in 2015, the company rolled out another line of hybrids, the TEMPUR-Flex Collection – essentially memory foam mattresses with pocket coils instead of polyurethane foam in the base layer.

In 2016, the two TEMPUR-Choice models were moved to the new Special Solutions Collection along with the GrandBed, only to be discontinued a year later, leaving the TEMPUR-Flex mattresses as TEMPUR-Pedic’s only hybrid models.

The Lineup

There are four models in the regular listing of mattresses in the TEMPUR-Flex Collection:

1. TEMPUR-Flex® Prima
2. TEMPUR-Flex® Supreme
3. TEMPUR-Flex® Supreme Breeze
4. TEMPUR-Flex® Elite

*The Flex Supreme Breeze is noted as a new model. By the way: there is no longer a TEMPUR-Breeze Collection. The models in it were Breeze versions of regular models and were each listed in two collections. This simplifies the lineup for shoppers. They can find all the Breeze models by clicking on “Cooling” in the left side bar.

Not listed in the regular mattress listings is the TEMPUR-Flex Supreme HD. This is a version of the TEMPUR-Flex® Supreme with the denser TEMPUR-HD in place of the lighter TEMPUR-ES in the Comfort Layer. In the last part of 2017, it is listed by TEMPUR-Pedic as a Close-out, along with four models from other collections.

 

Construction

The key materials in the TEMPUR-Flex mattresses are the stretch knit cover fabric with moisture-wicking fibers, the SmartClimate treatment on the second fabric layer, [technically a liner], TEMPUR-ES material, ventilated TEMPUR-ES with PureCool (PCM), TEMPUR-Response material, 6” pocket coils, and polyfoam base and edge support rail.

TEMPUR-Pedic does not say what fibers are in its covers, so the best guess is polyester with the added moisture-wicking fibers. This company pioneered the use of thin, stretchy cover materials for foam mattresses. This allows the fabric to conform along with the foam to a sleeper’s body contours without bunching or bridging. The intent of the moisture-wicking is both to keep the sleeping surface dry and to cool it through evaporation.

 

 

The foam in the Comfort Layer in TEMPUR-Flex mattresses is TEMPUR-ES, which is the lighter memory foam (about 4-lbs/ft³), which is more pressure-sensitive and less heat-sensitive than the original 5-lb/ft³ material. In the TEMPUR-Flex Supreme Breeze, this material is infused with a phase change material (PCM), PureCool, and is ventilated for better airflow. This is to counter the build-up of heat, for which memory foam is notorious.

Ventilation of the foam – which is also used in the Airflow Transfer System used in TempFlow, Snuggle-Pedic, and some Selectabed mattresses – works better than open-cell foam structure alone. Tempur-Pedic claims airflow though the pocket coils as part of its mattress cooling, especially in its Breeze models. However, the effectiveness of this depends on air flowing through the Response Layer as well as the insulator.

The Response Layer in TEMPUR-Flex mattresses is made of TEMPUR-Response material. The description makes it sound like latex, but refers to it like a kind of memory foam. This is a proprietary blend. In any case, it is firm enough and resilient enough to support and moderate the TEMPUR-ES material above it. There is no mention of ventilation of this foam, nor any clue in the illustrations, so TEMPUR-Pedic is relying on open cells to let air flow through which limits the effectiveness of its cooling, even in the T-Flex Supreme Breeze.

The support core of TEMPUR-Flex mattresses is called the Dynamic Support Layer. This consists of 6” pocket coils with foam encasement edge support and a polyurethane foam base pad. There are insulators between the coils and the foams above and beneath.

Model	TEMPUR-Flex Prima	TEMPUR-Flex Supreme	TEMPUR-Flex Supreme Breeze 2.0	TEMPUR-Flex Elite
Height	10”	11.5”	11.5”	12.5”
Cover	High-loft super stretch, zippered	High-loft super stretch, zippered	High-loft super stretch, zippered	EasyRefresh® Top Cover, zippered
SmartClimate System	2-layer, moisture-wicking fibers + SmartClimate treatment	2-layer, moisture-wicking fibers + SmartClimate treatment	(not described)	2-layer, moisture-wicking fibers + SmartClimate treatment
1st Layer (Comfort)	2” TEMPUR-ES	4” TEMPUR-ES	4” TEMPUR-ES w/PureCool [PCM], vent’d	5” TEMPUR-ES
2nd Layer (Response)	2” TEMPUR-Response	2.5” TEMPUR-Response	2.5” TEMPUR-Response	2.5” TEMPUR-Response
Dynamic Support Layer	6” Pocket Coils	6” Pocket Coils	6” Pocket Coils	6” Pocket Coils

Marketing

Models in the TEMPUR-Flex Collection are sold by most retailers carrying TEMPUR-Pedic mattresses. Prices range from $1,499 for TEMPUR-Flex® Prima Twin to $5,998 for TEMPUR-Flex® Elite Split King.

Like all TEMPUR-Pedic mattresses, those in the Flex Collection are not shipped compressed and rolled as are the bed-in-a-box brands, but are shipped flat. This is to avoid damage from compression and rolling.

 

Evaluation

Customer response to the TEMPUR-Choice Collection appears to have been less than overwhelming. Coils seem to have more consumer appeal as support for memory foam than air, seeing that the Choice line was discontinued after being listed side-by-side with the Flex mattresses. The tri-zone system with separate lumbar support has been criticized by some retailers with experience in both memory foam mattresses and adjustable air beds.

The coil-memory foam hybrids have two apparent advantages over all-foam mattresses. One is lighter weight. The other is temperature control.

As to temperature control, coils will let much more air flow through than a block of foam will. That, however, is if air reaches the coils after flowing through the foam layers above.

First the air has to get through the lighter top layer of memory foam, then through the denser second layer. As shown in this video by Dr. Rick Swartzburg, open-cell foam, which is now common, is an improvement over closed-cell foam, but 7x as much air flows through ventilated foam. Foams in TEMPUR-Flex mattresses do not appear in the illustrations to be ventilated.

Next, air has to pass through the insulator, a sheet place between the coils and the foam. This works only as well as the air permeability of the insulator material. This is better if the insulator is ventilated. A feature of the Airflow Transfer System used by Select-a-Bed, TempFlow, and Snuggle-Pedic is the channeled top surface of the base layer to facilitate horizontal airflow to and through the vented side panels of the covers.

 

Customer Ratings

We calculate our ratings in accordance to our Verified Review Policy.

Only two of the TEMPUR-Flex Collection models have reviews on Amazon, making a rating of the entire collection based on these problematic. However, several retailers have customer reviews of TEMPUR-Flex mattresses, covering all models, and many of these are third-party filtered for verified customers.

The aggregate average rating on Amazon for the TEMPUR-Flex Prima and the TEMPUR-Flex Supreme is 4.64 of 5 stars (39 total reviews): 4.79 (10 reviews) for Prima and 4.62 (21 reviews) for Supreme.

Retailers with reviews of TEMPUR-Flex mattresses include Macy’s, Sit’nSleep, Denver Mattress, Mathis Brothers, Abt, and Sears. The aggregate rating for the TEMPUR-Flex Collection is 4.64 (3,360 reviews). This is the same aggregate rating as on the TEMPUR-Pedic site (605 reviews).

Beds.Org has only staff reviews for the TEMPUR-Flex Collection, but no customer review for these four models.

The average customer rating of this collection is 4.6.

Pros and Cons

The pros and cons understandably vary a little by model. Some customers found Prima, the firmest, to be too firm, and a few thought Elite, the plushest, not firm enough. The 12.5” Elite was high for some.

Pros

The 10-year warranty was cited as a pro, even though that is now the standard warranty length for mattresses in general and memory foam mattresses in particular. This compares with the 20-year warranty for Snuggle-Pedic and Selectabed mattresses.

Both pocket coils and memory foam account for low-to-no motion transfer. Elite is liked by sleepers of all positions, including combination sleepers. Prima is better for back and stomach sleepers. Complaints about heat are few.

Cons

The major con is the expense of these mattresses, generally more than similar memory foam/pocket coil hybrids by other companies. Even Elite, the plushest model, is considered by some as too firm for light-weight persons.

Complaints about the weight of these mattresses are more for Elite, less for Supreme and Supreme Breeze, and least for Prima. However, mattresses in the TEMPUR-Flex Collection are lighter than those of the same size and height in the other TEMPUR-Pedic collections.