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The DLX Classic is a 12" two-sided mattress made by a family owned mattress company. Is it right for you?
Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert
DLX is the online brand of a family-run mattress company with more than 140 years in the mattress industry. They make a variety of different mattresses with some of the highest-quality materials on the market. This review will cover their new two-sided “Classic” mattress in the “Medium” configuration, although please note that this particular model is available in three different firmnesses (Soft, Medium, and Firm) and in two different heights (12” and 14”). All of these will differ slightly in terms of feel and configuration.
The DLX Classic Medium is a two-sided pocket spring mattress made with high-density foams. Unlike some other two-sided mattresses available on the market, both sides of the DLX Classic are identical in feel and construction. This means that, true to its name, it is a “classic” two-sided mattress and can be periodically flipped to refresh the sleep surface and improve long-term durability. While this style of mattress is still available, they are increasingly hard to find and highly sought-after by many consumers. We field a lot of questions from people looking for exactly this kind of mattress.
As a two-sided mattress, it also has slightly different feel characteristics than most one-sided mattresses. It uses slightly less foam per side and has a slightly firmer feel than many other online mattresses. In our evaluation, we found the “Medium” option to be closer to an overall Firm with slightly less pressure relief than some models, but with excellent overall support and spinal alignment. It also has a lot of bounce, leading to easier repositioning, and performed very well on tests of motion isolation.
The DLX Classic also has excellent edge support, works well on an adjustable base, and should sleep quite cool thanks to the lack of excessive comfort material or memory foam layers.
We think this would be an excellent option for back and stomach sleepers. It might also be a great option for side sleepers that prefer a slightly firmer and less “enveloping” overall feel. We’d probably steer lighter individuals to the “Soft” option, which uses a convoluted foam and a different quilt pattern to create a slightly softer feel. We’d expect the “Soft” model to be closer to a Medium or Medium-Firm on our scale. Similarly, we’d expect the “Firm” model to be closer to a Very Firm or Ultra Firm, and would be best suited to people looking for a very firm sleep surface.
This review is related to the DLX Classic 12" Medium. Learn more about this model:
The “feel” characteristics of a mattress cannot be universally better or worse. They can only be more or less desirable to you, based on your personal preferences. For this reason, we call these “preference-based” attributes. Our ratings here are based on objective measurements that we apply to a consistent scale for products from all brands.
Keep in mind that what mattress companies call “firm” or “soft” is relative and varies between manufacturers. Mattresses are designed to be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment, however, different people tend to have different preferences for overall softness.
We found the DLX Classic to be somewhat firm relative to most other mattresses on the market. This is likely due to the somewhat minimal comfort layers overlying the coil unit, although we should point out that these layers are softened somewhat by the two-sided design.
Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.
Cushioning depth refers to how deeply you sink into the mattress. Some brands will talk about a feeling of "sleeping on" a mattress vs a feeling of "sleeping in" a mattress, and this typically refers to cushioning depth. More cushioning depth means more conformance and more of a cradled or "hugged" sensation. The DLX Classic has a little cushioning depth relative to the pocket spring unit, but this is not so pronounced. Instead, there is a distinct sense of sleeping comfortably on top of the mattress.
Memory feel refers to how quickly a mattress recovers its shape after being compressed. A mattress with a lot of memory feel will have a much slower recovery after compression. This is often noticed by sleepers in repositioning.
The DLX Classic is built exclusively with HD poly foam, so there's no memory feel whatsoever here. The surface of the mattress springs right back after being compressed.
Responsiveness also translates into bounce, and with most innerspring mattresses, you'll get a good bit of it.
The DLX Classic has more bounce than most other mattresses on the market. It's a relatively simple construction made entirely of HD poly foam, and this allows the benefits of the coils to come through in terms of bounce and repositioning.
The key to good back support is for the mattress to support your spine in a “neutral” position while you sleep, meaning that the shape of your spine is roughly the same as when you're standing. The ability of any given mattress to do this will vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight, body shape, and preferred sleep position(s).
In our evaluations, the DLX Classic mattress performed very well for our tester, particularly in the back sleeping and stomach sleeping positions. It performed somewhat less well for side sleepers and lighter weight sleepers.
The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.
Here is how we break down the spinal alignment of the DLX Classic Medium mattress:
Our tester really enjoyed the DLX Classic in this position. The combination of the HD quilt foams and HD comfort foam provided just the right amount of comfort and insulation over the coil unit. Though keep in mind, this is a slightly firmer "sleeping-on-top" of the mattress kind of experience.
In our evaluation, the DLX Classic in the 12" Medium configuration might be too firm for many side sleepers, unless these side sleepers are coming from a "traditional" connected-coil mattress or prefer a firmer overall feel. If you're primarily a side sleeper, you might be better served by the Soft or one of the 14" models.
We also felt that stomach sleepers would do well on this mattress. For stomach sleeping, a firmer mattress is generally needed to support the hips from sinking too far and creating discomfort in the low back. The DLX Classic, for our tester, had plenty of support and maintained alignment without allowing his hips to sink too far into the mattress.
Inadequate pressure relief from your mattress results in “pressure points,” which can be a source of pain, soreness, loss of circulation, restlessness, and other problems. Pressure relief requirements will vary be sleeper, with side sleepers needing the most. Likewise, the amount of pressure relief that a given mattress provides will also vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight and body shape.
When a mattress pushes back against your body with too much force in a concentrated area, the result can be pain, soreness, loss of circulation, excessive tossing, and other problems. In general, such "pressure points" are of greatest concern for side sleepers, since that's the position in which your body's weight is distributed over the smallest surface area. To find the right mattress for your needs, keep in mind that the pressure-relieving capabilities of any given mattress will vary depending on the sleeper. Factors like your weight and body shape (e.g., broader shoulders and/or hips) will determine how far you sink into the mattress, and the pressure relief offered by that mattress will vary widely at different depths.
Overall, we found that the DLX Classic in the 12" configuration didn't perform quite as well as many other mattresses in terms of pressure relief for side sleeping. If you're a strict side sleeper that needs a lot of pressure relief, you might do better on one of the 14" models.
With the “features” of a mattress, performance will tend to be consistent across all sleepers – without regards to your body type or preferences. However, these attributes have differing levels of importance to each sleeper, which is why we consider them “priority-based” characteristics.
If you are easily disturbed by a partner's movements in bed, or perhaps you and your partner go to bed and get up at different times, then motion isolation may be a priority for you. Generally speaking, pocket spring and all-foam mattresses tend to perform best here.
The DLX Classic performed very well in this metric. Despite being a "classic" construction with a somewhat traditional feel, the DLX Classic uses pocket springs which isolate motion very well.
With a bowling pin standing upright on the bed, we pressed and pushed on the other side of the mattress to mimic a partner getting into bed. The bowling pin did not tip over.
The DLX Classic also performed well in terms of temperature regulation. The combination of the soft quilt fibers and the lack of excessive comfort material means there is a lot of room for airflow.
Additionally, the DLX Classic doesn't have the kind of foam that typically causes heat retention (ie, memory foam). We would not expect people to have issues with heat on this mattress.
If overheating in bed is an issue for you, we think this would be a very good choice.
Edge support is important if you like to sit on the side of the bed, or if you tend to sleep along the edge. We found the DLX Classic mattress to be excellent in this respect. Our tester felt exceptionally stable both sitting and laying right on the edge. He didn't feel like he was rolling off at all.
If you tend to move and change positions a lot over the course of a night, ease of repositioning will be a priority for you. The DLX Classic really shines in this area. Our tester had no trouble at all moving around or rolling into another position.
For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe.
The DLX Classic uses HD poly foams certified by CertiPUR-US and a pocket spring unit partially made from recycled steel. While we wouldn't call it a "green" mattress overall, these are nonetheless some green features worth noting.
We look at three things when testing a mattress on an adjustable base.
First, will using an adjustable base harm the mattress? In the case of the DLX Classic, the answer is no. The DLX Classic is made of pocket springs, which perform well on adjustable surfaces.
Next, we look at conformance. How closely did the bed hug the curves of the base as it is raised and lowered? The DLX Classic did a good job in this aspect. We did notice a bit of a gap between the mattress and foundation when the head of the bed was raised. This is common with thicker mattresses, and we suspect that the double-sided design made it slightly more difficult for this to conform perfectly. However, we don't think this will create problems for sleepers.
Lastly we look at the cover and what happens when the bed is in an articulated position. We did notice some slight wrinkling of the quilted cover when the head of the bed was raised, though again, this is normal for many mattresses and isn't typically noticed by sleepers.
Overall, we would say that the performance on our adjustable base was good.
The DLX Classic is a 12” thick double-sided mattress comprising five layers.
Notably, ALL of the foams in the DLX Classic are HD (read: high-density) foams. This is a category of foam that we reserve for some types of memory foam and and poly foams at or above 1.8 lbs per cubic foot. This is an important point to make, as high-density foams tend to be more durable and maintain their comfort and support characteristics longer than low density foams. This means that mattresses that are made with HD foams are less likely to sag prematurely. DLX calls this HD poly foam their “LoftAdapt” foam and “Refresh Performance” foam.
The coils used in the DLX Classic are also high-quality. This is a 789 count coil unit that DLX is calling their “Advanced Hybrid Spring.” The interior coils are relatively firm and provide a solid and reassuring sense of immediate support. In addition to the interior coils, there are firmer, narrower diameter coils at the sides of the mattress to create a solid edge.
We should also note that a 14” version of the DLX Classic is available. These models use a slightly thicker foam in the comfort layer (1.5” on these models) and tend to be slightly softer as a result.
The DLX Classic cover is quilted with both “Airsoft Viscose Fibers” for temperature regulation and “LoftAdapt” HD poly foam for comfort. The “Medium” configurations of this mattress use a classic diamond-shaped quilt pattern, while the "Firm" and “Soft” configurations use slightly different designs. As covers go, these are all high-quality. It’s actually very rare to see an HD foam used in a quilt layer, and this can add a substantial amount of comfort.
The “value” of any mattress is both subjective and personal – reflecting how well it meets that person’s unique sleep needs and preferences, relative to their budget. As a result, our ratings in this area are focused on more objective factors like quality and longevity.
Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.
The DLX Classic is 12" tall mattress with a traditional two-sided design. It's made of exclusively of HD foams and has a very capable pocket spring unit. Even cover feels good in hand and suggests attention to detail and quality.
When it comes to estimating the comfort lifespan of a mattress, we can use foam density as our best, albeit imperfect, predictor of how long a foam will retain its shape and resiliency.
The DLX Classic uses HD materials in every layer (even the quilt) and is two-sided, allowing you to flip the mattress and refresh your sleep surface. We think that this will be a very durable mattress overall. While all foams soften somewhat with time, HD foams tend to soften less and perform consistently over time. While it's tough to put an exact estimate on the longevity of this mattress in terms of years (and this will also vary with use), we feel comfortable saying that we'd expect this to last many years.
One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions — the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty.
The industry standard for hybrid and innerspring mattresses is 1.5". DLX has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1.5” — right about average for the industry. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection.
You read the fine print on this here: DLX Warranty Policy.
We thought that the DLX Classic compares very well to most other options on the market. It's simple, well-built, and high-quality overall.
DLX offer free delivery through FedEx or UPS. You can read the details here.
DLX offers a 120-night risk-free trial period. You can read the details on their 120-night trial here.
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