Hi MetalHead671.
Welcome to our Mattress Forum! 
[quote]After sleeping on cheap mattresses growing up and crashing on the couch for the past year, I’m looking to buy a GOOD Queen sized mattress!
-I’m 5’ 9" 150 pounds
-Sleep on my side
-I sleep hot
-Work a physically demanding job
-$2500 budget, will go more if it’s absolutely worth it[/quote]
Great to see that you are determined to get a “GOOD” bed that will last you for many years. I wish more people would be as “picky” with this type of purchase and base it on factual data about what’s in the mattress and their own personal needs and preferences rather than on marketing stories or “other people’s opinions”. As you mentioned this is an investment not only in a “good mattress” but in your well-being as well. (Too bad that you had to spend the last year crashing on the couch)
The most important part of the value of a mattress for any particular person is the PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and your personal stats (height, BMI, sleeping position(s), and any underlying health issues, which is unique to each individual. As a lower BMI side sleeper, and based on several other criteria you mentioned thus far there are many quality/value options available within your budget range. You didn’t say if you are experiencing soreness and/or pain on waking –a couch is probably not providing restful restorative sleep and comfort, especially as you’ve shoulder surgery and have a “physically demanding job”, but here are some general things to focus on:
Mattress durability: A good mattress always begins with selecting a mattress with quality componentry. I wouldn’t consider any product unless I’d know exactly what materials and foams are in it. If you have not already done so, make sure to read the Mattress Specifications you need to know to compare them to the mattress durability guidelines to get a better idea of what to look for when considering whether a mattress is suitable and the mattress materials which will hold up over time. I’d also make sure to read the Mattress Shopping Tutorial to become more familiar with what to look for and avoid on your search.
You are on the right track – even though you …‘ don’t have any real experience actually sleeping on different types of material’ you did well to do some local testing in the shop (ideally on separate trips) to familiarize yourself with different mattress types, identify which materials you like, and the level of firmness you prefer. It looks like you are very “in tune” with your body as you’ve eliminated most of the mattresses that can be problematic for you. Nicely done!
Good to see that Tempurpedic, Purple, Sealy, Beautyrest, and Sleep Number did not get your vote of confidence – while some consumers do find them comfortable, most of these can contain inexpensive memory foam of lower density that leads to the foam prematurely breaking down, creating virtual impressions and mattress sag which can impact your posture and alignment and cause muscle and joint pain over time.
Next, I’d familiarize myself theoretically with a few basics, then you know what to look for when you go and test a mattress in the shop to be able to pinpoint what you like or don’t about a particular mattress you are trying.
Material type in the comfort/transition layers closer to your skin:
As you discovered memory foam can be a “love it or hate it” material and it certainly has “weaknesses” that latex and other comfort materials don’t have (memory foam sleeps hot, dead sand and “sink in” feeling, difficulty in repositioning, non-supportive, may off-gas, not durable if in densities of lower than 4lbs/cuft) You are wise to avoid it as your experience indicates you don’t do well with it in the long term. This leaves you with Polyfoam vs Latex unless you prefer other natural fibers and materials for your comfort layer. Latex is more durable in any layer, more point elastic (takes on the shape of the body better which provides more even support and aids in better pressure relief), and has a higher support factor (gets firmer faster with deeper compression which helps with deep support), is more breathable (regulating humidity and temperature), has higher resilience, elasticity, and “liveliness” which provides for a better “feel” for most people, is more natural than polyfoam for those who prefer more natural materials, has fewer complaints about off-gassing and odor, is biodegradable, is less flammable, and is overall a much superior material in any layer … also more costly (but still within your budget).
Type of support, you prefer in your mattress I’d read the Mattress Support Cores ~ overview to help you decide what type of support you prefer in your mattress:
Local vs Online shopping
Once you pinpoint the differences in feel and performance you like in your mattress, your choices are well narrowed down and whether you buy online or in a local shop you’ll get quite close to a good match for you. Online shopping will give you many more options, but you’d make sure that you’ll be happy with what you get, either by the mattress being customizable (within a zippered cover where you can switch layers or take one layer out and exchange it) or …the mattress having a sleep trial period, where it can be returned if things don’t go as well as you hoped for. Two of the most important links in the tutorial are post #2 here about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help one assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as hoped for, and post #13 here about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help with meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation in post #46
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using. When choosing something online, it’s important to deal with experienced, educated, and helpful manufacturers who have the knowledge to guide you through the process and find something that they honestly think will fit your specific sleeping positions, somatotype, BMI, and individual needs. Post #2 here and this topic have more about the pros and cons of a local vs an online purchase.
The Trusted Membersof the site, offer excellent quality/value options, and are transparent about mattress construction, materials, foam densities, and great customer service and many options within your price range.
Once you have a chance to peruse the info and links above and hopefully narrow your search down to a couple of mattress finalists, let us know if you have additional questions.
Phoenix