Hi Csoul,
In taking a look around you … these are the local manufacturers I’m aware of that are close to you in the Fort Wayne or South Bend area.
Denver Mattress® - The Easiest Way to Get the Right Mattress which makes a “mostly latex” mattress that includes an option for a latex or memory foam topper and several all latex options as well. They also make a range of different types of innerspring mattresses. They are open and transparent about their materials and generally have good quality/value but I would avoid the major brands they also carry and only focus on the models that they make.
http://www.sleepbacktherapy.com/ (Niagara Therapy) Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, IN. They have latex and latex hybrid mattresses (with innersprings or polyfoam) as well as memory foam mattresses that you can choose your own components and design your own mattress. Knowldgeable about mattress materials and they use good quality materials in all of their lineup. Well worth a visit for those that are in reasonable driving range.
http://www.niwamembers.com/Heartland_Mattress/Home.html Local manufacturer in Shipshewana, IN. They make latex, memory foam and traditional innerspring mattresses that use high quality materials and would be well worth including in your research. There is an article about them here
http://www.elkhartbedding.com/ Elkhart. Local factory direct manufacturer that makes a range of more “traditional” (innerspring/polyfoam) mattresses that seem to be well built and have good value in their budget range but I don’t see any latex in their options.
http://www.klopfensteinfurniture.com/ Fort Wayne, IN. Sleep Logic. They carry latex, memory foam, and one sided innersprings on their floor and will call White Dove (who makes Sleep Logic) for any specs that they don’t have.
http://www.corunnabedding.com/ Auburn, IN. I talked with the owner here and they used to make their own mattresses so they are knowledgeable and experienced but now they carry Englander on their floor and don’t make their own any more. They have a range of mattresses including one and two sided mattresses, latex hybrids, memory and gel foam, and traditional innersprings. Understands the importance of knowing foam specs and will call their factory in Chicago to find out any specs they don’t have available.
If you are willing to take a drive to the Chicago area … one of our members www.mygreenmattress.com (which is a sister company to http://www.qualitysleepshop.com/ ) has some very high quality and value options and I highly recommend them. Tim is very knowledgeable, helps to “educate” his customers and has great service. What you may “lose” in traveling time you would likely make up for in terms of the confusion, frustration, and time involved in visiting several local stores and outlets and never being sure how much of the information you are given can be trusted or what you are really buying. The prices and value that they offer would also help of course :).
Post #2 here has the better options I know of in the Kalamazoo / Portage area including another one of the members here that I think very highly of, Buis Mattress in Holland, MI.
Further towards the Grand Rapids area some of the better options I’m aware of are listed in post #273 here.
If you are interested in driving towards the Lafayette or Indianapolis area some of the better options there are listed in post #2 here.
Towards Toledo and Detroit some of the better options are listed in post #2 here.
The Allura uses their HD memory foam which is both soft and firm at the same time. It is soft in terms of being highly conforming to the body shape but it is also very dense and has a slow response so it takes more “time” to soften in response to changes in movement and temperature so it can also feel very firm compared to foams that respond faster to changes in position and movement. It is also firmer than most lower density memory foams but this is only relative to other memory foams because all memory foam would be considered “soft” which is why it is only used in the upper layers of a mattress and never as a support system in a mattress.
There are some good choices in the area and a trip to My Green Mattress would also be well worth it if you are up for a drive.
Phoenix