Hi spup345,
[quote]1. Essentia:
-Tried them all. Classic 8 felt best. I never liked Tempurpedic because I don’t like sinking into my mattress. Right now I’m typing on my laptop on my bed and the last thing I want is to feel like I’m sitting on quicksand where every move takes effort. However the Classic 8 felt like the right mix. Nice firm dunlop core and the slight slow response on the top to cradle my body, but not to the extent where I felt like I was knee deep in muck. I was impressed and also surprised at how a non-innerspring mattress could feel so supportive & good…I started having doubts about my inner(spring) desires.[/quote]
You can read some of my thoughts about Essentia and some discussions with them in this thread and this thread and posts #3 and #4 here. The information and claims on their website are misleading IMO and they are a manufacturer that I would be very cautious about considering … especially if you don’t want memory foam in your mattress (I see later in your post you’ve read at least some of these).
This is something that only you can decide based on how you feel about purchasing the Oyasumi, how much more research and testing you are comfortable with, how well it matches your personal value equation compared to any other options you have available, and whether it’s in a budget range you are comfortable with. There are certainly no weak links in the mattress and it uses all high quality materials so from a quality/durability perspective it would make a good choice.
I agree with you that this may be in a higher budget range compared to other mattresses that use the same “raw materials” but once again the “value” of a mattress purchase depends on what you are comparing it to, what else is available to you either in your area or online (for those who are comfortable with an online purchase) and on all the other parts of your personal value equation that are important to you. Value is always relative to what you are comparing it to and the parts of “value” that are most important to you.
Unfortunately this isn’t a service I provide and would lead to me being overwhelmed with requests that I wouldn’t have the time to deal with and that others are in a better position to help with anyway. Pictures (for those who take and use them) are also only one part of deciding whether a mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP along with the other testing guidelines that are linked in the tutorial post (including the most important which is your own perceptions on the mattress). There are three links there that can help with testing for alignment. Pictures also don’t have a reference point for comparison or the ability to look from multiple angles or when you move. While they can certainly be a help … by themselves they are something I would use as an aid but not as the only way to decide if a mattress is a good choice for you.
The foundation post here includes a wide range of foundations and pricing that you can use for comparison.
I’m happy to help with the “first half” of each person’s research which is “how” to make the best choices, eliminate the worse ones, provide some good sources and options I’m aware of, provide information that can be used as a general guideline, help you fact check information you come across, help identify any areas of concern or weak links in a mattress, and of course to provide general guidance as much as possible along the way, but beyond this the final choice is really up to each person’s best judgement and individual circumstances and preferences.
Phoenix