Hi Cherllyn1,
I spent a fair number of hours looking around your area and talking to some of the retailers in the area. I have to say that there are a lot (probably too many) stores in the general area which leads to some fierce competition and in many cases misinformation as some salespeople will say things that are not factual in an effort to make the sale. This is the result of looking at almost 30 different stores.
First of all the factory direct manufacturers that are closest to you are …
https://www.bedmasters.com/ Port Charlotte, FL. I have talked with Jim the owner and he is very knowledgeable and helpful and clearly what I call “mattress people”. They are also a member of this site. He has been making mattresses for a long time and makes mattresses that use high quality materials including Talalay latex, memory foam and higher quality polyfoam/innersprings. He will also help educate his customers about the differences between different materials and mattress constructions and which may suit their needs and preferences best. He will also custom build, will make adjustments to his floor models when necessary, and makes mostly two sided mattresses (which is a real “value” bonus). Good quality and value and I would definitely suggest including them in your research.
http://www.matterbrothersfurniture.com/ Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs, Naples, Fort Meyers, FL. They are a local manufacturer that makes a range of mattresses including latex and polyfoam/innersprings (and some memory foam). The sales people there are often not as knowledgeable about the materials they use however (for example they know little about the foam density they use) but they told me they would find out if asked. Certainly a better option and higher quality and value than larger name brands or mass market outlets but would require some research because being a manufacturer with several stores the knowledge level of all the salespeople on the floor may not be up to the “norm” of most local manufacturers.
http://www.pittsburghmattressfactory.com/ Local factory direct manufacturer with outlets in Ellenton and Bradenton. They make a variety of mattresses including double sided and true HR polyfoam (the best kind of polyfoam) and Dunlop latex. While they are not “cheap” and are priced higher than some independent manufacturers, they do use high quality materials and would be worth a phone call and/or a visit as a reference if nothing else.
HOME - InnoMax Smaller national brand normally sold through retail outlets but with a factory direct store in Clearwater. They make a range of mattresses including latex and memory foam that use some better quality materials and have better value than the major brands.
http://www.manta.com/c/mm2fvf1/bartow-mattress-upholstery Local factory direct manufacturer in Bartow, FL. They have been making mattresses for over 100 years and make traditional two sided innerspring mattresses as well as 6" two sided latex mattresses on a working box spring. They are open about providing information about the quality/density of any of the materials or layers in their mattress. They will make memory foam mattresses but like many smaller manufacturers tend to prefer more resilient materials so they tend to discourage it and may not have any memory foam on their floor.
http://www.bodyrestmattress.com/ Wholesale manufacturer in St Petersburg. They only sell to retail stores but they have a local showroom where consumers can test their mattresses and be referred to a retailer. They make the Green Karma line which uses PET recycled materials which are rather unique and a non toxic and durable alternative to traditional polyfoam as well as their Green Earth and Panache lines which includes latex, innersprings, and memory foam.
In addition to these there are also some retailers more local to you that also have some potential. I’ve also included the brands I would focus on at each retailer because most of them also carry other brands that are either major brands or don’t provide meaningful information about their mattresses.
http://sarasotamattressstore.com/ Sarasota, FL. Talked to them and they carry Nature’s rest (all latex), Paramount, Green Karma, Biscayne Bedding. They certainly seemed more knowledgeable and open than most retailers and I would certainly include them in my research.
http://www.manateemattress.net/ Bradenton, FL. Nature’s Rest, Englander (gel), Biscayne Bedding (spring). Also open about the mattresses they carry and service oriented.
http://sleepking.net/ Sarasota, FL. Carry some of the Pure Talalay Bliss line.
http://www.ecomattressstore.com/ Sarasota, FL. they carry Anatomic Global which is a line of memory foam mattresses made by FXI (a foam manufacturer). they also said they would gladly find out foam densities ad they have cutouts of all their mattresses.
http://www.bedpros.com/ Sarasota, and area, FL. Pure Latex Bliss.
https://www.topdrawerfurniturestore.com/product-category/mattresses/mattress-sets/ Sarasota, FL. Savvy Rest latex and a few other latex mattresses using polyfoam cores.
http://www.unlimitedcomfort.co/ Sarasota, FL. They make their own mattresses but you’d want to find out the specifications of anything you were considering.
Brand Names | Mattresses Venice and Sarasota | Same Day Delivery Sarasota and Venice, FL. Carry some Restonic and Sherwood mattresses, which may have better quality materials, but you’d want to be sure you were provided the exact specifications of any mattress you were considering.
http://www.sleep-organics.com/product-category/mattresses/ Sarasota, FL. Savvy Rest, Naturepedic and OMI latex mattresses.
This thread with one of our members research and feedback about some of the choices here would also be worth reading.
Hope this helps.
Phoenix