Hi The Toddler,
You can read more about innersprings and their differences here. Coil height is just one of the many variables in an innerspring unit, and I’d try to avoid getting too caught up in the complex and different constructions of the various pocketed spring units, and focus on instead the ability of an innerspring support unit to contour to your body (which pocketed spring units tend to do quite well) and the ability of the innerspring unit to hold up the heavier areas of your body and promote a more neutral alignment.
And do you know of other retailers that offer the type of configuration I’m looking for, with the option to return (and likely be ordered online)?
I do have a list of some spring/latex mattress (hybrid) providers in post #2 here. You’ll have to check with each company regarding their return/exchange policies.
It’s not possible for me to maintain a listing of the different models and specifications of the retailers mentioned here on the forum, or in specific geographic region, would maintain on the floors. The enormity of that task is unfortunately impossible to complete.
Subject to first confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list that you wish to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets the quality/value guidelines here … some better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Washington, DC area (which has some overlap with the Baltimore list) are listed in post #2 here.
Unless you are testing a mattress using the exact same materials, in the same layers and thicknesses, in the same firmness, you’d be wasting your time testing major brand name mattresses or those where you can’t find out the specifics of the materials inside and then expecting those mattresses to be representative of what you’re attempting to approximate. And depending upon the layers above the innerspring unit, you may not even notice a difference in the overall comfort of a mattress using a zoned or non-zoned innerspring unit, as it is the uppermost layers closest to your skin that will make the biggest difference in your perception of comfort.
As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t get as caught up in the complexities of a zoned versus non-zoned pocketed coil innerspring unit. Both certainly can be appropriate for a majority of the population, and they will work together with the comfort layers of the mattress to provide your overall support and comfort, and nothing will be able to replace your own personal testing to see what combinations, if any, that you prefer.
Phoenix