Hi Diderot,
You may have already read this based on the choices you’ve mentioned but just in case you haven’t … the first place to start is the mattress shopping tutorial here which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and “how” to make meaningful comparisons between mattresses in terms of their suitability, quality, and “value”.
You may already have seen this as well but once again just in case you haven’t … the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Atlanta area are listed in post #2 here.
The only one I would eliminate outright would be the Sleep Innovations which uses 2.5" of 3 lb memory foam which doesn’t meet the quality guidelines I would suggest following in post #4 here.
The most important part of the “value” of a mattress purchase is it’s suitability in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). When you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the only way to assess the odds that a mattress is a good “match” for you is testing similar mattresses locally (if there are any available that are very similar) and with more detailed conversations on the phone (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). If you aren’t confident that an online mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP then the options you have available after a purchase to either fine tune, exchange, or return a mattress would also become a much more important part of your “final choice” and the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Since the mattresses you are looking at are a mix of latex hybrids and memory foam (hybrid) mattresses … I would also do some local testing to see which of these materials you tend to prefer so you can narrow down your choices of material a little more.
Your weight will also play a factor in the quality/density of the materials that may be most appropriate for you and this would also be a consideration in your choices between them.
The tutorial post includes two links to two lists of some of the better online options I’m aware of.
Most of this is in the tutorial post but they would be in three broad categories.
The first is the questions about which of their mattresses would likely be the best match for you based on the information you provide them in your more detailed conversations. A mattress that may be “perfect” for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else. This will help you decide which of the mattresses you are considering would be likely to be the most suitable choice in terms of PPP.
The second would be to make sure you know the specifics of all the layers in any mattress you are considering so you can identify any potential weak links (relative to you) and make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses (see this article)
The third would be to make sure you know all the details of any options you have available after a purchase to fine tune the mattress, re-arrange or exchange any individual layers or the mattress itself, or return the mattress along with any costs involved in case your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped.
The more detailed and specific the information you can provide them the more you will help them to help you make the most suitable choice out of the mattresses they offer.
You can read more about the difference between latex and memory foam (or it’s variant gel memory foam) in post #2 here and the links it includes. There is also more detailed information about the many types of gel memory foams on the market in post #2 here and the links it includes as well. The most effective way to decide which materials you tend to prefer would be based on your own personal testing and experience.
I think that other than the comments I’ve made my “best” suggestions in terms of retailers and manufacturers to consider would be in the online and local lists I’ve linked along with following the steps in the tutorial one by one until you decide on your “finalists” so you can make your final choice between them based on your “informed and educated best judgement”.
Phoenix