Hi Mo,
The first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Brand shopping can be among the worst ways to choose a mattress because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and all manufacturers have access to the same or similar quality components and materials that they can use in their mattresses. Most of the more heavily advertised and most commonly available brands that you would recognize are the ones I would completely avoid (see the guidelines here). The name of the manufacturer on the label also won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress is suitable for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here).
I would focus much more on finding retailers or manufacturers that are knowledgeable and transparent about the materials in their mattresses than on the name of the manufacturer(s) they happen to carry on their floor.
[quote]I’ve been doing some research on your site and need help.
I need a nontoxic mattress (organic or not) as I have an autoimmune disease and need to limit any toxic exposure. I also have sleep apnea.
I have a prescription from my doctor saying “this patient requires a chemical free mattress”. I hope the wording is correct.[/quote]
There is more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help you sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how natural is natural enough for me” or “how safe is safe enough for me” so you can make more “fact based” choices on the types of materials you are most comfortable having in your mattress. These types of issues can be complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
I would always make sure that you can find out the information listed here about any mattress you are considering so you know exactly what is inside it so you can decide whether you are comfortable with the materials and components inside the mattress.
Your prescription should be fine if you need to purchase a mattress that doesn’t pass the fire regulations and doesn’t have any fire retardant chemicals although some manufacturers may require that your prescription specifies “no fire retardants” but they will let you know if your prescription matches what they need to make a mattress that doesn’t pass the fire regulations and doesn’t have any fire retardants. Some manufacturers will do this and some won’t. There are also many mattresses that use materials or methods to pass the regulations that are completely “safe” (such as wool).
You can read some of my thoughts about Essentia and some of the misleading claims they make and some forum discussions with them (as well as some of the FTC issues they have had about their claims) in this thread and this thread and posts #3 and #4 here).
A forum search on Intellibed (you can just click the link) will also bring up much more information about them as well.
The better local options or possibilities I’m aware of in the Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, FL area (subject to the guidelines here) are listed in post #2 here.
Phoenix