I’m looking for a relatively high quality good value mattress, as I’m on a limited budget. These are the sellers that I figured out from browsing here, but is there anyone that I’m missing? Which seller would you consider to be the best price / performance? I’m not too scared about ordering online verse in store (dixie foam).
Your dilemma is common. Being value driven, I came to the same basic conclusion that you have with the exception of my list containing SleepEZ, Arizona Premium Mattress and Plushbeds while excluding DixieFoam. I narrowed my selection down to Brooklyn Bedding and Mattresses 24/7.
If you must keep to your $1k budget then your decision is simple - Brooklyn Bedding. I went with 24/7 because I wanted and all latex mattress and the low impact 4-way stretch cover they offered and they also are located where I am so I could return the layers if I was unsatisfied.
Either way you go I think you will be happy. I would highly recommend you test some latex beds at vendors in your area. From that experience you will gather a better understanding of what type of layering you will need to meet your needs. I visited AZ Premium Mattress and tested for about an hour and it proved to be time well spent.
I think all your choices are good ones in different ways but which is “better for you” would depend entirely on what was important to you. My goal is to help people narrow their choices down to a place where they are choosing between good and good (which you are) and then get out of the way of their final decisions which need to be based on their own personal value equation (what is important to each person).
There is always value in a local purchase where you can test the actual mattress that you buy and the importance of this and the “value” of the “risk reduction” that is attached to it would depend on each individual.
Buying a factory second is certainly more risky because there would be a reason that the original source makes the choice to sell these to another supplier and not use them in their own mattresses. In other words … you are “trading” increased risk in exchange for a lower price.
An online purchase can also be great value for some and not so great for others in comparison to a local purchase depending again on what is important to each person. The list of members here who specialize in online or over the phone sales and ship across the country (see post #21 here) have a wide variety of different styles and options both in their design, layering, price, and exchange policies. While all of these offer high value for different reasons … each of these differences may be be more or less important to each person so one person may see one as higher value than another for their own reasons.
So overall … your choices (or any that are listed in the previous link) are all good ones IMO but the final tradeoffs are all about which options are most important to you, the help and guidance that each offers to help you make your best choice regarding your needs and preferences, and the level of risk you are willing to accept in exchange for lower prices.