Hi Raethynn,
Thanks for the kind comments … I appreciate it 
While 20 years is much longer than the norm for any mattress … they were certainly made to be more durable 15 - 20 years ago than they are now.
I’m not sure exactly where you are in Northern Mississipi but post #7 here and the forum lists it links to (including Memphis) will hopefully give you some options that are relatively close to you where you can test some latex mattresses.
Jamison in a regional manufacturer that supplies some stores in your region and since they make a range of latex and latex hybrid mattresses.it may be worth checking the store finder on their site here just in case there are any stores that are closer to you that carry any of their latex mattresses.
There is more about some of the factors that can affect the price of a mattress relative to different manufacturers or retailers in post #14 here. One of the biggest factors is generally the type, amount, quality, and cost of the materials and components inside it. Some types and blends of latex are just more costly than others and the mattress cover and quilting materials can also make a difference in the cost.
There is also more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and there is more about some of the general differences between Talalay and Dunlop in post #7 here.
Having said that … Savvy Rest is in a higher budget range than most other similar component latex mattresses that are sold online so they probably wouldn’t be the best value choice for most people unless you were making a local purchase and testing a mattress in person before a purchase was an important part of your personal value equation.
[quote]I’m leaning toward Spindle’s medium configuration, but I’m not 100% sure I don’t want the firm. I think the top layer of their firm will be much like the topper I tried. But underneath it will be six more inches of latex. Even two firm latex layers will surely give a lot more than this board I call a futon mattress. But I see that I can make a Spindle medium a bit firmer with some layer flipping. And I also see that latex responds differently from mattresses I’ve slept on in the past. I may not need the firmness I’ve always thought I needed.
I’ve always preferred much more firmness than anyone I know, and it’s probably due to poor tone in my core. I could blame it on a herniated lumbar disc or frequent SI joint pain, but those probably trace right back to the poor tone too. I think of myself as a side sleeper, but the truth is that I end up in a 3/4 position almost every time. Is that what people call it? I’m almost on my stomach, but my neck can’t take being flat on my stomach. Anyway, as you can imagine, any concave curvature of the mattress (whether due to age or design) is a recipe for a backache in that position.
So firm has always been best for me. But now, after reading dozens and dozens of pages here on your site, I understand much better about alignment and pressure points. I have to admit that my alignment was terrible, even before my mattress started sagging, and my pressure points are probably playing a role in this 3/4 position I end up in. With the right support layers, I might not need to sacrifice as much on comfort.
I’m 6’2" and 220lbs. I was 260, but I’ve dropping that slowly for a couple of years. Based on Spindle’s calculator, I will likely be happiest with their medium. I’m going to call FSF and then Spindle on Monday. What I’d like to do is go ahead and place the order Monday afternoon, after talking to both. Would you recommend against taking your “optional” route in this case, since I’ve never tried a latex mattress? The alternative is to wait until I can travel to a city that has stores that carry latex. I could really use some better sleep sooner than that, if it’s not too big of an unknown. I really do love the feel of the topper, and that gives me a lot of confidence.[/quote]
While your experience with the topper certainly raises the odds that you will like latex … I would probably see if you can try some latex mattresses locally just to confirm that you like the overall feel and performance of latex better than other types of materials or mattresses.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart (and who won’t just sell you anything they can convince you to buy) and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).
There is also a list of some of the better sources for online component latex mattresses in post #3 here.
Once you have narrowed down your options to a list of finalists that are all choices between “good and good” and you have confirmed that none of them have any lower quality materials or “weak links” in their design relative to your weight range and if at this point there are no clear winners between them (which is usually a good indication that you have done some good research) then you are in the fortunate position that any of them would likely be a suitable choice and post #2 here can help you make a final choice based on your local testing or mattresses you have slept well on, your more detailed conversations with each of them, your confidence about PPP and the suitability of each one, their prices, your preferences for different types of materials (or different types and blends of latex), the options you have after a purchase to fine tune the mattress or exchange or return the mattress or individual layers, any additional extras that are part of each purchase, and on “informed best judgement” based on all the other objective, subjective, and intangible parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix