Hi ilovemywillow,
I have dealt with USBeds (Olejo) and talked with Daniel there a fair bit about their mattresses (I bought my adjustable there) and I know that they have a good relationship with Classic Brands and at that time they were able to make custom adjustments to the “standard” layering (this was with a different mattress at the time). This is what made me think it was possible that their version was different from the “norm”.
In cases like this … the law tag would be valuable because any polyfoam in the mattress would be listed there as a percentage of weight.
Overall though, I much prefer a local purchase when the quality and value, and the knowledge and service of the outlet you are dealing with warrants it because you can both test the mattress for your own unique needs and preferences and questions such as this can be more easily answered (by looking at the law tag for example).
In those areas where the quality/value/knowledge is not available … then an online purchase can make a lot of sense but only when you are dealing with an outlet that is knowledgeable and transparent about their materials and also has the knowledge and skill to provide good guidance about the choices they have available that can help you make the best decision. It is also helpful when buying online to make sure you know what your options are if “best efforts” still lead to a mattress that may not be quite right. Layer exchanges or in the case of buying from an outlet that doesn’t have a lot of knowledge about mattresses … a complete knowledge of the refund policy including the fine details of any hidden costs (such as shipping and any fees or penalties) are a very important part of the purchase. When you are buying online … the knowledge, experience, service, and policies of the outlet you are buying from can be even more important than which mattress you choose.
This is why a list like the one I linked to (all of which are members here and I know are among the “best of the best”) can be the most important first step in an online purchase. While they all offer different options and each person may prefer the options at one over another for their own reasons … all of them offer quality, service, and value and between them have a very wide range of choices and designs available.
One of the most important parts of mattress shopping can be choosing the best outlet before you even consider which mattress may be best for you. This can save a lot of time, frustration, and research into a very complex subject where misinformation is much more common than accurate information.
Local testing with the guidance (whenever possible) of a knowledgeable person would always be my first step regardless of where I ended up purchasing (either locally or online). Theory and specs can never replace personal experience although it can provide a helpful guideline. There are many advantages to having good online choices available when the quality and value they provide is significantly better than a local purchase. The difference would need to be big enough to make up for the additional risk though so whether I went in this direction would depend entirely on what was available locally (both in terms of mattresses, and outlets). I personally would pay a reasonable premium to purchase locally because of the value of testing a mattress personally rather than going by theory or “averages”. When the difference is enough to offset the additional risk though I would seriously consider an online purchase. While this would vary from person to person and their individual “risk tolerance” … a reasonable difference IMO would be about 20%. This would also depend on the confidence level of each person that they knew exactly what they both needed and preferred.
Some of the better options in Memphis are included in post #2 here.
Phoenix