Hi NiceGeoff,
I know you’ve read this but for the benefit of others that read this post … the factory direct manufacturers that are within reasonable driving distance of Albany are in post #2 here which also includes a link to some of the retail “possibilities” that are closer to you as well but will require a little more research and more careful comparisons.
The best way I know to narrow down your options is to start your research on the phone talking with the retailers and manufacturers that are within your driving range. If you give them your criteria (memory foam or latex mattresses) and your budget range then they should give you a good indication of what they have on their floor that may be suitable for you in your budget range to test. I would specifically make sure you tell them that you are only interested in testing mattresses where you are able to find out the quality of all the materials in any mattress you test (including the density of any memory foam and polyfoam and the type and blend of any latex) and confirm that they are able and willing to provide this information. If they are fully transparent and have some mattresses that you are interested in testing on their floor and appear to be knowledgeable and helpful on your phone conversations, these are the ones I would visit in person.
Phoenix
PS: While most factory direct manufacturers are transparent, I would ask twice about a retailers ability and willingness to provide the quality specs of their mattresses because you will often find that they will say “oh yes we have spec sheets with all the information” only to go there and discover that their spec sheets don’t include the most important information you need (such as foam density with memory foam and polyfoam and type and blend in the case of latex) and just include more generic information about the type of materials rather than the specific quality. This limited information which is by far more common in the industry is not enough to make informed buying decisions or make meaningful comparisons with other mattresses.
A retailer that has the ability and willingness to provide this information is much less common and is usually a good indication that they are more knowledgeable and experienced and are much more likely to be worth a visit.