Desperate for a new mattress but having a hard time making a decision

[phoenix]

Hi Chefnewman,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

Wow, who ever thought buying a mattress would be so hard? I am fed up with my 3 year old major brand bed that sags in the middle and on the edges.

I’m sorry that your current mattress isn’t working out well for you, but unfortunately, many of the “major brands” tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

At the time it cost me $1,800. I was all set to buy a Charles P. Rogers latex/hyrid as recommended by The Old Guy and then read some further facts here about the possible lack of objectivity on that site.

I’m guessing you’re referring to this.

If you like, you can read more about Charles P Rogers in post #34 here (and the rest of the topic) and in this topic and this topic as well and a forum search on Charles P Rogers (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well. There have been some “bits and pieces” of specifications provided to site members before on their mattresses (and some have had some good quality materials), but some of it has been conflicting and some of it is a few years old, so just to be safe you’d want to confirm the specifications of any model you were considering before considering a purchase.

I have degenerative disc disease in my lower back and neck as well as arthritis in my hips, back and shoulders. So sleeping is a problem for me and I often am awakened by a painful joint.

I’m sorry to hear about your various issues. I know that can making getting good rest difficult.

I have tried memory foam in a guest bedroom and except for the heat slept well. So I thought the latex would be better for me.

Memory foam can be very good at pressure point relief, as can latex.

Shopping on line is fine. I live in Northern California (a little over 2 hours north of SF) but would rather not have to drive for hours to try out a bed. Though if anyone know of a shop I should try I am open to suggestions.

With your various issues, you may wish to try out something locally. The good news is that you have quite a large selection of latex mattress options in your “area” (relatively speaking). The following is a bit of an extensive list, but subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list is completely transparent ( see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the San Francisco/San Rafael/Oakland/Berkeley areas are listed in post #2 here. Site members located close to you are FloBeds in Fort Bragg, Nest Bedding in San Francisco, and Bay Bed and Mattress in Santa Cruz.

If you are considering looking online, a good place for you to start could be to use the experience and expertise of the members listed in post #21 here who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance on the phone that can help you make good choices for a higher BMI. There are a wide range of latex and memory foam options included in the choices and I think highly of the advice that these companies provide.

I hope this gives you some guidance and helps you to move forward.

Phoenix