Finding a latex mattress store/manufacturer in the boonies of southern Illinois

[phoenix]

Hi tntcater,

Just in case you haven’t read it yet … the tutorial post here is the first place I would start your research and has the basic information, steps, and guidelines you will need to make the best possible choices … and know how to avoid the worst ones.

then my husband laid on a latex mattress at an Ashley furniture store and really liked it

I would be cautious at Ashley Furniture and make sure you know the actual materials in any mattress you are testing there. What many people call a “latex mattress” may only have a relatively thin layer of latex inside it and the top layers which are most important may not be latex at all.

The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in and around Evansville, IN are listed in post #18 here. The St Louis / Carbondale list is in post #6 here and the list that includes the Champaign/Springfield/Peoria area is in post #2 here and the Indianapolis list is in post #2 here.

2. Our budget should be at $1,500 and we are upgrading to a king bed to have more room. It may make latex out of the question. I would be willing to pay more if I could be fairly certain it would last for a long time. Any suggestions for a place in that price range–online or store? It would be nice to buy the mattress and foundation together and could go up to $1,800 for the combo.

Your budget is certainly enough for a good quality mattress but may be on the low side for “all latex” (depending on the type of latex) although it would still be in the range of a latex hybrid. I don’t keep a list of mattresses for each area based on price or specific construction (this would be more than anyone could keep up with in a changing market) so price and specific mattresses would be the part of your research that would be up to your phone calls and visits but you would certainly have some good options available.

4. My husband is 5’11" and 265 lbs. I am 5’4" and 148 lbs. From what I’ve read on here we need at least a 3" comfort layer. Do you think that will be enough? Also, what about overall thickness. When I was looking at memory foam I had read on another site that the support layer for a heavier person should be at least 6". Is that true for latex as well? In Memory foam I was looking at 11" minimum. For latex, we probably can’t afford more than 7 - 10 ". Any advice on the thickness?

I would tend to avoid trying to figure out the choice that would be best for you ahead of time based on specs and would focus on your own careful and objective testing using the guidelines in the tutorial post (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). Your husband is in a higher weight range so in very general terms he may find that a thicker mattress works better for him (see post #14 here about mattress thickness) but your own testing on a specific mattress is the best way to know with any certainty.

Phoenix