I have been deep into mattress research for the last several weeks and am very happy to have found this website.
I live in Pasadena, CA and started my search for a new mattress by visiting local retailers including Mattress City. The salespeople were very helpful and knowledgable. They have their own brand called Durapedic which comes in natural latex and polyfoam versions. I did not know enough at the time to ask about the layers and construction but the more expensive latex bed was quite comfortable and they seemed well built. I was put off during my second visit to the store because a new salesperson (again very helpful) quoted me vastly higher prices than the first salesperson and trying to close the deal, dropped the price (it was still higher) as I approached the exit! Although they are a family-owned local retailer well worth checking out, the sales tactics did not inspire my confidence.
I discovered flexuscomfort.com through this website and ended up ordering a 10" latex mattress. Their pricing is transparent and competitive, they are truly ‘mattress people’ ,and customer satisfaction is their goal. Time will tell if I picked the right configuration but their 90-day layer exchange policy is reassuring. I live locally so I was able to go to the showroom, and having met Henry and James, I would not hesitate to buy online in the future. If you are in LA and looking for a latex mattress (they also sell innerspring/latex hybrids) I would definitely add them to your list!
Thanks Phoenix for all the great info and the thoroughly vetted recommendations!