Hi waterbugs3,
There are a couple of other threads that are centered around Huntsville that may be of some help. They are here and here.
To simplify things a bit … there are only 3 factory direct outlets that are within reasonable driving distance although one is 50 miles away and the other two are closer to 100 miles away. These would almost certainly be your best source of quality and value in the area. they are …
Furniture Row® Store Locations - Store Hours & Addresses Madison and Chattanooga. They are a regional factory direct outlet and they carry two latex (or mostly latex) mattresses called the Aspen and the Snowmass. These are both good quality and have good value if one of them is suitable for your needs and preferences. The Aspen is a little softer version and the snowmass is a little firmer version. They both use Talalay latex. Denver mattress has many outlets across many states so the knowledge level of the staff may vary in different outlets. I would ignore the brands they also carry which they don’t manufacture.
http://www.murmaid.com/v2/index.php?page=contact-us Chatanooga and other outlets in the area. Local factory direct manufacturer that makes a full range of mattresses including latex. I don’t know the details of their mattresses and they aren’t listed on their site so if you do decide to go here I would call first to make sure they have “all latex” or “latex hybrid” (latex over innersprings or latex over polyfoam) mattresses. The value here is likely better than most retail outlets for similar mattresses but I would make sure that you are able to find out the specifics of the materials in any of their mattresses you are considering (see post #8 here).
http://www.royalbeddinginc.com/ Local factory direct manufacturer in Pelham, AL. I know the owner Tom and have talked with him many times and think very highly of him and the mattresses he makes. He just came out with his first "all latex’ mattress which is 2 sided and has good value.
Other than these … there are some retail outlets listed that are close to you but in general it is not as likely that they would have either the knowledge or the value of a factory direct outlet. They also may not even carry a mattress that is similar to what you are looking for. Since they are closer though, they may be worth a phone call or a visit asking if they carry “all latex” or “latex hybrid” mattresses (followed with a request to list the layers of any mattresses they think fits the description). The brands I listed that they carry that would have the best odds of having a mattress that fits your criteria and that may have better value depending on the prices they are selling for. When you are looking at retail outlets in your area though, it is very important to phone and “interview” them first to find out if they have the type of mattress you are looking for (latex or latex hybrid), what the prices are, and to make sure they will give you the layer by layer breakdown of the mattress over the phone. If they are hesitant to do this, don’t seem to know, or try to make you come in first before they will give you any information or prices or if they just don’t seem helpful or knowledgeable on the phone … pass them by.
There are also some wholesale manufacturers listed that you could call to see if they made a latex or latex hybrid mattress (if they don’t have the information on their site) and if they do they will normally tell you about any retail outlets close to you that carry them. Make sure you phone these retail outlets to “interview” them in the same way you would any other retail outlet before you visit them.
I know that you mentioned you were hesitant about going the DIY route but because they are much more knowledgeable than places like Costco and Sams Club … the odds of buying a suitable mattress that fits your needs and preferences from one of these are far greater than a blind purchase from a box store where in many cases you have no idea what you are buying and they don’t have any knowledge or guidance about which mattresses may be suitable for you. The only good side to the box stores is their refund policy.
The DIY manufacturers that I’ve listed or that are members of the site also tend to sell higher quality mattresses though which in your case may not be what you need because it seems you only need it to last for a few years. While they may have much better value than your other more local choices or the box stores … it seems that you may be looking for a lower priced mattress that doesn’t need to last as long as most of the higher quality mattresses that they sell. If this is the case … it may be worth including mattresses which use lower quality materials (such as higher density polyfoam) which are less durable but also less expensive in your search.
In general I would take the time to talk with the local manufacturers on the phone to decide if a visit would be worth the drive (and it will save you many hours of research and trying to sort through conflicting information). I would also never visit any local outlet where I hadn’t spent enough time on the phone with them to know their overall approach to selling mattresses, confirm that they know and will tell their customers the materials in their mattresses, and have a good sense that they will provide me with the information that I want. Finally I would consider an online outlet that has the skills and knowledge to help you make a good choice if you decide it’s worth buying a mattress that has great value but will last you longer than you may need.
Phoenix