Hi suspent,
The post I linked about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase is really the only way to decide which one is the better option for you.
I can’t feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and individual preferences involved for anyone else to be able to tell you which one is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that could possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing and personal experience.
In terms of the quality and durability of the materials and the mattress “as a whole” … I would need to know the specifics of all the layers to make any meaningful comments about either of them and unfortunately that information isn’t available.
In terms of how they compare in terms of overall “value” … that would depend on how they compared for #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including price of course).
Without knowing the specifics of what is inside each mattress there isn’t really any way to make an informed choice or make meaningful comparisons outside of how they “feel”.
Once a mattress softens or degrades and develops soft spots or impressions it’s really too late to use a topper because the topper will just follow any soft spots or impressions underneath it. At this point the mattress would probably need to be replaced because the only reliable way to “fix” a mattress like this is to remove and replace the layers that have softened or broken down. A topper is most suitable for a mattress that is still in good condition and doesn’t have any soft spots or impressions and just needs some additional softness and pressure relief.
Phoenix