I’m glad you found it helpful! I’m sorry to hear about the ER visit and the back pain. Of the Duxiana, I remember preferring the 6006 to the 3003 because it had a feeling of conforming to my body shape a bit better than the 3003. But for your purposes, maybe that would translate into the 6006 being too soft and thus less support than what you’re looking for. I learned it’s difficult to know which words are the best, though, since sometimes a mattress felt more “supportive” while also being slightly “plusher.” I really just had to try them and lay in them for a while. (Norm’s advice!)
On the cassette system, it seemed really neat. My partner and I are both about the same body weight and fairly stable, though, so we felt like we weren’t going to get much out of it. But, I could see that system being really useful for the situation you describe and also for having the flexibility to adjust the hardness over time or if your back is acting up in particular ways one week and it may need something harder/softer.
I think overall, their materials seemed really nice with natural materials. I also really liked that their frame came with legs. It was a really stable, clean aesthetic that didn’t require an additional frame. If there’s a store near you, it would definitely be worth trying out. Depending on your price range, they also had a fancier model with a crank for adjustable lumbar support, which could be something that works for you two.
Separately, I’ve been meaning to post since we made a decision! We ended up going with the ViSpring Coronet with the Opulence topper. I was going to wait for it to arrive and to have a few nights on it before posting. We ended up getting a great Black Friday deal on it that made the value for the money seemingly too good to pass up and ended up being one of the most affordable, too, in just the absolute number.
What led to this one? After trying so many, there really were a lot of great options. The ViSpring edged out the McRoskey in just a few ways and, by all means, take my experience with a grain of salt. We had to choose one but it doesn’t mean it was the end-all-be-all decision for everyone and it had a lot to do with the final deal we got.
In the end, it came down to comfort, price and value (not surprising given the title of this thread). The McRoskey’s don’t really go on sale and we were able to get a great deal on the ViSpring that ended up being comparable in price while including a topper that typically goes for $3k-$4k, plus a finished base that fits the room really well. I previously wrote that I thought the Rutherford with a latex topper was a nicer feeling than the Coronet but after another test, I preferred the Coronet + topper.
The price tag was still more than I expected to spend at the start of this process so the fact that we were getting a discount really helped justify the decision in my mind. Seeing how other brands go on sale for 20, 30 or 40 even percent off, it seemed silly to pay near the regular price.
We went back and forth on whether a topper was a good idea and I see both arguments. On the one hand, they definitely add a more body-conforming, comfy experience. On the other, it’s a possible expense down the road in 8-10 years. In fact, one of the selling points of the McRoskey was it felt comfortable without a topper. So time will be the judge on how it is to sleep on. I do like the idea that we can change the feel by adding/removing it if need be. It’s probably one of those decisions that you could rationalize after the fact either way. But since the prices were comparable, seemed like a great option and addition to have.
Another difference was the fact that the McRoskey doesn’t come with legs, even though it’s pictured on their website with them. The folks at Longs Bedding were very accommodating though and offered to source and attach them for a small charge. (Highly recommend going to Longs if you’re in New York! They are super knowledgeable and they had a great selection.) It did add a cost, though, to a setup that was already not really discounted whereas with the ViSpring it came standard and included the box spring fabric fits our room better than the McRoskey gray.
As Norm mentioned, I feel like the Hayes Valley was maybe a better long-term option than the Sunset – but it was too expensive. I was a little hesitant about the durability of the Sunset since the McRoskey people said that it will pack down and become harder over time because it has a lot of cotton and thus lacks the springiness of latex or stiffer fibers like horsehair. It may be a negligible difference in the end (and certainly solvable with a topper) but I couldn’t find any long-term reviews to know.
In terms of general brand quality, it was very murky to navigate. Of McRoskey and ViSpring we heard the exact same negative info: Their manufacturing quality has decreased and they are more interested in higher prices than higher quality. We also heard the exact opposite about both: Their owners care more about quality than the other one does and their build quality has actually improved. That was definitely confusing and beyond my ability to adjudicate! I did like how transparent the ViSpring catalog was (download it from their website as a PDF) and how it included comparisons about each of their models’ layers and their process in general.
The ViSpring comes with a 30 year warranty although we did hear from someone that warranties generally only cover issues that are likely to show themselves in the first 10 years like manufacturing defects. So it’s some peace of mind but not without a possible caveat. Reading about people’s experience with the brand, though, it seems they stand by their product. I had a really great experience with the guy in the store and have confidence that I can go to him if anything weird happens.
@Maverick I did actually find a pillow I liked! Maybe even worth taking on the subway with me 
I had no idea about latex before going on this adventure and liked its natural springy qualities. I didn’t find an all-latex mattress I liked but I saw Custom Comforts made latex pillows. I ended up really liking their molded latex pillow. It has this great weightless feeling to it that I’ve never experienced in a pillow. It’s also rather cool because it has holes in it. With a normal feather pillow, your head forms a U-shaped depression and if you move, you may not be well cradled in the bottom of that U. With this latex one, it forms a supportive U wherever you put your head. Very neat! I also got their shredded travel pillow to use as a knee / hug pillow.
If you’re in the LA-area, Custom Comfort is definitely worth a visit. As mentioned above, I thought their Rutherford and Calistoga mattresses were really nice. For anyone who likes a firmer mattress, they had a latex hybrid in the window that my brother really liked and it was less than $1,000 for a Queen. It may have been the Catalina. Definitely a lot of neat things to check out there.
We didn’t end up being able to make it out to try Shovlin or Orange in New Jersey – the Thanksgiving schedule was too tight and it was about a 4 hour round-trip journey that we couldn’t fit in. So there could be great options for people there. If I’m ever in the area, I may try just out of curiosity.
I’ll post a review in maybe a month or so to see how everything goes. Thanks again for everyone’s help in navigating this! Pretty interesting that we started off at ViSpring and took a while to come back to it. If I remember correctly, we were only shown super expensive models on our first visit ($20k+) and it just seemed like a non-starter. If I could sum up a strategy for anyone feeling in despair I would say:
- Find out what materials you find most comfortable (foam, latex, hybrid or spring with wool or other natural materials). All of these had quite different qualitative differences to me and we both consistently preferred pocket springs and disliked foam.
- See what you experience lying on the bed. We learned over time that we liked something that felt more solid than bouncy, for example. Originally, we thought we wanted something as plush as the 2000T but then retreated to a safer option that was similar to what we currently have but still an improvement on comfort. We didn’t know how happy our bodies would be on something so plush.
- Try and find something that matches your preference in your price range and hopefully you get a deal at the same time. If you’re not in a time crunch, keep your eye on clearance sales. Especially if you want a split-tension King, it seems there are a lot of floor model sales that come around. Either way, seems like a lot of people can make some deals within reason.
- We don’t have an existing bed frame so something with built-in legs was a much cleaner option and saved the expense of an additional item.
In the end, I feel pretty confidant I got something that didn’t sacrifice on comfort and quality and if I’m happy with it for a number of years, will be definitely worth the price.
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