Hello guys, I’m a new member. I have been lurking on here for a few days. I’m from Houston, Tx. I’m a nurse. I hurt my back about 6 months ago. Now I have intermittent back pain. I mainly lie down on my side when I sleep. I notice that Texas Mattress Maker is a member on here. My brother and his wife as well as my mom has bought beds from them. We use to buy beds from those big mattress chain stores. They bought the barcelona bed. I tried both and thought that they are were very well built and comfortable. I also tried one of their gel beds and I think I prefer the softer beds. Can you guys help me pick a bed. I’m not buying yet, but just doing research now. I do like memory foam, but have read about the heat issue? I really can’t stand sleeping on a surface that is too warm. I always turn the fan on when I sleep. What about latex beds? I just want something that is good for my lower back as that is the main issue.
Hi supaflyz,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
The first place I would start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that you will need to make the best possible choice … and more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion about which mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own personal testing or sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Two of the more important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to buy a suitable mattress that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for that are involved in each of them and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value.
[quote] I’m from Houston, Tx.
I notice that Texas Mattress Maker is a member on here[/quote]
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Houston area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked) are listed in post #2 here but as you mentioned Texas Mattress Makers are a member of the site which means I think very highly of them and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms or their quality, value, service, and transparency and I would certainly make sure to include them in your research.
[quote]I do like memory foam, but have read about the heat issue? I really can’t stand sleeping on a surface that is too warm. I always turn the fan on when I sleep. What about latex beds? I just want something that is good for my lower back as that is the main issue.
I just want something that is good for my lower back as that is the main issue. [/quote]
There is no such thing as a mattress that is good for backs in general because each person is different and a mattress that is good for one person’s back may be completely unsuitable for someone else with a similar back issue to sleep on depending on their body type, sleeping positions, weight distribution, and physiology. There is only a mattress that is good for YOUR back which would be a mattress that keeps your spine and joints in their neutral alignment in all your sleeping positions.
In very general terms a mattress that has a deep support core (such as firmer polyfoam, an innerspring, or latex) that is firm enough to prevent your hips/pelvis from sinking down and sagging too far into the mattress and that also has “just enough” in terms of the thickness and softness of the upper comfort layers (generally either polyfoam, memory foam, latex, natural or synthetic fibers, or a microcoil) to relieve your pressure points in your most pressure prone position (such as your hips and shoulders for side sleepers) will be the best choice but the best way to know this is with careful testing using the testing guidelines in the tutorial.
The choice of materials is also a preference choice not a “better/worse” choice so I would choose the materials and the type of mattress that your testing indicates you tend to prefer. Having said that … most materials have lower quality and less durable versions and higher quality and more durable versions so I would always make sure that any mattress you purchase uses higher quality and more durable versions of the materials that you prefer and doesn’t have any “weak links” in the design.
Memory foam and latex are very different materials with a very different “feel” and different properties and some people may prefer one and some may prefer the other. There is no right or wrong in this or one material that is better for backs than another but there is more about the pros and cons of each of them and how they compare in post #2 here.
Latex is also a more breathable material than memory foam and tends to be the most temperature regulating of the different types of foam materials (polyfoam, memory foam, latex foam) but there are also many other variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress besides just the type of foam that is used inside it including the type of cover and quilting in a mattress, the mattress protector or mattress pad you use, your sheets and bedding, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range that can all have a significant effect on sleeping temperature. There is more about the many variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here that can help you choose the type of materials that will have the best chance of keeping you in a temperature range that you are comfortable with.
If you aren’t buying a mattress yet and there is no urgency then you have lots of time to do some good research and do some careful mattress testing so when the time comes to make your purchase you will be confident you are making the best possible choice based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.
Phoenix