Hi djb,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
The first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember 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 that are unique to each person tor anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” or “cozy enough” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or if you can’t test a mattress in person then your own personal sleeping experience (see post #2 here).
The Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress ever (they are site members here, which means that I think highly of them) does use high quality and durable materials, and latex is certainly a more buoyant material than memory foam or most polyfoams. Unfortunately, nobody has a crystal ball that can predict if you will like the comfort that this product offers, and I would be very skeptical of anyone who claims that they can predict this for you.
The only way to know for certain whether any specific combination of materials will be suitable for you or which ones you tend to prefer will be based on your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience because different people with different body types, sleeping styles, sensitivities, and circumstances can have very different experiences or opinions about whether the same mattress provides “enough” comfort for their own personal preference.
[quote]Next, I was able to visit Nest’s store in NYC. (I’m from NJ) I really did like their Love & Sleep Mattress mattress a lot. IT seemed to be just what I am looking for except that it maybe could be a touch softer for my preference, and the low price had me concerned about quality.
While at Nest, I also like all the Alexander beds, both Hybrid and Signature, all in Medium… only concerns were that maybe the slow response rate, maybe sleeping hot. [/quote]
The Energex foam in the Love & Sleep is hole-punched for breathability, and is a high quality and high performance polyfoam that has some of the properties of memory foam without the temperature sensitivity and slow response. There are no lower quality materials or weak links in this mattress for those that are in more average weight ranges although I would add a caution for those that are in higher weight ranges (200s or higher because of the 1.8 lb polyfoam core). This mattress is geared more toward a value price point, with 2"-3" of comfort layers in the mattress.
The Alexander Signature in medium uses a total of 5" of different memory foam in the upper layers, with 1.5" in the top quilt panel. This certainly would have a bit more of a typical “memory foam” feel and be a bit less responsive. The Alexander Signature Hybrid also uses memory foam in the upper layers of the mattress but not as much as the Signature Series. While I can describe “what” is on the inside, nothing can replace your own personal testing that you did in the showroom and the opinions you derived from that. As you may be aware, Nest Bedding is also a site member here an I think highly of them as well.
This is a two-sided memory foam mattress, so it would tend to be slower in responding. It uses 3" of 3 lb. copper infused memory foam on the “soft” side, a 6" convoluted 1.8 lb polyfoam core, and a 1" bottom layer of 3 lb copper infused memory foam on the “firm” side. The 3 lb memory foam is a lower density than I would recommend so I would advise caution with this product.
Energex is one of the newer generation of what I call “high performance polyfoams”, such as Activus, Spring-Tex, Avena, Futuratex and some of the FOM products. There is more information about these foams and their characteristics in post #2 here. If you like the feel of these foams, you may wish to seek out products using them in the upper layer of their mattresses. Post #2 in this thread lists some of the “simplified choice” mattresses, and some of these do use these high performance foams in their upper layer. While different combinations of different types of foam materials with different properties in the comfort layers of a mattress will combine the properties and “feel” of both materials to different degrees depending on the specific materials, layer thickness, and properties of each material, it is the properties of materials and components that are closer to the top surface of a mattress will tend to have a bigger effect on the overall “feel” of a mattress than materials that are deeper in the mattress.
Overall, I would recommend that you do a bit of reading, and the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly help you know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
Two of the most 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 choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and 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 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 (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists (based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).
You can also look online and use the experience and expertise of the members listed in post #21 here who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance on the phone that can help you make good choices. There are a wide range of options included in the choices.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.
A good online retailer or manufacturer will generally make suggestions that they honestly believe have the best chance of success based on the information you provide them when you talk to them on the phone because this is in both your own and their best interests but again … at the end of the day the only way to know for certain whether any specific mattress is a good match for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own careful testing and/or your own personal experience so if you can’t test a specific mattress in person then the options you have available after a purchase to either exchange the mattress or individual layers or components or return the mattress for a refund (and any costs involved) would generally become a more important part of your personal value equation just in case a mattress you purchase doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Phoenix