Hi mandamu43,
This is why you would need to test the different types of mattresses and materials. If you follow the steps and guidelines one by one you will be fine. You have some good options in the St Louis area that are experienced and knowledgeable that can give you some good guidance. Many of these will already know what you otherwise would need to learn.
You have done some initial reading (step 1) … know what to eliminate and what to look for (step 2) … you have identified some good local manufacturers and retailers (step 3) … and you know how to test mattresses more accurately and objectively to increase your odds of making a good choice (linked in the post). Now it’s a matter of connecting with some of the better sources in your area so you can test different types of mattresses and choosing the one that is “best for you” at each manufacturer or retailers you visit (step 4). These will be your final choices (step 5). Only you can know this because nobody else can feel what you feel on a mattress and there is no “theory at a distance” that can predict which mattress is best for you more accurately than your own testing … especially with the help of knowledgeable and experienced “mattress professionals”.
I am happy to help with HOW to make the best choices but only you can decide WHAT to buy based on your own personal value equation. Again … there is no specific formula or “theory” that someone else can decide which mattress may work best for you that can possibly be more accurate than your own experience with the help and guidance of knowledgeable people. The best recommendation I would have is to phone the options on the list and then visit the manufacturers and retailers in your area that you connect with on the phone. With their help you can test the mattresses they make or sell for PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) and make the best possible final choices.
Phoenix