Hi howyes,
Welcome to the mattress forum :), and thank you for the nice summary of the personal sleep history you provided, and doing it low of caffeine too!!
I’m sorry to hear about the mattress issues, spasms, and pains that you’ve had in the last 7 years.
Given that you have very specific back spasms you most likely need a much better quality mattress that fits your specific needs, which may be quite difficult to find for a budget under $200.00.
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … 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 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 I bought the wrong mattress, help! post #2 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”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own 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 mattress value post #13 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.
[quote]Where can I get a mattress that stays firm without breaking the bank? Is it me? Has anyone been getting good results from these mattresses? Am I buying too cheap?
One common factor all these beds have is they’re compressed into a box. Are beds in a box inferior quality? Do good quality regular mattresses still exist?[/quote]
Many consumers have had good experience with BIB companies. Being in a box is does not correlate with bad quality, using low quality and unsafe materials in a mattress is correlates to bad quality. Once you have a chance to go through the readings I suggested above you can always look at our trusted member mattress manufacturers and retailers listing and let us know if you have more specific questions.
Phoenix